What Sophomores Are Piling Up Kills In 2024?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2024 MHSAA season is in full swing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With a month of action in the books, we are starting to see what players are going to be top contributors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Class of 2027 has some hitters really stepping up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at 10 that are racking up the kill totals early on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Stats found through MaxPreps and Hudl</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Ruby Hughes, Newaygo</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Newaygo has been keeping busy, racking up a lot of matches this season. That has led Hughes to be among the kills leaders in the class with 227 thus far. She's been getting a lot of swings and stepping up in some close matches for Newaygo. That included a 20-kill performance in a sweep of Tri-County Area.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454366' first='Jordyn' last='Jones'], Richmond</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Many were expecting Jones to have a breakout season for Richmond, and that has been the case. She's consistently putting up double-digit kills and showing the ability to place the ball anywhere on the court, leading her to 186 kills. Earlier this week, Jones recorded 17 kills in a match with Armada.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='467901' first='Mallory' last='Wandel'], Rockford</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rockford is known for its firepower and Wandel has been a big piece of that. The sophomore has 182 kills on the season already. Wandel has been very steady, recording around 10-12 kills per match in most cases, no matter the opponent. That's while going up against some of the best competition in the West side of the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454359' first='Elise' last='Biermann'], Eisenhower</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eisenhower is showing it can compete with the top teams in the state and Biermann has been a key part of that. She's got 166 kills on the season and has found a new gear in recent weeks. She had 18 kills in a four-set win over Romeo and has followed that up with double-digit kills in six of her last eight matches. Biermann is also hitting over .300 on the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='470031' first='Avery' last='Kapeller'], Orchard Lake St. Mary's</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kapeller had a lot of momentum coming into the fall and she's shown that it was warranted. She's been very consistent as a lead hitter for OLSM on the outside. Kapeller has racked up 158 kills on the season, steadily putting down 8 kills or more. Her highlight this season was a 19-kill performance against Lake Orion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454368' first='Lexa' last='Pierson'], Milford</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pierson is another player with plenty of buzz coming into the season and she's proving she was ready for it. Pierson has put up 155 kills through just 31 sets, averaging 5 kills per set in 2024. She put down 22 kills against Walled Lake Western and has had at least a dozen kills in four of her last five matches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='513265' first='Anna' last='Overway'], Plainwell</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Plainwell is looking like it could make some noise in the Division 2 race this year and Overway is making a big splash for the team in her sophomore year. Overway has tallied 153 kills this season, hitting double-digit totals in her last three matches. One of her highlights was a 16-kill performance against Edwardsburg. Overway has good power and is able to finish from either pin. Big things seem to be ahead for her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454367' first='Isabelle' last='Lawhorn'], Lake Orion</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Dragons have another talented young hitter on their hands. Lawhorn is making big strides as a sophomore and looking more confident and comfortable on the floor. She's recorded 143 kills on the season. An 18-kill performance against West Bloomfield last week led the Dragons to a sweep victory. She hit .516 in the win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='523843' first='Addison' last='Naplin'], Vicksburg</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6-foot hitter for Vicksburg, Naplin has been very steady in her sophomore season. She's up to 130 kills, putting up eight or more in four of her last five games. That includes a 17-kill performance in a five-set win over Otsego. Vicksburg has been up against top teams across multiple divisions and Naplin keeps holding her own.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='534475' first='Elle' last='Lorente'], Eaton Rapids</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lorente did some nice things as a freshman, but is taking on a bigger role in the offense as a sophomore. She's up to 122 kills on the young season, quickly approaching the 149 she tallied as a freshman. Lorente has had at least eight kills in five of her last seven matches. Her top outing was an 18-kill performance in a five-set battle with Lansing Catholic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->