10 Athletes Who Exploded onto My Radar at PD x USAV Showcase

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first session of the Prep Dig showcase at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships was crazy awesome. Most of the athletes were players in the classes of 2026 and 2027, though there were some from other age groups as well. This was probably their first showcase of this nature for many, and they all played incredibly. Here are some athletes who exploded onto my radar at the event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jazzlyn Hepburn - 5'10" - MB - Austin Performance - 2027 </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jazzlyn jumped onto my radar (quite literally) very early on in the showcase. She is athletic and has a massive vertical. I saw her both on the outside and in the middle and she caught my eye and made my notes app several times throughout the night, which is impressive in and of itself because there were 270 athletes in attendance!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kyla Mitchell - 6'1" - MB - Michio - 2027 </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kyla is an impact middle. When she steps on the court, she makes a difference. It was hard to leave her court because she executed no matter what ball she was given. Kyla first caught my eye when middles were working on reading opposing hitters and putting up a block. She was talented in every drill and showed her incredible talent during 6s. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Addi Bloor - 5'8" - Setter - MAVS KC - 2026 </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Addi is a setter who adjusts well no matter where she is. She was playing next to hitters she had never met, but she managed to build connections with them quickly. Addi put up consistent sets and hustled on every play. I can see how she is a great setter and is an athlete with huge potential. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='340898' first='Ashley' last='Go'] - 5'1" - DS/L - Roots - 2026 </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ashley did not let anything drop throughout the evening. She is lightning-quick on the court and has an even faster reaction time. I saw her have numerous great pancakes, though she did not dive without purpose. Ashley never missed a beat and was ready to lay out or run a ball down no matter what came over the net. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Coco Natarajan - 5'11" - Setter - Drive Nation - 2026 </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coco has some very clean hands. I swear, the ball barely touched her hands, and she had already released it and moved on. Her form is near-perfect, and she places the ball very well. She is also a lefty who can swing on the pin. Coco is an all-around talented athlete who is smart as a setter and lethal on the pin. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='266140' first='Bella' last='Potempa'] - 5'10" - OH - 1st Alliance - 2026 </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bella is an absolutely explosive athlete. She moves her approach slow to fast, and by the time she takes off, she is coiled and ready to rip a ball. She makes smart choices and moves her shots around. Bella plays to win, and her competitiveness showed throughout the showcase. Bella has the ability to play all six rotations and was key in defense at the showcase as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Lydia Stahley - 6'1" - OH - Team Indiana Elite - 2026 </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lydia was one of the top pins at the showcase tonight. She has a massive presence at the net and executed on nearly every ball. Whether she had an open net or a massive block in front of her, Lydia found ways to make an impact and earn points. She is incredibly powerful and was impressive at every turn. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ila Rose - 5'9" - Right Side - Bakersfield Volleyball Club - 2026 </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ila is a lefty pin hitter with a huge vertical. She can play on either pin, and was successful on both throughout the showcase. She also is a solid defender and is always disciplined in coverage. Ila is dynamic and well-rounded. She has huge potential as a 6-rotation athlete who is willing to play across the net and court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Amorina Compean-Costello - 5'4" - DS/L - Milwaukee Sting - 2027</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Amorina has clean form. She got her feet to the ball and would consistently run through instead of diving. She worked to get her platform and angle set early and was balanced and disciplined on defense. Amorina showed a lot of scrappiness and grit that was based on a solid foundation. She is a player to watch. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Chloe Moss - 5'7" - MB - Circle City - 2027 </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chloe might not have been the biggest middle in the gym today, but she was one of the athletes with the biggest impact. It starts with her high vertical and consistent contact on the ball. This allows her to move her swings around and add a lot of power to them. She was also impactful with her block and stood out to me several times with her high-level play. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->