Manhattan Prospects Show Up And Show Out

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Manhattan Indians finished fourth last season at the Class 6A State Tournament, and they look poised to make a return trip to Salina at the end of October.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I scouted the Indians to a 25-23, 22-25, 25-19 three-set win over Shawnee Heights. They defeated Seaman in their first match and lost to Silver Lake in the nightcap.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a look at prospects from Manhattan whose game impressed me.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is the second report covering the matches at Shawnee Heights. In case you missed the first report, you can use the link below to read it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://prepdig.com/2025/09/shawnee-heights-splits-two-home-matches/">Shawnee Heights Splits Two Matches</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stay tuned tomorrow morning for another report that will feature unranked talent from Manhattan's, Shawnee Heights', and Silver Lake's rosters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='807871' first='Bailey' last='Busch']</strong>, 5'7”, OH, Manhattan, '27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Manhattan is a team that plays with poise and does not rattle easily. Busch is a six-rotation player who is the floor leader, keeping the team balanced. She is ranked No. 39 overall by Prep Dig Kansas. She recorded 19 kills, 13 digs, and 12 serve receptions in the win over Shawnee Heights. She is being recruited by multiple college programs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='800407' first='Janie' last='Hilgers']</strong>, 5'6”, DS/L, Manhattan, '26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hilgers had the best match I have seen from the libero position to date in the early season. She is ranked No. 278 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026. Let me just provide a spoiler alert now, and predict she will be ranked way higher when the 2026 rankings are updated again after the completion of the prep season. She has a quiet frame and makes consistent passes. She finished the match against the T-Birds with 15 digs and 19 serve receptions. She is being recruited by Division II programs Washburn and Fort Hays State.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='885609' first='Keeli' last='Tepe']</strong>, 5'8”, S, Manhattan, '27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The pleasant surprise of the night was the play of Manhattan's setter. Tepe is currently an unranked prospect, but a Prep Dig Profile will be created, and she will debut in the rankings later this fall. She finished with an eye-popping 30 assists in the three-set win over Shawnee Heights. She does a nice job of keeping all of the Indian hitters involved and makes smart decisions on the court. She has an accurate serve, with a little bit of funky spin on it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Evertt Ruliffson</strong>, 5'7”, DS, Manhattan, '27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another unranked athlete who caught my eye was Ruliffson. I did not have her on my original list of players to watch, so I just called her “Ruffles” on my stat sheet in haste. Her game has a lot of saltiness and ridges to hit. She is tall for a defensive specialist, but has excellent flexibility and balance. She was a stalwart on the back row for Manhattan, registering 11 digs and eight serve receptions. It appeared that Shawnee Heights targeted her often to avoid serving at Hilgers and Busch. A free Prep Dig profile will also be created for her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->