Person of the Year Watchlist: Class of 2027

Preseason Person of the Year  Watch list: Class of 2027 Class of 2027 

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Ireland Real - Outside - WAVE - California - Uncommitted

Great all-around energy giver and teammate

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Shaye Witherspoon- Outside - Rockwood Thunder - Missouri- Nebraska

Locked in and focused on the court. Knows the job and physically ready for the next level.

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Olivia Henry - Outside - IMG - Florida - Penn State commit

Been through a lot of growth and so much great volleyball ahead of her! Excited for her college years.

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Marissa Jones - Setter - A5 - Georgia - Kansas commit

Always busy with extra-curricular activities beyond volleyball within her school. Leader on/off the court. Focused leader in her community for sure.

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Sophee Peterson - Setter - TAV - Texas - Texas A+M commit

Setter for top club and high school team in America. Lives in the gym.

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Tessa Larkin - Outside - AZ Storm - Arizona - Minnesota commit

Great character athlete, solid locker room addition that is HR recruit for Gophers. Coachable and competitive.

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Kyla Williams - Middle - AVC - Ohio - Pitt commit

Focused and won’t get cheated in her work time. Respectful attitude that wants to be coached. Led a club team to a tremendous season.

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Lauren Forelli - Outside - AZ REV - Arizona - Michigan State commit

Forelli is a quiet star that just wants to be part of the team. Extremely talented she is multi-talented and does many things at a high level on the court. She will be a star of the new Michigan State regime. 

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Westley Matavao - Outside - Forza 1 - California - UCLA

This is the personality to be a star at the next level. Westley is a huge family girl and has a following that is for certain “West Nation” will be bringing their loyalty and love to UCLA blue and vocally following the Bruins very soon. West is an instant cup of coffee whether you are ready or not and she is a physical outside that is getting more and more prepped for the college game. We call her the “Magnet” because people are simply drawn to her because of her personality and confidence.

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Taylor Harrington - Middle - Paramount/Wakefield High - Virginia - Penn State commit

Harrington has always had the motor and the vocal game to be the leader. She was the energizer bunny for this class at en early age. Now she is having the high level volleyball skills come with the rest of her. Harrington is just go, go, go and an “includer” when around peers. She makes people feel comfortable and gets everyone involved. Awesome young lady with a heck of a block.

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Malorie Boesiger - Setter - Nebraska ONE/Norris High - Nebraska - Nebraska commit

The ultimate coach on the court. Boesiger is a “mother on the court” and too her club team, always looking out for her crew, most of whom were younger than her this season. Mal knows the game like it’s a coloring book. She is always observing/studying/analyzing what is taking place. She will head to her dream school and become a Husker.

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Ellery DeBoer - Setter - MN Select/Willmar High - Michigan State commit

DeBoer has been a lifer on the Willmar high school team, starting since her 8th grade season. She’s a hometown kid who enjoys Minnesota things when she gets a couple days away from volleyball, but she’s mostly in a gym or in a car to training. El mad some sacrifices driving several hours each club night to make workouts and practices, in order to get to a club that plays at the Open Level, driving several hours to get to an airport each time she needs to fly to a tournament or USA VB event or camp. She will head to Michigan State so the sacrifices have worked for the small town kid to the Big Ten conference.

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Pulelehua Laikona - Libero - AZ Storm/Mesa - Arizona - Nebraska commit

The only libero in the first two groups should tell you a bit about how much we think about “Hua”. The game on the court speaks for itself, but it’s the person and actions off the court that landed her on this list. Family, leader, faith. All of those are words that I learned are more that just “words” Hua throws around to sound good in interviews, rather words that truly have deep, deep meaning to the Nebraska libero commit and her family. Family is the core and it doesn’t have to mean blood, but it means tight/trust. Leader is something she takes much pride in the style in which she plays. Faith- A cornerstone of their family and culture. Hua is a focused and intense, but fun loving athlete, but man she wants to win. Husker nation will love her.

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Gentry Barker - Outside - Madfrog/Lovejoy High - Texas - SDSU commit

Barker took her time before just committing to SDSU. The do it all Outside from Texas will head to California for college. She has the stats for the award that is for certain.

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Marlie Smith - Setter - Legacy/Clarkston High - Michigan - North Carolina commit

Smith is the ultimate leader in this class. She understands the recruiting game and understands college volleyball. She knows how to run a team and knows how to guide athletes. She will do whatever a coach asks of her and whatever it takes to win. North Carolina getting her verbal was huge for them.

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Alice Wood - Setter - Lower Alabama/McGill-Toolen High - Kansas State commit

If there is a “prototype athlete” that I pictured when I thought up what VBAdrenaline.com would be about ideally it would probably have been someone close to Alice Wood. Slightly undersized, plays for a small club in a non-volleyball state a young athlete who absolutely loves the sport and is so happy for the “opportunity to play college vb she could almost cry” Then everyone you ask about her says how solid she is and how good she is and the only downside to her is that she is a little bit small.  

Wood is one of “our athletes” just a grinder that knows she has to bring 110% every single day now and every day she is at K State or she won’t get or keep any spot she earns there. There is no arrogance or expectation of playing time, Alice is just happy to that she gets the opportunity to try and play D1 volleyball. She helps younger athletes at her club, teaches lessons, and coaches already.  

**These are the athletes that we should truly celebrate on our pre-season specials.