I have a really hard time writing about athletes who I haven’t seen play. I appreciate notes on who to watch, but I don’t write articles based on coach or parent emails. I call these articles the “Live Eye”. Who…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inI have a really hard time writing about athletes who I haven’t seen play. I appreciate notes on who to watch, but I don’t write articles based on coach or parent emails. I call these articles the “Live Eye”. Who am I seeing in front of me? Sometimes I watch ten points, a whole set, or potentially a whole match. All depends on what is going on at the event. I also make it my goal at some of these massive tournaments to find the players I haven’t seen before. Who is out there, that just hasn’t been discovered yet. Players have goals, college coaches have agendas at events, and I do as well where I have a plan of who I need to see and when. A complicated system that is continuously being tweaked.
I have had my fair share of tournaments to get a look at some 2025s who I think can have a big impact at the next level. I’m going to focus on the liberos. These are a few of many top tier liberos out there. The season is still young!
Hadley Porter
Hadley
Porter
5'6" | DS/L
Blue Valley Southwest | 2025
State
KS
– Dynasty 16 Black
Porter’s vibe on the court is contagious where her Dynasty 16 Black team out of Kansas City loves to beat teams with plenty of gritty defense and a fast tempo offense. I was able to watch their match against Houston Juniors where HJV had the clear height advantage and were the favorites. Not a problem for Dynasty where these athletes just kept throwing punches. Porter moves and anticipates extremely well. She glides and is like a water beetle out there. Another intangible that is so impressive is that I could always hear her talking. She’s calling out the hitters, she’s telling her attackers what’s open, she motor is always on.
Keri Leimbach
Keri
Leimbach
5'4" | DS/L
Lincoln Lutheran | 2025
State
NE
– Nebraska Synergy 16 Green
Can’t help but enjoy watching this team out of the Lincoln, Nebraska area. There’s nothing flashy, they just play really clean volleyball and have the Midwest work ethic where they are more than willing to outlast the other side of the net. Leimbach has been a face for this team where she brings a little bit of swag, yet a quiet confidence. She knows when to get loud and intense, but she also has this composure where she makes the difficult plays look really easy. This team will be fun to watch during the qualifier season.
Avery Freeman
Avery
Freeman
5'4" | DS/L
Bloomington North | 2025
State
IN
– Circle City 16 Purple
I’ve written about Freeman before and she is a libero who keeps it really simple. I know she could make a flashy play here and there, but she is keeping her side of the net in system. From serve receive to taking pace off a hard driven ball, her first contact is always intentional. This is what makes Circle City 16 Purple a national title contender is their ability to play really clean volleyball and stay in system. Freeman is a huge part of this.
Olivia Foye – Surfside 16 PV Legends
Surfside stole the show at the 16s level at Triple Crown and Foye was one of the players I was not familiar with until her performance on day three. She brings a very athletic and physical style of play where she just finds a way to keep the rally going. There are a lot of balls where I was wondering how she even got a touch when playing against Houston Skyline in the title match. A hard drive swing is essential a free ball for Foye and Surfside. I’m making assumptions here, but she plays as if she’s been on the beach for years. She is creative with how she can use her hands and creates angles that will be favorable to pass for her team.
Maya Evens – Wave 17 Juliana
I was watching Evens for Wave not even realizing she was playing up an age group. She plays with such poise and control where she has great command of the backrow. She also plays for one of the top high school programs in the country in Cathedral Catholic out of the San Diego area. Her presence and intangibles are extremely high to go with her really crisp passing game. She wants the ball served at her, she wants to take control of that first touch and get her side into the fast tempo offense they are accustomed to running. She is one the PAC 12 and West Coast schools will be looking to keep close to home.
Lily Hayes – OT 16 T JP
Hayes seems like the type of athlete where no matter what court or field she’s on, she will be one of the best players and athletes. She commands the backrow like a shortstop in baseball or softball where she is always in the right position and she can pick up all the garbage plays. She is under control when things can get chaotic, putting up a really clean second ball, a throw, tip, or tool off the block. She is really great at being able to adjust on the fly. Like many of these liberos, she has a presence of quiet confidence, but at the same time she is determined to find a way to beat the opponent.
Caleigh Ponn
Caleigh
Ponn
5'6" | DS/L
Hidden Valley | 2025
State
VA
– NC Academy 16 Diamond
Ponn looks like a college libero right now. She has a ton of athleticism where she was one of the top players out of Virgina as a sophomore, collecting over 1,000 kills so far in her career (she’s 5’6). As far as her libero play, she’s essentially covering left back and middle back with the type of range. Range doesn’t come from being really long and quick, it’s a skill where liberos have to be able to read the hitter and anticipate what’s coming. She has a blend of skills where she can get quality touches making the ball better in a chaotic scramble, but yet she is incredibly under control. She is in the heart of ACC Country and will be a huge get for any of those programs.
Aniya
Warren
5'8" | DS/L
Benet Academy | 2025
IL
Aniya Warren
Aniya
Warren
5'8" | DS/L
Benet Academy | 2025
IL
– 1st Alliance 16 Gold
I have been fortunate to see Warren play at the high school level and most recently for 1st Alliance 16 Gold out of Chicagoland who will be in contention for an open bid and their eyes on the prize for some big matches at USAV in their backyard later this summer. Warren makes the plays that need to be made, but she’s someone who is also in the right place at the right time. I want to emphasize to others reading this article who aren’t quite familiar with volleyball or who have younger players that being in the right spot at the right time isn’t accidental or coincidental. Liberos are constantly reading both sides of the court and that’s what Warren brings to her side of the net.
Callie Krueger
Callie
Krueger
5'5" | DS/L
Cedar Park | 2025
State
TX
– Austin Skyline 16 Royal
Krueger could put on a clinic with how she is able to serve receive. Before the server even makes contact with the ball, Krueger is moving a few steps to be in the spot where the ball will be. She can serve receive in her midline or pass outside of her body, she never seems stressed or uncomfortable. Same goes for when she is playing defense, shes under control and poised. She is such a key piece to this incredibly balanced group for Austin Skyline. They were 15 Open qualifiers in 2022, but I think they could make another run where they could play in some big matches in 2023.
Mckenna Payne
Mckenna
Payne
5'7" | DS/L
SMCC | 2025
State
MI
– Michigan Elite 16 Mizuno
This Michigan Elite squad out of the Detroit area is a mismatch nightmare. They aren’t super physical or they don’t have the 6’4 and 6’5 kids that cause problems, but they have a ton of ball control and everyone is dynamic where they can score points with ball control, speed, and tempo. The ball control starts with
Mckenna Payne
Mckenna
Payne
5'7" | DS/L
SMCC | 2025
State
MI
. When watching Payne, she seems extremely relaxed which translates to her platform. The ball isn’t blasting off her arms, she’s not diving all over the place – she’s relaxed, efficient. This will be an exciting qualifier for this team who is accustomed to playing in big matches come gold bracket play!
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