Prospects To Watch With Practice Starting Next Week

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kansas fall sports programs are one week away from starting practice.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I am scheduling volleyball and football practices to scout before the season begins. Coaches interested in having me scout a practice can reach out via email (<a href="mailto:deckscoutks@gmail.com">deckscoutks@gmail.com</a>) or DM on X @KSScoutDeck.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a look at five random prospects headed into their senior seasons that college coaches need to watch. I started this report with an organized plan, but that plan fell apart in the blink of an eye.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='493581' first='Bella' last='Holcomb']</strong>, 5'10”, S, Andover Central (Long Island University)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So I started to write a report on uncommitted setters, but the first setter I checked on recently announced her commitment to Long Island University. Holcomb is a talented setter I have seen her grow as a player over the past couple of years. She is a leader and can also hit. She has some serious bounce and could compete right away for a spot in the Sharks' rotation. LIU is located in Brooklyn, New York, and competes in the Northeastern Conference. The Andover Central prospect is currently ranked No. 52 overall and is the fifth Kansas Setter committed to a Division I program.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='219951' first='Katja' last='Blanchat']</strong>, 6'0, MB, Smoky Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I ran into Blanchat last week at the KSHSAA Coaching School in Salina. Blanchat and her Smoky Valley teammates ran drills and competed in front of more than 50 Kansas volleyball coaches at the session. She is a dual-sport prospect, who has been wavering on which sport to play collegiately, but she informed me she plans to focus on finding a home to play volleyball. She is a dangerous attacker, a team leader, and has a great sense of humor. I joked with her about “dogging it” in front of the crowd and she just smiled and then went out and started pounding balls. At No. 22 overall, Blanchat is the highest-ranked uncommitted prospect in the Kansas Class of 2025 and could play Division I, Division II, or JUCO ball. Also, the new on-court and on-field sessions at the KSHSAA Clinic were a nice addition to the long-running annual event which I first attended in 1998.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='519096' first='Cassie' last='Ellegood']</strong>, 6'0”, MB, Great Bend</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During the first week of the season, I plan to head out west and catch a couple of matches and practices. One coach who spoke at the KSHSAA School was Great Bend's Shelly Duvall. I talked with Duvall about one of her athletes who attended the Prep Dig Showcase in KCK. The Panthers are loaded with committed and uncommitted college-level talent. Ellegood plays middle in that solid lineup and is currently being under-recruited. If she played for an elite eastern Kansas club team she would be higher on college coaches' radars. I hope it works out that I get to scout the Panthers during the 2024 prep season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='493491' first='Tori' last='Buss']</strong>, 5'9”, OH, Wichita North</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another high-ranked uncommitted talent that I am high on heading into the season is Wichita North's Buss. I saw her play this summer at the Butler Community College summer tournament. She is a big-time jumper that college coaches need to take a look at. It is uncertain if I will be able to fit one of Buss's matches into my schedule this fall. When push comes to shove North is the one must-see team from the Wichita Public School programs this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='173373' first='Reagan' last='McGivern']</strong>, 6'3”, MB, Hayden</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One player I am sure I will catch this fall is Hayden's McGivern. The No. 5 ranked athlete in the Kansas Class of 2025 will be playing for the Wildcats this season after playing for Seaman last year. She has committed to play college ball at Villanova. I saw Hayden athletes play volleyball and basketball this summer but never saw McGivern in a Hayden jersey. I expect to scout Hayden's scrimmage on August 23, and I am interested to see how McGivern looks in a rotation surrounded by a group of young and uber-talented Wildcats.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->