These Kansas Citians’ college teams qualified for the 2023 NCAA Volleyball Tournament
The stage is set for the NCAA Volleyball Tournament — and on it stand 35 Kansas City-area natives whose teams are competing for a national title.
With the first round of the tournament starting Thursday, and all first- and second-round matches broadcast on ESPN+, here’s a rundown of matchups featuring these nearly three-dozen former KC-area standouts:
In Thursday’s matches:
Western Michigan vs. No. 7 seed Auburn (Thursday, 3 p.m.):
- Bel Zimmerman, pin hitter (Auburn, Liberty North High)
- Sydney Handel, libero (Auburn, Lee’s Summit West)
Eastern Illinois vs. No. 6 seed Marquette (Thursday, 3:30 p.m.):
- Carsen Murray, middle blocker (Marquette, Blue Springs South)
No. 5 seed Penn State vs. Yale (Thursday, 4:30 p.m.):
- Betsy Goodenow, right-side hitter (Yale, Saint Thomas Aquinas)
Florida Gulf Coast vs. No. 4 seed Florida (Thursday, 6 p.m.):
- Anna Dixon, outside hitter/middle blocker (Florida, Louisburg)
No. 7 seed Iowa State vs. Hawaii (Thursday, 6 p.m.):
- Brooke Stonestreet, libero (Iowa State, DeSoto)
No. 2 seed Louisville vs. Wright State (Thursday, 6 p.m.):
- Ayden Bartlett, libero/def. specialist (Louisville, Leavenworth)
No. 2 seed Texas vs. Texas A&M (Thursday, 6 p.m.):
- Alayna Pearson, libero/def. specialist (Texas A&M, Blue Valley Northwest)
Wofford vs. No. 2 seed Kentucky (Thursday, 6:30 p.m.):
- Brooklyn DeLye, outside hitter (Kentucky, Washburn Rural)
Omaha at No. 4 seed Kansas (Thursday, 7 p.m.):
- Morgan DeBow, middle blocker/right side hitter (Omaha, BV North)
- Rachel Fairbanks, outside hitter (Omaha, Lansing)
- Caroline Bien, outside hitter/libero (Kansas, Saint Thomas Aquinas)
- Kennedy Farris, libero/def. specialist (Kansas, Lansing)
- Bryn McGehe, def. specialist (Kansas, Platte County)
- Kim Whetstone, middle blocker (Kansas, Bonner Springs)
- Kaiti Parks, middle blocker (Kansas, Olathe Northwest)
- Camryn Turner, setter (Kansas, Topeka Seaman)
- Aisha Aiono, middle blocker (Kansas, Liberty)
No. 1 seed Wisconsin vs. Jackson State (Thursday, 7:30 p.m.):
- CC Crawford, middle blocker (Wisconsin, Lansing)
In Friday’s matches:
No. 6 seed Utah State vs. Minnesota (Friday, 4 p.m.):
- Calissa Minatee, middle blocker (Minnesota, North Kansas City)
- Elise McGhie, setter (Minnesota, St. Teresa’s Academy)
Georgia vs. No. 5 seed Arizona State (Friday, 5:30 p.m.):
- Jaden Ravnsborg, libero (Arizona State, Mill Valley)
Pepperdine vs. No. 5 seed Dayton (Friday, 6 p.m.):
- Brynn McGhie, setter (Pepperdine, St. Teresa’s Academy)
- Alyssa Miller, setter (Dayton, Blue Valley West)
No. 8 seed Houston vs. UC Santa Barbara (Friday, 6:30 p.m.):
- Ashlyn Bellamy, outside hitter (Houston, Lee’s Summit)
- Andi Kreiling, middle blocker (UC Santa Barbara, Kearney)
Colgate vs. No. 3 seed Creighton (Friday, 6:30 p.m.):
- Harper Snyder, middle blocker (Colgate, Lee’s Summit)
- Ellie Bolton, defensive specialist (Creighton, St. James Academy)
- Jaya Johnson, middle blocker (Creighton, Olathe South)
- Ava Martin, outside hitter (Creighton, Saint Thomas Aquinas)
- Ellie Bichelmeyer, right-side hitter (Creighton, St. Teresa’s Academy)
- Ava TeStrake, right-side hitter/outside hitter (Creighton, Olathe West)
- Morgan Colangelo, def. specialist (Creighton, Blue Valley West)
- Kendra Wait, setter (Creighton, Gardner Edgerton)
No. 3 seed Arkansas vs. Stephen F. Austin (Friday, 7 p.m.):
- Jill Gillen, outside hitter (Arkansas, Barstow)
