St James Volleyball Slam Afternoon "Game Changers"

The first official weekend of volleyball kicks off with the St. James Volleyball Slam if you are in the KC Metro area. The 13th annual competition brings big-time schools and big-time players. The man behind the lens captured a different perspective from the afternoon's four matches (starting with the 2:00 PM Match).   My "Game Changers" will be a series of 1-3 players I thought were key contributors for their respective teams during their particular match or tournament. It is not cumulative throughout the season or previous accolades.    [player_tooltip player_id='99216' first='Ashley' last='Mullen'] - S - 2023 - Liberty   Mullen was the glue for the Bluejays as the Senior setter took control of Liberty's offense under her wings. She distributed the wealth of swings effectively and efficiently during the match.   [player_tooltip player_id='119222' first='Aisha' last='Aiona'] - MB - 2023 - Liberty   The senior transfer from Park Hill was a beast at the net for the Bluejays. She's versatile offensively and was a crucial defensive presence with her blocking.   [player_tooltip player_id='153930' first='Abigail' last='Mullen'] - OPP - 2025 - Liberty   “Gail” got it rolling offensively when the Jays fell behind. The Mullen sisters seemed they were on the same wavelength and provided much-needed points from the back-row option.   [player_tooltip player_id='119724' first='Jillian' last='Huckabey'] - Pin/S - 2024 - Olathe Northwest   Huckabey was the Swiss-army knife for the Lady Ravens. She scored from all positions in the front row and was one of the setters on the team. She did it all on Saturday.   [player_tooltip player_id='119707' first='Skyler' last='Pierce'] - OH - 2024 - Olathe Northwest   Liberty tried to keep the ball away as much as they could but Pierce found ways to score on the scoresheet. Even with limited sets to her in the front row, Pierce was able to do her magic as a back-row option too.   Addisen Horn - S - 2024 - Olathe Northwest   Horn provided consistent sets for Olathe Northwest's offensive minded squad. Running a hybrid 6-2, she had some solid blocks in the front row.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   [player_tooltip player_id='101697' first='Reagan' last='Fox'] - OH - 2023 - St. Teresa's Academy   Fox was on fire as the Stars looked for her offensive power in the match. She played as a 6-rotation outside and had some great touches in the back row. Fox was able to run some back-row hits when the team was in a jam with their lesser experienced outside options.   [player_tooltip player_id='123468' first='Brynne' last='McGhie'] - S - 2023 - St. Teresa's Academy   The leadership McGhie brings to the team is evident as she leads the Stars' younger core of offensive power. She delivered the sets her hitters wanted and adjusted well with the out-of-sytem balls.   [player_tooltip player_id='222060' first='Elizabeth' last='Scanlon'] - OH - 2026 - St. Teresa's Academy   Scanlon's number got called up early and the freshman outside hitter delivered. She played well under pressure and took some hard-swings during the match. "Libby" had some great platform in her receiving game as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='173376' first='Lauren' last='Lopez'] - OH - 2025 - Bishop Miege   Lopez was the go-to player for the Stags. She was versatile in her hitting ability and able to power through her shots from around the court.   [player_tooltip player_id='493386' first='Kirston' last='Verhulst'] - OH - 2025 - Bishop Miege   Verhulst was a perfect compliment to Lopez. I loved how she took hard swings on the left pin while providing solid blocking in the front row.   Delaney Morrison - DS - 2025 - Bishop Miege   Morrison flew under the radar during the match. She came in as a serving and defensive specialist for the Stags. Morrison had a few runs of tough serving that got Bishop Miege back in the game and helped tremendously in the passing game.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   [player_tooltip player_id='120008' first='Brooklyn' last='DeLeye'] - OH - 2023 - Washburn Rural   To put it simply, DeLeye is a beast. She was in command as it was pure entertainment watching her play. She delivered multiple tough top-spin serves during the match keeping the opposition at bay.   [player_tooltip player_id='152178' first='Katie' last='Borough'] - L - 2023 - Washburn Rural   Borough was passing dimes in both the receiving game and digging. She moved effortlessly towards the ball and was not afraid to hit the floor to get the opponent tougher hits.   [player_tooltip player_id='119699' first='Zoe' last='Canfield'] - S - 2024 - Washburn Rural   I loved how Canfield can reverse the flow on her sets, keeping the offense Rural fresh. She utilized all her hitters and kept the defense guessing who to block.   [player_tooltip player_id='153937' first='Alea' last='Goolsby'] - OH - 2025 - Saint Thomas Aquinas   Goolsby was an offensive machine for the Saints. She was utilized in distinct plays during serve-receive and it was fun to watch Goolsby jumped out of the gym with a jump reach over 10 feet.   [player_tooltip player_id='119691' first='Kelsey' last='Schenck'] - S - 2024 - Saint Thomas Aquinas   Schenck delivered beautiful sets to her hitters and spread the offense equally to each zone. She had some great float serves that kept the Saints close in the match.   [player_tooltip player_id='150076' first='Betsy' last='Goodenow'] - OPP - 2023 - Saint Thomas Aquinas   The southpaw right side had enormous firepower coming out of the gate. She put so much force on her swings and had terrific block touches for the Saints.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   [player_tooltip player_id='120045' first='Skylar' last='Weaver'] - OH - 2023 - Lansing   Though she played as a libero during club season, Weaver is called up to be Lansing 6-rotation outside for her passing and offensive output.She came up with points using crafty shot selection and had consistent platform in her receiving game.   [player_tooltip player_id='119810' first='Anna' last='Laincz'] - OH - 2024 - Lansing   Laincz had no issue transitioning from opposite to left pin this season. She had powerful swings throughout the match that helped the Lady Lions be competitive.   [player_tooltip player_id='119730' first='Ashlynn' last='Jaccard'] - MB - 2024 - Lansing   Jaccard was a force in the middle position with her high reach. Jaccard hopes to add depth in blocking and offensive output for Lansing this upcoming season.   [player_tooltip player_id='154039' first='Reese' last='Messer'] - S - 2025 - St. James Academy   Messer was on point as St. James Academy swept Lansing in 2. She was surgical with her set locations and set up her hitters for success.   Ella Goodwin - OH - 2024 - St. James Academy   Goodwin had a solid game providing fundamental blocking and offensive firepower for St James Academy.   [player_tooltip player_id='119694' first='Mya' last='Bolton'] - L/DS - 2024 - St. James Academy   Bolton was all over the backcourt passing the ball. Even when she changed from a libero to a DS, she still managed to dig balls coming her way.

The first official weekend of volleyball kicks off with the St. James Volleyball Slam if you are in the KC Metro area. The 13^th annual competition brings big-time schools and big-time players. The man behind the lens captured a different perspective from the afternoon's four matches (starting with the 2:00 PM Match).