Four 2026 Prospects From Shawnee Heights Tri

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I scouted two matches at Shawnee Heights High School on September 26.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lansing won both matches against the host Thunderbirds and De Soto.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were four sophomores whose performances stood out in the two matches. Here is a look at the four young talented athletes from the Class of 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='222091' first='Avery' last='Sands']</strong>, 5'7, OH, Lansing,‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore Sands posted nice numbers in both matches. She finished with 10 kills in the match against Shawnee Heights and seven against De Soto. She is a big jumper and can play defense. Sands collected five digs and six serve receptions against the Wildcats.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Avery Willey</strong>, 5'7”, DS, Shawnee Heights, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Willey is a solid defensive player who can also hit. Right now, the defensive part of her game is ahead of her hitting. She finished with 14 serve receptions, six digs, and one kill against Lansing. She moves well laterally and can jump. It will be interesting to see how her game evolves.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='489785' first='Reianna' last='Vega']</strong>, 5'11”, MH, Shawnee Heights, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vega could have the highest ceiling of the athletes on the Thunderbirds roster. She is long and can block. She finished with six kills and three blocks in the loss to the Lions. With two-plus years of high school and club ball left, she could develop into a solid college prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='523672' first='Chloe' last='Kmiecik']</strong>, 6'0”, MH, De Soto, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kmiecik is a physical athlete with nice upper body strength which allows her to block balls and win 50/50 balls at the net. She racked up six kills against Lansing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->