New Player Profiles: Future Talent Breakdown

Riley Walker | 2031 | OH | A5 | PPV 180

Riley Walker is already turning heads nationally in the 2031 class, and the combination of size, explosiveness, and early achievement makes her one of the more intriguing young prospects to track long-term. The A5 outside hitter stands at 6’1” as a seventh grader, and the physical numbers immediately jump off the page: including a 124 approach touch and 120 block touch, both extremely high-level markers for her age group. What makes Walker especially interesting is that the athletic tools are already translating into real production and recognition in competitive environments. She earned 2025 AAU All-American honors, showing she can stand out against strong national-level competition, while also previously earning UA Next Camp MVP honors as a sixth grader, an early indicator of both talent and upside. Walker’s game projects extremely well because the physical foundation is already there at such a young age. She plays above the net naturally, covers ground well, and already brings the kind of length and explosiveness that makes her difficult to defend consistently. For a player this early in development, the ceiling conversation becomes impossible to ignore when the size, touch numbers, and early recognition all align the way they do here. The long-term upside is significant, and Walker continues to look like one of the younger athletes whose trajectory could rise quickly as she gains more experience and continues developing physically within the A5 system.

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Stella Cawley | 2028 | Libero/DS | Happy Volley | PPV 189

Stella Cawley continues to establish herself as one of the more accomplished back row players in the 2028 class, already building a résumé that blends high school production, national event recognition, and consistent exposure in elite environments. The Happy Volley libero/DS has stacked recognition across multiple levels of the game, showing early on that her impact extends far beyond just one setting or season. Cawley earned Pennsylvania Coaches Association All-State honors, along with Mid-Penn First Team All-Conference and District XI All-District recognition, reflecting the consistency she brought throughout her high school season at State College Area High School. One statistic that stands out immediately is her ability to maintain a 2.4 passing average during the high school season, a strong marker of reliability and ball control against quality competition. On the national side, she continues to gain traction through major exposure opportunities, including both NTDP participation and a UA Next Invite selection. Recruiting interest has also continued to grow, with Cawley attending a wide range of camps while building strong connections with several notable programs, including favorites such as Tennessee, Auburn ,Virginia, and Creighton. Cawley profiles as a steady, high-level back row presence whose consistency, defensive control, and expanding national exposure continue to push her firmly upward within the 2028 class.

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Juliet Berishaj | 2030 | OPP/RS | Legacy | PPV 171

Juliet Berishaj is already showing real early impact potential in the 2030 class, with a combination of size, national experience, and developing offensive tools that continue to stand out in high-level settings. Competing with Legacy, she was part of a strong national run that finished as the runner-up at the 2025 AAU National Championship (GJNC), gaining valuable experience against some of the best teams in the country. Berishaj brings a strong physical foundation to the right side at 6’1”, along with early measurable tools including a 118 approach touch and 116 block touch, giving her clear upside as she continues to grow into her role offensively. She already shows the type of frame and reach that projects well as her strength and timing develop. Her early national recognition continues to build as well, with placement on the NTDP Watchlist and additional quality camp invitations, signaling early attention from evaluators in the national pipeline. Berishaj profiles as a young right-side hitter with growing experience, strong physical tools, and clear long-term upside as she continues developing in the 2030 class.

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Katherine (Kate) Jin | 2030 | Libero/DS | A5 | PPV 168

Katherine “Kate” Jin continues to establish herself as one of the more accomplished young liberos in the 2030 class, already stacking national-level results and playing a major role on one of the more consistently successful teams in her age group. Competing with A5, Jin has repeatedly shown up in high-pressure tournament settings, helping her teams earn top finishes across multiple national events year after year. Her track record at major tournaments speaks for itself, including AAU National Championship success across multiple seasons, highlighted by a 13 Premier Gold Medal finish in 2025, along with strong USAV national placements and continued deep runs in elite bracket play. Most recently, she contributed to a 2026 Show Me National Qualifier 14 Open Championship (double qualified) and a 3rd place finish at Big South (Open bid earned), reinforcing her ability to compete and win in top divisions. Jin has also continued to stay on the radar through national exposure opportunities, including the SRVA All-Stars Invite, while twice being recognized as an AAU All-American, reflecting her steady impact in the back row across multiple seasons. Off the court and in recruiting spaces, she has also been gaining academic-driven interest, attending camps at schools like Harvard University, Brown University, and MIT, reflecting both her academic and athletic profile. Jin profiles as a steady, championship-tested libero with a proven winning résumé, elite club success, and continued upward trajectory as she develops within the 2030 class.

