Under The Radar Hitters: Kansas Class of 2026

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today's report features a group of five under the radar ranked outside hitters from the Kansas Class of 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each athlete is currently ranked in the lower half of the Prep Dig Rankings, has not received recent coverage, and looking to improve their position in the updated rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I hope to scout some of them playing next week in summer action.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='355659' first='Jada' last='Echols']</strong>, 5'5”, OH, Spring Hill</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Spring Hill will be competing in a summer tournament next week in Lansing. One athlete I look forward to scouring is the Bronco hitter Echols. I did not get a chance to see Spring Hill play last fall, but the program continues to produce college volleyball players. Echols is currently ranked No. 70 in the class of 2026 by Prep Dig. She finished with 57 kills in 59 sets as a sophomore.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='489774' first='Kennedy' last='Tobaben']</strong>, 5'10”, OH, Olathe North</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Olathe North's Tobaben is ranked No. 79 in the Kansas Class of 2026. She recorded 180 kills in 77 sets for the Eagles as a sophomore. She also finished with 282 serve receptions and 22 total blocks. She has solid size and a big reach.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='489777' first='Brea' last='Martin']</strong>, 5'6”, OH, Bishop Carroll</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Martin is currently ranked No. 89 among her Kansas peers in the class of 2026. She is a two-sport prospect who also plays basketball. She finished with 69 kills as a sophomore and can also play defensive specialist. The Bishop Carroll prospect collected 129 digs and 304 serve receptions in 82 sets. She should be leaned on to hit more often for the Golden Eagles heading into her junior season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='489670' first='Avery' last='Brawner']</strong>, 5'6”, OH, Haven</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Haven has a young dual-sport athlete to keep track of. Brawner is currently ranked No. 98 overall in the Prep Dig rankings for her volleyball skills. She is also a dominant pitcher on the softball field for Haven. During her sophomore season, she recorded 143 kills in 80 sets. She is a six-rotation athlete who also racked up 242 digs and 381 serve receptions. Brawner had an outstanding softball season finishing with a record of 20-3 and an ERA of 2.11. In two prep softball seasons, she has a combined record of 36-4 with 238 strikeouts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='516237' first='Ambree' last='Portelli']</strong>, 5'4”, OH, Rock Creek</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Portelli is currently ranked No. 113 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026. Her sophomore kill total was 156 in 82 sets. She is primarily a front-row-only player for Rock Creek. She is a skilled jumper who has a tight block. She finished with 79 total blocks during her sophomore campaign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->