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<p>If all of the references to Wyatt Earp weren't enough watching the Cowgirls and Mustangs play in Abilene took me back to my Kansas History teaching days.</p>
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<p>The two-day summer tournament in Abilene started on June 27 and I scouted three matches.</p>
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<p>One of those matches pitted the Salina Central Mustangs against an alumni team consisting of former Kansas prep players. Some of them are currently playing at the college level for the University of Saint Mary's and Cloud County Community College.</p>
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<p>Here is a look at prospects from Salina Central who impressed me during the match. Central will be a young team heading into the 2024 prep season with only three players on the current roster with varsity experience.</p>
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<p><strong>Brixon Kolzow</strong>, 5'10”, OH, Salina Central, ‘26</p>
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<p>Kolzow has a physical frame. She has the shoulders of a middle linebacker but can leap like a high jumper. Her coach listed her as an outside hitter, but she also set during a couple of rotations and could play the middle for NAIA or JUCO programs. He has a smooth approach and finished with two kills in the two-set loss to the alumni squad.</p>
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<p><strong>McKinley Dunlop</strong>, 5'10”, OH/S, Salina Central, ‘26</p>
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<p>Dunlop is a similar prospect to Kolzow. On a team looking to still put the pieces together, Dunlop provides versatility to the lineup. She is the most athletic prospect on the Salina Central squad, but her game is still a little raw. She is a lefty which makes her all the more unique and dangerous. She plays with extreme focus and could evolve into the emotional leader of this squad. She has an accurate serve and the ability to block at the net. If she wants her recruiting stock to improve I would advise her to find a private club coach to work with on the side or to tryout for an elite Kansas club team. She has a big upside and I enjoyed watching her play.</p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='557368' first='Grace' last='Ostmyer']</strong>, 5'9”, OH, Salina Central, ‘27</p>
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<p>The Mustangs have a talented sophomore class to build with. Ostmyer was an athlete who was fun to watch. Her skills are still raw, but she is a sponge and is soaking up every minute of experience she gets. She is extremely coachable and sought out feedback from the coaching staff and teammates. Right now her defensive skills are a tick more refined than her hitting, but again she is young and has a ton of upside. Expect to see the Mustang sophomore added to the Prep Dig Kansas Class of 2027 rankings.</p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='557370' first='Katy' last='Wagner']</strong>, 5'5”, DS/L, Salina Central, ‘27</p>
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<p>Wagner is a quick and spunky libero. Like the rest of the team, she needs to improve her confidence and enjoy playing the game. She has the ability to slow a game down and pick up a big dig in a key rally. She made consistent first passes and finished the match with five digs and three serve receptions.</p>
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If all of the references to Wyatt Earp weren't enough watching the Cowgirls and Mustangs play in Abilene took me back to my Kansas History teaching days.
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