Summer Coverage: 2027 Prospects Energize Butler’s Power Plant

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After a majestic morning drive through the Flint Hills, I scouted three matches at the Butler CC Summer Tournament in El Dorado.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Action on June 11 featured 11 squads from 10 schools in junior varsity and freshman team action.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a look at athletes from the class of 2027 who had impressive performances at the Grizzlies' Power Plant.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is the first of two reports from today's competition and stay tuned to Prep Dig for coverage of tomorrow's varsity team action in El Dorado.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Charli Bohnen</strong>, 5'9”, MB/OH, Flint Hills, ‘27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bohnen's skills might get show off back-to-back days on the Butler Campus. She is expected to see varsity action this season but played in Tuesday's competition due to a numbers crunch for Flint Hills. She has a nice bounce to her game and was one of the more productive middles I scouted on Tuesday. She had multiple kills and played six rotations. She has a big swing and can do damage at the net.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mackenzie Whittlake</strong>, 5'9”, MB, Circle, ‘27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Whittlake is a physical front-row prospect for the Thunderbirds. She has solid reach and her on-court confidence will improve with experience. She appeared to be quite coachable and was keyed in on the match while on the bench, which is not always the case with young players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='551339' first='Avery' last='Wartick']</strong>, 5'6”, OH/DS, Circle, ‘27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the grittiest athletes on Tuesday was Circle's Wartick. She is constantly engaged in the action and communicates well with teammates. She can play either front or back row, but her receiving skills very well could be her strength. She has a quiet base and a take-control attitude on the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='551341' first='Cate' last='Rodgers']</strong>, 5'7”, S, Circle, ‘27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rodgers was arguably the most accurate setter I watched on Tuesday, which makes me wonder what the T-Birds varsity setter's skills look like. Rodgers is quick and understands where her attackers should be. Her skills were a little more advanced than other setters at the Power Plant, which leads me to believe she is dedicated to the game and will work to improve her game leadership.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='551344' first='Landry' last='Jenzen']</strong>, 5'9”, S/MB, Remington, ‘27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jenzen's overall game was imposing. She can be a jack-of-all-trades when called upon. She played six rotations on Tuesday.  Jenzen hits and sets with equal enthusiasm. She was the emotional leader for Remington's squad in the match I watched. Her stock will improve once she learns to slow the game down in her head a tick. She will play with fearless abandon and will play in whatever position best helps the team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cheyenne Hope</strong>, 5'3”, DS/L, Remington, ‘27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hope is a talented young libero. She made consistent first passes and played solid defense. She can improve her instinctive reads of a serve which normally will improve with repetition and experience. The sophomore defender did let the ball play her a couple of times. She also brings a spicy serve to the table.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->