Rankings Update: Kansas New Top Ten

The Prep Season is in the books and I saw plenty of talent in the Class of 2028.   Prep Dig Kansas published updated rankings this morning. The 2028 class now has 130 ranked athletes and includes 49 new athletes.   Athletes, coaches, and parents can use this link for an explanation of the rankings process. <a href="https://prepdig.com/how-we-rank/">https://prepdig.com/how-we-rank/</a>   I encourage ranked and unranked athletes to claim or create profiles which can be accomplished by using the following link. <a href="https://prepdig.com/prospect-index/">https://prepdig.com/prospect-index/</a>   Please keep in mind our rankings are subjective, especially in the younger classes. Seeing players in person, being able to find stats, and whether a player has claimed their profile all impact how I rank athletes.   My primary goal for this upcoming club season is to discover more talent from 16U, 15U, and 14U teams to add to our class of 2027-2029 rankings.   Here is a look the top ten athletes sitting at the top of the new rankings.   [player_tooltip player_id='513606' first='Hailey' last='Schmidtlein'], 6'0”, MB, Hayden, ‘28   Schmidtlein remains ranked No. 1 overall in this class and will be tough to dethrone. She helped guide the Hayden Wildcats to the Class 4A State Tournament. She recorded 440 kills during her freshman season, which was a team-high for Hayden. She was named to the All-Deck 2028 Team.   [player_tooltip player_id='511942' first='Makiya' last='Maka'], 5'9”, OH, Chaparral, ‘28   Maka parlayed a big freshman season into a No. 2 ranking overall.  She was previously ranked No. 36. She recorded 305 kills for the Roadrunners this season. She also registered 312 digs, 248 serve receptions, and 50 aces.   [player_tooltip player_id='518977' first='Landry' last='Litton'], 5'9”, OH, Beloit, ‘28   Beloit's Litton moved up one slot in the rankings to No. 3 overall.  She was a key cog on a state tournament qualifying team loaded with senior talent. She chipped in 97 kills, 113 digs, 109 serve receptions, and 25 aces. Litton was named to the All-Deck 2028 Team.   [player_tooltip player_id='503124' first='Blakely' last='Walter'], 5'7”, S, Hayden, ‘28   Walter is ranked No. 4 overall and is the top-ranked setter in the Kansas Class of 2028. She, like her teammate Schmidtlein, was a member of the All-Deck 2028 Team. Her freshman stat line reads like James A. Michner novel as it included 1,043 assists, 358 digs, and 69 kills. She is also a multiple-sport prospect. She is in the 2028 Prep Girls Hoops rankings and plays softball as a pitcher and catcher.   [player_tooltip player_id='586613' first='Ellie' last='Bain'], 5'8”, S/RS, Mill Valley, ‘28   Bain is ranked No. 5 overall and is the No. 2 ranked setter. She played behind a Division I setter at Mill Valley, but I saw her play in person and was wowed by her skills. She played 39 varsity sets as a freshman collecting 20 assists. 14 kills, and 57 digs. She impressed me enough to make the All-Deck 2027 Team.   [player_tooltip player_id='518357' first='Lily' last='Windberg'], 5'10”, MB, Olathe Northwest, ‘28   Windberg is ranked No. 6 overall moving up five slots. She saw limited action as a freshman, and will be a player I hope I get to see play club ball this winter.   [player_tooltip player_id='518373' first='Elizabeth' last='Weinert'], 5'11”, MB/OH, Olathe North, ‘28   Weinert is ranked No. 7 overall. She was previously ranked No. 43 overall.  She jumped up the rankings by posting solid freshman numbers. She recorded 154 kills and 74 blocks in 88 sets played for Olathe North.   [player_tooltip player_id='575955' first='Raegan' last='McDonald'], 6'1”, MB, Valley Center, ‘28   McDonald debuts in the rankings at the No. 8 position. McDonald was a blocking machine for the Hornets. She finished her freshman season with 75 total blocks and 57 kills. I was a bit surprised that her kill totals were not higher. I saw Valley Center play in the Maize Tournament and was impressed by her athleticism.  She was named to the All-Deck 2028 Team.   [player_tooltip player_id='503697' first='Emmie' last='Dean'], 5'6”, OH, Jefferson West, ‘28   Dean moved up from the No. 23 position to the No. 9 slot. She was a member of the All-Deck 2028 Team. She finished her freshman season with 194 kills in 89 sets and added 395 digs and 710 serve receptions to her freshman season stat line.   [player_tooltip player_id='532772' first='Sage' last='Illian'], 6'0”, OH/S, Trinity Academy, ‘28   Illian is now ranked No. 10 after previously being ranked No. 22 overall. She is a gifted athlete who can set or hit. She finished her freshman season with 250 kills, 40 blocks, and 184 digs.

The Prep Season is in the books and I saw plenty of talent in the Class of 2028.