Event Coverage: Upper-Class Prospects At Lansing Tournament

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On June 10, I scouted multiple players competing in a summer tournament in Lansing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>My favorite aspect of the event was that with three courts worth of action taking place at once, not a single whistle could be heard in the gym.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is the first of two reports from today's action. This report focuses on athletes from the class of 2025 and 2026 who caught my attention.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='153938' first='Saida' last='Jacobs']</strong>, 6'1”, MB, Mill Valley, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacobs played really well in Mill Valley's opening match against De Soto. She has a solid net-front presence and had multiple kills and blocks in the two-set match. Jacobs is currently ranked No. 18 overall by Prep Dig. Multiple players were missing from the Jags squad as they were competing in club basketball or volleyball events. However, Jacobs had solid chemistry with the Jaguar setter and was the key focus in Mill Valley's attack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chole Kmiecik</strong>, 6'1”, MB, De Soto, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kmiecik was the biggest surprise prospect of the day for me. I had seen her play basketball, but this was the first time I scouted her in volleyball.  She was the top hitter for the Wildcats in the match against Mill Valley. She is currently ranked No. 47 in the class of 2025. She is a smooth attacker. She struggled with her serve in the match I scouted, but she has a high ceiling and expressed to me a larger interest in playing college volleyball as opposed to basketball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='493569' first='Brekhan' last='Waters']</strong>, 5'9”, RS, Mill Valley, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waters can get the ball hard and I was impressed with her overall game. She was another prospect who got more court time for Mill Valley than what might be normal. Waters is ranked No. 146 overall in the class of 2025. She hit one of the best down-the-line kills I saw during the morning.</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>Every time I see Lansing's Sands compete I have to pinch myself and remember that she is still just in the class of 2026. She plays with a ton of energy and I putting my money on her to be the emotional leader for the Lions in 2024. Sands is ranked No. 10 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026. She had a solid overall match against Hayden for the Lions. I expect she will see more front row action during the season then she did in the summer match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='541080' first='Macy' last='Bishop']</strong>, 5'7”, DS/L, Lansing, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bishop had a solid match for Lansing against Hayden. The Lions lost some top talent from last season's squad so Bishop could play a larger role for the Lions during her junior season. She finished with 175 serve receptions and 161 digs as a sophomore. I was impressed with her hustle and the willingness to sacrifice her body to make a couple of tough digs against the Wildcats.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='460352' first='Ella' last='Foster']</strong>, 5'4”, DS/L, Hayden, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Foster was one of the few upperclassmen suited up for Hayden. She is ranked No. 50 overall by Prep Dig. She played libero for the Wildcats and will be leaned to provide leadership for a squad that could be super young this season. She moves well in all directions and gets a good read on serves. She made consistent first passes in the match against Lansing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='222094' first='Kylie' last='Groves']</strong>, 5'4”, DS/L, De Soto, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was the first time I scouted Groves in person and I was impressed with her quickness. She is currently ranked No. 63 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026. She made a couple of impressive digs in her match against Mill Valley. She communicated well and played taller than her listed 5-foot-4 frame.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cadence Shrout</strong>, 5'10”, RS, De Soto, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shrout was another surprise. She is an unranked prospect who turned my head. She can expect to be added to the Kansas Class of 2026 rankings when they are updated later this summer. She has a physical frame and legs like a linebacker. She finished second at the State Track and Field meet in the Class 5A Discus. She has a ton of power and some bounce in her step.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->