Blanchet To Hazelwood To Duncan: Smoky Valley’s Offense

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When the Smoky Valley Vikings offense is really clicking the score line reads like this [player_tooltip player_id='219951' first='Katja' last='Blanchat'] Pass, [player_tooltip player_id='172463' first='Adrian' last='Hazelwood'] set, and [player_tooltip player_id='152836' first='Hope' last='Duncan'] kill.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I scouted two of Smoky Valley's matches in the Southeast of Saline Invitational, a three-set loss to Beloit, and a three-set win over Hillsboro.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a look at four prospects from Smoky Valley.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='152836' first='Hope' last='Duncan']</strong>, 5'8”, DS/OH, ‘24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Duncan has already committed to play at Fort Hays State University after graduation. She is chasing a state title and is holding nothing back on the court. She finished the match against Beloit with 14 serve receptions and five digs. During the victory over Hillsboro, she racked up 15 digs and nine serve receptions. She is a smooth hitter, who likes to hit right down the line. She collected 25 kills in the two matches combined. She is a six-rotation player and could have an immediate impact on the Tigers' roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='172463' first='Adrian' last='Hazelwood']</strong>, 5'8”, S, ‘24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hazelwood is a solid setter who can really impact the game in every facet. She filled up her stat sheet with 21 assists, 2 digs, and one kill against Beloit, and then 21 assists, four digs, and three kills versus Hillsboro. She is a court leader who communicates well. She plays point guard for the Vikings basketball team. She has basketball offers in hand, but no volleyball offers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='219951' first='Katja' last='Blanchat']</strong>, 6'0”,MB, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blanchat took over the match against Hillsboro. She is tall and has a big reach. She finished with six blocks, 17 kills, and 15 serve receptions. Teams can't overpass against her or she will throw it back at your face. In the match against Beloit, she had eight kills, two blocks, four digs, and two aces. She is currently ranked No. 34 in the Class of 2025 and I would argue she is worthy of moving up the rankings when they are next updated.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='730721' first='Ceeley' last='Friesen']</strong>, 5'6”, L, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Friesen is an interesting sophomore prospect. She is currently playing libero for the Vikings, but that might not be her best position. She can set and she can hit. The Vikings lost their top libero from last season and the Head Coach Doug Schneider is taking advantage of her athleticism to fill a spot in the lineup. Friesen also has a nice serve that will play in high school and college.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->