The Daily Report: Recruiting Day 4/5

The Daily Report

Breakdown of Recruiting 

The Class of 2028

Day 4

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The Scoop:

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Some people have reached out and asked “When is the SHOCKING NEWS coming?” Well as recruiting news goes, it was coming Wednesday and right before I was getting ready to announce it, the news became untrue lol and then the whole direction of it changed.

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I will tell some recruiting stories after the dust settles a bit, but going to let everyone get verballed and rumor mills die down quite bit first. Plus, there is a large piece of news that I’ll tell a mini-pod on because it’s more about the recruiting process than it is about recruiting news.

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The main lesson I am learning the “5 for 5 Rule” is implementing with many programs I’m talking with is this and it goes back to understanding our Program Prestige Model people!!!!!

They are going to make “their list” of a few or several recruits that they think “help them get better” and they go for them right away. If those athletes are interested and stay within said teams “cap projection” awesome, if not the team will move and find a veteran and established player in the portal later.

**SEC Coach “We had our position of need and we reached out to several we had on our list. There was interest, but not enough at the price they were wanting us to pay for incoming 18 year old so we can wait and grab a veteran.”

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**B1G Head Coach “We are done we had a small list and made our calls. There were five we thought we liked and when it didn’t work it didn’t work. This is a long process until these athletes actually walk onto our campuses and I think everyone is figuring out how to navigate this entire deal the best we all can so we are going to be cautious and conservative knowing there is PLENTY of time to get someone in January, we don’t have to PANIC today.

(Insert the deep thought emoji face now).

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**Big East Coach “It’s chaos right now. Not only do you have these ‘28s thinking they have to commit immediately because they are being given deadlines, some by people in our conference and many of the top programs in the nation, but then you have ‘27s committing still and last week there was a De-commit and a Re-commit that changes two programs status.

We are looking at a very small Pre-nationals list and made about 5 calls. Then we made 6 more to let athletes know we were excited to see them at Nationals and get to know them better and talk there.

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Look at Stanford Leading the Change for the VB World:

Up until Bella Osborne's commitment to Hawaii last night, the biggest shock of the 2028 Recruiting Period had been seeing the 4 new future Stanford Cardinals post (wait a minute, in June what?).  The posts proved that modernization aka CHANGE is POSSIBLE even in volleyball (old school volleyball people) just ask the Stanford Admissions Department.  But, for years I just didn’t understand why the Cardinal commits weren’t ALLOWED to post THEIR OWN VERBAL COMMIT POSTS to the school while the rest of their friends were enjoying the moment, praise and accolades from doing the same thing and after a whole week adapting this "major rule" hasn't made the school melt or fly away" instead it's actually brought positive results in the volleyball world with recruits.

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We ran an unofficial straw poll and asked 40 random athlete followers and 20 adult followers: A. Did you notice that athletes posted their Verbals to Stanford this week? B. When you noticed did it strike you with a positive or negative feeling towards Stanford VB?

*40/40 athletes noticed and 39/40 athletes said it was Positive

*18/20 adults noticed and 19/20 parents said it was Positive those girls were able to post when the others in their class did.

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***I know that changing is difficult and modernizing traditions and updating the sport is hard to think about, but this is a little example of a positive change that didn't hurt anyone and was good for athletes. Good on you Stanford and it brings more positive media to their program and to the sport and it didn't hurt anyone or cost anybody any $ at all.  There are so many little things that can updated, modernized to give the female athletes more ability to be recognized and seen and the sport more of a entertaining and universal spectator sport that is in line with the 2026 and beyond.  

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Top Value Prospects of Wednesday/Thursday

1 Leighton Fröehlich - MB - Premier Nebraska - PPV 189 - Rutgers Commit

This might be our “SOD Pick” #StealoftheDraft so far. Froehlich went to Michigan State and some other big camps and I know a couple Top 15 programs were hoping to “steal the SOD” and get this high-ceiling commit onto campus and let her explode. For the Rutgers staff to land Froehlich this is a Boom Boom W in recruiting for them.

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2 Emmie Hill - MB - TRIBE - Florida - PPV 222 - Vandy Commit

Vandy adds a legit SEC player in Hill that, if she trains hard for 18 months, could come in ready to do some light contributing her freshman season while she learns SEC play? Long frame and when she meets that SEC weight room then Hill will explode into a serious threat at Vandy.

