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Athletes of Interest this weekend in Colorado Springs

Athletes of Interest this weekend in Colorado Springs

A Few We are Excited to Learn More about this weekend in Colorado Springs

The Colorado Springs NTDP is coming up, and we will be able to see many new faces, including top girls in the 2026 and 2027 classes. Because of that, here are a few girls we are excited to learn more about on the big stag. 

Raina Chwialkowski- Fargo Freeze, West Fargo HS, L/DS, 5’8

Chwialkowski is from North Dakota, and is one of the first North Dakotans we have seen at these events. She is a class of 26 Libero, who had a game earlier this year with 37 Digs. She also is an incredible server, consistently getting multiple aces each match. Her older sister plays at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Raina has attended NTDP previously ready to watch her game more closely

Madi Jo Henry- Kairos, Dell Rapids, OH, 5’10

Henry was part of the Midwest Battle competing on team South Dakota Hecht. She is a Class of 2027 OH, and has been a starter since 7th grade for a stacked Dell Rapids team. This season as a Freshman, she already has nearly 200 kills, which is good enough for 10th in all of South Dakota. She also is incredibly talented from the service line already having 19 aces this year. This will be her first NTDP, but we expect her to compete with everyone (just like she did at the KC UA Next Camp this April).  This is a name that will end up on many D1 “Wish Lists” in the next year and a half.

Elena Hoecke- MN Select, Centennial, MB, 6’3

Hoecke is coming off a near 300-kill season, finishing at 283. She averaged 3 kills per set. She also averaged nearly a block per set. She is a 26 MB, who is already ranked the #1 player in the Minnesota Class of 26 by PrepDig. She will be one of the top players in the entire country next year, so we are excited to watch her show out in Colorado Springs.  She gained a lot of attention at last year's USA Nationals.

Jayden Robinson, Houston Skyline, Ridge Point, OH, 6’2

We did a feature on Robinson earlier this year, and she has a lot of hype coming into the NTDP. She is a top 5 OH in Texas, a top 10 player in Texas altogether, and she now has over 230 kills this season. She is part of maybe one of the most stacked club teams of all time in Houston Skyline, which has 4 girls who will all be top 20 prospects next year. She’s an incredibly powerful swinger and can make any shot in the bag. There will be a lot of teams after her next year.  Interested to watch her compete in such a talented gym this weekend.

Blair Thiebaud-Houston Skyline, College Station, S, 5’11

Thiebaud is a teammate of Robinson and will most likely be the top setter in the 2026 class next year. She has pin-point accurate passing ability. She has nearly 500 assists already with many games left and will pass the 200-kill mark and nearly an ace per set. Blair is such an asset, on the court, in large part because she’s a versatile player who will bring energy and court leadership.  Again will be fun watching her share the court with so many high-caliber setters in CO. 

Ayanna Watson- Vegas Aces, Bishop Gorman High School, OH, 6’4

Watson, who is on many teams' radars for her size, is dominating this year for Bishop Gorman. She has over 270 kills with 500 assists and will be a highly-ranked player in the nation. She is averaging nearly five kills per set, which averages around 15-20 per game.  Her athletic numbers are eye-catching as well and if you watch her take off on an approach you can see she has ups.

Nadiya Johnson- Metro VBC, North Point, Opp, 6’1

Johnson is the top RS coming out of Virginia in 2026. She is considered one of the top OPPs in the USA. She is leading North Point this year and has found an ability to put the ball on the floor from anywhere. She is dynamic, and coming from a good Metro roster last year.  Her all-around game will be tested vs. the high-caliber OH’s opposing her in CO this weekend.

Janiah Burrage- Forza Class of ‘28 OH

Being a Class of 2028 is noticeable enough, but an 8th grader already touching 10’5” and competing on this stage is definitely worth paying attention to.

 Other Names and Random Notes:

130 top high school athletes will attend this weekend, taking a short break from their prep seasons to train at the US Olympic Training Center.

We will focus on the 15-16s group, but that still includes 14 D1 verbal commits.

It was amazing to see just how fast, athletes from all over the country, came together and built positive relationships and chemistry on the court.

Zachary Tipton
9/28/2023