America's 200: The Final Countdown #10-#1

America’s Top 200 List

#10-#1

The Final Countdown

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#1 Kari Knox - Class of 2029 Outside - Club: A5 - Commit: UC

Knox truly is that first American PHENOM in the sport of volleyball. That athlete who used to never think about any sport besides basketball. She is the best pure athlete in the USA Volleyball system, and there is no comparison. Beyond that, she has the skill set to go with the athleticism, so she is MUCH more than simply a “high-ceiling athlete” with great potential. This past Summer, at the age of 14, before her Freshman year in high school, Knox was moved up to compete on the U19 National Team that competed during the International Tournaments. It was mostly made up of the top Class of 2026 commits (four of them join her on this Top 10), and Knox earned MVP and was more than a contributor; she was a major impact player, though she was 3-4 years younger than some. That simply has NEVER happened in USA VB, especially at that age. Now I understand some have said “we don’t want to put expectations on someone so young”, but that is kind of the problem volleyball has had in this country and why it’s been a backseat sport. Also, why, when you watch the Olympics, you never see a volleyball player as the focus of any major campaign ads, it has always been a gymnast, basketball player, swimmer, etc. It’s OK to have a PHENOM and be in the spotlight. Another way that I completely differ from mainstream volleyball and the “old school” approach.  Why not have one of the “World’s Best Players” right here at a young age? When we did an unofficial straw poll and asked who should be #1 or #2 because technically they both had the same PPV score (the only college or USA VB Staffer), the USA Staff member who didn’t vote for Knox was a USA Staff member, and their reasoning was simply “well, I don’t like putting pressure on someone so young”. So basically, they admitted she was a better prospect, just didn’t want to tell her she was a better prospect publicly, so as not to put any more pressure on her??? Regardless, she is the best thing USA VB has seen yet, and there is 0 question ANY school would give anything to land her in the 2029 class.

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#2 Henley Anderson - Class of 2026 Outside - Club: Austin Skyline - Commit: Texas

Anderson has been the consensus #1 player in the Class of 2026 for two years now. She is solid. She is not flashy and not a social media star. You won’t find her doing a ton of interviews or growing her followers, but what she will do is play a very high level of volleyball. She follows in the direct line of Texas OH’s with Abby Vander Wal, that long frame with the long touch point, and can pass as well as she can attack. She plays the net as well with her block. She can play with energy, but she won’t be the team energizer. The word you will continue to come back to is solid. She should be in the conversation for All-SEC and All-American for multiple years and will be a plug-and-play athlete with no worries. Another who will play in the UA All-American and be up for every POY Award and has earned every prep award and NTDP invite there is. She is a great prep player who should be part of the USA VB system for years to come.

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#3 Audrey Flanagan - Class of 2026 Outside - Club SCVC - Commit: Wisconsin

Flanagan surprises you a bit when you walk by her in a hitting line. She might be the most unassuming superstar in the Top 50. Another, like Anderson, who just isn’t going to say much or self-promote, but man did she have a coming out party last Summer when she was the most dominating outside in the country between nationals and the U19 team play and their summer tour. Flanagan lit the club circuit and the international circuit on fire. Though her build will need to add strength to sustain through the grind of the college game, she can whip an attack with her swing and beautifully moves the ball all over the court. Her back row attack is a thing of beauty, and though quiet, Flanagan is a feisty competitor. Many say she could be the best outside in the talented group of 2026’s though, most would go with Anderson and several with Watson, but Flanagan definitely has her fan club that think she will do big things at Wisconsin and potentially right away.

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#4 Ayanna Watson - Class of 2026 Outside - Club: Vegas Aces - Commit: Pitt

Watson has so much upside and momentum as she heads to Pitt. Consistency at a high level of production a deadly serve and strength to hold up under the grind of a college season are all things Ayanna is built for. Her true street cred probably came from “big gym settings” like NTDP and USA VB opportunities because her club squad wasn’t often featured in open power pool settings, so she didn’t get the attention as much at tourneys as many of the other top 2026s did. So her biggest moments came from showing out at the bigger events when she was able to compete with and against the other big dogs in a controlled setting, and compete, Watson did. Her 16s campaign was as consistent as anyone in the class; she simply didn’t have an off weekend and produced on a regular basis, and she needed to for her squad. Watson plays more like a 24-year-old than a 17-year-old and is mentally ready to head into a demanding Pitt gym. She quietly has made a reputation for herself on the USA teams, also, and is a productive player. Look for Watson to potentially be an L2 jumping in on a VETERAN Pitt squad looking for a Natty run her Freshman year in the Steel City (how’s that for high expectations).

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#5 Taimane Ainu’u - Class of 2028 Setter - Club: Ka Ulukoa - Commit: UC

The projected #1 setter in the class of setters, she is our highest-rated setter thus far according to PPV. A large reason for that is the film from her Summer Camps. Also, it is important to know that she has only been a full-time setter for a year. Though she has trained and repped for longer, she has had to play pin on her club team. Ainu’u is built differently and trains differently in her native Hawaii, where she grew up in a house where her father and uncle literally put up a string in the “garage” and that was her net. Sometimes she played football, sometimes soccer, sometimes volleyball (over the string), whatever the cousins and family were playing. She is tough mentally and physically, and nothing rattles her. She also thinks the game incredibly well. She has repped and repped on her own and at her home gym, but she has spent thousands of hours simply at 10 different sports. Her coaching ability level is through the roof, and she has an aggressiveness to her setting that brings a bonus factor as well. She is special for all of the “extra things” that make her the athlete that she is, and to think that the skill level will only improve as she plays the position more.

