Class 4 – 2027 Top Returning Middles

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Class 4 Incarnate Word Academy won the school's 12^th state title after making their 27 appearance. IWA knocked off a rugged St. Pius X (Festus) in the finals, while Jefferson City took a 3-1 win over St. Michael for 3^rd place. Here are my top 5 middles returning for Class 4.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='396499' first='Kinley' last='Gillihan'] – 6'0” – Middle – St. Michael</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Guardians made a second appearance in school history at last year's final four. Without Kinley in the lineup, it would have been a more challenging road to state. She's a tall and powerful middle who led all of the 2027 class for Class 4 in kills with 261 and 71 blocks. Kinley's the only returning starter for the Guardians to have over 75 kills, so her offensive output will increase tremendously.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='485579' first='Mikayla' last='Fox'] – 6'0" – Middle – St. Pius X (KC)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another talented middle on the list is the hard-hitting Fox. She walked onto the Warriors court last year, led them in blocks with 108, and finished third in kills with 225. She's a gamer with quick feet and puts up a nasty block. Her development over the next three years will be fun to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='485604' first='Jayla' last='Williams'] – 5'11" – Middle – Rockwood Summit</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I watched Jayla play a couple of times last year and walked away impressed. She is a bouncy middle who gets off the ground quickly. With the graduation of the team's top two hitters, I expect Jayla to be a more offensive threat and increase her kill total from last year from 175 kills to close to 300.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='475326' first='Bailey' last='Hensgens'] – 5'11" – Middle – Incarnate Word Academy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If IWA stays in Class 4 (doubtful), Bailey will be a force out of the middle and an excellent backup for the team's star. She is another quick leaper used more for defensive use, but her potential to slam the ball is there. Surrounded by talent, Bailey will eventually be a star for The Word.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='485629' first='Rylee' last='Lawrence'] – 5'9" – Middle – Festus</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rylee stepped on the court at Festus and immediately impacted a team needing a middle. With her fancy footwork to the pins and a solid vertical, Rylee led her team in blocks with 71 and finished 3^rd in kills with 129. With the graduation of one of the programs, she'll have more offense opportunities.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->