20 CLASS 4A VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS TO WATCH
 

AMERY BAKER, LABETTE COUNTY
 
Baker burst onto the volleyball scene last year with an impressive sophomore campaign. Not only did Baker excel as a setter in the Grizzlies’ 6-2 base system by leading the team in assists, she also ended up finishing first on the team in kills with 127. Baker shared the setter role with Libby Pool, who maintained a similar role as she had the previous season alongside Shelbi Wilson. Baker ending up on the receiving end for many of Pool’s 156 assists and setting up many of the 208 kills from Addison Rexwinkle and Kayton O’Brien, who both graduated alongside Pool. Now Baker will try to maximize the output of O’Brien’s younger sister. Senior Landry O’Brien earned 93 kills last year, just three behind her older sibling. Seniors Kinsley Boss and Aubrey Boss seem to be prime candidates to help replace the team’s outgoing scoring after they finished last year with 73 and 54 kills respectively. But if the Grizzlies can find the right player to step up into the second setter role, Baker might end up having a really great junior campaign.
 

 
JANAE CRIMMINS, CLAY CENTER
 
In her first year as Clay Center’s primary setter, Crimmins directed an attack that saw three Tigers rack up at least 215 kills. Crimmins finished with 905 assists and also added 32 aces, 28 kills and 52 blocks. The senior was one of four Tigers to earn first-team All-North Central Kansas League honors last fall, all four of whom return this year as the Tigers look to improve on last year’s 24-12 season that ended with a three-set loss to Andale in the sub-state finals.
 

BROOKE DOILE, MCPHERSON
 
Doile helped the Bullpups return to the state tournament after a one-year absence, and they went all the way to the Class 4A final. The middle hitter/outside hitter was one of three McPherson players with more than 200 kills last season, finishing with 233. Doile recorded a team-leading 365 digs and added 45 aces and 27 blocks to earn All-Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail III first-team honors and All-4A honorable mention. She also plays for the Bullpup basketball and softball teams.
 

 
LILY EDWARDS, CLAY CENTER
 
In reaching the Class 4A sub-state finals a year ago, Clay Center boasted an attack that had four players record at least 100 kills. Edwards led the way as a freshman, pounding out a team-high 382 kills – 100 more than teammate Ayla Johnson’s 281 – from her outside hitter position. Edwards also had 30 blocks and was a six-rotation player, picking up 355 digs that ranked only behind departed libero Emma Pfizenmaier. Edwards was one of four first-team All-North Central Kansas League selections, all four of whom are back this season along with seniors Johnson and Janae Crimmins and fellow sophomore Raimee Lipker.
 

 
HAYDEN GRIMES, ANDALE
 
Grimes flourished in her transition from libero to outside hitter last season, racking up a team-leading 403 kills and 84 aces to help the Indians overcome the loss of nine players from its 2022 state runner-up team. She helped Andale earn its sixth consecutive state berth and finish third in 4A. Now a junior, Grimes, a six-rotation player, will be one of the leaders for new coach Scott Johnson. She was an All-Class 4A and All-Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail IV first-team player a year ago.
 

   
KYNLEE HAMEL, CONCORDIA

Hamel has been working her way across the positions on Concordia’s front line, starting her career as an opposite/right side hitter as a freshman before moving to middle blocker last year. This year as a junior, she’ll man Concordia’s outside hitter spot. Hamel earned first-team All-North Central Kansas League honors last year as a sophomore when she had a team-leading 219 kills with a 37.1 kill percentage and also recorded 67 blocks, 120 digs and 18 aces. Her kill total nearly tripled the 75 kills she had as a freshman. Hamel is one of three returning all-leaguers for the Panthers with honorable mention picks Baylen Arnold (479 digs) and Taylor McDaniel (149 kills) also back.
 

KAYLEE HAMPTON, CLEARWATER
 
Hampton, the reigning Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail Division IV softball MVP, played a key role in Clearwater’s run to a league volleyball title and Class 4A state tournament berth last fall. The Indians’ setter and co-captain surpassed 1,000 career assists last season, entering the postseason with 832, and is within reach of supplanting her head coach, Abbee Schultz, as the progam’s all-time leader in that category. Hampton, a senior co-captain, was named to the All-Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail IV first team and received all-state honorable mention.
 

