Exposure Tour Coverage: Elite Kansas Standouts

Referring to it as the "Showcase Of The Immortals" would be an oversell, but there was plenty of elite talent on display Sunday during the Prep Dig Expsoure Tour's stop in Kansas City, Kansas.   Close to 50 athletes were in attendance and competed on four courts of action. That number was split about 50/50 between athletes from Kansas and Missouri.   I keyed on the prospects from Kansas, and if I were a high school coach drafting a team from that group, here are the ten, I would pick for my team. Each stood out just enough to distance themselves from the rest of the talent.   This will be the first of multiple reports covering this event. Therefore, stay tuned to Prep Dig for more coverage.    Of all the athletes in attendance, arguably, Rural's Anderson benefited the most and made the best argument to be moved up the rankings. She played with confidence and showed off her versatile skill set. She can set, hit, and play solid backrow defense.   She finished her freshman season with 397 kills and 229 digs. I give her a ton of credit for posting her stats on X so scouts and coaches could access them. She is currently ranked No. 11 overall in the Kansas Class of 2029.     Ballard is a dangerous attacker who has a nice combination of size and speed. She was not at all intimidated by the depth of talent at the event and acted all morning long as if she were an athlete to reckon with.   Ballard finished her sophomore season with 145 kills and 174 serve receptions. She is currenlty ranked No. 16 overall by Prep Dig Kansas.     Campbell will parlay her Exposure Tour into a high-debuting slot in the Class of 2029 rankings when they are next updated. She has natural leadership skills and supported other athletes during drills. This was the first time I had seen her compete, and she made a great first impression. She would be a six-rotation athlete on this squad.   Campbell is currently unranked by Prep Dig Kansas. She recorded 41 kills in 53 varsity sets played as a freshman.     Beloit's Channell was one of the athletes who traveled the furthest to attend this event. I saw her play last summer and early during the prep season. I could already notice an improvement in her game. Her confidence has improved since those earlier matches. She would be one of two setters in this group.   Channell's freshman season stat line included 288 assists, 141 kills, and 110 digs. She is currenlty ranked No. 6 overall in the Kansas Class of 2029.     Gilmore hit the ball like it was talking trash to her. She showed up looking to impress, and she did. She can hit and block, and plays better defense than I expected. She moves well laterally and has a big swing.   She finished with 290 during her sophomore campaign and has 514 career kills and 170 career blocks. She was among the state leaders in blocks with 98 last season for the Eagles. She is ranked No. 77 overall in the Kansas Class of 2028.     Lassey was the athlete at this showcase whom I am most familiar with. I have seen her play multiple times. She was one of the tallest and most physically intimidating of the 50-some athletes in attendance. She could have packed it in and rested on her experience with me, but she showed up and showed out.   She recorded 210 kills and 90 blocks during her junior season with the Wildcats. She is ranked No. 19 overall in the Kansas Class of 2027.     Neblett impressed me in a couple of obscure ways. First, she was not afraid to take charge and make things happen. Her group was in a scrimmage drill without a setter, and she took it upon herself to go and steal a setter from another squad. It had been a hot minute since I saw her last compete at the Pittsburg State Elite Camp last summer. She played at a faster pace this time around and played better defensively than I remember.   She accumulated 268 kills, 202 digs, 236 serve receptions, and 22 blocks during her sophomore season for the Indians. She is ranked No. 40 overall by Prep Dig Kansas.     It took a little while for Trimble to find her legs and to realize that she belonged in this elite group. She has a nice touch and makes smart choices on the court. Once she shook off the nerves, she settled in and proved that she could run an offense.   She should reach and eclipse the 1,000-assist mark during her junior season. She has registered 945 assists in two seasons for the Indians. She has also collected 397 digs and 152 kills in two seasons for Oswego. She is currently ranked No. 38 overall in the Class of 2028.     Whitney was the "surprise performer" from this group. This was my first time watching her compete. She is quick and strikes like a rattlesnake. She has quick feet, is willing to lay out for the tough dig, and makes consistent first passes.   Whitney registered 194 digs and 325 serve receptions during her freshman campaign. She is ranked No. 9 overall in the Kansas Class of 2029.     If Whitney moves like a rattler, then Peterson moves like the Prarire Dog avoiding the snake's bite. She can flat-out move. She was a bubble of joy during the entire event, and I could tell she was having a blast. It would be a difficult choice deciding whether to put the libero jersey on her or Whitney, but that's a problem I would not mind having.   Peterson is ranked No. 26 overall in the Kansas Class of 2029.

Referring to it as the "Showcase Of The Immortals" would be an oversell, but there was plenty of elite talent on display Sunday during the Prep Dig Expsoure Tour's stop in Kansas City, Kansas.