Giraffes At The Net: Top Kansas Blockers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of my all-time favorite commercials is the Geico hockey ad with the line "There's a walrus in goal."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If I were to direct my own commercial, it would feature a Six-Foot Beast that blocks a powerful middle attack for a point.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The athlete who gets blocked would be played by the "Bougie Bully" Lash Legend, who turns to her coach and says, "There's a giraffe at the net."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Any of these five Kansas athletes could play the role of the athlete in the commercial doing the blocking.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a look at five of the top blockers in the Sunflower State. This list does not include any current seniors, so each has at least one, if not two more prep seasons to wreak havoc at the net.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["529955"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6920983127228"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Zeller finished her junior season with 114 blocks in 87 sets played for the Chargers. She has a career total of 228 blocks and 641 kills in three seasons for Wabaunsee. She is tall, but her jumping ability and blocking technique are what make her dangerous at the net. Zeller is ranked No. 122 overall in the Kansas Class of 2027.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["483915"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6920983127294"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Iowa State is expected to get this "Net Giraffe." Cook, a six-foot-two power player, is ranked No. 3 overall by Prep Dig Kansas and has verbally committed to playing for the Cyclones. She finished her junior season with 100 blocks for the Class 5A State Tournament-Qualifying Mavericks. She also registered 323 kills for Maize South this past season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["621307"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69209831272e0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Ripley has recorded back-to-back seasons with 90-plus kills for the Warriors. She has also registered 300-plus kills during her last two prep seasons. She remains what I consider an under-the-radar prospect despite being ranked No. 10 overall in the Kansas Class of 2027. She has participated in Elite Camps for Division II schools. She would be an awesome steal for a JUCO program, and then could move on to a DI program from there. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["553079"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6920983127329"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Lassey recorded 90 blocks for the Holton Wildcats last season. She is the tallest of perhaps one of the most deadly trios in Kansas, along with Holton's [player_tooltip player_id='480408' first='Tinley' last='Wilson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='567485' first='Khloe' last='Black']. She also tallied 210 kills for the Wildcats in 114 sets played for the Class 4A State Tournament Squad. Lassey is ranked No. 34 overall in the Kansas Class of 2027.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["665593"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-692098312736f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Gilmore tallied 98 blocks for the Eagles during her sophomore season. She has 170 blocks over her first two prep seasons. She has also collected 514 total kills after back-to-back 200-plus kill seasons. Gilmore is ranked No. 77 overall by Prep Dig Kansas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->