Postseason Position Recap: Setters
It’s the offseason (or is there ever really an offseason in volleyball), and we’ve got plenty of things to consider before we update our rankings leading into the high school season. There’s a lot of different ways to try and figure…
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Continue ReadingIt’s the offseason (or is there ever really an offseason in volleyball), and we’ve got plenty of things to consider before we update our rankings leading into the high school season.
There’s a lot of different ways to try and figure out how all these talented players stack up to the competition. In some ways, putting rankings together is an impossible task with dozens of interchangeable parts. For me, though, I like to break things down by position.
So, as we look at the action-packed club season that is now in the rear-view mirror, I want to organize all my thoughts on a positional basis. Around the big volleyball neighborhood that encompasses Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri, I was lucky enough to see a great pool of talent that showed their strength on a national stage. This positional breakdown series seeks to highlight the accomplishments of these athletes over the past several months.
Without further ado, let’s start things off with setters!
Kansas City Area Loaded with 2023 Stars
I can’t even begin to tell you how many conversations I’ve had recently about how much great volleyball is in Kansas City right now. It’s a lot.
This article was a fun one to put together, and it contains several names of setters that I really enjoyed watching throughout the club season. Ella Swindle Ella Swindle 6'2" | S Rock Bridge | 2023 State #6 Nation MO piloted a wildly successful KC Power 16-1 team throughout the year. I’m also fresh off of watching Swindle showcase her skills at Nebraska’s Dream Team camp at the Devaney Sports Center. This gifted 2023 setter has had no shortage of high-level experience.
A quartet of elite KC-area 2023 setters is complete when you add Sydney Draper Sydney Draper 5'11" | S Pembroke Hill | 2023 State #143 Nation MO , Ashley Mullen Ashley Mullen 5'10" | S Liberty | 2023 State #9 Nation MO , and Logan Jones Logan Jones 5'10" | S Carl Junction | 2023 State #57 Nation MO . Huge props are in order for Jones, whose MAVS team made a huge surge at USAV Nationals and took down undefeated and top-seeded Legacy in the first round of Gold bracket. This standout performance is likely a sign of things to come.
Rising 2024s
There’s a lot of 2024 names around the region to mention, many of whom I haven’t gotten a chance to talk about yet.
Alyssa Nelson Alyssa Nelson 5'8" | S Wildwood | 2024 State MO is one that comes to mind. She led Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite to a number of good finishes throughout the year, and Nelson will continue to find that success in high school ball for Lafeyette. Her game is anchored by a lot of skill and maturity that are well beyond her years.
Other surging setters in the region include Ava Martin Ava Martin 5'10" | S Bishop Miege | 2024 State #77 Nation KS and Reese Booth Reese Booth 5'7" | S Elkhorn North | 2024 State NE . They both showed such finesse and poise against some of the best club teams that the country has to offer. Having all this setting talent in one geographical region is quite a luxury, and I’m sure to find more names to add here once high school season gets underway.
Other Quick Notes
Time to pack in some notes on other talents that I had the privilege to watch during the club season.
- Janelle Green Janelle Green 5'9" | S Blue Valley North | 2024 State #68 Nation KS is another show-stopping setter who leads the 15s group for KC Power. She’s a 2024 athlete who clearly puts a lot of effort into her craft — she just gels so well with her hitters. Expect that to continue.
- Up in Nebraska, Makayla Fleming Makayla Fleming 5'8" | S Millard South | 2022 State NE is a talented 2022 setter that I’ve mentioned in the past. The standout setter was constantly making big plays for Premier Nebraska 17 Black.
- Another Nebraska 2023 to watch is Lauryn England Lauryn England 5'7" | S Malcolm | 2023 State NE . I’ve talked about her impact with VCN’s 16s team before, and she will continue to lead them into the future.