Two Months Out: '28 Rankings Setters

2028 Positional Rankings (with National Rank)

Based on PPV Evaluations:  Setters

​

Diamond Level

Taimane Ainu’u - Kaulukoa Haiwaii - Position 1 Class 2 Region: Cali-Isles

She has been the #1 since the prep season and continues to hold that spot consistently

​

Josalyn Samuels - Kairos South Dakota - Position 2 Class 4 Region: Plains 

Samuels made a big national jump a month or so ago with her updated physical stats update and securely locked down the #2 setter position, but moved up the national rankings.

​

Gold Level

​

Alexandre Knox - 3DGE Pennsylvania - Position 3 Class 8 Region: Lakes 

Knox has been locked in at #3 in for some time now and has been a top 10 prospect in our list and many “who matter” for over a year. She is the most fundamentally sound of all the setters.

​

Silver Level

​

Chloe Burbage - NC Academy North Carolina - Position 4 Class 16 Region: Chesapeake-Carolinas

Burbage has maybe made the most progress of any top setter in the nation since last summer and is securely at #4. Her physical growth has been remarkable over the past 10 months, and her confidence has grown with it.

​

Molly Monday - TRIBE Volleyball Florida - Position 5 Class 19 Region: Southeast

Monday seems to be more of a “regional” preference, but the schools that like her, really like her, and she is in high demand. The thing with Monday is that she is brand new to the “OPEN VB” scene, so her ceiling is very high, and programs like that, where she may be much more willing to sit and learn for a year or two than most other top setters coming in.

​

Tegan Loechler - Milwaukee Sting, Wisconsin - Position 6, Class 21, Region: Lakes

Loechler may make a vertical jump, yet before June, again we have talked about her indecision on what she wants to play in college (setter or pin), and she is capable of both. So it is hard to rank her as a truly top setter when you are not sure she even wants to play that at the next level. Now she is deserving of the Top 20 class evaluation, but I would say her value as a Pin drops her a bit in the overall evaluation compared to if she is recruited as a setter. I also argue (strictly from being a former coach and talking to many) that the setter position is hard at the next level, and I wouldn’t take her as a setter if she has any doubts about playing the position. Play pin and be happy there, be an emergency setter if that is what you want.

​

Tatum Kelly - 1st Alliance Illinois - Position 7 Class 23 Region Lakes

Kelly has been to all of the camps and has been invited to all of the USA VB events. She is a VB lifter and is solid. The question is, how high is her remaining ceiling, as a few of her classmates have physically passed her in the past year? That isn’t everything, but it matters in big-time volleyball now, as you have to be physical to withstand the toll. Now, fundamentally, is where Kelly excels and is still one of the tops in the class, so it will be interesting to see how schools weigh the two come June.

​

Sydney Whisenton - Alamo Volleyball Texas - Position 8 Class 34 Region: Lonestar

Whisenton has put up jaw-dropping stats at the prep level and is just a great personality to be around on the court. She does so many things well and is an electric personality that can hit, but is a setter. You will look at her height, but she is so productive and wins. We tried to downgrade her PPV at the beginning of the year because of her physical stats, but simply couldn’t because of her play and the comments from scouts. Whisenton is a great volleyball player with the build to succeed at the next level. Unfortunately, the size limitation will cap the prestige level of a program she gets an offer from at some point, but it will be interesting to see just how far she climbs in June. She’s under the radar nationally, but good. I can see one more PPV jump for her before June 15

​

Elite Red Level

​

Charli Niu - Austin Performance Texas - Position 9 Class 49 Region: Lonestar

This has been “the athlete that has grown on us the most” this season, no questions asked. So we really have to take a step back when evaluating her volleyball from her likability. First off, Charli is going to make a killing NIL-wise (the legal way it was actually intended for), no matter where she goes, because she is Charli and volleyball, and the world needs like 10,000 more of her pushing positivity and promoting other people.

Volleyball-wise, we will let her tell her story, but for someone we had never heard of before this season, she is really, really good. We honestly can’t get a read on her best fit. I don’t know if we have ever said “too physical for a setter”, but that might be Niu. She just physically dominates the position and towers above many pins she plays against. Her touch and accuracy have improved, and obviously, her block and athleticism at the position are excellent.

