Southern Stars: Athletes Killing It in Southern Kansas

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The farthest south I am headed to scout during the regular season is this week's trip to Emporia.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That, unfortunately, leaves a lot of acreage in the Southern half of the state without a ton of exposure.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In an attempt to compensate for some of that missed attention, here is a look at a handful of athletes among the state leaders in kills who play for schools in the lower forty.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='357543' first='Hayden' last='Grimes']</strong>, 5'9”, OH, Andale, '26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Andale's Grimes leads Andale in kills with 181 in 31 sets played. She is ranked No. 20 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026, and has verbally committed to Colorado State.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='523690' first='Maddie' last='Coester']</strong>, 5'10”, OH, Girard, '26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coester has recorded 179 kills in 31 sets played for the Girard Trojans. She is ranked No. 35 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026, and to my knowledge, she is still uncommitted.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='830079' first='Avery' last='Barnett']</strong>, 5'7”, MB, Riverton, '27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Dig Kansas has Riverton's Barnett ranked No. 157 overall in the Kansas Class of 2027. She has accumulated 174 kills in 42 sets played for the Rams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Breckynn Stoecklein</strong>, 5'11”, OH, Medicine Lodge, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stoecklein is an unranked senior who has registered 162 kills in 34 sets for the Medicine Lodge Indians.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809977' first='Ryann' last='Daggett']</strong>, 6'0”, MB/OH, Wichita North, '27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Daggett has tallied 161 kills in 28 sets for Wichita North. She is ranked No. 30 overall in the Kansas Class of 2027 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='489662' first='Addison' last='Rockley']</strong>, 6'0”, MB, Rose Hill, '26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rose Hill's Rockley is ranked No. 45 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026. She has recorded 157 kills in 37 sets played for the Rockets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='492583' first='Lucy' last='Anderson']</strong>, 5'8”, OH, Frontenac, '26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anderson has registered 152 kills in the first 42 sets of her senior campaign for the Raiders. She is ranked No. &nbsp;41 overall by Prep Dig Kansas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='446316' first='Cayten' last='Cummings']</strong>, 5'10”, OH/S, Yates Center, '26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cummings has started her senior season with 151 kills in 36 sets. She is ranked No. 17 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='222106' first='Carlyle' last='Johnson']</strong>, 6'2”, MB, Collegiate, '26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Collegiate's Johnson has registered 145 kills in 26 sets played. She is ranked No. 7 overall by Prep Dig Kansas and has verbally committed to Duke University.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='487452' first='Abbey' last='Mcneal']</strong>, 5'10”, OH/RS, Andale, '27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Andale has two hitters with more than 100 kills. Mcneal, ranked No. 56 overall in the class of 2027, has tallied 136 kills in 31 sets played.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->