ADALYN HEMPHILL, EUDORA

Hemphill paired with Rayah Foltz as the one-two punch for a Cardinals attack last season which propelled the team to state for the first time since 2019. Foltz led the team with 338 kills, while Hemphill was not too far behind with 265. But now Hemphill might have to increase her output for the third straight season with the graduation of not only Foltz, but also the team’s next three leaders in kills from 2023. Foltz had 151 kills during her breakout season as a sophomore, following just 10 kills in limited action as a freshman.
 

 
AYLA KLINGENBERG, ROCK CREEK
 
Klingenberg has been a force in the middle for Rock Creek since her freshman year, helping the Mustangs to the Class 4A state tournament in 2022 before falling in the sub-state finals a year ago. She set a school record for kills in a single season as a sophomore with 366 and followed that with 334 kills last year. With 846 kills in her career, Klingenberg has a shot at becoming Rock Creek’s career leader in not only that category, but also in digs where – as a six-rotation player – she has 694 in her career. A two-time unanimous All-Mid-East League selection and second-team All-Class 4A pick, Klingenberg’s.422 hitting percentage ranked among the best in the state.
 

 
RYANN LANGVARDT, WAMEGO
 
Primarily a front row force for the Red Raiders during her first two seasons, Langvardt’s overall development will likely see her become a six-rotation player for Wamego this season in her third year as a starter. Langvardt’s presence as a freshman in 2022 was mostly as a blocker with her recording 65 that season to go along with 109 kills. Last year, she became more of an offensive force as well, nearly doubling her kill total with 184 while still recording 39 blocks. With Wamego graduating two All-North Central Kansas League players Langvardt could become a bigger focal point of the Red Raiders’ attack this year and form a strong combo with returning second-team all-leaguer Lexi Hecht.
 

GEORGIA LEMAY, BISHOP MIEGE

The Stags already found themselves in a great position last year with the team returning so many contributors from the team’s 4A state title run in 2022. That’s why the addition of Georgia LeMay turned Miege into one of the most stacked teams in 4A last year. LeMay finished her freshman season with 266 kills, which gave her the second most on the team behind only Lauren Lopez. Although she did not finish in the top five for any other category, her 17 total blocks, 77 digs and 52 serves received showed that LeMay is capable of delivering in many different ways for her team. With the Stags looking to replace the production of Gabby Anderson, who finished first in aces, digs and serves received, LeMay will have the chance to expand on her already impressive first season for the Miege.
 

LAUREN LOPEZ, BISHOP MIEGE

Miege won the 4A state title each of the past two seasons by relying on a well-balanced roster. But even when the team almost had five players finish with a 100 kills last season, one name has remained the top scorer during that time. Lopez finished last season with a team-leading 307 kills. She also led the team in kills in 2022, although she racked up 407 kills that season. As a freshman, Lopez finished just one kill behind the team leader. In addition to her scoring prowess, Lopez also finished second on the team in digs with 182 and serves received with 422 last season. She also gave the Stags 26 aces and 25 total blocks. Lopez will look to close out her stellar preps career leading her team on its chase for the three-peat.
 

 
KENZY MCARTOR, CLEARWATER
 
Clearwater has a good chance to build on its 2023 breakthrough season in part to the return of McArtor, last year’s Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail Division IV MVP. A six-rotation starter the last two seasons, McArtor’s versatility popped off the stat sheet in Clearwater’s 36-5 season. She finished with 417 kills on .304 hitting and set an Indians record with 96 aces. McArtor, a 6-foot outside hitter, also recorded 224 digs. Now a senior and Oklahoma Christian University commit, McArtor was one of four underclassmen named to the All-Class 4A first team last season.
 

