5 Slam Takeaways
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After a day, let’s take the opportunity to think about all the great things we saw yesterday in Lenexa, Kansas! Eight high-impact games with all but two of the eight going three sets if my memory serves me correctly. 8…
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Continue ReadingAfter a day, let’s take the opportunity to think about all the great things we saw yesterday in Lenexa, Kansas! Eight high-impact games with all but two of the eight going three sets if my memory serves me correctly. 8 am to 8 pm…what a day! Here are 5 things I take away from yesterday’s 13th annual.
1. Why 2025 Top 3 Rankings Were So Tough
The amount of back and forth on the top 3 many won’t understand. While many may think it was a hand-down easy choice with the skill set of Reese Messer Reese Messer 5'11" | S St. James | 2025 State #6 Nation KS , it wasn’t. When I started messing with the list a month ago, Logan Parks Logan Parks 5'11" | S Blue Valley North | 2025 State #8 Nation KS was sitting at the top. She does so many things and doing them well gave her a slight edge. She is also a very talented setter and can terminate on the pin. We also saw the impact Alea Goolsby Alea Goolsby 5'11" | OH St. Thomas Aquinas | 2025 State #36 Nation KS can have on a contest from the pin. She was able to fly down the middle and score often (would have been more if it wasn’t for amazing defense). She also was solid in serve receive. I didn’t catch the St. James match…the score tells me Messer was doing her thing!
2. Speaking of Setters
We briefly talked about Messer and Parks. Parks teammate and Cincinnati commit Janelle Green Janelle Green 5'9" | S Blue Valley North | 2024 State #68 Nation KS was her usual self. Blue Valley West’s Lily Wedman Lily Wedman 5'8" | S Blue Valley West | 2025 State KS is such a natural on the court and dished some back sets that had me doing the slow appreciative head shake. I don’t know why Kate Peterson wasn’t on my radar before…definitely an epic fail on my part but she’s nice! Rylee Unruh Rylee Unruh 5'11" | S Free State | 2023 State KS ‘s decision-making I appreciated greatly. When their team needed a score, she went to the hot hand in Sawyer Thomsen Sawyer Thomsen 6'2" | MB Free State | 2023 State #145 Nation KS . The youngster Marly Burbach Marly Burbach 5'11" | S Blue Valley Northwest | 2025 State KS didn’t let the bright lights of tv hamper her play. Ashley Mullen Ashley Mullen 5'10" | S Liberty | 2023 State #9 Nation MO had a highlight reel performance and was on cruise control most of the night. St. Teresa’s Brynne McGhie Brynne McGhie 5'10" | S St. Teresa's Academy | 2023 State MO showed why she’s been leading the offense for a few years now. And in the last match I witnessed, both Zoe Canfield Zoe Canfield 5'9" | S Washburn Rural | 2024 State KS and Kelsey Schenck Kelsey Schenck 5'11" | S St. Thomas Aquinas | 2024 State KS did their thing.
3. Biggest Surprise
I think my biggest surprise was seeing Abigail Mullen Abigail Mullen 6'3" | RS Liberty | 2025 State #3 Nation MO primarily swinging from the left pin. After seeing her dominate from the right side so consistently and having such a dynamic setter, my non-expert opinion says her match-ups are more favorable on that side with so many undersized left-pins. Often when I see that type of move it’s because of the lack of passing and out-of-system balls that need to get to your best attacker. Big sis can find her wherever she is so this was confusing to me. But hey, that’s why I get paid to write and observe and not to coach. I have Coach Leone’s number and will see what I can find out. She got off slow with some hitting errors but finally got going halfway through the contest.
4. While Talking About Liberty
They may possibly win the state title this year. No pressure Blue Jays. Yes, they dropped a set but to a very good Olathe Northwest Team. This team has all the pieces to make a deep postseason run. They have experience on the bench with April Fleming. We discussed the Mullens, but this team also returns veterans Brooklyn Young Brooklyn Young 6'0" | MB Liberty | 2023 State MO , Grace Toney Grace Toney 5'11" | MB Liberty | 2023 State MO , and Jocelyn Renfro Jocelyn Renfro 5'9" | OH Liberty | 2023 State MO . The transfer of Aisha Aiono Aisha Aiono 6'3" | MB Liberty | 2023 State MO , who stands at 6’3″ in the middle is the move that may help seal the deal. If Macy Barlett is holding down the libero jersey like she was yesterday, the Blue Jays may want to start looking at and sizing rings…but no pressure. Stay healthy.
5. A Great Run
Lansing has had a tremendous run over the last decade with some great talent to come thru the hallways. They still have some talent but with their youth, we can say this may be a rebuilding year. They could prove us wrong and show their old form come October but my spidey senses say this team will be much better next year when this team full of juniors are seniors.
Bonus
I don’t know how the teams are selected but three Missouri schools of the sixteen. Let’s give Missouri more love. But what I really would love to have seen…two of the really good small schools face off at the Slam! Maybe next year? I would love to see Heritage Christian and St. Pius X in this type of event facing off.
Bonus Bonus
Spectrum Sports KC…thank you for broadcasting this event. Student sections…you are live! So glad to have Prep Dig Marshall join the team…another set of eyes in the area since I’ve been covering both states for the last year.