Emerald City Classic: 2027s That Turned Heads

The Emerald City Classic tournament is back for its 35th year! The University of Washington hosts some of the top volleyball teams from Oregon, Washington, and northern Idaho, and PrepDig was lucky enough to see them in action.    While the emphasis of this tournament was to watch athletes from the class of 2024 to 2026, a handful of 2027s stood out. I was able to swing to watch a little bit of the Webfoot 14-1 versus OJVA 14-1 match and took note of some athletes that impressed. Plus, I saw three 2027s that were playing up to 15 Open and made a huge impact.   [player_tooltip player_id='509773' first='Anna' last='Crawford'] [ 2027 // Webfoot 14-1 // Setter // 5'7" ]   Crawford executed a 5-1 as the primary setter for Webfoot 14-1. She oozed athleticism and moved around the court with confidence. She was an absolute workhorse, running all over the court, getting her hands on the ball, and putting up something for her hitters to work with. She was already incredibly offensive, showcasing no fear. A left-handed attacker, when she was in the front row she was not afraid to swing away on the second ball. Crawford will be an athlete to keep your eyes on over the next few seasons.    [player_tooltip player_id='472199' first='Piper' last='Hanson'] [ 2027 // Webfoot 14-1 // Outside // 5'8" ]   Hanson was an offensive weapon for the Webfoot 14-1 team. Shouldering a huge offensive load, she was their six-rotation outside hitter and was utilized all over the place. Her court vision and high IQ were impressive; she created tons of point-scoring opportunities for herself with well-placed swings, tips, chips, and shots. She played with a ton of finesse and confidence. A young athlete with lots of potential, she'll be an athlete to have on your radar.    <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15970502/Isabella-Hunt">[player_tooltip player_id='400527' first='Isabella' last='Hunt']</a> [ 2027 // OJVA 14-1 // Outside // 5'8" ]   Hunt was a major contributor all around for OJVA 14-1. Bouncy, with an impressive vertical jump, she was a relentless attacker. High flying with an explosive approach, she was technically very sound. Elevating with a high contact point, she racked up tons of kills from all over the court, utilized in both the front and back row. She has tons of power, so when she connects with the ball, it is booming. She took the court with lots of competitive energy. Hunt will be an exciting athlete to watch progress over the next few seasons given her raw athleticism and solid foundation of skills.   [player_tooltip player_id='509761' first='Savannah' last='McKibben'] [ 2027 // Webfoot 14-1 // Defensive specialist // 5'6" ]   McKibben was seen sporting the libero jersey for Webfoot 14-1. She anchored the back row with confidence. Her defensive reads and moves were incredibly high-level and advanced for her age. She was flying all over the court to keep the ball alive. With a super solid platform on serve receive, she created great angles to feed the ball to the setters. McKibben will definitely be an athlete to keep your eye on as she enters the world of high school volleyball.    <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/18925152/Abbey-Meier">[player_tooltip player_id='447969' first='Abbey' last='Meier']</a> [ 2027 // OJVA 14-1 // Outside // 5'9" ]   Meier has skyrocketed this past season in terms of improvement. Her play at ECC was a testament to this. When watching OJVA 14-1 play, she was not seen off the court as a six-rotation pin hitter. She has a nice high contact and was seen blasting the ball deep corner and down the line. Still raw with lots of potential, Meier will be an athlete to have on your radar as she continues to develop over the next few seasons.    <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15970570/Ashlyn-Pedersen">[player_tooltip player_id='399229' first='Ashlyn' last='Pedersen']</a> [ 2027 // OJVA 14-1 // Middle // 6'1" ]   Pedersen immediately stood out on the OJVA 14-1 team given her height, already an impressive 6'1”. The OJVA 14-1 team relied heavily on both of their middles, and Pedersen consistently rose to the occasion. She was quick in transition and readily made herself available to the setters. When set, she found a way to score. She would bury the ball deep corner, turning it to right back when the opportunity presented itself, or put over a well-placed tip. There is no doubt Pedersen will be a highly sought-after recruit from the class of 2027.   <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/19039884/Shannara-Peebles">[player_tooltip player_id='499310' first='Shannara' last='Peebles'] </a>[ 2027 // WVBA 15-1 // Outside // 6'0" ]   Playing up an age bracket with WVBA 15-1, Peebles found a way to contribute. An outside hitter, she definitely shouldered an offensive load when in the front row. She did a good job exploding into the attack. She put the ball away all over the court, swinging deep corner, sharp cross, and down the line. Oozing athleticism and tons of potential, Peebles is an athlete you'll want to have on your radar.    [player_tooltip player_id='412070' first='Mara' last='Sandberg'] [ 2027 // CPA 15-1 // Outside // 5'10" ]   Sandberg immediately stood out when watching the CPA 15-1 team play, given her physicality. When I found out she was 2027, I almost didn't believe it, given how solid she was in every aspect of the game. She was their offensive weapon during the finals versus Oly Reign. She seemed to elevate when attacking. She used the block when needed and swung away when the opportunity presented itself. Across the back row, she exudes confidence and is technically solid on both serve receive and defense. She is already such a complete six-rotation pin; there is no doubt she will be a highly sought-after recruit from the class of 2027.   [player_tooltip player_id='499473' first='Katie' last='Strong'] [ 2027 // No Limits 16-1 // Defensive specialist // 5'6 ]   Strong suited up as the libero for No Limits. She was vocal and did a good job narrating the game for her team. She was scrappy and made great reads on defense. Her coverage for her hitters is exceptional; she was able to pick up tons to keep the team in the rally. She has beautiful hands and puts up a nice, high, out-of-system set for the pins.

The Emerald City Classic tournament is back for its 35th year! The University of Washington hosts some of the top volleyball teams from Oregon, Washington, and northern Idaho, and PrepDig was lucky enough to see them in action.