The Power League 16U All-Deck Squad

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some of the state's best talent in the 16U club division descended on the Davies Volleyball Complex on February 25 for Power League Play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I scouted four matches of Power League action that included six different club teams. Here is the final of three reports on prospects I watched play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This team is my all-star team made up of the three club teams I watched play this morning who were not earlier featured.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='222091' first='Avery' last='Sands']</strong>, 5'7”, OH/RS, Lansing, ‘26 ([program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] 16-1)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If I was still coaching I would Sands would be a No. 1 pick for me in any draft. &nbsp;Sands just lights up the court when she hits it and keeps improving her game. She filled up her stat sheet with three kills, four digs, four serve receptions, two blocks, and one ace. Her blocking game was a new wrinkle that I don't remember seeing much during her last high school season. Sands can play six rotations and jump out of the gym.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='222090' first='Alayna' last='Vaeth']</strong>, 5'9”, S/OPP, St. Thomas Aquinas, ‘26 ([program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] 16-1)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vaeth has some grit in her game and has natural skills. She plays six rotations and can both set and hit. She finished her match against the Topeka Saints with eight assists and four kills. She is a bouncy talent and has a high volleyball IQ. She communicates well with her teammates and has a couple of more seasons to continue to hone her game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='357548' first='Reese' last='Huscher']</strong>, 5'8”, OH/DS, Hayden, '26 (Topeka Saints 16-1)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Huscher played better in the Power League match than I saw in the two Hayden games I scouted last season. She is a leader on this Saints team and that is a side I had not seen from her. She racked up 11 digs, eight serve receptions, and two kills combined in the two Saints' matches I scouted. Neither of those contests were very close, but Huscher showed no signs of frustration.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='223572' first='Stella' last='Kelly']</strong>, 5'9”, S/RS, Washburn Rural, '26 (Topeka Saints 16-1)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Saints were missing one of their setters on Sunday, so Kelly had to step up her game and handle the setting duties primarily by herself. She finished with 10 assists and nine digs in the two matches. She has nice touch as a setter and she played improved defense from what I remember from last club season. The Washburn Rural prospect probably tops out as an NAIA or JUCO setter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='355654' first='Rebekah' last='Slaughter']</strong>, 5'10”, S/RS, Shawnee Mission East, '26 (MAVS KC 16-1)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Slaughter was arguably the most athletic player I saw on Sunday. She is quick, jumps well, and can set and hit. She finished with 10 digs, seven kills, three serve receptions, and two aces. Slaughter moves well and was the biggest surprise of the day. I did not know much about the MAVS KC team headed into the event, but Slaughter is on my radar now, and Shawnee Mission East will be a team I try to catch next high school season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='357591' first='Gillian' last='Walton']</strong>, 6'0”, OH/DS, Shawnee Mission West, '26 (MAVS KC 16-1)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the opposite side of Shawnee Mission is West prospect Walton. I was impressed with her quickness for her size and she carried the team defensively in stretches. She finished a match against [program_tooltip program_id='432164' first='Fight' last='Club'] with 10 serve receptions, seven digs, and three kills.  She did let the ball ‘play her' a couple of times, so my only piece of advice to her is to continue to work on her defensive platform. On a team full of hitters, she was not a part of the attack game as much as I would have liked to have seen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Elena Doughtery</strong>, 5'8”, RS, Olathe Northwest, ‘26 ([program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] 16-1)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So I am going to take one sub for this team and it's [program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last='']'s Doughtery. She has a wicked serve and that's what I want to use her for. She finished with four aces and one block in the match I scouted. It was her serving that caught my attention. Up to that point, I wasn't stating her. Olathe Northwest was loaded with talent last season so I don't remember her from last fall. She is athletic but played front row only. She is a player I will make a point to try to see her play in person again this club season or next fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->