Other Players to Note: 11-30

Vernon Birmingham December 15, 2023 @ 01:51 PM

As we introduced our initial rankings for the class of 2026, we want to shine a light on some of the additional players falling in the 11-30 spots! Here is a mix of hitters, setters, and defenders making up this bunch.   11. [player_tooltip player_id='222090' first='Alayna' last='Vaeth'] - S - St. Thomas Aquinas/[program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last='']   Vaeth was an integral part of a team that played on consecutive the last two seasons. She sets in a two-setter offense, which of course will affect her assists numbers but she is amongst one of the top setters in the city regardless of class. Her decision-making and poise are evident when watching her in action.   12. [player_tooltip player_id='222091' first='Avery' last='Sands'] - OH - Lansing/[program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last='']   Lansing returned to the state tournament in 2023 and Sands did her part in helping them get there. She could potentially project to a defender due to her size and defensive playmaking abilities but she lit it up offensively this year. She finished the year with 271 kills.   14. [player_tooltip player_id='222099' first='Ella' last='Stowell'] - MB/OH - Olathe West/[program_tooltip program_id='430200' first='KC' last='Power']   Stowell has great upside and can play any position across the front row. Olathe West made big strides two seasons ago and Stowell helped keep them steady in her sophomore season. She totaled 249 kills and will be a focal point for a strong [program_tooltip program_id='430200' first='KC' last='Power'] team this club year.   15. [player_tooltip player_id='223291' first='Alyssa' last='Young'] - DS/L - Blue Valley West/[program_tooltip program_id='430200' first='KC' last='Power']   Young's numbers won't jump out off the stat sheet but it was her play live last year and at the Prep Dig showcases that elevated her ranking. She is as sure as they come in the back row and helped lead Blue Valley West to a deep post-season run in 2023.   21. [player_tooltip player_id='489341' first='Ava' last='Romero'] - OH - McPherson   Romero helped McPherson march into the state championships this year and played her way onto the all-tournament team. Her play on the pin was fun to watch as she found the floor and tooled the blocks. She averaged right around 3 kills per set in 2023.   22. [player_tooltip player_id='489345' first='Brooke' last='Doile'] - MB - McPherson   Teammate to Romero, Doile shined this year as well for McPherson from the middle. Her stat line included over 200 kills and 300 digs. She was strong behind the service line also with 45 aces. She also made the state all-tournament team.   27. [player_tooltip player_id='355653' first='Finley' last='Rieke'] - MB - Tonganoxie/Club North   The 6'1" middle has 400 kills in her two years at Tonganoxie and makes it to the 27th spot in the initial rankings. She is very fluid around the net and has a strong presence on the front row. She made big strides in the last year with her blocking technique and will play with Club North this year.   28. [player_tooltip player_id='355646' first='Allyson' last='Orth'] - S - Bishop Carroll/Shockwave   A couple of setters will round out our look at these ranked players. Orth wears a couple of hats but garnered 572 assists on the season, while also being a factor offensively with 83 kills. Her blocking game took a big leap this fall.   30. [player_tooltip player_id='489648' first='Paityn' last='Fritz'] - S - Salina South   Like Orth, Fritz found herself swinging on the pins for Salina South in her sophomore season She was impressive there with 245 kills on the year. From the setting position, she dished out 280 assists. She is another player who grew defensively at the net, doubling her blocks from her freshman season.

As we introduced our initial rankings for the class of 2026, we want to shine a light on some of the additional players falling in the 11-30 spots! Here is a mix of hitters, setters, and defenders making up this bunch.