From the Film Room: "America's Most Wanted" '28 Setters Let the Analysis Begin

From the Film Room: “America’s Most Wanted” '28 Setters Let the Analysis Begin

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This Week It’s Our First Dive Into The Most Intriguing Position In This Year’s Recruiting Class, The Setters. The Deepest Class Ever as far as High-End Talent Goes and the Most Cut-Throat Year Ever as Far as Big Name Programs Shopping for Their Next Floor General. That all leads to a miracle scenario for a recruiting junkie and all kinds of great speculation and analysis for 6 months, so let’s dive in.

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Key Points to Keep in Mind Before Reading the Film Room Evaluations

• Ratings are fluid, not final.
• Player evaluations and PPV (Projected Prospect Value) ratings reflect where an athlete is today, but they can move up or down as players develop, grow physically, refine technique, or gain experience. Progression is expected and encouraged.
• PPV ratings focus on long-term projection.
• These ratings are designed to show how an athlete may translate to the next level, based on physical tools, positional attributes, skill development, and long-term upside. PPV is not about current dominance—it’s about future potential.
• Evaluations are development tools.
• The purpose of these write-ups is to give players actionable insight into:
  • What college coaches typically notice,
  • how their current skill set stacks up within their position group, and
• What specific areas can they target to elevate their game?
  •  These evaluations are not labels; they’re roadmaps.

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Chloe Burbage - NC Academy - Silver Level Prospect

• Great length paired with strong natural athletic ability
• Shows advanced attacking traits, including using approach variations in jump sets to manipulate blockers
• Sets a consistent, clean tempo and moves smoothly around the court
• Can't wait to see her as she begins engaging her lower-half more on longer or more challenging sets
• If she develops into a stronger blocker, she has true Gold-level potential

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Landry McCrae - Excel Volleyball - Elite Red Prospect Level

• Left-handed attacker with good size and a strong overall offensive game
• Projects as a reliable scoring threat and performs at a solid Silver-level right now
• Want to see her develop more wrist action to manipulate the ball better and create improved tempo in certain situations, and that is going to come, but is something coaches will look for
• Does a good job going with the flow of the pass/dig, staying in rhythm with the play
• I'd like to see her spend some time on overall footwork and base.  Simply being more solid and steady overall is going to help her reverse flow and be in control over all more.
• Borderline Silver/Elite Red level right now. Becoming a more impactful blocker would significantly raise her PPV
• High-level player with clear room for upward growth (high-ceiling prospect)

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Peyton Woodruff - Legacy Volleyball - Elite Red Prospect

• Very mature player (Court IQ) who is setting at a strong Silver level
• Makes good decisions and rarely forces plays; offensive flow is smooth under her direction (Legacy VB trait)
• Clearly, the “quarterback” of her side controls tempo, rhythm, and ball distribution
• Has a clean touch and reminds me of a Gabby Blossom–type setter who elevates the hitters around her
• Shows an aggressive and effective offensive mindset when looking to score herself
• Developing a more consistent and reliable block would make her a rock-solid Silver athlete

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Macie Chase - Houston Jrs - Red Level Prospect

• Shows good foundational tools and size for the position
• Definite leader and communicator on the court for her team
• I want Macie to relax her upper body, and that's going to give her more of a water-like motion when setting 
• Don't tip your pitches Macie!  Same hand placement on front and back sets every time, so you don't give those sneaky blockers any tell!
• Good height on her block be strong in your posture, and more aggressive penetration will raise your net presence
• Consistency in her mechanics and fixing her little things are the key because Macie has the physical skills and energy to be an Elite Red Level setter in this class no doubt.

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Janie Myers - A5 Volleyball - Red Level Prospect

• Red-level athleticism with Elite Red-level size
• Strong physical presence and uses her size well to score at the net
• Rock-solid decision maker — not flashy, but highly steady and reliable
• Shows strong leadership qualities and confidently runs the offense
• Distributes well; “everyone eats” — keeps all hitters involved
• Love to see her get aggressive and build a bigger, more imposing block and that is going to make her more valuable.
• Janie is another who is really going to excel once she begins engaging her lower half more when delivering long-distance sets to improve power and consistency

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Penelope Reisman - Tri-State Elite Volleyball - Elite Orange Prospect Level

• Red-level size with a strong frame
• Reminds me of Emery Herman (Arizona ’19–’22, Colorado State ’23) in poise and playing style
• Strong base with good footwork and excellent body control
• Calm, composed presence who sets a consistent and reliable tempo
• Shows a strong blocking presence when she’s lined up correctly
• The next developmental step is learning to peek at the blockers before making her setting choices to manipulate the defense better and create better matchups

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Karina Urzua - Sports Academy - Elite Orange Level Prospect

• Elite Orange–level athlete, could be a fit in a 6-2 system right now?
• Displays nice hands and delivers a clean, consistent ball
• Sets with good tempo and has the physical tools to run a high-level offense
• I want her to take the next step and be decisive with her sets and make a clearer offensive plan on each contact
• Now Karina needs to start making those VB IQ decisions that a "Next Level Setter" can make based on block positioning, matchups, and defensive cues
• As she grows her read-setting and tactical awareness, her physical tools will allow her to elevate her PPV quickly (ie, as she gets more full-speed reps, her athleticism will allow her to show progress in a hurry)

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Riley Stringer - T Street Volleyball - Red Level Prospect

• Red-level setting size and athleticism with strong long-term upside (ie, high college ceiling)
• Good hands and clean contact
• I want Riley to show people that she can create better tempo sets on off-perfect passes, especially when forced into longer or wider movements.
• I also want to see her keep working on improving that peripheral vision to read the block and let defensive cues influence her where she sets
• Riley is a dominant blocker. with an Elite Orange blocking technique, showing advanced form and positioning. Adding a bit more aggression at the net would push her blocking impact to an even higher level
• Possesses Red-level to Elite Red upside as her decision-making and and the "feel parts" of the position and how those evolve for her.

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