Players You Should Know

I've not been able to write about some of the kids I've watched this season that need to be noticed. I've got a couple of 2027 players from Kirkwood, so you need to pay attention to them. I have one on the list that is just crushing kills everywhere. Some setters put up big numbers and lead their teams to unfamiliar success. Then there is a middle who's under everyone's radar but needs to be taken seriously. Here are some players I've watched this season that have bright futures.   [player_tooltip player_id='836165' first='Micheline' last='Roth'] – 6'0" - Opposite – Kirkwood   Micheline has been on my list since I watched her play in the Rockwood Tournament. The 2027 opposite has a nice vertical, is long, and puts up an opposing block to get around. She is still raw, but her potential is to become a big-time player. I would get out and watch this kid play because she would be a doozy. Season-high 15 kills in a five-setter against Oakville. Micheline has 110 kills in the season, along with 30 blocks.   [player_tooltip player_id='485627' first='Sienna' last='Roth'] – 6'3 – Middle – Kirkwood   With her work ethic and development over the summer, Sienna is becoming a shut-down middle. Her hitting is still developing and will become more offensive with experience, but her blocking is solid. Sienna's season-high kills were 11 back in early September against Parkway West. Her blocking is what you will notice. An imposing middle with a huge wingspan, and move laterally pretty smoothly. She's had 13 games of five or more blocks with a season-high ten, which she did in matches with Oakville and Parkway Central.   [player_tooltip player_id='828788' first='Addie' last='Wright'] – 5'5" – Outside – Kirkwood   The one thing you will notice about Addie is she is undersized for her position. The one thing you will notice about Addie is size does not matter. The high-flying outside is a solid six-rotation player who can do it all. She will not wow you with slamming balls but how she uses the bigger blocks to her advantage. I loved watching her play at the Rockwood Tournament and how she made the most of every opportunity. Addie's season-high of eight kills twice this year in matches with Eureka and Oakville.   [player_tooltip player_id='170044' first='Raylee' last='Stenzel'] – 5'9" – Outside/Middle – Mountain Grove   Playing volleyball on the football field must be something that makes Raylee turn into a superwoman. Raylee is putting up ridiculous numbers this season. Are you ready for some numbers? 747 kills and hitting .500% on the season. In Mountain Grove's play under-the-lights game against Winona, the middle put down 57 kills on 123 attempts and hit .350. Then turned around four days later, put down 43 kills on 90 attempts, and hit .344. She led the state in kills with 704 and hitting percentage at .512%. She is the top kill leader in the nation right now with those 704 and has played close to 40 sets less than the player in the #2 spot. If the Panthers can put together a final-four run, Raylee has the potential to reach 1000 kills in a season! Ridiculous and amazing!   [player_tooltip player_id='485623' first='Aubrie' last='Gerla'] – 5'5” – Setter – Mountain Grove   When your favorite target is [player_tooltip player_id='170044' first='Raylee' last='Stenzel'], you are bound to put up big numbers, but those numbers might only exist with Aubrie. The silky smooth setter puts her big gun in a position to be successful. Aubrie also shined in the 5-set win over Winona under the lights match. In the victory, she dished out a career-high 62 assists, the highest by a setter in Missouri this year.   [player_tooltip player_id='545769' first='Morgan' last='Sherwood'] – 5'4" – Setter – Union   Union is on fire this season, and the team's success relies on the player who touches the ball the most. Morgan has Union doing things they've yet to do since 1986, which was a sweep of St. Francis Borgia. What I enjoyed about Morgan is that she isn't fancy or flashy, but she knows her position well. Her season-high for assists was 47 during a 3-1 win over Pacific. Union is on the verge of winning the Four Rivers Conference. I wonder if Union has ever won the conference; if they have, it predates 1986.   May Durill – 6'2" – Middle – MICDS   It takes a team to win a district title, and MICDS is poised to win it this season. And if May is given the ball, they will win it. May is a ball-bouncing middle with a ton of power. She is putting up big blocks, and her kill totals are impressive. With a hitting percentage of .511, she can do much damage for the Rams. May has 334 kills on the season and a season-high 22 twice. If May's missing from your list of players to watch, you better get her on it. Only time will tell, but I'm sure she will be nasty when dealing with the next couple of years at MICDS.

I've not been able to write about some of the kids I've watched this season that need to be noticed. I've got a couple of 2027 players from Kirkwood, so you need to pay attention to them. I have one on the list that is just crushing kills everywhere. Some setters put up big numbers and lead their teams to unfamiliar success. Then there is a middle who's under everyone's radar but needs to be taken seriously. Here are some players I've watched this season that have bright futures.