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3 Surfia Grounds - OPP - Spike and Serve - Hawaii - PPV 238 - Baylor Commit

First Baylor….have a day Bears Nation, have a day!!! This is a great fit talent wise it fits and character wise also. Grounds is a lot of energy and she brings it. She caught a lot of people’s attention in the US this season event to event with there attitude and energy, not to mention the power and force in her arm. She is part of one fierce class by Baylor right now.

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4 Chole Taylor - Setter - WAVE - California - PPV 230 - Colorado Commit

This is someone everyone in volleyball needs to cheer for and I didn’t really start watching her and becoming a big fan until Vegas (man am I glad I went that weekend btw, so good). You know Taylor could have easily moped around all season and felt sorry for herself, team went a 6-2 she had always ran a 5-1. Thinking she should be a higher evaluated setter in the class (especially by us, early in the year we were way off 170s), but she was always super positive and gracious when we mentioned her, etc. When I saw her in Vegas we gave her a slight bump and I think she kept earning one nearly every week after as she kept playing better and better on film and from reports. She also started getting better and better invites. Going to Colorado simply tops off what has to be the #1 surprise class in the Nation and it’s going to still have a shot at being a Top 10-12 class overall. Watch for Taylor because she is talented many times once you’ve dealt with some adversity and worked through it, having success makes you work all that harder.

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5 AB Ross - MB - AZ Storm - Arizona - PPV 233 - Cal Commit

Stat man Zach called late last night and said “hey Darren umm Cal is kinda crushing this class also you know” and I said “I’m so tired I really don’t know I need to get caught up today.” Zach pointed out that “Cal stole Annabelle AB Ross that makes their class right there don’t you think?” How about it America, does the block machine and the slide master out of Phoenix a big enough recruiting W to get Jen Malcolm on the Staff Shout all alone????? This is a great pickup though for the Bears as Ross already has that block down right now.

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Staff Shouts - Day 3

Who got after it and Got the Results that has their Coaching Peers throwing darts at their pictures today????

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1 Hawaii Rainbow Wahine -

The news broke late and it kept us later, but this is the kind of recruiting news we need MORE OF in college volleyball to keep this sport moving forward and entertaining!  New HC and alumni. Joshua Walker lands his first verbal commitment for the program and boy oh boy is a HUGE ONE!  The #2 overall libero and US National Team U17 member and all-around baller Bella Osborne verbals to play for the Rainbow Wahine.  Not only does this bring her talent to the islands, but it brings attention, momentum and you have to believe some other big talent will be following soon?

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2 Baylor Bears - 

Surfia Grounds - Oppo - Hawaii and Olivia Kitur the do it all PPV 220 out of Texas

This is a combo that should look to be year 2 contributors and look like D1 volleyball players. Love both of these pickups for the Bears. Landing talent right away in camp season.

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3 Penn State -

In a year the Nittany Lions were kinda of using to patch in some pieces after a huge 2027 class, well they patched in another Top 5-7ish recruiting class which isn’t bad for an “off year’ at all. The way they landed Janiah Burrage, details at a later time, was strategic and genius and played out to a T or a P is the class done yet?  We think NO

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Diamonds in the ROUGH

Project Players we think have some serious Potential 

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1. Norah Hollis: OH - Colorado Jrs - Colorado - PPV 251 - UCLA Commit

Who? Who? Exactly and that is what makes Norah the ultimate Diamond in the rough, coming back from a year long injury the Colorado prospect played in basic anonymity during her prep season and even after we did a highlight story on her way back in January, spotlighting her talent and her comeback Hollis never really picked up the attention and following she deserved. With a 251 PPV she is more than talented enough to show up and make an impact for the Bruins. Get to know her America, she is a very good one!!  We also heard this class is taking a beating on VT because it doesn't have a good "ranking on the Prep sites".  First off if that's all VT is still using for credible rankings it's sad for the sport and second the former regime tried getting all big names and didn't work so well this is a solid class and I know we have even undersold 1 or 2 of them.  I'd give the Bruin staff a break I think this is a very solid and well thought out class, there is only 1 commit I question, it's not flashy, but it's filled with solid VB players.

