Weekly Risers: Who Caught Our Attention This Week?

Elle Walker | 2029 | S/OPP | A5 | PPV: 89.5

Elle Walker continues to trend upward in the 2029 class, and her résumé is giving us plenty of reasons to take notice. The A5 setter/opposite has already collected some significant recognition, including 2025 AAU All-American honors, a 2025 USVA All-Tournament Team selection, and a spot on the 2025 PHENOM Watch List. Walker has continued building on that momentum, helping her team to a 2026 AAU Nationals Premier Silver Medal while also earning HS All-Region Team recognition as a freshman at Hebron Christian Academy. She was also named UA NEXT Middle School MVP, giving her an impressive track record of performing well across multiple levels of competition. With an 89.5 PPV, Walker is firmly in our high-level range and is one of the 2029 risers we're most interested in following. Her ability to contribute as both a setter and opposite only adds to the intrigue as she continues to develop.

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Channing Minton | 2028 | Lib/DS | MAVS KC | PPV: 88.3

Channing Minton is rising at exactly the right time, with a major recruiting milestone now added to an already impressive résumé. The 2028 libero/DS recently verbally committed to Lipscomb, giving us another reason to move her into the spotlight. Minton has consistently shown the qualities we look for in a high-level back-row player: steady serve receive, quick defensive reads, controlled ball handling, and the ability to keep her team in system. Her résumé includes being named a Top 50 player in the state of Missouri for the 2028 class, a 2025 USVB JR Bronze Medal winner in the National Division, and a member of the LOVB Club Athlete Council. Her commitment to Lipscomb is a natural next step for a player whose stock has continued to climb. With an 88.3 PPV, Minton is firmly in our high-level range, and we're excited to see what she does next. Be sure to check out Channing's highlight reel on her VBAdrenaline profile.

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Lowe Long | 2028 | OH/OPP | Tri-State Elite | PPV: 90.1

Lowe Long is rising with a major recruiting win now attached to her name, as the 2028 OH/OPP has verbally committed to Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. At 6'1" with a 118" approach touch and 114" block touch, Long brings an impressive physical profile to the pin and has the résumé to match. She earned 2026 All-American Honorable Mention recognition, has been an AAU All-American and All-Tournament Team selection, and was named MVP and team captain. She has also competed in two AAU Elite 8 finishes and earned recognition on the JVA Girls and Ohio Valley Watch Lists, along with a UA NEXT invite. With a 90.1 PPV, Long sits firmly in our high-level range. Her combination of size, versatility, experience, and proven success makes this a great recruiting win for Westmont as the Warriors add a dynamic 2028 pin to their future roster. Westmont just landed one of the biggest risers on our board.

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Alexa Porter | 2029 | S/DS | VC Nebraska | PPV: Watch List

Alexa Porter is a 2029 setter/DS from VC Nebraska who continues to build her experience and gain valuable exposure as she develops her game. Porter recently competed at USAV Nationals and has added camp experience at both Nebraska-Lincoln and Creighton, giving her opportunities to learn and compete in strong volleyball environments. We're keeping Porter on our Watch List as she continues to develop and gain more experience at the club level. Her versatility between setter and DS gives her multiple ways to contribute, and we'll be following her progress as the 2029 class continues to take shape.

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Malie Ogbechie | 2028 | OH | Sports Academy Volleyball Club | PPV: 93.0

Malie Ogbechie is continuing to climb in the 2028 class, and her recent success has only strengthened her profile. The 6'0" outside hitter from Sports Academy Volleyball Club recently represented the American Samoa National Team at the 2026 Oceania Zonal Volleyball Championships, helping the team earn a silver medal. Ogbechie has been building an impressive résumé for several seasons, including back-to-back Marmonte League championships, a 2025 Under Armour NEXT invitation, a No. 10 SCVA ranking, and a fourth-place finish at the 2025 SoCal Championships. Her combination of athleticism, physicality, and continued development has made her a player we've watched rise throughout the 2028 class. Now, that momentum has led to the next chapter: Ogbechie is verbally committed to Princeton University. With a 93.0 PPV, Malie is firmly in our elite range, and her combination of high-level experience and continued growth makes her a major addition to Princeton's future roster.

