October 26, 2022

Even though the season is winding down and we’ll soon have our postseason awards and accolades, there’s still enough time left to tour the country and check in on players having or who have had amazing seasons. For this edition, we focused on 25 Show Stoppers from the Class of 2024. Nora Wurtz MB Douglas County West NE – The Falcon (28-3) are looking to surprise in the Class C1 playoffs. Anything they do starts with the 6-4 Wurtz. The 3-star Creighton commit is having an incredible year. She leads her team with 393 kills. Wurtz is averaging 4.9 kills per set and hitting a mind-boggling .540 in the process. She also has a team-high 76 blocks and put up a season-high 22 kills in a win over Platteview on Sept. 22. Mackenzie Parsons MB Poway CA – The Titans continue the CIF-SDS Division 1 playoffs Friday when they face El Capitan. The 6-2 Parsons is putting up eye-popping stats. She’s hitting .532 and leads the way with 407 kills, averaging 4.2 per set. She’s also sent down a team-high 82 blocks. Four times she’s recorded 22 kills in a match and set a season high with 23 in win over Del Norte in early October. Alice Volpe L Bridgeland TX – The Bears (37-8) wrapped up their regular season schedule Tuesday and turn their attention to the postseason where Volpe and her teammates will look to pull off a few upsets. The junior has been a wall in the backrow. She’s tallied 593 digs and is averaging 4.9 per set. She also leads the team in aces with 44. Her season-high mark is 27 digs, which she made in a four-set victory against Lake Creek in late August. Jordan Smart S Reagan NC – The Raiders (36-0) put their undefeated record on the line when they continue the 4A state playoffs. They face South Iredell in Round 3 with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line. Smart has directed the offense well this fall. She’s delivered 821 dimes, averaging 10.5 per set. It features a season-best 37 assists in a recent sweep over West Forsyth. Reagan Sharp OH Keller TX – Can the Indians (28-11) be the surprise of the 6A playoffs? They’ll give it their best shot behind Sharp. The 3-star recruit has been at the center of it this fall. She’s carried the offense, registering 454 kills and averaging 3.9 per set. Sharp blasted a season-high 34 kills in a four-set victory against Southlake Carroll in early October. Alec Rothe MB Dublin Scioto OH – The Irish (20-4) are looking to fight their way into the Division 1 state playoffs. Rothe has caused plenty of opponent headaches this fall with her performance. She has a team-high 308 kills. She’s averaging 4.2 per set and is hitting .356. She registered a season-high 24 kills in a five-set victory over Big Walnut in early September. Amanda Mack OH Maryville TN – The Red Rebels (33-15) had their season ended by Hillsboro in the second round of the Division 1 Class 3A state playoffs. It ended a big year for Mack, a 6-2, 4-star Bradley commit. She finished with 447 kills, averaging 3.8 per set. She was also second in both digs and aces. Mack had her best match of the year when she put down a season-high 21 kills and hit .571 in a sweep over Morristown-Hamblen West in mid-October. Lilly Wagner S Oconomowoc WI – Wagner, a 6-0, 4-star Maryland recruit, and her Raccoons (35-1) are seeking to cap their season with a Division 1 state title. It’s been a remarkable year, with Wagner running the show. She’s racked up 887 assists to date, averaging 10.3 per frame. She’s recorded double-digit assists in every match, including a season-high 38 in a victory against Kettle Moraine in late September. Lola Davila L Brandies TX – The Broncos’ (28-15) regular season ended with a five-set loss to Reagan on Tuesday. Davila’s been a backrow standout this fall, putting up 882 digs. She averaged an incredible 6.7 per set. She had a season-high 44 digs in a five-set loss to New Braunfels on Sept. 16. Evan Hendrix OH Notre Dame Prep AZ – The Saints (24-14) look to play spoilers in the 5A playoffs that begin next week. Hendrix – a 4-star TCU commit – is the engine that makes the offense go. She’s notched a team-leading 488 kills entering Thursday’s regular-season finale. She’s averaging 4.9 per set and nailed down a season-high 40 kills in a five-set victory against Verrado in early September. *** Fallon Stewart OH Winter Park FL – The 7A state playoffs started Wednesday for the Wildcats (20-7). Stewart is an integral part of the lineup as the 6-3, 4-star Cincinnati commit entered the week with a team-high 437 kills. She’s averaging 5.2 per set and is hitting .303. Nine times she’s topped 20 or more kills, including a season-high 32 against Lake Brantley in mid-September. Briana Lauersdorf L Waterloo WI – The Pirates (23-10) have a Division 3 sectional semifinal meeting with Randolph on Friday. No doubt the Pirates will be counting on Lauersdorf to deliver like she has all season long. She’s made 536 saves to date and is averaging an outstanding 6.2 digs per set. She’s twice had 30 or more, including a season-best 36 against New Glarus in early September. Paisley Douglas L Skutt Catholic NE – Douglas and her Skyhawks teammates face Duchesne in a subdistrict match Wednesday evening for a spot in the Class B state playoffs. Douglas has turned in a monster season. The recent USC commit has put up 508 digs. She’s averaging 4.9 per set. She made a season-high 33 saves in a four-set victory against St. Teresa’s Academy in September. Kinslee McGowan S Cleveland TN – McGowan played an instrumental role in the Blue Raiders (49-5) capturing the Division 1 Class 3A state championship. She totaled 1256 assists on the year, averaging 8.5 per set.