New 2021 Rankings and Highlighting the Top 10
Prep Dig Missouri Class of 2021 Top 40 As we shared in our intro article, after some time we have not only updated but basically created a new rankings for the class of 2021. Our rankings are focused on who…
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Continue ReadingPrep Dig Missouri Class of 2021 Top 40
As we shared in our intro article, after some time we have not only updated but basically created a new rankings for the class of 2021. Our rankings are focused on who is viewed as the top college prospects across the state. Who may be viewed as the best player doesn’t always equate to the top collegiate prospect. 17 coaches across the state shared their insights on who makes up the top 40 in the state. Our top 10-15 were ranked by only our college coaches. Also different from previous articles highlighting athletes, our blurbs for each athlete in the top 10 are quotes directly from our panel of coaches sharing their strengths and areas of potential growth. Here are our top 10. For the following three days we will have short blurbs of the remaining prospects.
Kristen Birmingham Kristen Birmingham 6'1" | OH Park Hill | 2021 State MO – 6’1″ OH – Park Hill High School – Mavs KC – Committed: Oklahoma
“Her athleticism should enable her to get on the court immediately, for sure defensively.”
“She is an elite athlete, she reminds me of a young Yossiana Pressley (Baylor). If her offense continues to develop she could be a star in the Big 12.”
“I’ve seen her hit balls on the 10ft line, straight line, hard seam, hard cut, roll shot, throw…she has a full arsenal.”
“She jumps out of the gym. Once the Oklahoma staff gets her contact point to match her jumping and improve her passing and defense, she will be an all-conference player…mark my words.”
Maddy Bushnell Maddy Bushnell 6'3" | MB Willard | 2021 State MO – 6’3″ MH – Willard High School – 417 Net Results – Committed: Missouri State
“She will be a star in “The Valley”. Coach McRoberts and his staff will have options in how to use her.”
“She will be able to score in front and behind the setter at a high success rate in the Missouri Valley Conference.”
“Bushnell is one of the more polished blockers I witnessed during the 16s season last year.”
“The weight room will benefit her greatly and as she gets stronger her game will continue to elevate. She will be an all-conference player a time or two before leaving Springfield.
Jordan Iliff Jordan Iliff 6'1" | RS Mehlville | 2021 State MO – 6’1″ RS – Mehlville High School – Rockwood Thunder – Committed: Missouri
“A very consistent player and known to be the go-to scorer over the years. She is very intelligent on the court and chooses her shots wisely.”
“She is so smooth on the court. She knows where to put the ball to get kills.”
“She uses her length to her advantage both offensively and defensively and should be able to carry that over to the college game.”
“The main area she will seek to improve heading to the SEC will be power, and that is in swing and jumping ability. She will need more of both to compete with likes of Florida, Kentucky, and A&M week in and week out.”
Aly Gurtiza Aly Gurtiza 5'8" | DS/L Lee's Summit West | 2021 State MO – L – Lee’s Summit West High School – Dynasty – Committed: None
“One of the smartest back-row defenders I’ve watched over the last few years.”
“Her volleyball i.q. always puts her in position to make a play on the ball.”
“Great communicator”
“Wherever she chooses to attend, the strength and speed program will benefit her and she will get quicker.”
Addison Lyon Addison Lyon 5'10" | S O'Fallon Christian | 2021 State MO – 5’10” S – O’Fallon Christian School – Rockwood Thunder – Committed: Missouri
“A true floor leader, she does a tremendous job of finding one on one situations for her hitters.”
“Addison has really good hands and vision, both strong attributes to have playing in the SEC.”
“She knows where to go with the ball in particular situations. Her ability to read the defense at her age is impressive.”
“Quicker and stronger is what comes to mind when thinking of what is needed for college. You have to be strong at the net and jump higher to compete in the SEC.
Bailee Middleton Bailee Middleton 5'10" | DS/L Liberty | 2021 State MO – 5’10” DS – Liberty High School – KC Power – Committed: Mississippi
“I firmly believe her years has a primary hitter is what makes her a strong defender. She anticipates at such a high level.”
“She will bring the ability to swing from the back row after playing a hitter her whole career. She has the ability to be like Kuper at Illinois.”
“She will be an effective defender for Ole Miss, she has shown the ability to play at a high level in club and it should transition over to college.”
“Reaction speed and foot speed will be an area of focus heading to the SEC. Everything is much quicker at the next level and something she will continue to work on.”
Andi Kreiling Andi Kreiling 6'3" | MB Kearney | 2021 State MO – 6’3″ MB – Kearney High School – KC Power – Committed: Arizona State
“Really strong on hitting in front of the setter and avoiding the defense on her swings.”
“Her blocking will be a big asset in the PAC 10 where almost everyone is her height and taller.”
“She is very strong, which will carry her a long way in that conference.”
“She is still developing a slide. She will need to have the same elevation on her slide as she does in front of the setter to be successful with it.”
Aubrey LaPour Aubrey LaPour 5'11" | OH Blue Springs South | 2021 State MO – 5’11” OH – Blue Springs South – Dynasty – Committed: Bryant University
“She has no fear which is what you want from your outside hitter.”
“She has pretty good jumping ability for her size and that will help her score at Bryant.”
“Hits a very heavy ball.”
“There are signs she can possibly play 6 rotations down the line, if she keeps working on her passing and defense she can be an all-conference performer in the Northeast Conference.”
Morgan Sprague Morgan Sprague 5'11" | S Parkway South | 2021 State MO – 5’11” S – Parkway South – High Performance STL – Committed: Missouri State
“She made great strides over the last couple of years and has become one of the top setters in the state.”
“She uses her height to her advantage at the net. A very smart setter.”
“She will fit in well at Missouri State and the Missouri Valley Conference. She has quite a few really quality players joining her to build something special.”
“Strength and Jumping is an area she will develop at the next level to increase her success on the court.”
Maggie McInerney Maggie McInerney 6'1" | OH St. Teresa's Academy | 2021 State MO – 6’1″ OH – St. Teresa’s Academy – PVA – Committed: Chicago
“A late bloomer who really stood out and made big plays for her high school and club teams. She showed she can be the go-to scorer for a program.”
“She has quite a few shots she hits very well.”
“She has played for a very successful high school program so she is a winner.”
“Passing will need to improve to play 6 on the next level but she will have a very good career at Chicago.”