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Emme Dellenbach | 2031 | Setter | Arete | PPV 144

Emme Dellenbach is an early name to know in the 2031 class, still in the very beginning stages of her development but already showing physical tools that stand out for her age group. As a setter with Arete, she brings a solid foundation to build on, with measurable athletic indicators that point to long-term upside as she continues growing into the position. At 5’9”, Dellenbach already has a good frame for a young setter, paired with a 111 approach touch and 109 block touch, showing early explosiveness and above-the-net ability that will only become more impactful as she develops strength and consistency. While her game is still in the early building phase, those physical markers give a clear baseline of potential to work from. At this stage, Dellenbach is more projection-based than résumé-driven, but that’s often where the most interesting long-term setters start. With time, repetition, and experience in structured systems like Arete, she has the tools to develop into a more complete floor leader as her game matures. She profiles as a young, developing setter with early athletic pop and clear long-term physical upside as she continues her growth in the 2031 class.

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Emory Glover | 2030 | Libero | United VBA | PPV 100 (Watchlist)

Emory Glover is an early watchlist name in the 2030 class, still building her volleyball résumé but already starting to gain exposure through club and camp opportunities. As a libero with United VBA, she continues to develop her back-row game while gaining early looks in competitive environments. One of her first notable exposure points came through attendance at Texas A&M camp, giving her an early introduction to the college-level training and pace of play. While her competitive résumé is still in the early stages, those types of experiences are important building blocks at this point in her development. Glover is very much in the projection phase, with time on her side to grow into her role as she continues to gain repetitions and expand her skill set within the 2030 class. She currently profiles as a young libero on the watchlist with early exposure experience and developmental upside as her game continues to take shape.

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Jordan Fitzgerald | 2030 | OH | TAV | PPV 100 (Watchlist)

Jordan Fitzgerald is an early watchlist outside hitter in the 2030 class, still in the developmental stage but already gaining experience in strong club environments with TAV. While information on her game is limited at this point, she has been part of competitive team success, including a 5th place finish at AAU Nationals in the 12s division, giving her early exposure to high-level tournament play. At this stage, Fitzgerald is more projection-based, with time to continue building her offensive and defensive skill set as she progresses through the age groups. Being in a strong training environment like TAV provides a foundation for continued development as she gains more repetitions against elite competition. She currently profiles as a young outside hitter on the watchlist with early national tournament experience and long-term developmental upside within the 2030 class.

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Autumn Francois | 2031 | Libero | BRUSA Volleyball | PPV 100 (Watchlist)

Autumn Francois is an early watchlist name in the 2031 class who already stands out for her energy, attitude, and genuine love for the game. Competing with BRUSA Volleyball in California, she’s in the very early stages of her development, but there’s already a clear sense of a player who shows up engaged, eager to learn, and locked into every rep. While her competitive résumé is still being built, Francois gives off the impression of someone who is fully invested in improving and taking coaching well, which is often the first sign of long-term growth in a young libero. She’s in a strong environment where she can continue developing her fundamentals and understanding of the position as she gains experience. At this stage, she is very much a projection-based follow, but the foundation is there in terms of mindset and commitment to the process. Francois currently profiles as a young, developing libero with clear enthusiasm for the game, strong buy-in, and long-term upside as she continues to grow within the 2031 class.

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Marleigh Hamlett | 2031 | OH/OPP | METRO | PPV 100 (Watchlist)

Marleigh Hamlett is an early watchlist outside hitter/opposite in the 2031 class who already stands out for her leadership and commitment to developing her game the right way. As the captain of METRO’s 13-1 team, she’s taken on an early leadership role, and that presence carries over into how she approaches training and improvement. Hamlett is spending her summer focused on fundamentals while also attending several local college camps to continue gaining exposure and experience. Physically, she already shows promising tools for her age, standing at 5’9” with a 115 approach touch and 112 block touch, giving her a solid foundation to build on as her game develops. At this stage, she remains on our watchlist as a developing prospect, with her evaluation still early as she continues stacking reps and experience. What stands out most right now is the combination of leadership and intent, she’s not just playing, she’s actively working to shape her game in real time.

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Layla Bain | 2031 | Libero/DS | Adidas Dynasty | PPV 100 (Watchlist)

Layla Bain is an early watchlist libero/DS in the 2031 class competing with Adidas Dynasty, already gaining valuable experience in some of the most competitive national tournaments at her age level. Despite being early in her development, she has already been part of elite team success, including 2026 NIT Champions, 2025 USAV National Runner-Up, and 2025 AAU National Championship success, showing she is consistently exposed to winning environments. She has also attended UA Next MS camp, continuing to build experience in structured high-level settings while developing her back-row game. Being part of a program that regularly competes at the highest level has already given her early exposure to fast-paced, pressure-driven volleyball. At this stage, Bain is still in the development phase, with her game continuing to take shape as she gains more reps and experience. She remains on our Watch List due to her age and early success, and will be evaluated further as she continues progressing through the 2031 class.

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