MoKan Volleyball Challenge Game Changers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tournament weekends are getting hot and heavy as we head towards the midseason part of 2022. We had a plethora of tournaments to choose from; the battle between Missouri and Kansas schools at the MoKan Challenge was hard to pass on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This version of Game Changers will be similar to an All-Tournament team and will feature more players in the Championship Bracket. Kansas and Missouri were well represented, with both states sending four teams to the Championships Bracket. It is fair to say that we would love to divide the Game Changers equally.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>1st Place - St. Thomas Aquinas (Kansas)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='150076' first='Betsy' last='Goodenow'] - OPP - 2023<br>[player_tooltip player_id='153937' first='Alea' last='Goolsby'] - OH - 2025<br>[player_tooltip player_id='119691' first='Kelsey' last='Schenck'] - S - 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"center","id":228740,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-medium"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/Marshall_MoKan2022-4323-Alea-Goolsby-200x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-228740"/><figcaption><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">Aquinas - [player_tooltip player_id='153937' first='Alea' last='Goolsby']</mark></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":228747,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/Marshall_MoKan2022-4972-Kelsey-Schenck-200x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-228747"/><figcaption><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">Aquinas - [player_tooltip player_id='119691' first='Kelsey' last='Schenck']</mark></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":228745,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/Marshall_MoKan2022-4842-Betsy-Goodenow-200x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-228745"/><figcaption><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">Aquinas - [player_tooltip player_id='150076' first='Betsy' last='Goodenow']</mark></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Saints took charge on Saturday as they won their pool and did not look back. The road to the championship had some bumps with 3-setters during bracket play but the crown and bragging right stays in Kansas. I love Aquinas' new look offense as they shuffled front-row players to play different roles. Goodenow, who typically plays the right side, attacked the ball on the left and right sides. It's scary to have Goodenow hit on the right side, and even more frightening to have a left-handed player attacking the left side with her kind of power. Schenck, a 6-2 setter, added a different dynamic and was hitting on the left side. Goolsby was a triple-threat option and had the opposition opt to triple block to defend her. Depending on which rotation was on the court, it is incredible to see Schenck and Goolsby hit out of serve-receive on the left side, and on the next frame, they're blocking on the right side. These three players were the triple-threat game-changers for Aquinas as they repeat as champion of the Mo-Kan Challenge!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2nd Place - Liberty (Missouri)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='153930' first='Abigail' last='Mullen'] - OPP - 2025<br>[player_tooltip player_id='99216' first='Ashley' last='Mullen'] - S - 2023<br>[player_tooltip player_id='99215' first='Brooklyn' last='Young'] - MB - 2023</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":228744,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/Marshall_MoKan2022-4838-Abigail-Mullen-200x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-228744"/><figcaption><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">Liberty - [player_tooltip player_id='153930' first='Abigail' last='Mullen']</mark></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":228743,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/Marshall_MoKan2022-4517-Ashley-Mullen-200x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-228743"/><figcaption><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">Liberty - [player_tooltip player_id='99216' first='Ashley' last='Mullen']</mark></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mullen sisters and company showed up to ball out to keep their championship run . [player_tooltip player_id='153930' first='Abigail' last='Mullen']'s versatility is a crucial component to Liberty's success. Gail has the length and power to play multiple positions to attack and defend on both pins for the Bluejays. [player_tooltip player_id='99216' first='Ashley' last='Mullen'] was the master locksmith to unlock all her hitters' potential in the matches. She was locating and setting her hot hitters to keep the momentum going for the Bluejays. Young, a newcomer to the list, provided the much needed boost and energy for the squad. She ran a handful of slides to keep the Bluejays offense fresh and had solid blocking throughout the day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"center","id":228741,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-medium"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/Marshall_MoKan2022-4496-Brooklyn-Young-200x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-228741"/><figcaption><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">Liberty - [player_tooltip player_id='99215' first='Brooklyn' last='Young']</mark></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3rd Place - Liberty North (Missouri)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='119226' first='Carlie' last='Cisneros'] - OH - 2024<br>Abby Christian - L - 2023</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":228736,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/Marshall_MoKan2022-4116-Carlie-Cisneros-200x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-228736"/><figcaption><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">Liberty North - [player_tooltip player_id='119226' first='Carlie' last='Cisneros']</mark></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":228738,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/Marshall_MoKan2022-4245-Abby-Christian-200x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-228738"/><figcaption><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">Liberty North - Abby Christian</mark></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cisneros was heavily dependent as Liberty North had a few players missing from its squad. The junior outside hitter did it all as she swung 193 times on Saturday. Her versatility was tested on a handful of tight sets, saving a few balls with her left hand to get kills and keeping plays alive for the Eagles. She had some massive blocks to keep the momentum going for the Eagles throughout the day. Christian was the defensive leader as she controlled more than half the court during serve-receive. She provided solid passing platform and had some great digs on opponent's heavy hitters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>4rd Place - Blue Valley West (Kansas)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='173372' first='Lily' last='Wedman'] - S - 2025<br>[player_tooltip player_id='173395' first='Brookelyn' last='Hatton'] - L - 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":228735,"width":200,"height":300,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/Marshall_MoKan2022-4059-Brookelyn-Hatton-200x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-228735" width="200" height="300"/><figcaption><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">Blue Valley West - [player_tooltip player_id='173395' first='Brookelyn' last='Hatton']</mark></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":228746,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/Marshall_MoKan2022-4906-Lily-Wedman-200x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-228746"/><figcaption><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">Blue Valley West - [player_tooltip player_id='173372' first='Lily' last='Wedman']</mark></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blue Valley West took the first set against Liberty in the Semis and gave them a scare in the 3-set match. Wedman was crucial as she was the floor general of the offense, feeding her hot hitters throughout the day. She was not afraid to hit the ball over on two and provided some solid blocking against opposition's big hitters. Hatton wore the libero jersey for a reason. She passed dimes and gave Wedman plenty of opportunities to set good options. She was excellent in floor coverage and getting good ups defensively</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Honorable Mention</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='119707' first='Skyler' last='Pierce'] - OH - 2024 - Olathe Northwest</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":228739,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/Marshall_MoKan2022-4249-Sky-Pierce-200x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-228739"/></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Aubrey Kohl - S - 2023 - Lee's Summit West</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":228773,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-medium"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/Marshall_MoKan2022-4544-Maya-Fergerson-200x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-228773"/></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='152133' first='Maya' last='Ferguson'] - <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Utility</span> - 2023 - Blue Springs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Don't think negatively when "utility" is used on a player's position, as we have to give a special shoutout for Ferguson when we watched her play at the MoKan Challenge. As I wrote my notes on players, Ferguson hit through the middle for a few points. As the match progressed, she was setting and passing in the back row! Ferguson's playmaking skills made Blue Springs the dark horse team as they took the number 2 seed from the Navy Pool.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Winner's Circle</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"center","id":228683,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/IMG-1520-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-228683"/><figcaption><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">St Thomas Aquinas - First Place (Photo courtesy of Leigh Schenck)</mark></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"center","id":228764,"width":949,"height":632,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/Marshall_MoKan2022-5128-Liberty.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-228764" width="949" height="632"/><figcaption><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">Liberty - Second Place (Photo courtesy of Marshall Goenawan)</mark></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"center","id":228767,"width":800,"height":525,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/A17EB82C--crop-1357x891-1663809396.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-228767" width="800" height="525"/><figcaption><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">Lee's Summit West - Consolation Bracket Champion (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Morgan)</mark></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->