Recruiting Talk Class of 2028: Those Classes We Love

Recruiting Talk:

2028 Recruiting "The Classes We LOVE"

So we have been through the steals and we have been through the best values and we just talked about the best player fits. Let’s talk about the classes that we love and why. Again people we study recruiting from many angles and way deeper than who has the biggest checkbook so NO we don’t love a class because they singed what everyone considers “5 Stars”, honestly those teams have the easiest jobs in college volleyball because they only compete against 2 or 3 other schools.

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When we have a class that we LOVE it has some depth to it, it took a little bit of grinding and sweat equity. The class makes sense and maybe they went head-to-head with some big rivals and beat them out to land that 1 player they had to have. Classes we love have players that fit and address program needs, give programs an immediate shot at moving up our Program Chart (the higher you are on the chart, the more scrutiny we look at your class with).

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LOVE:

Minnesota: The Gophers go pick up 2 of the grittiest players in the class and two athletes that hate losing more than breathing are they 3-yr All-Americans? Probably not, but they are very GOOD players that will buy into culture 110% and will do anything to win and aren’t going anywhere and will compete all day. Plus it puts the Gophers in a situation to go land a big portal kid. I give both commits an A for Coach Cook.

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Rice: The Owls get BETTER with this class. Local talent and depth. They combine some high ranked potential in Gracie White and Morgan Nesloney, both Texas products, who could push for year 1 time and then they being in two very legit projects in Nyah and Aliyah Harris who have big athletic upside the spell long-term success. This class puts Rice on page 1 of our class rankings so your dang right we LOVE it.

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SMU: “All you do is pick small programs and pick on the teams that always win.” Not true at all, when Top 10 programs earn it we credit them for sure, like SMU, they make our Top 5 for a 2nd year in a row. There was one athlete in this class not being talked about nearly enough who will absolutely blow up the college game EARLY in her career and we had her down to TCU and SMU, Taylor Johnson is a super star in waiting just mark it down! We love how Sam Erger made a decree 3 years ago that SMU was locking down Dallas and keeping the stars home or bringing them back and dang if they haven’t done it better than anyone thought they could have. Then they needed a Bro so they add Izzie Penrose from AZ Storm who has that SMU mentality to come in and be ready from Day 1 to compete. Izzie gets that this is a business. Once again. SMU nails their small, but spot on prep class.

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Colorado: The Buffs might sit at #23 in our rankings right now, but this is the kind of building block class you want when you are putting a program together. Chloe Taylor was a Top 5 setter in the class the last 6 weeks of the club season. She was confident, aggressive and her consistency became so much better. I also thought she showed the leadership of a P4 setter the last 1/3 of the season and I hadn’t seen that before from her. She truly earned this and what a great find for the Buffs. Blake Buljan brings that big match experience and winning mentality. Her best volleyball is ahead of her and she has a long way to go in developing the offensive part of her game at “the next level”, but Colorado needs both sides from her for this to be a great sign for them.

Taylor Toomay made strides this season and will need to continue to grind just as hard for 18 months. She can definitely be a player in that conference, but it is going to have to be because she outworks and trains about 30 other athletes just like her. 

Wilkinson is another that has that open level experience and can make a difference early for Colorado, but it will take her stepping her game up quite a bit. In all this class has an anchor setter and then 3 athletes that the Buffs are hoping they get 1.5 players from to go with the 2027s.

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Texas: Yes THEY EARNED IT and here is exactly why Texas is on this list and Nebraska isn’t. Texas WON head-to-head battles for Taimane and for Haffner vs. EVERYONE in America. Nebraska wanted both of them and so did Wisconsin and everyone else. So Texas took the best recruiting shot of all the top programs and beat them out. Then they took their pick of the Opposite they wanted in Floyd and landed her also. Right now this class is % points behind Nebraska for #2 overall, but we will see how things end up. They have the #1 Setter (ever), the #1 Libero (ever) and the Opposite they wanted. Even though I don’t like everything about the Longhorns I do like that their assistant coaches stick to the board and they DO NOT take athletes that don’t fit their culture and I know they have passed on talented athletes in both the portal and in recruiting the past couple of years because they feared they would ruin locker room chemistry. I can 110% respect and get behind that. I can also say they are one of the VERY, VERY few teams that hold true to that philosophy.

