SHE'S BACK: Deviryn McCarty was one of the fastest rising '28 Liberos before an injury sidelined for 8 months. The Kairos athlete is full-speed now and back to prove she deserves every look she was getting last summer!

February 2025 Triple Crown NIT Day1.  I stopped by to watch my local Kairos 15s squad play their first matches and see many of the South Dakota kids I had seen a little before or heard about.  The team played well and several of them stood out, but it ended up being an Iowa Libero that made the biggest impact on me of any athlete that entire weekend.

Deviryn McCarty was a defensive wall for that team while I watched them and physical like a 16s OH.  She dominated and looked so athletic doing it.  Her movement was smooth and so athletic I've watched a few talented Kairos liberos, but her size, strength and athleticism playing the position just made it look so smooth.  I immediately did what I do when I think some kid is good....I phoned a couple friends who actually know volleyball and asked them to swing by Kairos 15s court when they could and let me know I was on to something or on something.  100% reports in agreement!

So it began I had my diamond in the rough for the class I started texting the phone book letting everyone know about McCarty and they had to go watch her.  She started getting more and more attention and she didn't need my help the girl was crushing it all season long and her camp invites were piling up.  Her summer tour was excellent and reports were very, very positive from some very strong schools.  We had her in our Top 10 Liberos entering the Fall.  Though she missed the Fall and Winter NTDP invite list she was invited to the Triple Crown invite.

Then early in her high school practice season she suffered a knee injury that ended her prep season before it started and put her club season in jeopardy and her recruiting in a fog.  When you play for a smaller club and live in a small midwest state in the Plains Region it can be very easy to disapear off the bigtime recruiting landscape in a hurry, especially when you are a libero and the position is so unpredictable to begin with.

The daughter of a college football coach and mother who is feisteir yet McCarty might have hit the rehab trail before her anastecia even wore off and though the Fall and Winter/Spring were emotionally difficult watching friends experience happiness and joy playing the sport she loves, Dev pushed through mentally and physcially to get back to 100%+ so she could be part of the 2028 recruiting class.  Last week she was cleared 100% to return to full-out no restrictions all volleyball activities and is back in the Kairos gym loving every second of her comeback.  She participated in high school track back in Iowa and her 100m time actually improved from last year before the injury so Dev feels stronger than before the surgery.

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Prospect Ability:  I personally asked multiple college coaches (not about McCarty specifically because that is illegal) but about liberos being injured like this during thier recruiting year.  How does it truly affect them?  Of course I received a multitood of answers some honest and some coach speak, but in the end it comes down to *when the injury occurs (at what point of the process) *what is the injury obviously *and remember this is a BUSINESS so it always comes down to our PRESTIGE/TALENT Ration Chart how good is the athlete and how bad does the program really want them?

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McCarty is going to have offers, but the question is going to be what offers? how many and where?

Now she has four select camps picked to attend as of now and they are solid programs.

I can honestly see some programs getting involved and reenganging with McCarty after they see her in Arizona NIT in early June or even at Nationals in Indy.

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**I said this in our Libero rankings last week, but Dev is a great case for why the recruiting calendar should be moved back a year like football and basketball.  IF it was she would not have to rush back from rehab and could be fully ready and completely back in shape physically, mentally and training wise for NEXT season.  Her options would look completely different.

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**This is a talented player that should have been invited to NTDP and would have been if the front of her jersey was different she was playing as a Top 7ish libero in this class at the end of last season.  I'd love to see her wait and slow her recruitiment and see who needs a libero next January.  That isn't going to happen, but that would be my approach.

**If I was a coach in the Elite Red to Elite Orange Prestige Range I would absolutely look at McCarty above anyone on your list.

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Come on am I not the guy that told you all to believe in Kassie O'Brien?  Best of luck Deviryn and WELCOME BACK can't wait to watch you back on the court.