Lady Cat Jamboree: Players Who Caught My Eye

Thursday's Lady Cat Jamboree gave me one more chance to get in the gym before the real thing starts. Conway, Fayetteville, Greenbrier, Mount St. Mary's, Vilonia, and Mountain Home brought plenty of talent to one building, so needless to say, I had a lot to watch. Two courts side by side, I sat myself down in the middle of them. It was easy to watch both courts, but at times there were players I had to keep my focus on.   Each coach was getting one last look at some different rotations to see who was ready to kick off the season. For me, it's a chance to watch players live, see some new faces, and get another look at players I've been following all summer. And there were plenty who got my attention.    [player_tooltip player_id='754692' first='Myleigh' last='Mendenhall'] may have been the most complete player I watched at the Conway Jamboree. She may not be as highly rated as some of the other names in the gym right now, but that probably won't last long. The 5'10" outside is an impressive athlete who brings a little bit of everything to the court.   Mendenhall can attack, defend, pass, and doesn't need to leave the floor. But what really caught my attention was the way she leads. She communicates constantly and has that floor-general mentality where she seems to know what needs to happen next.   There were players who hit harder and others who were bigger, but I'm not sure anyone showed me a more complete game. Myleigh was one of my biggest takeaways from the jamboree, and I definitely want to see more.     [player_tooltip player_id='749906' first='Molly' last='Miller'] showed exactly why she is one of the best in the business. She may have the best overall hands in the state. Her touch, accuracy, and ability to get to balls that most setters wouldn't even attempt give Fayetteville a chance to stay in system when a play starts to break down.   My play of the day came from Miller. She came flying from the right-side area, slid to keep a ball alive, and somehow threw up a one-handed set all the way to the outside for a kill. I honestly couldn't tell you who put the ball down because I was still trying to figure out how Molly got there, much less delivered a hittable ball.   Sometimes one play tells you everything you need to know about a player. Miller is a stud.     Lily gave me one of those plays at the Conway Jamboree that you remember after leaving the gym. From deep in the back corner at the 1 spot, Parker pushed a ball all the way across to the 6 and put it on a dime. It was honestly one of the most impressive sets I've seen from a high school setter.   That's what makes Parker so good. Even when the pass isn't where it's supposed to be, she can turn a bad situation into a hittable ball. She has the strength to move the ball across the court, but more importantly, she has the touch to put it where her hitter needs it.   I've written plenty about Lily already, but that one play pretty much summed her up. Give her a volleyball and a hitter somewhere on the court, and she'll figure out how to get the two together.     [player_tooltip player_id='746203' first='Taylor' last='Wherry'] put on a show at the Conway Jamboree and looked every bit like the premier outside she is. When Mount St. Mary's and Conway met, Wherry and [player_tooltip player_id='940133' first='Paisley' last='Porter'] went back and forth trading kills, making for one of the more entertaining matchups of the night.   Wherry showed a combination of shots that not many hitters have. She can bring the power, find the sharp angle, attack line, or take something off when the defense gives it to her. She doesn't just swing hard and hope for the best. She reads what's in front of her and finds a way to score.   Taylor was just as impressive on defense. She passed well, covered a lot of court, and showed why she is a true six-rotation outside. It was a strong night for Wherry and a good reminder of why she is one of the top players in the state.     If her performance at the Jamboree is any indication of how Paisley's season is going to go, you might want to buy your tickets to watch the Conway Lady Cats now. She showed whole new side to her game.   In games against Fayetteville and Mount St Mary's she put on show. She showed dramatic improvement over last season where Porter struggled getting use to the pace of Varsity ball. Now a junior, Paisley looked like the outsides you been use to seeing from Conway. She placed the ball all over the court with power and finesse. The best part of her progression was her confidence. At 6'1” she has the frame and the ability to be a top flight player in Arkansas.     I have watched Kassidy play a lot of club volleyball, but this was my first time seeing her work primarily from the outside, and man, she didn't disappoint. First thing you notice? She has some serious hops.   Lucas gets off the floor quickly and plays much bigger than 5'9". She has a fast arm, attacks with confidence, and isn't afraid to go after a bigger block. Her athleticism allows her to create some pretty impressive angles and turn balls that don't look perfect into quality swings.   Kassidy is still adjusting to a new team and a different role, but the tools are definitely there. Fayetteville has plenty of weapons, and Lucas gives them another athletic pin who can create problems at the net. From what I saw at Conway, the move to outside suits her just fine.     