The All-Deck Team: Kansas Class of 2024

Creating All-Star teams is just fun! When I first helped Prep Network launch its Kansas site in 2020, I had no idea how much talent I would see in Kansas on a regular basis.   In the spirit of John Madden, I have created All-Deck teams for club volleyball and after seeing a truckload of volleyball this season I decided to create an all-star team for each class 2024-2027.   I only made three rules for myself: 1) I limited the roster to 10 players (per class). 2) For a player to be eligible I had to have seen them play at some point during the season. 3) Only one player (per class) from a high school could make the team.   Even those basic parameters made it difficult to make choices between some gifted and talented players.   Without any further delay here is the Kansas Class of 2024 All-Deck Team. Stay tuned for more All-Deck teams to come.   [player_tooltip player_id='152830' first='Kaitlyn' last='Burke'], 5'11”, OH, Mill Valley   I only saw Burke play one match, but what a match it was. Burke was named a member of the Kansas Volleyball Association Class 6A All-State team. I watched her and the Mill Valley Jags win the Class 6A title. Burke had 15 kills in that match by my count and each one was more explosive than the next.   [player_tooltip player_id='119693' first='Janelle' last='Green'], 5'9”, S, Blue Valley North   Once again, I only saw Green play once, but I was blown away by her athleticism. She can really push the ball as a setter, she can hammer the ball as a hitter, and she won't be out-hustled by anyone on the court. Green has committed to play for the Cincinnati Bearcats and was a member of the 6A KVA All-State team.   Tabor Scanlon, 5'6”, S, Lansing   I first watched Scanlon playing club ball last season and followed Lansing closely over the course of the season. She is a super-talented setter. She is quick and has great instincts. Lansing did not survive to play on the second day of the Class 5A state tournament, but Scanlon held her own among a group of uber-talented setters in that field.   [player_tooltip player_id='119707' first='Skyler' last='Pierce'], 6'2”, OH, Olathe Northwest   I have written about Pierce plenty. She just beats out teammate [player_tooltip player_id='119724' first='Jillian' last='Huckabey'] for this spot on the squad. If Pierce gets on top of the ball and has a lane to fire at, she is unstoppable. She also is a quality serve receiver which gave her a slight edge over her Raven teammate. Pierce was also a member of the KVA All-State 6A team.   [player_tooltip player_id='152836' first='Hope' last='Duncan'], 5'8”, DS, Smoky Valley   Listing Duncan as a defensive specialist hurts my heart, but that is more than likely the position she will play at Fort Hays State University. Duncan is a six-rotation player that can do it all on the court. I watched Duncan play club ball last season and watched Smoky Valley compete in the Southeast of Saline tournament during the regular season. She helped lead the Vikings to a second-place finish in the Class 3A state tournament and was named to the KVA 3A All-tournament team.   [player_tooltip player_id='221542' first='Willow' last='Deckinger'], 5'3”, L, Andover Central   There are liberos in Kansas in the Class of 2024 who might be taller and more athletic than Deckinger, but no one outworks her on the court. I placed her on this team because as a former coach, she is the kind of player you want to build a team around. Other than Lansing and Tonganoxie, I saw Andover Central play most frequently, especially in the summer. Her consistent passes it what helped Andover Central earn a No. 1 seed in the Class 5A state tournament. Despite being eliminated on the first day of competition, Deckinger's play still earned her a spot on the KVA All-State 5A squad.   [player_tooltip player_id='150065' first='Camdyn' last='Stucky'], 6'1”, S, Maize South   Picking a Maverick senior was another tough call and I could have just flipped a coin. I decided to pick Stucky over [player_tooltip player_id='119709' first='Gracie' last='Morrow'] because I felt like I needed one more setter on the team. With Stucky and Scanlon on the squad, I could play Green as a hitter. Stucky helped lead Maize South to a third-place finish in the Class 6A State tournament and was a member of the KVA All-6A team.   [player_tooltip player_id='119714' first='Mylie' last='Brown'], 5'9”, OH, Beloit   I saw Brown and the Beloit Trojans play in a tournament at Southeast of Saline. She helped lead the Trojans to a No. 1 seed in the Class 3A tournament and even though Beloit did not make it to the Final Four in that tournament her production in Friday's pool play earned her a spot on the KVA All-State team.   [player_tooltip player_id='119692' first='Sophia' last='Bond'], 5'7” DS/L, St. Thomas Aquinas   Bond will be a solid addition to this squad, giving me three really talented defensive players. She was impressive during the Class 5A state tournament and helped lead the Saints to a runner-up finish in Salina. You can't place everyone on an All-Star team, but Bond was a noticeable omission on the KVA All-State team for class 5A. It will be interesting to see who feels slighted by this list, but you can't please everyone.   [player_tooltip player_id='495661' first='Mikinzi' last='Smoots'], 5'8, OH, Tonganoxie   I saw Smoots play multiple times and she can take over a match when called upon. She is a solid jumper, hits the ball hard, and moves with cat-like quickness. The heart-breaking issue with Smoots is that she is not certain she wants to play college volleyball, but she has the talent to do so. Smoots is the only player on this list whose team did not qualify for state.   Honorable Mention: [player_tooltip player_id='152835' first='Hayden' last='Snodgrass'] (S/OH), Andover Central; [player_tooltip player_id='172454' first='Jacqueline' last='Corcoran'] (OH), Circle; [player_tooltip player_id='261115' first='Mia' last='Fox'] (MH), Circle; [player_tooltip player_id='495573' first='Cora' last='Miller'] (OH), Holton; [player_tooltip player_id='119730' first='Ashlynn' last='Jaccard'] (OH/MH), Lansing; [player_tooltip player_id='119810' first='Anna' last='Laincz'] (OH), Lansing, [player_tooltip player_id='119709' first='Gracie' last='Morrow'] (OH), Maize South; [player_tooltip player_id='515014' first='Emma' last='Rains'] (S/OH), Newton; [player_tooltip player_id='119724' first='Jillian' last='Huckabey'] (OH), Olathe Northwest; [player_tooltip player_id='119705' first='Lauren' last='Roediger'] (MH), Olathe Northwest; Kelsi Ko (S), Pleasant Ridge; [player_tooltip player_id='261105' first='Emma' last='Murphy'] (MH), Pleasant Ridge; [player_tooltip player_id='119811' first='Kinsey' last='Perine'] (OH), Rossville; [player_tooltip player_id='119804' first='Brooklyn' last='Gormley'] (MH), Seaman; [player_tooltip player_id='119719' first='Taylin' last='Stallbaumer'] (OH/DS), Seaman; [player_tooltip player_id='172463' first='Adrian' last='Hazelwood'] (S), Smoky Valley; [player_tooltip player_id='119712' first='Shannon' last='Frakes'] (S/OH), Spring Hill; Keliah Rivers (OH), Spring Hill; [player_tooltip player_id='119723' first='Julia' last='Headley'] (MB), St. James Academy; [player_tooltip player_id='119725' first='Tatum' last='Grimes'] (MH), St. Thomas Aquinas; [player_tooltip player_id='342343' first='Lucy' last='Rieke'] (MH), Tonganoxie.

Creating All-Star teams is just fun! When I first helped Prep Network launch its Kansas site in 2020, I had no idea how much talent I would see in Kansas on a regular basis.