2021 Updated Rankings
It is time for our quarterly rankings update for the class of 2021! We revamped our rankings back in August and for the most part, we had complete seasons around the state except for the St. Louis area. We saw…
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Continue ReadingIt is time for our quarterly rankings update for the class of 2021! We revamped our rankings back in August and for the most part, we had complete seasons around the state except for the St. Louis area. We saw a lot of great play this fall and are pleased to increase our rankings from 40 to 100. As we prepare to release our rankings, we feel it is important to share the process and what goes into this difficult task.
The top half of players are ranked on their status as a college prospect. Not necessarily what they have accomplished in high school or club. We determine this from our panel of coaches across the region. This means we go through and rank our top division 1 prospects, then we proceed and rank our remaining athletes. Keep in mind, who may be considered the best player currently does not equate to top college prospects. Due to the pandemic, we had access to much more live game action this year than years past. We also see Hudl game footage and highlights, recruitment notes, and MaxPreps to get as much information as possible on each prospect. We can’t stress enough, these are opinions, and not being on these lists does not mean you will not have a successful collegiate career.
Since we shared that we utilize a panel of coaches, here is the breakdown for those curious.
12 College Coaches
9 High School/Club Regional Coaches
Prep Dig Staff
For each class, the top 10-20 rankings depending on which class, we utilized primarily the rankings shared by the college coaches.
We want to again thank our panel for taking the time over the last few weeks to pull this together. And without further ado, Class of 2021! Class of 2021 Rankings
Top 10 Movement
There was no movement within the top 3 for this class. Kristen Birmingham Kristen Birmingham 6'1" | OH Park Hill | 2021 State MO (Oklahoma) is still the top-ranked player after earning AVCA Under Armour Third Team All-American honors, along with All-Region and All-State. Maddy Bushnell Maddy Bushnell 6'3" | MB Willard | 2021 State MO (Missouri State) still holds steady at number 2. She also earned national recognition by being named Honorable Mention All-American. Jordan Iliff Jordan Iliff 6'1" | RS Mehlville | 2021 State MO (Missouri) has a body of work in her career that has her still at number 3. A shortened high school season did not affect her college potential. We did have one player jump into the top 5 in Arizona State signee Andi Kreiling Andi Kreiling 6'3" | MB Kearney | 2021 State MO . Previously ranked as number 7, she made the move to 4. The final movement upward is Maggie McInerney Maggie McInerney 6'1" | OH St. Teresa's Academy | 2021 State MO , who will be heading to Chicago next fall. In her final season, she was named All-State and All-American.
Biggest Jumps in the Top 40
2020 was a season to remember for Hermann’s Grace Winkelmann Grace Winkelmann 5'9" | MB Hermann | 2021 State MO . The Central Missouri pledge jumped from 25 in the August ranking to 14. She led her team to the final four and earned Third Team All-American honors courtesy of AVCA and Under Armour.
Blue Springs All-State setter Lily Letchworth Lily Letchworth 5'10" | S Blue Springs | 2021 State MO made a leap into the top 30 to 27 from 34. She was a catalyst in leading her team to back-to-back district titles. Letchworth had close to 800 assists in her final campaign.
Mallory Polk Mallory Polk 5'10" | MB Lesterville | 2021 State MO also just missed the top 25, coming in at 26 which is a jump from 31. Lesterville finished state runner-up and Polk produced another Al-State season. She had 614 kills and ended with almost 1600 in her career.
Entering the Rankings and the Top 40
We did increase our rankings from 40 to 100. With this change, we did have 60 athletes entering the rankings for the first time. These athletes however not only entered the rankings but were able to break into the top 40 after stellar seasons.
Kendall Boone Kendall Boone 5'10" | OH Lee's Summit | 2021 State MO – OH – Lee’s Summit High School – Uncommitted
Boone had a breakout season for Lee’s Summit in her final year. She earned All-State honors and was key in an ever so close upset of eventual state champion Liberty North in sectionals. She had over 300 kills for the Tigers.
Serena Sundell Serena Sundell 5'9" | OH Maryville | 2021 State MO – OH – Maryville High School
Sundell could probably had been listed in August but we left her out due to being a basketball commit. Her volleyball career and season are worthy to be included and recognized. The Kansas State hoops signee had another 400+ kill season in leading her team to a final four appearance.
Hannah Tadlock Hannah Tadlock DS/L Ozark | 2021 State MO – MB/RS – Ozark – Uncommitted
The 6’1″ Tadlock had a senior season that earned her All-State honors. She had 245 kills and over 100 total blocks. She was also named to the AVCA All-American Nominee.