The Prospect Report: First Edition of June

The Prospect Report-June 1 Edition

What People In the Game Are Saying

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The Prospect Report is back and so is June Craziness. The Report this year will be a mix of what we are hearing from people around the game and insight from my take on what I am observing from my study of D1 Volleyball Recruiting the past three years and what I see/interpret happening (take that for what it’s worth, lol).

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First off, I am hearing that many of the the Top 60 in our PPV do plan to take their time (more so than 2026s did). Now I also know people may say “oh yeah they say that now” and I’m going to do a video breakdown example of why that IS NOT the athlete’s fault when most of them are forced to commit early. I do think many would like to actually like to get on campus, talk to players, take some time (at least after Nationals so after July 4th holiday).

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Ireland Real holds the cards.

If there is an athlete in this class that may be able to truly “Take their time” and control own recruitment it is Ireland Real. Despite what certain other publications might report she is the most sought after prospect in the class. Wisconsin, Stanford and Texas all have as a high priority (and I’m sure many more). So her decision and how she plays her recruitment truly hold the fate of a couple of large programs in her hands. If she takes her time and they wait on her then other schools will definitely “hard-deadline” options 2,3,4 etc. (more to come on that) so it’s fun to watch. Oh who does she actually favor? Depends who you ask (WAVE kids never get to talk about their recruitment) so outsiders seem split between Wisconsin and Stanford, but if Texas is interested, which I believe they are….not many recruits have turned down the Horns the last few years. So this could be a great battle.

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Shaye Witherspoon- OH Rockwood Thunder- PPV 293

Another one who will be sought out by many: Nebraska, Penn State, Pitt?, Louisville, Texas. “Witherspoon still looks the most college ready of the class now. I always thought she was a Husker lock, but now who knows? She just wants to go play and keeps things very close.”  

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Reagan Wallraff- OH NE ONE - PPV 237

Hitting the camp circuit hard right away, the Nebraska Outside is taking a wide look. I would say Wallraff is what you would consider “wide open” when it comes to schools and I think it is because of her game. She’s a bit of a tweener, but her game can fit multiple facets. She projects well into several different roles and I think that makes her an option for many programs. There is no doubt about her explosion, she can jump. So it may be interesting to see if she is an option 1 for any of the larger programs right away.

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Kyla Williams- MB AVC Cleveland - PPV 273

We haven’t touched on Williams in awhile and in her quiet ways she has done exactly what we expected her to do and that’s work her way up to the top of the middle hitter conversation. We believe her camp list is down to Nebraska, Texas and Pitt and that should tell you all you need to know about what the coaching world thinks of the physical Williams. I think she is perfect in the Pitt system to be honest and would be the Panthers first choice. In Nebraska you have to wonder is she a #2 to Kendall O and at Texas what is the depth factor and PT plan? But, they are Nebraska and Texas and other things always play a factor with those two. Regardless I’m really happy for Kyla she has done exactly as predicted and slowly outworked many in the class to climb “rankings” and get herself to some elite invites and she is worth all three of those.

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Eva Jeffries - OH CITY - PPV 268

We have been higher on Jeffries than most others since the beginning and again that is because of college predicting and ceiling. There are rumors of her being very high on a couple schools list. She is a very quiet young lady and doesn’t share much on socials. I have heard a couple of crazy scenarios with Jeffries however that could really shake up the class.

Is there a West Coast battle for her (there has to be). Does she get surprise interest from a big national power no one is really expecting? Or is there a sentimental favorite that sneaks in out of nowhere? I just hope Eva gets to take some time and make a good decision, but the interest is definitely growing.

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Ellery DeBoer - Setter MN Select - PPV 255

The Minnesota prospect feels like she has been setting 16s for a decade, but her camp time is finally here. She has always been a gym rat so it’s a bit hard to tell between select camps/club camps she attends for a workout or because they are close by or a friend wants her to go with them:) or because she has serious interest, but I’m thinking she narrowing her top interests to Kansas, Michigan State and Minnesota for round one. As I have said earlier in the year I think DeBoer is in a cluster of about four very talented, but very similar setters and even I have learned with college coaches they each have their own preference in what they want. I do know she competes, she adapts to knew teammates well as evidence at NTDP sessions. Those three are all ones that I have cheered for on this site and I’ve cheered for Ellery since she was at a 7th grade camp in Kairos gym so it should be an excited opportunity.

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Avery Banks - Opposite Tallahassee Volleyball Academy - PPV 170

Banks is a college project being 6’4” and has a wide variety of camps this summer in the SE region. Coaches are literally trying to determine her college ceiling. She plays with power for sure, determining her foot speed and explosion potential is going to be the key. Avery is a great example of the reason FOR Select Camps and coaches wanting athletes to get on camps and being able to see them in person. It’s like one big two month tryout, she will be ready for a vacation come end of July.

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Ellyson Randolph - Outside NC Academy - PPV 236 

A rising prospect we have covered quite a bit the last half of the season, Randolph another on that border-line depending on your program level. Some of the Top 25s may see her as a long-term project and those are becoming less common in today’s game of transfers and foreign players. Teams from 20-40 see her as someone who can play early and develop into an all-conference player later in her career. So I think you will see a variety of camps for her like Ohio State and Louisville to name a couple and you know the Durham area is full of hungry colleges who would love to add her talent. The great thing is she will have plenty of interest and it takes the one right fit.

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Asia Udo-Ema - Outside Forza 1 North - PPV 244

This is an athlete that like (DeBoer with the setters) is mixed in a cluster full of about 10 OH’s with similar resumes. It happens EVERY recruiting class you get the “slightly undersized” group that are prep ballers and explosive as *&^(* but are not 6’1” and we can watch film until we are 90 some programs simply won’t look at them. Then everyone in the volleyball world starts yelling out Jill Gillen……Asia works her tail off and can move the ball all over. She has 6 rotation capabilities at the next level. She also is open to playing anywhere in the country. I have a list of 15 athletes in the class that I have little idea where they will end up, but am very curious to see and Asia is on that list.

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Lauren Forelli - Outside AZ Revolution - PPV 275

I haven’t talked a ton about Forelli this season, but she is as well rounded as anyone in the class, right up there with Larkin in that category. That makes her sought after and valuable. She may not be overly flashy, but she is productive. Who needs that? Well every program should need that, but programs looking for consistency and especially programs looking to build or “take the next step” often want solid players to mix with 1-2 stars. So I’d look for Michigan State and Kansas to be targets. I’d also look for the hometown teams of ASU and Zona to be for more than the obvious reasons. This would be a spot that UCLA could add a solid player and I don’t know if she is true freshman good, but possibly. I don’t know if there is any connections still with her recruiting coordinator and her old hometown of Omaha, but this would be a huge get for a Creighton and a perfect Bluejay type player.

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More to come as we hear from athletes and hear about camps. So much movement in June as Big Boards shuffle constantly.