Prospect Report: AM Session 16u Nationals Day 1

Prospect Report

Tuesday AM from Indy

Happenings from USA Nationals

Just on a lunch break from Nationals AM Wave and thought I’d check in with a report on the goin ons and who’s who

​

**You could tell us warriors pulling double duty (15s and 16s) on round two of clothing and tired of hotel beds and towels and the rookies showing up fresh for their first session all smiling and happy this morning, but the action was great.

​

**The HUNT CONTINUES: If you want an autograph or picture with Top 5 Program HC of your choice this week just head to A5’s court. It was a gathering all AM of Nebraska, Texas, Wisconsin, Pitt, and Penn State for each Kari Knox’s matches as the race is on for America’s best recruit ever before heading into the 2029 class.

​

**Rusne Zukauskaite - Middle - Vision VB - Silver Level Prospect

Shout out to the LOVB Recruiting Coordinator who reached out to me (first ever) and mentioned that we did not have Rusne on any of our lists for the class and I needed to watch her at nationals. First, I always appreciate being given names of great prospects who we/I haven’t heard about. Second, I have been very open about how little we are told about athletes in California and this is actually one of the few times in 5 years that anyone from California or a club has reached out to tell us anything about an athlete so I really appreciate it. It’s not your job, but we don’t get the following there yet so with our small staff it’s hard to cover. So thank you very much.

RZ is all she was billed to be and deserves all of her Silver Status and could easily get a PPV bump when we do the Post-National update. She combines her height and physicality with a solid approach touch to cause fits for opponents at the net. Guessing, but has to be at 10’6” minimum for a touch point and plays at that height for sure. She just covers so much area with her block. Great prospect especially with so many TOP PROGRAMS still in need of a MB at the top of the NCAA still. Watch for her name now, we definitely will be.

​

**Walker WANTS Hawaiian border LOCKED DOWN in future!

Loved catching up with new Hawaii HC Joshua Walker today for a few minutes. Soft spoken, but energy and BELIEF in his voice for sure. I will have a separate article on our discussion later, but my favorite part I’ll tease you with was when he told me “man we missed out on a couple this year, ticked me off. I tried. I don’t want anyone leaving the islands. Yeah we need to keep all our top talent home for the people. I don’t care I’m going to do that.”

Whether it happens sooner or later THAT is the quote and belief of a coach I can rally behind. That is the kind of quotes I want my Head VB Coach to make about many things.

​

**Virginia going to benefit:

Awesome running into one of the hardest working staff members of the hardest working staff out there. Talked with a UVA assistant today for a minute and part of the large financial endowment made to UVA Women’s Athletics this Spring will in fact go to Women’s VB helping Coach Johnson and her program a great deal.  

I’m telling you I continue to see The Cavs listed on so many of our Player Profile lists for Select Camps attending. So they are in on many high-ranking prospects yearly and need to land bigger talent kids to close the gap. Extra $ never hurts in that department. Watch for the Cavaliers in the next couple of classes.

​

**Is D2 an Option?

YES people YES! First off D2 has always been a solid option and there are MANY programs in D2 that have better fanbases, facilities and talent than some of the non-volleyball, volleyball programs in D1 Volleyball. Next have you not been listening (don’t answer that) there are going to be about 25% LESS spots in D1 VB next year! That’s what the warm fuzzy sites that charge all the $ don’t tell you. So stop worrying about “What Level I’m Playing At” If a solid D2 program can offer to pay for your school and they give you some $ also……You take that 5 minutes ago.

As they say in football, you go there get on the court “get on film” work your butt off become a big baller and then see what happens in a year or two. Step up if you can. Awkward thing to say I know, but also the completely honest and way of the world thing to say. Get on a roster, get paid and get on a college court first. Then worry about going to Nebraska next.

​

**Talked about Minnesota’s dynamic duo for ’28, thought Bethany Benjamin looked very good for A5 this AM, more athletic than I remember earlier in the year. She might be one of the few Libero/DS who stays where she is at when we do the massive cutdown next week because we are way high on too many at or over 200, but Benjamin played like today. Solid player and great pickup by the Gophs.

​

*Jossalyn Jacks - TStreet - California - Red Level Prospect

Jacks plays so well when she is in that back row and she was able to get set a few times behind that 10’ line and that was pretty line. They tried working her into the offense early in the match it just did’t work vs an elite team like TAV. From the back row however they had som success. Jacks has been invited to all of the NTDPs and has had early success in front and back row still can, but it may may matter what level she wants to play at. Her back row skill say she can play about anywhere, but she doesn’t have the lift to be a true OH.

​

**Top Targets

So many great top targets out there still weighing options on where they are playing in 2028. Here are some of the prospects we saw in action this AM.

​

Leah Greeny - OH - West Virginia - 3DGE - Playing in PM Wave - Silver Prospect

Still open on her commitment and schools. The power OH will play in the 17s division later on.

​

Jordyn Blair - Middle - Indiana - Circle City - Silver Level Prospect.

Watched Blair this AM and she had a knee brace on one knee and a long sleeve covering the entire other leg. This could have simply been her preference or something else, but she did move slower or as if she was coming back from an injury or was battling some kind of nagging injury. She did not explode off the court like she has in the past. We have not heard about anything with her before however, but she looked slower from something with her leg for sure.

​

Random Notes:

​

Cards are Singing: Well the reaction that Coach Hamley gave me when he walked by me the other day, wasn’t positive, but boy the fan reaction sure has been. 20 athletes and even a few former Stanford commits have reached out about Cardinal Commit Gate and response has been 100% in FAVOR of the change.

“About time why didn’t they ever do this before?” “So glad their commits get to do this like everyone else does.”  

“So happy for these girls~It’s ABOUT TIME, so JEALOUS our Class Didn’t get to do this:(“

​

All in all it’s a great PR and Recruiting move for the Cardinal.

​

Camp Session 2 starts soon: 2029’s get a quick REST at HOME, but if you want to be your best get off you feet and relax for a couple of days

​

More to come ahead.