St James Volleyball Slam Afternoon “Game Changers”
In this article:
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…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe 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.
Ashley Mullen Ashley Mullen 5'10" | S Liberty | 2023 State #9 Nation MO – 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.
Aisha Aiono Aisha Aiono 6'3" | MB Liberty | 2023 State MO – 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.
Abigail Mullen Abigail Mullen 6'3" | RS Liberty | 2025 State #3 Nation MO – 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.
Jillian Huckabey Jillian Huckabey 6'0" | OH Olathe Northwest | 2024 State #74 Nation KS – 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.
Skyler Pierce Skyler Pierce 6'3" | OH Olathe Northwest | 2024 State #4 Nation KS – 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.
Reagan Fox Reagan Fox 6'2" | OH St. Teresa's Academy | 2023 State #104 Nation MO – 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.
Brynne McGhie Brynne McGhie 5'10" | S St. Teresa's Academy | 2023 State MO – 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.
Elizabeth Scanlon Elizabeth Scanlon 5'10" | OH St. Teresa's | 2026 State MO – 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.
Lauren Lopez Lauren Lopez 5'10" | OH Bishop Miege | 2025 State KS – 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.
Kirston Verhulst Kirston Verhulst 5'8" | OH Bishop Miege | 2025 State KS – 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.
Brooklyn DeLeye Brooklyn DeLeye 6'2" | OH Washburn Rural | 2023 State #30 Nation KS – 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.
Katie Borough Katie Borough S Washburn Rural | 2023 State KS – 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.
Zoe Canfield Zoe Canfield 5'9" | S Washburn Rural | 2024 State KS – 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.
Alea Goolsby Alea Goolsby 5'11" | OH St. Thomas Aquinas | 2025 State #36 Nation KS – 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.
Kelsey Schenck Kelsey Schenck 5'11" | S St. Thomas Aquinas | 2024 State KS – 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.
Betsy Goodenow Betsy Goodenow 6'0" | RS St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State #92 Nation KS – 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.
Skylar Weaver Skylar Weaver 5'8" | OH Lansing | 2023 State KS – 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.
Anna Laincz Anna Laincz 5'10" | OH Lansing | 2024 State KS – 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.
Ashlynn Jaccard Ashlynn Jaccard 5'11" | MB Lansing | 2024 State KS – 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.
Reese Messer Reese Messer 5'11" | S St. James | 2025 State #6 Nation KS – 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.
Mya Bolton Mya Bolton 5'3" | DS/L St. James Academy | 2024 State #134 Nation KS – 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.