Stat Monsters: Panthers Rack Up Big Numbers In League Win

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On September 16, I scouted a highly competitive Big East League match in Hoyt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Royal Valley defended its home court in a match against Nemaha Central that went the full three sets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Panthers won the match, 24-26, 27-25, 25-21.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a look at four athletes who helped guide the Panthers to their ninth win of the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='513601' first='Karis' last='KiWe Miller']</strong>, 6'0”, OH, Royal Valley, ‘28</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I traveled to Hoyt to see Miller play. I had seen her play club ball, but I had never seen her play for her prep team. She did not disappoint and had the top performance of the night. The sophomore outside hitter plays six rotations and gobbled up stats, like I crushed my Chick-fil-A when I got home. She finished the match with 16 kills, 14 digs, 21 serve receptions, and three aces. Miller is ranked No. 4 overall in the Kansas Class of 2028. I would like to see her continue to improve her consistency with her serve. She is a dangerous player who I project to be a Division I or Division II prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809955' first='Dasno' last='Mills']</strong>, 6'0”, MB/OH, Royal Valley, ‘27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mills is the other ranked athlete on the Panthers' squad. She also posted big numbers in the win. This was the first time I had ever seen her play, and was impressed with her game. She also plays six rotations for Royal Valley. She finished the match with 14 kills, nine digs, 11 serve receptions, one block, and two aces. Mills is ranked No. 90 overall in the Kansas Class of 2027. She can play middle or outside and has a knack for finding holes in a defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ka-tti Hale</strong>, 5'5”, DS/L, Royal Valley, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hale is an unranked defensive specialist who caught my eye. She made consistent passes during the match and played exclusively in the back row. She recorded 11 digs and six serve receptions. She is an intense athlete who has a consistent and accurate serve. She also plays softball as an outfielder and pitcher. I wish I had seen her play long before tonight. Her skills are worthy of being a ranked athlete, and I would recommend her to the NAIA and JUCO coaches who follow me closely.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='755485' first='Madison' last='Blackwood']</strong>, 5'5”, S, Royal Valley, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blackwood was the lone setter for the Panthers and racked up a large number of assists. She finished the match with 24 assists and two kills. I liked the way she moved. She played a poised match that featured long rallies and multiple lead changes. She knows which players she needs to feed the ball to and did a nice job of keeping them active in the offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->