Preseason Watch List: Class of 2026 Person of the Year List

Class of 2026

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Ayanna Watson - Outside Hitter - Bishop Gorman/Vegas Aces - Pitt Commit

Active in her school and has been involved in some non-profit work. I also like how she has worked with some of the 26 and 27s in the USA Gym (we need A LOT more of that in volleyball). Watson has been playing at consistently high of a level as anyone in the class the past 18 months and has truly climbed from possibly at Top 15 prospect to #2 in our mind. She fits the “Well-Rounded Individual” mold that we want this award to embody and might just be the leader heading into the Prep Season for this Class.

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Henley Anderson - Outside Hitter - Dripping Springs/Austin Juniors - Texas Commit

Anderson has been known as the most dominant volleyball player in the class for a couple of years now and that might be the case? She is a well-disciplined athlete and coachable as they come. She fits in perfectly with Texas and comes from an amazing family and has been nothing, but respectful when I’ve interviewed her. Her game can’t be questioned she is a baller.  

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Audrey Flanagan - Outside Hitter - Mira Costa and SCVC - Wisconsin Commit

Literally the Silent Assassin, Flanagan was lethal last summer during International Summer play and at 16u Nationals and she vaulted up rankings and recruiting charts and it landed her at Wisconsin and a Top 5 ranking on every site. She is smooth on the court and a joy to watch. I’m sure Audrey has an amazing Sr. prep season and excited to watch her and her team play in Vegas later on in September

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Halle Thompson - Outside Hitter - Grand Oaks Texas/Houston Skyline -Wisconsin Commit

Thompson is your spokesperson for this class. She has always played with such energy and volume. But, she also brings so much energy and pump to her team whether it’s at Houston Skyline or on the USA National team Halle is the hype squad. She gives a great interview, she promotes the hell out of Madison, WI already. 

Halle has many activities that she is involved in beyond volleyball and donates her time to several charities at school clubs. She has always been involved and on the move. Thompson has started taking part in some larger public speaking events, which aren’t easy, but also help youth in her community and will prep Halle for future events that she can capitalize on from her volleyball name. This is a focused human being. She is locked in 24/7.  

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Jayden Robinson - Ridge Point High School and Houston Skyline - Nebraska Commit.

JJ puts in the work no doubt. She has improved her game immensely the past year to earn her way to Nebraska. She worked together (with Thompson) this season to win the Natty on their way out at Skyline on a Dream Team of College Prospects. She is growing her social media followers and because she is a Husker commit she is definitely well known now. Jayden gets the attention for her on the court performances and they explode on the socials. She probably heads into college the most marketable of any of the 2026s for that regard. I do think she has brought her game quite a ways the past couple of seasons to get herself in this conversation and when you talk straight athleticism Robinson probably takes the prize in the class. If you are strictly looking at a social media aspect and on-court J.J. should be in this convo.

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Still In the Running:

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Bellamie Beus - Outside Idaho Crush Skyline High - Kentucky Commit

Beus has always been underrated and overlooked because of geography and club. I love how she is FINALLY opening some of the “RIGHT EYES NATIONALLY” and getting their attention, thus her exposure is finally going up. We have had her as a Top 5 OH for sometime, but we also appreciate her leadership and competitiveness. If an undersized OH is going to make it at Kentucky and the SEC she better have some intangibles. We believe she does.

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Kendall Northern - Middle Paramount - Penn State Commit

“First interview Cred” on this one!

 If this athlete hasn’t come a mile and a half. I get pumped every time I see Northern on a court, thinking about seeing her for the first time and saying “I think she can be pretty good.” Also, kudos for PSU staff for staying on her and winning that recruiting battle when MANY schools laid off and moved on. Kendall is a great human being first and foremost, well-rounded and comes from a balanced home where volleyball isn’t #1. She hasn’t come close to her full potential yet. She will be the best Middle in the class by the time this class graduates I predict. She is booming up the charts and I know we have to talk about other schools’ commits, but Kendall closes the gap monthly. She hasn’t started getting the college coaching yet. But, the reason she may very well be a finalist come December is her character, even more so than the volleyball talent. High intelligence, friendly with all athletes at all events. Just one of those solid humans you want in your program.

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Brooke Harwood - Middle AZ Storm - UCLA Commit

Might be my vote for hardest working commit in this class. Harwood has earned everything she has receive) you have seen her improvement over two years on film. Great young lady, one of those who will stop and say hello or talk for a minute at a tourney AFTER their recruiting year and you don’t need to interview them weekly:). UCLA is getting a great character and winner. She was the first piece of the turnaround for them. She committed before committing to UCLA was cool. Everyone followed Harwood to Hollywood.

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Taylor Stanley - Opposite Dynasty Volleyball - Kansas UA All-American

Stanley probably should have earned her way to a finalist simply because of how much butt she has kicked the last 8 months. Laugh if you want, but I had a “pro scout” suggest that she is the best opposite in the class the last 3-4 months consistently. Not sure I disagree. She earned the UA All-American invite. Earned the spot on the Team USA. Has increased her 3 step approach by about 3 1/2 inches this year. She is dominating a very good division of volleyball and didn’t play on a stacked club team, but again she just played and competed and still had amazing results. Last year you would see bouts of head down when things weren’t great. This year, NEVER, completely different athlete, maturity wise, confidence wise it’s just insane.

