Spotlight Shines On Four Wichita Area Ranked Athletes

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wichita Metro continues to be a hotbed for college coaches to look for volleyball recruits.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The depth in the area is so strong that athletes can still fly under the radar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a look at four prospects near or in the "Air Capital."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["489765"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-682df41889537"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Wichita East was one of the few Wichita teams I did not get to see play last fall. Buss is coming off a successful club season and will be looking to gain traction in her recruitment as a senior. She finished her junior season with 284 kills and 207 digs. She could make a run at reaching the 1,000 career benchmark in both of those categories. She is a six-rotation prospect with a sweet swing. She is currently ranked No. 50 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["489787"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-682df418895ad"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">One Wichita area prospect who will look to have an increased role next fall is Bishop Carroll's Smith. She is ranked No. 65 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026. She played in 87 sets as a junior and saw her numbers improve across the board from her sophomore season. Last fall, she collected 192 kills and 72 blocks. She primarily plays only on the front row for the Golden Eagles. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["480404"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-682df4188960e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Another Bishop Carroll prospect to watch closely is DeGroot. She led Bishop Carroll in kills as a sophomore. She recorded 285 kills in 82 sets played. She also collected 111 digs, 22 blocks, and 34 aces as a sophomore. She has a smooth approach and plays a poised game. She moved up five spots in the recently updated Class of 2027 rankings into the No. 28 slot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["516253"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-682df4188966b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Paul had a solid sophomore season for the Circle Thunderbirds. She is currently ranked No. 55 overall in the Kansas Class of 202 and is the second-ranked libero. She is a back-row defensive wizard. Paul collected 352 digs and 649 serve receptions. She makes consistent first passes, which resulted in 50 aces and just 37 reception errors. She has a solid platform and communicates well with her teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->