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Masina Ogbechie | 2026 | OPP/OH | City Volleyball Club | PPV: 92.8

Masina Ogbechie has been one of the most accomplished players in the 2026 class for years, and her continued success makes her impossible to leave out. The 6'0" OPP/OH recently represented the American Samoa National Team at the 2026 Oceania Zonal Volleyball Championships, helping the team earn a silver medal. Ogbechie's résumé is loaded with recognition, including 2025 AVCA High School Honorable Mention All-American, AVCA All-America All-Region, AVCA Best and Brightest First Team, All-County First Team, and Marmonte League First Team honors. She was also named Oaks Christian School's Offensive Player of the Year and has been recognized as the top opposite in California. With a 92.8 PPV, Masina sits firmly in our elite range. She's athletic, physical, and continues to refine her game, making her the kind of player who has stayed on the radar at the highest levels of the class. And she'll be taking that talent to Harvard, where she has been committed to continue her academic and volleyball career. And yes, this means the Ogbechie sisters both made this week's risers. That's not something we normally do, but when two sisters are making this much noise, we're making an exception. 

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Harper Myrback | 2029 | S/OPP | OTVA | PPV: 89.2

We haven't talked about Harper Myrback enough. That's changing now. The 6'0" 2029 setter/opposite from OTVA has quietly built one of the more impressive résumés in her class, and we're giving her the attention she deserves. Myrback was a 2025 UA NEXT Middle School MVP, earned a 2026 UA NEXT High School Invite, and was named a starting setter at the event. She's also been recognized on the 2025 AVCA Phenom Watch List and invited to the AVCA Phenom College Preparatory Program & Showcase. Her high school résumé includes a 2025 CCHS Offensive MVP Award, while her academic side is just as strong with National Honor Society and Academic High Honors recognition. She's also continued gaining college-level exposure through camps at Auburn, Ole Miss, and Florida. With a 112" block touch and 114" approach touch, Myrback brings plenty of physicality to both sides of her game. Her 89.2 PPV puts her firmly in our high-level range, and we're expecting her name to become a much more familiar one as the 2029 class continues to develop.

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Ava Dougherty | 2029 | S/OPP | Dallas Premier | PPV: 84.8

Ava Dougherty is coming into this high school season with some serious momentum. The 2029 setter/opposite is officially back playing high school volleyball at Walnut Grove, and after spending the summer getting plenty of reps, we're already seeing that work show up in her game. Dougherty also made the most of her summer recruiting exposure, attending camps at North Texas, Abilene Christian, and Tarleton. The combination of consistent reps and college-level camp experience has given her plenty of opportunities to continue sharpening her game heading into the season. With an 84.8 PPV, Dougherty is a player we're continuing to track closely in the 2029 class. The summer reps are showing, and we're interested to see where that momentum takes her next.

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Sophie Taylor | 2028 | OH/OPP | Infinity Volleyball Club

500 career kills is a pretty good reason to put someone on the risers list. Sophie Taylor has reached a major career milestone, becoming the latest member of the 500-kill club. The 6'0" OH/OPP has already built an impressive résumé, earning AVCA Phenom honors as both a freshman and sophomore, 7A All-Region First Team recognition, and NWR Varsity MVP and Offensive MVP honors. Taylor's physical tools add another layer to her profile, with a 115" approach touch and 113" block touch. Her combination of size, production, and proven success has made her a consistent name to watch throughout the 2028 class. Now, she's taking that experience to the next level as a verbal commit to Southern Miss.

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Liv Gray | 2030 | S/OPP | WD Nation | PPV: 83.1

Liv Gray is putting together a strong summer and giving us another reason to move her up our radar. The 5'11" 2030 setter/opposite was recently named to the 2026 AAU All-Tournament Team after helping her team capture the 2026 15 & Under Aspire title at AAU Nationals. That kind of tournament success is exactly what we like to see from a young player continuing to establish herself. Gray has also shown plenty of competitive versatility outside of volleyball, earning Volleyball Offensive MVP honors in 2024 while also leading her basketball team in scoring and rebounding in 2025. She has additionally been recognized as Best Offensive Player and Player of the Game. With an 83.1 PPV, Gray is a player we're continuing to watch closely as the 2030 class develops. The AAU All-Tournament Team recognition is the latest step in what could be a very promising climb.