Again, I can see her getting a really good offer because she could be multi-positional and because of what she brings to the program culture and locker room-wise. Setter-wise, I would say she is a Top 25 type program right now, but her name has been relatively quiet.

​

Landry McRae - Excel Texas - Position 10 Class 54 Region: Lonestar

McRae is one we have followed this season, along with a couple of her teammates, and their team has had a really good season. She is a solid recruit, and I think she has offers in the region from multiple conferences and then a few schools from distance. She will need to adapt to the physicality and tempo of college and also the consistency, but she has played at a high level in Texas, so she is going to get several schools looking at her.

​

Payton Woodruff - Legacy Michigan - Position 11 Class 59 Region: Lakes

Woodruff has led a Legacy team in big matches and is being looked at by many schools in the P4 conferences. She is a vocal setter who communicates extremely well, and she moves well on the court. As you would expect from a Legacy player, her technique is exceptional as well. You are getting a fundamentally sound setter.

​

Nyah Harris - KC Power, Missouri - Position 12, Class 62, Region: Plains

Harris is physical and aggressive for her position. She plays the game with an edge, and her squad follows her. The Power has had a great season behind her, and she is a bit of a wild card in this class as she is #2 and #3 on some bigger schools' lists and then #1 for some of those rising P4 schools or top mid-major programs, so it will be up to what she wants to do right away.

​

Ava Kiernan - Michigan Elite Michigan - Position 13 Class 64 Region: Lakes

Kiernan is another under-the-radar player in this class who may wait a bit to decide. She will get plenty of mid-major looks, but will also be option 2 and 3 for bigger schools. She is a solid setter and another poster child for the recruiting calendar to be pushed back another year.

​

Emmy Garner - Tennessee Performance Tennessee - Position 14 Class 76 Region: Southeast

One of the top setters in the SE, Emmy has been on the rise all season. Setting for one of the top MBs in the country, and her team having a great season, she has received a lot of attention and has taken advantage of it.

​

Red Level

​

Chloe Taylor - WAVE California - Position 15 Class 88 Region: Cali-Isles

Taylor has been on the rise for the last month. Playing in a 6-2 this season, she is learning her new role, and her team is getting better as the season moves on. Taylor is athletic, and her accuracy is improving. You can see her beach history with the way she can make plays out of the system and turn them into scoring opportunities. Taylor will have plenty of local and national schools reaching out come June. She will also have a very good chance to move up before June, the way she is playing lately.

​

Chelsea Torrence - A5 Georgia - Position 16 Class 89 Region: Southeast

Many Torrence has made a huge jump this season after getting major playing time after an injury put her in the lineup at the beginning of the season. Torrence brings a block presence, but also touch, and she has such a connection with all of her weapons on that powerful A5 team. Torrence is another who has her best days ahead of her and has a high ceiling. Several schools think that she is only going to get better and better with more and more reps.

​

Macie Chase - Houston Juniors Texas - Position 17 Class 91 Region: Lone Star

Chase has been working all season with her Houston Jrs squad. She is healthy and getting stronger. She works hard and loves the game. She camped at several places last summer, so she has an idea of what she wants near or far.  

​

Che Tachibana - Serve and Spike Hawaii - Position 18 Class 100 Region: Cali-Isles

Tachibana is another from Hawaii who is a solid prospect and is being looked at on the mainland.

​

Janie Myers - A5 Georgia - Position 19 Class 102 Region: Southeast

Myers is coming back from an early-season injury and trying to get in front of college coaches before June 15th. This is tricky because she is a solid setter, but not elite so it is hard for coaches to offer sometimes when they haven’t seen an injured athlete all season. Myers may need to do some individual workouts or get to some camps healthy before June to move up.

​

Evann Beville - TAV Texas - Position 20 Class 118 Region: Lone Star

Beville has been the setter for the dream team of 16s volleyball, so she has definitely had weapons to set to, and she has had many coaches at her court. She should get offers, but you would think they would be the smaller P4 or mid-major type schools. She is a solid setter.