Lansing Volleyball Invitational Game Changers

Lansing High School hosted its 28th Volleyball Invitational in our first weekend chock full of tournaments. Teams and players are meshing and gelling as we head into week 3 of September. The 10-team tournament consisted of two pools of 5, played on three different courts. Other than the first three scheduled matches, future matches can be played on any court that finishes first. It's a doozy, but it's still volleyball.   Since my last "Game Changers" write-up, this series will be more of the tournament-style awards. Though Lansing did not provide an all-tournament team, you can consider this as my list. These Game Changers will be listed based on the tournament result.   1st Place - Olathe West   [player_tooltip player_id='120040' first='Ava' last='TeStrake'] - OH - 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='214648' first='Amber' last='Allen'] - S - 2023   Olathe West dominated the field on Saturday with their power in attacking and blocking. TeStrake led the way with monstrous hits on the left pin and some plays through the middle. TeStrake hit 0.458 on the day and recorded double-digit kills in the championship match (11). Overall, TeStrake recorded 44 kills in 85 attempts with only 5 errors. With a great offense, the Owls need a reliable setter as Allen fill in the role in their 5-1 offense. The southpaw setter provided consistent balls to her hitters and was a dangerous option over on 2 with her hits.   2nd Place - Blue Valley Southwest   [player_tooltip player_id='173381' first='Hadley' last='Porter'] - L - 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='222092' first='Willow' last='Weninger'] - OPP - 2026   Porter was crucial on defense and serve receive game for Blue Valley Southwest. The libero did not hesitate to go for every ball. Porter's energy was contagious on and off the court as she celebrated every point for Southwest. Weninger had her breakout tournament of the season. The freshman opposite was dependent on to provide crucial points for her team. Weninger averaged 6.75 kills per match in pool play before facing Olathe West in the championship match.   3rd Place - Lansing   [player_tooltip player_id='119810' first='Anna' last='Laincz'] - OH - 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='120045' first='Skylar' last='Weaver'] - OH - 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='119730' first='Ashlynn' last='Jaccard'] - MB - 2024   Laincz is my most improved player this season. I previously mentioned that Laincz switched position from opposite to left pin. The junior outside hitter was obliterating balls on the outside during the tournament. Weaver is still Lansing's go-to player since her number gets called up multiple times during the day. The senior outside hitter is crafty with her shot selection and scored points needed for the Lady Lions. Jaccard was heavily involved through the middle, providing timely block touches and hitting options for Lansing.   4th Place - Spring Hill   [player_tooltip player_id='216384' first='Keilah' last='Rivers'] - OH - 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='119712' first='Shannon' last='Frakes'] - OH - 2024 Daphne Gardner - S - 2023   Rivers and Frakes are Spring Hill's 1-2 punch for offensive weapons. Rivers hit 0.287 for the tournament, highlighted by her double-digit kills in the 3rd place match against Lansing, hitting a blazing 0.600! Frakes is the Broncos' workhorse (no pun intended), as their 6-rotation outside. She was utilized in every possible scenario in serve-receive to a pipe-option in the back row. Gardner is the floor general, running a 5-1 offense for Spring Hill. She averaged 9.5 assists per set and got multiple digs on the defensive side.   5th Place - Platte County (MO)   [player_tooltip player_id='219756' first='Karlee' last='Riggs'] - OH - 2025 Karsyn Stehlik - OPP - 2023 Tatianna Murray - MB - 2024   Riggs was the most consistent hitter for Platte County at the tournament as she made shots she wanted to. She led the team with 29 kills and had 9 block assists. Stehlik was the counterpart on the right side and provided strong blocking the Pirates needed while facing top hitters at the tournament. The most tenured varsity player for Platte County had 25 kills and led the team with 8 aces and added 17 digs for the day. Similarly, Platte County received the same intensity with their middle blocker in Murray. Her blocking prowess slowed the opposition's offense, recording 11 blocks and amassing 15 kills in the offensive front.   Honorable Mention   [player_tooltip player_id='119804' first='Brooklyn' last='Gormley'] - MB - 2024 - Topeka Seaman [player_tooltip player_id='173374' first='Meagan' last='Mills'] - OH - 2025 - Topeka Seaman [player_tooltip player_id='119733' first='Seenane' last='Brewer'] - OH - 2024 - Lawrence Harper Dye - OH - 2025 - Lawrence Claire Brown - OH - 2023 - Louisburg [player_tooltip player_id='152174' first='Allie' last='Kennedy'] - MB - 2023 - Louisburg   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>     Did we miss someone we should be aware of? Please email PrepDigMarshall@gmail.com or Twitter <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://www.x.com/prepdigmarshall" target="_blank">@PrepDigMarshall </a>with your inquiries!

Lansing High School hosted its 28th Volleyball Invitational in our first weekend chock full of tournaments. Teams and players are meshing and gelling as we head into week 3 of September. The 10-team tournament consisted of two pools of 5, played on three different courts. Other than the first three scheduled matches, future matches can be played on any court that finishes first. It's a doozy, but it's still volleyball.