2026 Watchlist: Impressive Outside Hitters
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Prep Dig Minnesota released its debut 2026 Watchlist this week and we started small but it won’t stay that way for long. These outsides have made their presence known during the 2022 high school season and will be making their…
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Continue ReadingPrep Dig Minnesota released its debut 2026 Watchlist this week and we started small but it won’t stay that way for long. These outsides have made their presence known during the 2022 high school season and will be making their mark on the club season in the next few months. Here is a peek at six outside hitters that you will want to keep an eye on.
Bouten is long and athletic with a really high contact point. She is young and raw but with the right training the possibilities are endless. Bouten sees the court well, and is a strategic attacker that knows when to tip, tool, or go over the block with a swing that loves to tag the endline. She takes a wicked swing from the right side and can nail the co
ers from the middle making her pretty lethal from anywhere on the net. Bouten attended the North Country Region High Performance Camp last summer and you can find her playing up two age groups with MVA 17 Elite this season. I’m looking forward to seeing them in person at the Mizuno Showcase in March.
Highlights
Burley is the do-it-all swiss army knife kind of player. Last summer I saw her playing with NorthernLights 14-1 at the Prep Dig Gauntlet in Milwaukee and she was such a firecracker. It didn’t surprise me that she went on to earn AAU All-American honors in the 14 Open division. I saw her again this past fall playing as libero for Prior Lake and it’s really hard to believe that she is younger than those around her. She is mature in her body language, reaction, and skill. Burley will be a big addition for whoever picks her up in the future.
Highlights
Chlebecek is super athletic and has some serious fast footwork. She works hard in transition and has no problem tooling the block for a kill. Chlebecek also has the line shot figured out so you might not want to leave that open for her. She is definitely well trained and aggressive on offense. She will be really fun to watch for the next 3 years.
Highlights
Jensen is another player that will play wherever you need her to in order to help her team. She was part of the Kandi Elite 14-1 crew last year that won the National AAU Club Title and Jensen was named an All-American in the process. She has to be one of the most productive freshman this past fall. Jensen has a lot of promise with a very balanced attack and a lot of tools.
After watching Macal’s highlight reel you really don’t know where she is going to take her next swing because she was attacking from every spot on the net. She has a heavy arm and an aggressive approach making her one playing you don’t want to leave without a blocker. Although, a blocker may not even help because she is pretty da
good at tooling those as well.
Highlights
Murphy is a well-sized pin hitter that can attack effectively anywhere on the net. She can make a big impact with her aggressive serve and she finds ways to help her team no matter where she is on the court. Murphy moves well on the floor and is creative to score points.