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Kansas: “The Foundation Layer” this is Matt Ulmer’s class right here. Rushed in year one and replacing most of a roster, the 2027s were not a true reflection of what the new KU Coach can do (IMO only). This is more like it. CULTURE ATHLETES, hard workers that will over achieve for Kansas. Starting w/ hometown star McGovern, huge W to keep her home. Then I think you factor both Bello and Broyles together. Bello can be the offensive machine that has been lacking while she improves her defensive game. Broyles could step in day 1, but you have two athletes expected to do a lot. Then both Lane and Tinnell can push for time and I know Ulmer has Ava Lane much higher than we do!!! This strikes me exactly like his Oregon classes. Nationally under the radar, but playing 2nd weekends in December.

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Clemson: Now because of our scoring system and the large # of this class the overall class ranking won’t be impressive for the Tigers, but in volleyball if you pull 2 starters and a solid roll player from a class you are very happy, Clemson has done that.

Lola Loncar will be moving up at our next PPV update. She could easily push for early Libero duties when she walks onto campus. The Cleveland native is talented and competitive. She has had quite a bit of NTDP success and was in the running for national team spot a summer ago. She will see PT year 1 somewhere in the lineup. Audrey Sutherland, this is a very safe roll of the dice on the Nevada prospect, but she is raw, but is also 6’7”. She comes from a small club and hasn’t played the big time volleyball most open level girls have. She works hard and will need to to get Clemson early and soak in every single rep she possibly can, but she could be an absolute steal for the Tigers and one that is a big-time difference maker early. Then you are looking for a surprise of solid back up with the other middles coming in to compete and push for PT. In other words another solid class in Clemson to build on.

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Cal: Stop the presses those pesky Cal Golden Bears were making recruiting headlines early and often in mid-June. A great class for Cal that started with a shocker when Jen Malcom landed AZ Storm teammates Annabelle Ross (MB) and the (OH) Nia Tinsley which literally got the volleyball world talking about Cal. Then they finished their early ’28 period by solidified the back row and getting a commit from TAV libero Caitlin Carrizales who has been through her share of big time battles. This is a great starting point for a positive build for Cal.

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Hawaii: Rule of thumb whenever a new HC takes over: Drum up excitement and some buzz in the program. Well Josh Walker wasn’t given much time to think about recruiting for the 2028 Class and he didn’t need much, his first move as head coach was gaining a verbal commit from the #2 Libero in class Bella Osborne (Texas). The perfect fit and headline grabber he and the program needed to get things rolling. Walker continued by grabbing a big 2027 transfer from California and then 2028 Setter Riley String of California committed to Hawaii. Walker showed early his pipeline to California and WAVE Volleyball, plus his ability to go recruit Texas and NTDP athletes, very easily. This definitely lays a foundation for years going forward.

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South Carolina: Another year and another solid recruiting class in SC. Solid players with high ceilings and the ability for growth. Yes the Gamecocks took a shot on a couple of the commits, but don’t you have to at some point? Sure things go higher and cost much more than South Carolina’s can afford right now. Which is why I think SC’s staff is as good at scouting and evaluating talent as their is in the SEC.

Mallory Mizell is as productive of a prep player as you will find. The question with her will simply be her height and we won’t know that until she starts going full-speed agains t the leagues best. Jada Skinner was a nice pickup based on potential and see where some training and development to go with it. Brooke Neale is a gym rat and student of the game and we will ss see where all of the effort takes her. 

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West Virginia: The build continues in Morgantown and it’s the best class yet. The Mountaineer staff continues to upgrade talent in a program that has turned the corner faster than many would have guessed they could and they have followed the same recipe; bring in better talent each and every recruiting class improving the competition in their gym. The 2028 class will do the same thing and this class has the program’s first potential Star Power thanks to the staff keeping some homegrown talent home.

Leah Greeny is the best prospect, maybe in program history and for sure in the history of the Greeny regime. That’s right she is the daughter of the co-head coaches and she decided to stay home and play for West Virginia rather than pursue some larger offers and the Mountaineers are the big winners. She is an All-Conference talent who can be an immediate difference maker in the lineup. Liv Wender will be a solid pickup for West Virginia even though she may not be well known to club followers. She started as a pin in the largest class in Michigan volleyball for three years and because of the high-level depth at Legacy she was the setter for their 2s team, but don’t let that confuse you with her talent she would have been the national team starter at nearly any other club in the country and WVU is getting a diamond in the rough for sure.

