The Week Ahead: September 16-20

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another Monday means I share another roadmap of scouting for the week ahead.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a fun nugget for you: the team records in all matches I have scouted to date are 17-17. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It is also an interesting fact that, regardless of how many matches I scout this fall, the overall team record will be at a .500 winning percentage.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you completely understand the math in that equation, then you are a math and statistics genius!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On Tuesday, September 16, I plan on scouting Royal Valley's home match against Nemaha Central.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On Thursday, September 18, I plan on watching two matches at Shawnee Heights, as they host Ottawa and Hayden.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Then on Saturday, September 20, I plan on finishing my week at the Rossville Tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a look at a handful of Prep Dig Kansas-ranked athletes I hope to catch up with.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always, my schedule is subject to change. If I weren't so dedicated, I would call an audible on Tuesday to stay home and watch Paul Skenes pitch against Cade Horton, in what might be the best pitching match-up in September.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["513601"],"_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-68c7370bdbcff"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Miller is a highly skilled multiple-sport athlete. She finished with 452 kills as a freshman for the Panthers. I have seen her compete in club volleyball and basketball, but this is the first time I will see her in purple. The Panthers will host Nemaha Central on September 16. I plan to make the quick drive to Hoyt to check out Miller and her teammates against a talented Thunder squad I have seen play once already this season. She is ranked No. 4 overall by Prep Dig Kansas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["835664"],"_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-68c744fab6042"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Hayden literally has a six-headed monster in its starting rotation. I watched the Wildcats play two lackluster early morning matches in Baldwin this past weekend, but they picked up their play and won the whole kit-and-kaboodle on Saturday. Tanking is a quick hitter that I have seen evolve as an athlete. Her confidence level went up a whole other notch this summer after her club season. Through 15 sets, she has 35 kills, but those numbers have not been updated with the stats from Baldwin. Tanking finished with eight kills in the match against Wellsville that I scouted this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["605213"],"_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-68c8034d2c360"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Hayden will travel to Tecumseh on September 18 to face Ottawa and Shawnee Heights. I watched Hayden this weekend. They had a lackluster game against Wellsville, but went on to win the Baldwin Invitational. Every athlete in their starting six is a college prospect. That includes Tanking. Her game really blossomed over the summer, and she is a super confident athlete right now. She had eight kills in the match against Wellsville, I scouted. I would recommend Tanking to the Division II coaches who follow me closely, and she would be a steal for NAIA or JUCO programs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["446319"],"_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-68c744fab6090"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">While I don't have the match schedule for the Rossville Tournament yet, one team I will for sure check out is Pleasant Ridge. I have not seen Bryan and Rams play since the fall of 2023. Bryan lights up the gym with her infectious energy. She is a gifted libero who might be underranked, since she does not have any public stats. I will scout two early matches this Saturday, and Bryan should be playing in one of them. Bryan is ranked No. 66 overall in the Kansas Class of 2027.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["480408"],"_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-68c744fab60d8"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Another team I hope to catch in Rossville is the Holton Wildcats. I saw Wilson and her teammates compete this summer and saw her at a couple of elite college camps. She is an impressive hitter and a gifted six-rotation talent. Wilson leads the team in kills with 27 in eight sets worth of reported stats. She is ranked No. 9 overall in the Kansas Class of 2027 and is one of my favorite uncommitted hitters in the 2027 class. It should be a highly competitive tournament with Silver Lake, Wamego, and Jefferson West also competing against Ottawa, Osage City, and the host Bulldawgs. I have not seen Osage City yet this season and would like to see them and Rossville. With any luck, I hope to see all four of the teams I have yet to scout, but it's more than likely it might just be two of the four.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->