 
KATELYN PAUL, CIRCLE
 
Paul, a senior, has been part of three state tournament-qualifying teams at Circle. After playing the front row as a starting outside hitter each of the last two seasons, coach Shelly Nibarger will count on Paul as a six-rotation player to help offset graduation losses of decorated players Jacqueline Corcoran, Mia Fox and Reagan Smith. Paul contributed 179 kills, 39 aces and 28 blocks a year ago and earned All-Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail III second-team honors as the Thunderbirds finished 34-7.
 

AVA ROMERO, MCPHERSON
 
McPherson’s lone graduate off its Class 4A runner-up team last year was a Romero, but it wasn’t Ava, a junior and two-year starter who led the Bullpups in kills last season. With older sister Alex as a setter, Ava registered 274 kills, 50 blocks, 55 aces and 322 digs playing middle blocker and outside hitter a year ago. Her play helped McPherson post a 33-10 record, and landed her All-4A second-team and All-Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail III first-team accolades. An all-state tournament selection, Romero enters her third varsity season with 424 kills, 68 blocks, 102 aces and 553 digs.
 

SAMEE SCOTT, ULYSSES 

A top defensive player in the Great West Activities Conference, Scott returns to help lead the Tigers after a 28-10 season in 2023. The libero/defensive specialist and team captain recorded a team-high 335 digs as a junior, averaging 3.9 per set. Scott was a first-team All-GWAC selection last year after earning honorable mention honors the year before. The Tigers got hot in the second half of the season last year, winning 23 of their last 27 matches. They reached the sub-state final before falling to McPherson.  

TRINNITI STEVENS, BISHOP MIEGE
 
Stevens has not been asked to take on one of the top two scoring roles during her first three seasons, and she probably won’t be asked to do that as a senior this year. But Stevens has still proved that she’s capable of delivering that elite scoring ability when necessary, while focusing on getting that job done for the Stags in other areas. Despite missing nearly a month of action as a sophomore, Stevens still finished with 111 kills that season. As Ali Olson graduated, Stevens looked capable of taking over as the No. 2 scoring option next to fellow Class of 2025 Lauren Lopez. Instead freshman Georgia LeMay stepped into that role, which allowed Stevens to continue delivering for the Stags in other ways. She ended up elevating her skills as a blocker. Stevens nearly doubled her blocks per set from the previous season, finishing with a team leading 114 total blocks. She also still increased her scoring production as she finished third on the team with 182 kills.
 

KIRSTON VERHULST, BISHOP MIEGE

Verhulst seems to receive more acclaim for her work on the hardwood in different sport. She’s spent the last three years as one of the top scoring options for Miege girls basketball team in the midst of a five-peat. Although she shares the spotlight with a few more elite players on a stacked volleyball squad, Verhulst still finds a way to be a standout there as well. Her championship pedigree has shined for the Stags team that has won two straight state titles. Verhulst joined Lauren Lopez as the only Stags player to take part in every set for the team in 2022, but Verhulst ended up missing a two-week span at the start of October last season. She still finished fourth on the team in kills with 173. She also finished second in total blocks with 43. As the likely fourth option to score, the Stags will return with a lot of firepower as they pursue a third straight state title.
 

EMERSON WALDREN, BUHLER
 
While Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail III co-champions Circle and McPherson dominated the all-league first-team selections in 2023, Waldren was the lone exception. Now a junior, the Crusaders’ 5-foot-10 outside hitter recorded 190 kills, 19 blocks, 207 digs and 35 aces last season – totals that closely replicated her freshman campaign. Waldren’s experience should be a plus as Buhler tries to improve on its 10-23 record.
 

 
TINLEY WILSON, HOLTON
 
A freshman a year ago, Wilson stepped right in and was a key contributor in helping Holton reach the Class 4A state tournament. She ranked second on the team in kills behind unanimous All-Big Seven League selection Renn Deters, but her 257 kills were only 28 less than Deters. Wilson also had 257 digs to rank second on the team and 35 aces, which were a team-best. With Deters gone, Wilson – an honorable mention all-league pick – and returning senior Elizabeth Schuster, who was third in kills with 238, will take on even bigger roles in Holton’s attack this year.