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Georgetown: The Hoyas add again. Big East program trying to build itself into a tourney contender. Georgetown HAS TO NAIL their prep recruiting classes because it is difficult for the Hoya to benefit from the transfer portal. For the second consecutive class Georgetown is bringing in a very successful high school class that should end up #2 in the Big East. You have to look at this class in the “projection scope” of things. Georgetown landed three “high ceiling” prospects that several schools had on their short lists, but just pulled the trigger on someone else and that left the Hoya staff in a spot to offer 3 of their #1 options at MB, Libero and Setter in the ’28 class. Chloe Frizzell out of Austin Jrs was an under the radar stat stuffer all club season and did big things for her team. Put her in a college weight room for 18 months and she will be ready to jump in the lineup for sure. Bella Desensi KIVA Libero should end up a Red Level prospect by the time she heads to DC and could push for lineup time in year 1 and then Amanda Dadio should make big strides before next club season and many will see the potential Georgetown noticed last year in the hometown Paramount product. So GTown could not only get 3 legit PT contributors, but 3 that play right away. That’s a winning class no doubt.

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Utah State: New staff goes right to work bringing in an immediate difference making class.

“You know this staff is legit because they do their homework. They aren’t lazy like many others and just take the closest kid they can find. These guys look nationally and really scout. They are going to do an amazing job here and FAST.” Western Club Coach talking about the Utah State regime after year 1

Sloane Rattay - OH OK Peak who played up an age group and is the top rated player in the Sooner State. They are getting a powerful player who can come in and do multiple things for them and is a VOLLEYBALL PLAYER, she is dynamic and yo will get this theme “has a very high ceiling”. Look for Rattay to get bumped at our next update.

Kate Perry - Libero Idaho Crush - Orange Level for now. Perry was one that the Aggies stole just in the nick of time from some programs that were slow playing Perry. Again, this may look at first like a “regional signage”, but it’s much more than that. Perry was sought after by P4 schools from every conference and would have been offered by some very famous logos, but Utah State acted first. That is the sign of the staff that has done it’s homework.

Nora Kartye - Middle - North Pacific Juniors - Again for Kartye she could easily end up being a red level prospect by signing day and could have ended up in in a B1G roster or a Big XII roster, but the Aggies were more aggressive in acting and landing her.

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Baylor:  NAILED IT! The Bear’s Staff hit a HR in the 2028 class by adding talent and depth that has a chance to add depth and star power in Waco.

Surfia Grounds - Hawaii OPPO - Grounds was maybe the athlete that climbed the most of anyone from the “big gym camps” this past year. She took advantage of the NTDP, UA NEXT and any Select Camp event that she could. I’d like to think we maybe gave her a little kick start by giving her some legit pub way back in February when she caught our eye with her physical play in KC. She has the personality, the size and the physical play to make a difference in the Big XII for sure.

Sidney Whisenton - Alamo VB Texas - Man one thing Sidney is for sure and that is ATHLETIC. She can sky touching well over 120” and people may have been unsure of her position at the college level (though it seems as if she is going to be a hammer throwing pin), but she can explode with power and that is something that can be turned into a player at the next level. She was also extremely productive at the prep and club levels. Coaches can combine athletic and productive!!!!

Olivia Kitur - Madfrog OH - We might be mentioning her 3rd, but she probably has the best chance to contribute early. Productive is the key for Kitur and she was the ROCK for a Madfrog team that was overshadowed by many other 16s teams that had bigger names and more athletic rosters, but this squad just kept battling and WINNING. She helped her squad overachieve more than any team in the division and she was their star. She can shine in WACO and be the hometown hero of the class.

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Illinois:  The Illini needed a dramatic and talented class and they landed one. Yes there is talent and yes there is homegrown talent, but what makes this class one of our favorites is that Illinois went toe-to-toe with some rivals on these recruits and beat their #$* and landed them. This program needs a couple of shots in the arm and this class provided some.

Tatum Kelly - 1st Alliance Setter - This is the big one for Illinois. Landing Tatum Kelly the top Midwest Setter and a known name was huge for this program. Kelly has been to every camp and every NTDP for 5 years. The Chicago Area product has been a household name forever. She has been involved in competitive volleyball in the area and is synonymous with winning in the Chicagoland this is a WIN before she walks on campus. It’s a PR Slamdunk.

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Kolby Ross - Adversity OH - Again local, talented, athletic and sought after recruit. Illinois nabs her away from several other area D1 schools in the hunt for Ross and they have a second B1G caliber and Chicagoland athlete in the class and staying home to play for the Illini. Ross may be a bit more unpolished, but she also has a higher ceiling than Kelly. Athletic and explosive, she will take more training, but she can be a bigger reward in a long-term OH with some powerful and dangerous offensive capabilities.  

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Honorable Mentions that we still really like:

South Dakota State

Vanderbilt

Wake Forest

North Carolina