The Monster in the middle for the Saints is Santa Fe Trail’s Cook. She snuck a new Prep Dig Profile picture past me. She is a physical blocker. She is the proverbial brick in Pink Floyd’s wall. She recorded a career-high 81 blocks during her sophomore season with the Chargers. She has 172 career blocks. She has also posted back-to-back seasons with 300-plus kills. Cook is ranked No. 20 overall by Prep Dig Kansas.

I wouldn’t want to mess with Quincy “The Iron Chef” Cook when she is baking in a match. She is one of the most threatening “red heads” since The Undertaker. She went for 300/300 during her junior season. She finished with 386 kills and 300 digs. That was a huge increase in digs from her sophomore total of 65. She has improved her game and speed while competing for an elite club team. Cook is ranked No. 20 overall and is uncommitted.

The Topeka Saints 16-1 team is loaded with talent and will be a threat to make a run at National hardware. Charger prospect Cook is one of several players on this team with whom I am familiar. I missed Cook and Santa Fe Trail this prep season, so she will be high on my list of athletes to scout this weekend. She has posted back-to-back seasons with 300-plus kills. She is ranked No. 20 overall in the Kansas Class of 2027, but has a late birthday, allowing her to play in the 16U division.

Cook led the Santa Fe Trail Chargers in kills this season with 386 in 90 sets played. She has recorded back-to-back seasons with 300-plus kills. She will enter her senior season with 875 career kills and is gunning to reach 1,000. Cook had 81 blocks last season and should reach 200 blocks for her career next season. She is ranked No. 12 overall in the Kansas Class of 2027, and to my knowledge, is still uncommitted.

Santa Fe Trail’s Cook turned heads at the camp with her combination of physicality and quickness. She participated with an elite group of athletes, some of whom have already verbally committed to play for the Ichabods after high school. Most of the early drills I watched were defensive oriented, and she held her own and showed that she can move and play backrow if needed. Her best skills, though, are as a hitter and blocker. She is ranked No. 8 overall in the Kansas Class of 2027 and is still uncommitted.

Santa Fe Trail’s Cook is currently ranked No. 8 overall in the Kansas Class of 2027. She is a power hitter who just finished third in the 15U USA National Tournament in Dallas, Texas. With her big swing. fiery arm, and ginger hair she would make for a scary closing pitcher, coming out of the Chicago Bullpen.

Cook is the “oldest” player on this squad. She has one of those birthdays that fall into different levels for High School and Club participation. She is 15 but is in the Class of 2027. She is a physical attacker who has been hitting outside and on the right side for the Saints, but she has also played middle with the Santa Fe Trail Chargers. She looked dialed in during the practice and might very well be a step quicker than the last time I saw her compete. Cook is ranked No. 8 overall by Prep Dig Kansas.

Cook is one of multiple dangerous front-row attackers on the Saints roster. She recorded eight kills and three blocks. She has a big reach and is a physical prospect. She played front row only in this match, but she is not going to hurt a team if she needs to play back row. Her timing was a little off early in the match, but the same can be said about the whole group in the first set.

Cook plays for the Topeka Saints, a 15-1 team, and I plan to watch their first match of the day. I last saw Cook compete for the Chargers in a preseason jamboree. Cook finished her freshman season with 348 kills and 32 blocks. The Saints will definitely be missing a couple of key pieces to their normal rotation. It will give other players on this team the chance to step up and show off their skills.

Another Saints athlete to watch is Cook. She decided not to play basketball this season, so she should be a lock to participate in the Power League event. The Santa Fe Trail prospect is long and physical. I saw her compete once during the prep season, and she can carry a team’s offense.