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Makayla Roose | 2028 | MB/OH | NKYVC | PPV: 87.7

We haven't talked about Makayla Roose nearly enough. That's changing. The 2028 MB/OH is getting ready to start the high school season back up with Notre Dame Academy, giving us another opportunity to highlight a player who has quietly built a very strong résumé. Roose is also a verbal commit to Cincinnati, making her a major part of the Bearcats' future. Her résumé already includes a 2026 JVA Watch List selection, a 2026 Nike Classic 16U Open Championship, a 2025 State Championship runner-up finish, and a 2025 UA NEXT selection in Louisville. She was also named 2025 District Tournament MVP and received a USAV NTDP Experience invitation. Roose brings athleticism to the floor as well, earning a 2025 Regional Championship in the high jump, while her leadership has been recognized with Varsity Team Leadership Awards in both 2024 and 2025. She also earned Cincinnati Enquirer All-City Honorable Mention recognition in 2025. With an 87.7 PPV, Roose is firmly on our radar, and we're excited to see what she does as she gets back into the high school season. Cincinnati is getting a versatile, athletic player with plenty of experience behind her. Check out Makayla's highlight reel on her VBAdrenaline profile.

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Gianna Soto | 2030 | Lib/DS/S | Austin Skyline Jrs | PPV: Watch List

Gianna Soto is one of those players who makes you do a double take at her graduation year. After a strong club season, Soto has made a lot of progress as a player, and the development really shows on film. She's a quick, scrappy defender who has the instincts and movement you want to see from a true libero. But then she starts setting out of system, and there's another side to her game that immediately stands out. What makes Soto especially interesting is how mature her game looks for a 2030. She reads the court well, competes for every ball, and shows versatility that gives her more than one way to impact a match. This summer, she continued building that experience through the Austin Skyline Jrs College Coaches Camp and a camp at Rice. We're keeping Soto on the Watch List for now because of her age, but the talent and development are absolutely worth following. The more film we watch, the more we like what we're seeing from this young 2030.

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Graycen Cawthon | 2028 | Setter | Aftershock VBC

Graycen Cawthon is heading into the high school season with plenty of momentum. The 2028 setter is getting ready to start the season at Morgan County High School after a productive summer that included camps at Middle Tennessee, North Alabama, Lander, and Georgia College & State University, along with a team camp at Coastal Carolina. Cawthon already has plenty of competitive experience behind her, including back-to-back GHSA AA State Championships in 2024 and 2025, a 2025 First Team All-Region selection, and a spot on the 2025 AVCA Phenom Watch List. Her club résumé also includes an AAU Premier Championship, NEQ USA Championship, and AAU National Championship. Now, with another high school season ahead, we're looking forward to seeing how Cawthon builds on that experience and continues to develop her game.

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Josephine Austen | 2029 | OPP/MB | Iowa United | PPV: 84.7

At 6'2", Josephine Austen already brings a physical presence to the 2029 class, and she's heading back into the high school season with Iowa City West. After earning All-Conference honors as a freshman in Iowa's 5A classification, Austen has established herself as a player capable of making an impact early in her high school career. Her summer was filled with valuable college-level experience, including camps at Iowa, Iowa State, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Harvard. That exposure, combined with another year of development, gives Austen plenty of momentum heading into the new season. With an 84.7 PPV, Austen remains firmly on our radar as a 2029 player to follow. Her size, versatility between opposite and middle, and early high school success make her an interesting player to watch as the season gets underway.

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Madison Garcia | 2029 | Lib/DS | Tribe Volleyball | PPV: 84.4

Madison Garcia has spent the summer adding experience to an already impressive early high school résumé. The 2029 libero/DS has been getting college-level exposure through camps at Auburn, Alabama, UTEP, Florida State, and FAU, giving her plenty of opportunities to continue developing her game. Garcia has been playing up for much of her career, competing on high school varsity since seventh grade after playing JV as a sixth grader. In 2024, she represented the Florida Region at the All-Star Games, helping the team earn a silver medal. She also made an early impact at the club level, starting at just 12 years old on a team that won 15s AAU in 2023. Most recently, Garcia was named a 2025 Fall Season Honorable Mention by the Miami Herald among the top volleyball athletes in Miami-Dade County. With an 84.4 PPV, Garcia continues to be a player we're watching as she develops through the 2029 class. Her early varsity experience and extensive summer work make this next season an important one for her continued rise.

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