These Kansas Citians’ college teams qualified for the 2023 NCAA Volleyball Tournament

Maddie Hartley
·3 min read

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)