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2.  Aaliyah Ray: MB - Gainesville Jrs - Georgia - PPV 190 - Georgia Commit

**First time watching Aaliyah,was on film prepping for this segment, but I’d love to get her to come to one of our T.O.P. COMBINES (On The House) because this girls flies on the court. The setter couldn’t time up with her all day film and thus she was cupping and spiking balls straight down from pin and on quick stets so you never got to truly see her in rhythm, but you can see her having some amazing skills of a raw D1 prospect

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3 Haleigh Bower - MB/Opp - VCNebraska - Nebraska - PPV 179 - South Dakota State Commit

**Bower will head to the 2x Summit League Champions SDSU and she brings an all-around game that is solid everywhere. She does need to get to work on her approach touch, but if Bower can bring that up and the rest of her game stays solid this is a steal for SDSU that continues to climb the charts in National recognition as a legitimate program P4 or not.

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4. Chayse Gilliand - OH - TAV - Tennessee - PPV 198 - Arkansas State Committee

Ok well this is as about as shocking as it gets right now in college volleyball. Gilliand was preseason evaluatied in the 200s and an injury in February sidelined her for a chunk for the season. She worked her way back, but never got to full-strength or confidence back. Here comes Arkansas State to the rescue and stop her up and upsets the established blue blood programs.

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5. Watch out for Sydney Helsig - OH - A5 Chattanooga - Tennessee - PPV190 - Arizona Committ

This athlete from Tennessee is already 100% in BEAST MODE. She is powerful and leaves a mark when she takes a swing and she never gets cheated when she take a swing. WOW!!!!

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Here are the Top 4 Over all Classes we Love the Most and then 3 we really Like A Lot after 5 days of the Open Period.

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LOVE THE CLASS SO FAR:

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1. Colorado BuffNation has to be just jacked up this class has followed a perfect plan and executed it well. IMPACT Setter and OH (to go with IMPACT OPPO last year). Bargain potential Middle and Libero. Let’s Ride Buffalo Nation

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2.  Baylor (202) Impact immediately at OH and Opposite and depth at OH. Then you have water bug at libero. This is a class of diversity and weapons on both sides of the tape.

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3.  Georgia (194) Two athletes from A5 that are exactly that an will provide spring in and older and run-down roster. This is what UGA needs is legs and depth to compete.

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4.  Pitt (268.5) I mean Pitt did Pitt and nailed 3 of their top 4 targets and grabbed their #2 position target at the other. This staff is a well-oiled machine when it comes to identifying talent they need, can compete for and can land. Alex Knox is much better than given credit for nationally and will be a cult icon in the Steel City. Mesa Jameson has some other things she needs to work on, but Pitt is the right culture for her and it will work or it won’t, but she has the potential if she chooses and Lamar is a solid option that will need development on the pin, but the Pitt staff has done a very good job of developing pins in their tenure.

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LIKE THE CLASS SO FAR:

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1. Kanas: They grabbed their #1 Libero in Broyles and Opp in McGovern. Plus, grabbed a solid MB choice in Tinnell they missed out on that Franchise OH recruit in Burrage, but they threw their hat in the ring and that is all they can do. A year from now when recruits better understand the “5 for 5 Concept” of sitting on the bench for 2-3 seasons or playing right away, that result would have been different
2. South Carolina: This is another class that should probably go up above, but the Gamecock staff is picked up where they left off last summer and has IMPROVED the ATHLETICISM of the roster. This class is up about 15 pts from their two year Prestige Value Avg. and that is a sold gain, just under 200 PPV.
3. Texas A+M: You say “you must be dumb every other site just LOVESSSSS this class how can you not love it.” Coach needs another OH and then we will love this class and when the world is your oyster as they say and you are taking two middles we just had other options, but this is going to be the #3 class in America so you can’t argue to much with it and honestly the Aggies are playing with House $ because they also have the option of getting most anyone they like in the portal as well.

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Breaking News:

Hawaii and new head coach Josh Walker have just landed a verbal commitment from Bellas Osborne of Madfrog Volleyball. She made the U17 team and is our #2 Libero in the class. This is a huge recruiting shocker and a major W for Hawaii and momentum for Walker and his new staff at Hawaii.