Class 3A: Top Teams – Kelso

<p><em>The next high school volleyball season won’t start in Washington until March 2021, but there’s absolutely no reason why we should wait until there to know more about the best teams in each class. In this series, we’ll dissect each of the state’s six divisions by analyzing the top teams and the most promising players and what we can expect from them when the balls are finally allowed to fly. It’s the fifth week of the series now, so class 3A is our focus.</em></p> <p><em> </em></p> <p><strong>Kelso</strong></p> <p>Kelso was arguably the biggest sensation of last year’s State Championship as the team made it to the semifinals for the first time and ended the tournament with a well-celebrated third place. That result alone should be enough to make the Hilanders confident about next season, but considering the core of that team, with the noticeable exception of All-State team honorable mention middle-blocker Allie Gaston, will all be back older and more experienced, it’s easy to see Kelso contending for even more.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Their three key players are:</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97221" first="Bella" last="Hadaller"] – Outside Hitter – Junior</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="97221" first="Bella" last="Hadaller"] was Kelso’s primary scoring option last season. That’s certainly unsurprising considering her six-foot frame and her unparalleled ability to bounce balls on opponents’ courts. After a season in which she earned an All-State team honorable mention, the outside hitter, who’s also an outstanding blocker, will be even more pivotal to anything the Hilanders accomplish moving forward. She’s part of prepdig.com’s class of 2022 watch list.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Ava Nichols – Middle-Blocker - Junior</strong></p> <p>Ava Nichols was part of a formidable middle-blocker duo with Gaston and her play had a huge impact in Kelso’s success in 2019. The 5’10” prospect excels at both of the most important skills for a middle-blocker, being an effective hitter and blocker who typically combines for double-digit points in those departments day in an day out. Her steady presence at the net will provide the Hilanders with a considerable advantage over their opponents next season.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97037" first="Ashley" last="Noah"] – Setter - Senior</strong></p> <p>Setters are typically the heart and brains of their teams and Kelso couldn’t be better served on that position than it is with [player_tooltip player_id="97037" first="Ashley" last="Noah"]. Coming from the best season in her high school career, one in which she earned an All-State team honorable mention, Noah did a great job in orchestrating the Hilanders’ offense in 2019 and will have the luxury of working with basically the same hitters next season. At 5’8”, she not only delivers in distributing the ball but is also a weapon when blocking and serving, which makes of her the 58th prospect at prepdig.com’s class of 2021 ranking.</p>