Shayn was all over the court at the Conway Jamboree. The 5'3" Mountain Home dynamo showed she can track balls down with the best of them, and there weren't many plays she was willing to give up on.   Wickersham is quick, reads the ball well, and seems to have a pretty good idea of where it's going before it gets there. Her range is amazing. She covered a lot of court and gave Mountain Home a steady presence in the back row. She may only be 5'3", but Shayn plays a whole lot bigger than that.     Ella showed great poise and accuracy in both matches I watched. She directed the Conway attack and did a great job of getting the ball to weapons like [player_tooltip player_id='940133' first='Paisley' last='Porter'], [player_tooltip player_id='1006380' first='Emma' last='Booy'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1013737' first='Addy' last='Swindle'] as the Lady Cats swept Fayetteville and split with Mount St. Mary's.   What stood out was how well Orahood spread the ball around. She didn't allow the defense to get comfortable or key on one hitter, and she changed the tempo when needed. With all the offensive options Conway has, the setter's job is going to be keeping everyone involved. Ella showed at the jamboree that she is more than capable of doing just that.     Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='989056' first='Finley' last='Rice'] proved she belongs at the varsity level with her performance at the Conway Jamboree. The young right side never backed down, even when she found herself across the net from some of the top players in the state.   Rice played with confidence and wasn't afraid to take a big swing when the opportunity was there. What impressed me most was that the level of competition didn't seem to change the way she played. That's a good sign for a freshman getting her first taste of varsity volleyball.   Mount St. Mary's has plenty of experienced talent around her, so Rice doesn't have to carry a huge load right away. She just needs to keep competing, learning, and taking advantage of her opportunities. From what I saw in Conway, she is ready for the challenge.     This was my first opportunity to see Annyston play, and she made a pretty good first impression. At 5'10", Crooker brings good size to the pin and showed the ability to attack from both the outside and right side.   What caught my attention was how well she moved and the confidence she showed when attacking. Annyston has a strong swing, but she wasn't just trying to overpower the defense. She found open spots, challenged the block, and showed some versatility in how she scored. She also gives her team some flexibility with her ability to play either pin.   First looks are always fun because sometimes you walk into the gym knowing very little about a player and leave wanting to see more. Crooker definitely falls into that category for me.     Much like Crooker, this was my first opportunity to see [player_tooltip player_id='1021928' first='Cora' last='Cox'] play, and the 6'0" Fayetteville outside definitely caught my attention. The first thing you notice is the power. Cox has a strong arm and isn't afraid to let it rip when she gets a good ball.   She also brings plenty of value at the net defensively. Cora uses her size well, gets strong hands over the net, and makes opposing hitters work to get around her block. That combination of size, power, and defense gives Fayetteville another weapon on an already talented roster.   I would like to see a lot more of her. The combination of her, Ivy Kirkconnell and [player_tooltip player_id='772494' first='Kassidy' last='Lucas'] give the Bulldogs a lot of options at the pin.     At 6'3", [player_tooltip player_id='993086' first='Kate' last='Barker'] is what I would call a developmental project, and I mean that in a very good way. You simply can't teach her size, and she already has some of the tools that could make her a very interesting middle as her game catches up with her frame.   Barker showed flashes at the Conway Jamboree of what she can become. She takes up a lot of space at the net, has the reach to affect hitters, and when she gets a clean swing, there is plenty of power behind it. The next step is continuing to improve her footwork, timing, and consistency.   Kate isn't a finished product yet, nor should she be as a 2028. But 6'3" athletes with her upside don't exactly grow on trees. Give her some time and plenty of reps, because Barker could develop into a really nice player for Vilonia.    Games are underway and the season has kicked into gear. Check back for more articles throughout the season and don't forget to fill out your free profile!!   Check out the Prep Dig Podcast with PA Head Coach Jason Lambert <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjSgTwkscJU&t=1330s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjSgTwkscJU&t=1330s</a>   -Robert Birch, Lead Scout-Prep Dig Arkansas. Reach out to me at <a href="mailto:bdsrecruiting10@gmail.com">bdsrecruiting10@gmail.com</a> or connect with me on X (@predigRob) and Instagram(@prepdigarrob)

Thursday's Lady Cat Jamboree gave me one more chance to get in the gym before the real thing starts. Conway, Fayetteville, Greenbrier, Mount St. Mary's, Vilonia, and Mountain Home brought plenty of talent to one building, so needless to say, I had a lot to watch. Two courts side by side, I sat myself down in the middle of them. It was easy to watch both courts, but at times there were players I had to keep my focus on.