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Danielle Whitmire - Setter - Dallas Skyline - Penn State Commit

Love "Whits" Story because I hope other players out there actually pay attention to things we write and talk about.  She is in a club 6-2 so when prime recruiting comes that and "the expert websites rankings" actually really don't do her any favors and have her pretty low.  She isn't getting big time attention at right away because she is a tweener and many schools haven't seen her set enough and actually think she is a better Opp.

We (own horn tooting coming up) were much higher on here from January on thanks to Sam (miss that girl she was such a stud evaluator for me) and a great college fb talk with Danielle's dad at NTDP (long story).

But, from the beginning Sam loved Whitmire as a FT Setter and her athleticism (and so did Penn State). So when Penn State had faith in their evals and got a commit from her it gave Danielle the confidence that she could just focus her game and relax, well the last year has been evidence that she is not a tweener she is very good Setter.  She has rocketed up the other sites rankings (as tends to happen when girls commit to Neb, Penn St, Texas lol), but she has killed at USA VB trainings and NTDP sessions there are simply nothing, but positive reports on Whitmire kicking butt every week as a SETTER.

We have always been impressed with the character part and school involvement her interviews with us have been great she's a dynamic personality in that class for PSU and will do well with the media.  I just think this is a great story and another HUGE WIN and high five needs to be given to the Nittany Lion staff for taking the shot on her when many Top 25s were not.  But, us putting her in this list....that took no leap of faith what so ever.  She belongs.

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Gabi Zachariasen - Outside Harrisburg High School/Kairos - South Dakota Commit

2x Gatorade Player of the Year, 3x State AA Champion, Captain on Harrisburg HS Team with Nation’s Longest Consecutive Match Win Streak at 78. She rips the ball vs any defender and stepped into the Kairos and Harrisburg lineup 4yrs ago and never doubted her ability. If she was an inch and a half taller she might have taken someone’s offer on this list, instead Gabi will tear up the every Summit League record there is for USD and probably team up to take the Yotes to their first Sweet 16 ever in a couple years. This is a great volleyball player and leader that simply doesn’t lose very much and has seen the “darker side of recruiting” and still kept on producing, leading and winning. She has a great story (that 100s of girls each class have) and that’s why she is up for Person of the Year.

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Blair Thiebaud - Setter - Houston Skyline - Louisville Commit

Finally Thiebaud gets her chance to play with Team USA this Summer. Blair has been steadily improving through club and high school for two years now. Always seemingly overshadowed by one of the Big 3 ahead of her. Are they truly better? Who knows, but Thiebaud couldn’t get a chance on the Team USA stage.  

Then in early July she leads her Skyline team to their best tourney every and they end their careers with a NATTY in Dallas and take home gold. Soon, that is followed by her selection to the USA National team. A fitting, final Summer for Thiebaud who has reportedly been narrowing the gap on those ‘ahead’ of her in the class pecking order at the Setter position. Reports out of The Ville is that her attitude and leadership are exactly what the Cards want and look for (and you have heard us talk a million times about what we think of Louisvilles Culture) so if people around that program are praising her then it’s legit. For those reasons combined, Thiebaud is up for Person of the Year.

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Genevieve Harris - Setter - NC Academy - Texas Commit

The setting teammate of Thiebaud on the Team USA this Summer and the top Setter for the class the past couple of years has been Harris. She has been the one who has carried herself as the leader most of the time and with heading to Texas will need that. More outspoken that her other Texas commits in the class Harris is more confident and assertive. She steps to the front and is definitely a leader type. It’s hard to really remember her being “back home” because she is always at a Team USA event or in Texas for something, but she is often around family or at her club with lessons or training when she is. Harris has that mentality to handle the pressures of being the setter at Texas which is not an easy job. She has played up with her NC Academy squad so you have never really seen her compete vs. this age class so it’ never been an accurate judge, but that’s also how Harris carries herself: a little more grown up like a class den mother in a very good way:)

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**Notes: The Person of the Year Award like most of our content is NOT based on volleyball talent alone. That is actually only a part of it.

Other factors include:

Attitude off the court, Coachability, Interaction with Others/How they Act When Others Aren’t Around, Volunteer Activities/What They Do Back Home/Social Media Actions/Parents Behavior, etc

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**So we look at quite a few things and it’s really about looking for a Quality Volleyball Player that is a good human and that we have heard really good things about and we have enjoyed our interactions with as well. Someone that fits the old quote we use often “When a really good athlete is also a really good person its THEY ARE REALLY EASY TO CHEER FOR”

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The award in each class will also come with a Trophy and a $1500 Donation made in their name to a Special Charity we are teaming with that will directly help volleyball athletes specifically (we just can’t quite announce it yet because the papers aren’t signed).