Excelsior Springs is youth-heavy this season in high school volleyball. Of the 25 players in the program, only three are seniors. The youthful group will focus on creating a family-like culture dedicated to building the program and developing a whole team approach. “I feel the athletes who showed up to our summer weights and conditioning and open gyms showed a great deal of commitment to not only themselves, but to the team and school,” said coach Kat Beile, who’s in her third season at the helm. The Tigers must replace an offensive attack that produced 392 kills last season, led by Rylie Stottlemyre and Kyli Crowley, both of whom graduated in May. Senior Rowyn Pekarek is the top returner in kills. She made 90 of them last season. Other contributing hitters include Kara Lindley, who had 33 kills in 2021; and junior Baylee O’Dell, who had 30 kills last season. Junior setters ...