2027 Top Ten

Let's get into it! Yesterday I shared my process and the effort it takes to create our rankings. In the coming days, I will highlight as many players as possible. The class of 2027 is possibly new to me, welcome! One note I'd like to share is I am also a volleyball official doing high school, club, and college matches. I share that to say, this weekend will be light on articles due to the first weekend of the pre-national tournament for the littles taking place in Kansas City. Next week, look for more content. Today, we dig into the top ten. There is no eastern Missouri/St. Louis favoritism. I live in Kansas City and see more Kansas City players with [program_tooltip program_id='428794' first='Power' last=''] leagues, MLK, Triple Crown, and Show Me being in my backyard. The fact is the cream of the crop rests East. Here is our first crack at ranking the top ten.    A 6'3" outside hitter who can score in bunches. This 6'3" outside hitter can pass and play defense in the back row at a high level. The final thing to highlight is her blocking. Witherspoon comes in as our top-ranked player in our initial rankings due to being a true six-rotation pin and doing this on an open-qualified team. As a freshman, she was a contributor to a state title finishing the year with 252 kills hitting at a .324 clip. There is little doubt schools will be waiting for that first day they can reach out to recruit her.     The top-ranked middle blocker and second spot goes to High Performance's [player_tooltip player_id='544673' first='Marlee' last='Steiner']. Their team has impressive middles but Steiner stood out for a few reasons. First, she moves well along the front row and can get shots in many zones which keeps the block guessing. She has amazing vision and navigates around the block with a heavy ball. As a middle, she does her job at the net defensively and puts up a solid block. We hear she double-dipped last fall with volleyball and softball, a multi-sport athlete!     The three through six spots are interchangeable currently but Kaburakis earned the nod in the third spot. The thing in my opinion that separated Kaburakis was her aggressiveness on the attack. Every swing she is looking to score and you don't always see that in 15s. She has good shots in her toolbox already. She can go thumbs down for a sharp cut or deep corner with high levels of success.     We have a strong group of right-sides in our top five with our next two players. Mennebach is a beast on the right pin and like the above-mentioned Kaburakis, I like how she mixes up her shots. She has a strong line shot that catches defenders unprepared. I rated her blocking high and she gets touches on a lot of balls. The edge we give her is her back-row passing and defense. Like Witherspoon, she does very well in the middle back with her frame and has great technique.     Tenholder is our second-ranked right side in the top five, which is rare. At 6'0", Tenholder has the size and arm that gives opposing teams fits on the court. She can take swings from any spot on the front row and has high success rates with two-balls down the middle. She is long, which makes a difference with not only her contact point but her defense. She likes the line shot and either finds the right corner or tools the block.     The third-ranked outside and first player outside of St. Louis is the Lee's Summit West and KC [program_tooltip program_id='428794' first='Power' last=''] volleyballer. She had a productive first season of high school ball eclipsing 100 kills for a state-qualifying team. Massengill has a tremendous skill set and does many things well on the court offensively and defensively.     Our top-ranked setter in our initial rankings is [player_tooltip player_id='544669' first='Gabby' last='Schwoeppe'] of High Performance. She is fun to watch. She is a definition of a leader on the court and her decision-making is solid. The ability to consistently place the ball in a place that allows her hitters to find success is seen in every contest. I like she doesn't shy away from sending the ball over on two to keep teams honest.     Three opposites in the top eight may be a record but you have to give credit where credit is due. Cox is probably the better blocker among the top right-side hitters as she is solid with her press over the net. She also hits a heavy ball and delivers an effective cross-court corner shot that finds the floor more times than not.     Our 9th-ranked player is [player_tooltip player_id='475322' first='Kate' last='Sherry']. She is a player who can move up based on what I've seen from her this spring. She is a terminator on the outside and I like her aggressiveness at the net. She doesn't waste overpass swings and puts the ball down with authority. The reason I expect her to move up is her passing and defense. She holds her own in the passing game.     The final player in the top ten is our second middle blocker, [player_tooltip player_id='489915' first='Hannah' last='Garrett']. Garrett doesn't have the [program_tooltip program_id='428794' first='Power' last=''] you may see from some other middles but she is efficient on the court and finds the floor. She is a middle who looks very comfortable on the slide, which isn't always the case with 15s. She has the tools and size on the court. She had over 100 kills and 50 blocks in her freshman season.

Let's get into it! Yesterday I shared my process and the effort it takes to create our rankings. In the coming days, I will highlight as many players as possible. The class of 2027 is possibly new to me, welcome! One note I'd like to share is I am also a volleyball official doing high school, club, and college matches. I share that to say, this weekend will be light on articles due to the first weekend of the pre-national tournament for the littles taking place in Kansas City. Next week, look for more content. Today, we dig into the top ten. There is no eastern Missouri/St. Louis favoritism. I live in Kansas City and see more Kansas City players with Power leagues, MLK, Triple Crown, and Show Me being in my backyard. The fact is the cream of the crop rests East. Here is our first crack at ranking the top ten.