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#6 Shayla Rautenberg - Class of 2028 Middle - Club: Nebraska ONE - Commit: UC

Last February, Rautenberg wasn’t the #1 middle in this class and definitely wouldn’t have been #6 overall on this list. She has come so far, and this is simply the athlete and person you want on your squad. A mother who played D1 at Nebraska. A D1 prospect for basketball and volleyball, Shayla really didn’t lock in on volleyball until about 18 months ago. She writes thank yous for every interview or accolade she receives. Her camp list included a couple of schools that she attended “just because she felt she should, because they had been nice to her”. This is the athlete who WILL BE A MEDIA STAR because she does all of the little things. Not because she took some paid course that taught her she should, but because she comes from a home where she was brought up that way, and she knows it’s simply the right thing to do. On the court, you watched her start to dominate at the 16s Open level a little bit more as the season went on last season (she was in her 15s year). For me, the defining moment was when she was hands-down the best middle at the Dream Team Camp in Lincoln, and that was regardless of class. Almost like she was the host welcoming everyone else to her “home court”. She looked so athletic and smooth those couple of days, like she could move out and be one of the best pins at any moment if needed. I wrote this before (and yes, it’s not fair to her, but I had to do a 2x take) when she was standing next to Andi Jackson for a while during drills, and I honestly got them confused a couple of times when Andi worked with Shayla. 

Rautenberg is dominant on the Nebraska prep scene and had a great run with Team USA last summer, also. I just see her as the next Andi Jackson, and she does as well. She is humble and has a personable attitude. She makes time for little people (like VBAdrenaline) even as she gets more and more popular. When you factor in low risk, high reward, and high ceiling, Rautenberg is the top prospect to us in the country.

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#7 Sarah Floyd - Class of 2028 Opposite - Club: TAV - Commit: UC

Floyd is the real deal and would have been the #1 opposite in the last two classes. She has the length of any outside and attacks like any of the best outsides as well. She touches upwards of 10’3”+. She dominates in big-time settings and was the best player several days in the NTDP gym playing up with the Class of 2027. I love the vocal part and the energy that Floyd plays with as well. She already holds a Diamond Rating and is the class’s highest-rated pin on the right side.  

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#8 Genevieve Harris - Class of 2026 Setter - Club: NC Academy - Commit: Texas

Harris has been the top-ranked setter in class for the last two years and has been leading teams at the club and national team with success. Harris has developed into a confident and reliable leader on the court. Consistency is key with Harris and her game. She is also aggressive and doesn’t miss a chance to score if given the opportunity. Harris is intense and competitive and her attackers really do rally around her, she is not afraid to step up and take charge no matter the situation or gym. Watch for her early in her Longhorn career.

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#9 Lexi Coleman - Class of 2029 Outside - Club: Legacy - Commit: UC

We just recently spotlighted the Michigan star, who was named to the U17 National Team today. She is special because of her all-around game at such a young age. Strength, explosion, and already with a wide variety of shot selection, Coleman is a talented star who can jump on ANY court and compete right now. She showed that this summer at Dream Team Camp when she was one of the athletes who truly stood out within the outside hitter group. You would never have guessed she was one of the youngest in the gym. She has the strength and size already to look like a college prospect and the competitive edge to want to be great at the sport. She comes from a club of big-time stars who have shown her the way to the big time as well, and she knows the “Dos and Don’ts” of success at the next level. Her huge arm is obviously a strength, but her ability to already attack from the back row is impressive, and she plays the defensive game like a pro. Coleman is talented well beyond her grade, and she wants to go beyond those she has watched in her club before her. To do that, she’s going to have to be one of the best future prospects there is.

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#10 Megan Hodges - Class of 2028 Middle/Opp - Club: T Street - Commit: UC

Hodges is an interesting prospect. Is she a multi-position player or isn’t she? To be clear, we put her on this list (in the Top 10) as a MIDDLE. She can immediately walk on and play at several programs right now. She is one of the best in the country at that position, and some have commented that both she and Rautenberg have potential Olympic dreams as middles. However, Hodges has made it known that she intends to play Opposite at the next level, and we have only seen her play that position one time at a select camp. Though she was talented, she would not make this list as an opposite (though she would still be in America’s 200 list). Now, when you are as talented and athletic as Hodges is, that position is going to come to you; it’s just that the middle position is where she has been playing and is so very talented at currently. Not saying all that moving is a bad move (look at how thin the Class of ’27 was at Opp, and you could say it’s a great move). We are simply being honest that her PPV evaluation is based on her playing middle, where she is unstoppable and right there with Rautenberg as one of the best in America because of her attacking and aggressive nature on the block, and when she attacks. Her length and verticality on her attack make her nearly unstoppable when she is set. She is also able to hit ridiculous angles on her slide attack, and when she is given an in-system set on her quick attack. Hodges is an incredible athlete to watch and can make the switc,h so it will be fun to see what she does this season and beyond.

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