Maize South volleyball has ‘tunnel vision’ to fulfill potential as one of state’s best

There aren’t too many teams in Class 5A more talented than the Maize South volleyball team this season.

The Mavericks have two superb outside hitters in Gracie Morrow and Jillian Gregory, a pair of standout middles in Avery Lowe and Carly Koster, two right-side hitters in Cece Young and Mallory Pruitt, a breakout star setter in Camdyn Stucky and talented back-row players like Jenna Sokoll, Isabella Johnson, Ava Miller and Sydney Lamb.

It’s a combination that has allowed Maize South to compile a 21-3 record for the best winning percentage in Class 5A West entering a critical AV-CTL Div. I showdown on Tuesday when the Mavericks host Hutchinson (27-5) and Newton (16-12).

“It’s the time of the season where we need to have tunnel vision,” first-year Maize South coach Alexis Head said. “They’re a really high-level team and we’ve preached this season on not coasting on their pure talent and ability. We have to execute all of the little details because all of those finer little paint brush strokes will allow us to paint the bigger picture.”

Few teams possess the firepower of Maize South, as Morrow and Gregory combine for 7.2 kills per set with each swinging with a better than .320 hitting percentage. Both players — Morrow is a junior, Gregory a sophomore — have a wealth of experience already because they have started since their freshman seasons.

“Gracie has that combination of super quick-twitch and intelligence,” Head said. “She’s taking more risks this year and trying different shots. And then Jill is kind of that bulldozer who just goes up and swings really heavy.”

When defenses shift their attention toward that duo, then Maize South has two more players in the middle of the floor who have proven to be able to put it down. Lowe, a senior, leads the team in blocks and also averages 1.5 kills per set, while Koster, a junior, is hitting .311 with 1.1 kills per set.

The player who has brought the attack together has been Stucky, a junior transfer from Northwest who runs the show for Maize South’s offense. In her first full season of being a 5-1 setter in high school, Stucky is averaging 9.4 assists per game with 62 kills (1.6 per set), a team-high 23 aces and 76 digs, second-most on the team.

“Camdyn has really opened up a lot of opportunities for us offensively,” Head said. “She’s super smart when she’s in the front row and she knows how to pull a block and then also capitalize and take it over herself. She’s a very offensive-minded setter and the gears are always turning and she’s just been the definition of a floor general for us this season.”

With Stucky’s arrival, that shifted Sokoll, a setter last season, to the back row to play the libero position. She has thrived in the new role and leads Maize South’s defense with 2.9 digs per set. Her past experience as a setter has also helped strengthen the offense even further.

Maize South has goals of hosting a sub-state tournament, as well as returning to the Class 5A state tournament and making it to the second day of action.

“We’re doing a really good job of pulling things back into system and that has a lot to do because we have a libero who was formerly a setter,” Head said. “She’s able to use her hands really well and that allows us to keep rolling.”