2026 Rankings: Top Five Prospects
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With the 2026 Ohio class now ranked, it should be noted that this list will continue to evolve as we learn about more prospects and continue to evaluate the progress of athletes going forward. Given the last year and a…
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Continue ReadingWith the 2026 Ohio class now ranked, it should be noted that this list will continue to evolve as we learn about more prospects and continue to evaluate the progress of athletes going forward. Given the last year and a half of watching a lot of Ohio’s 2026 prospects compete over two club seasons and for their respective high school teams, here are the inaugural top-five prospects for Ohio 2026, which was a big challenge given the depth of talent throughout Ohio.
Mallory Matheny
Mallory
Matheny
5'11" | S
Bishop Hartley | 2026
State
OH
– S | Ohio #1 (*pictured)
Matheny runs an offense better than any setter in this class as well as by comparison to some more experienced setters in our other ranked classes in Ohio. She has great size for this position at 5’11 that combines well with her being very savvy with ability to set with precision and consistency. What is very impressive about her given her experience level is that she knows how to balance the distribution and has the court awareness to understand the touch and force needed to create the right tempo and location when on the move. She commands her team well during play, which includes leading them to a USAV 14U Open-level gold medal last club season and then following that up with a 2023 15U gold at AAU nationals and then a runner-up silver medal in the most recent USAV GJNC 15U Open division last week. For her Bishop Hartley team, she combines with one of the top setters in our 2024 rankings to share the setting role, earning herself over 300 assists and finishing second on the team in aces in 2022.
Cara Richter
Cara
Richter
6'0" | OH
MND | 2026
State
OH
– OH | Ohio #2
The depth of pin hitters in this class is big and Richter was selected given her skill set, arm, and athleticism that has led to her success during the club season and as a freshman for Mount Notre Dame. She averaged 2.34 kills per set establishing herself as one of the best young prospects in arguably the toughest league in the state. At 6’0, over the most recent club season she demonstrated greater authority in her ability to terminate emphatically as her contact point combined with her arm speed and ability to swing aggressively through the full range of the floor has her on a path to be an elite prospect come recruiting time. Richter helped guide her team to the 15U open division at the recent GJNC.
Gabby Semona
Gabby
Semona
6'3" | MB
St. Ursula Academy - Cincinnati | 2026
State
OH
– MB | Ohio #3
Semona’s stock has steadily climbed over the course of the recent club season. She was a reserve athlete for St. Ursula last fall and will likely assume a more prominent role following the graduation of an all-league DI prospect ahead of her. Her length at 6’3 is a huge asset as she is long and uses her reach and contact point well on both sides of the ball. Offensively, she has increased her impact as a middle hitter given the increased quality of her movement around the setter, including becoming more dynamic and effective off of one foot overheard. On the defensive side, this is where she stands out in the class as a middle blocker as she has good footwork patterns to be able to front opposing hitters well and fill up big space above the tape. She helped her team to a top-10 finish at the recent 2023 AAU national event in the 15U open division.
Emma Frietch
Emma
Frietch
5'6" | DS/L
Saint Ursula Academy | 2026
State
OH
– L/DS | Ohio #4
There are some very good liberos in this class in Ohio with Frietch being selected as the top in this position for our initial rankings. She flat out elevates her teams as she makes things happen that helps better their opportunities to score points. At 5’6, her ability to pursue the ball to the floor with quickness and range aren’t just creating touches and keeping the ball alive, they are developing opportunities for setters to be able to deliver the ball through multiple options in transition. Another area she excels in is the intangibles such as her confidence, competitiveness as well as some physical aspects like her body control on the defensive side and the support she provides to deliver a second touch on the money. She was the best first-year defensive specialist-type prospect in the uber competitive GGCL for St. Ursula with an average of 2.5 digs per set while finishing #6 in the league in service aces. This recent club season she helped guide her team to a successful effort that included once again qualifying for the open-level division in their age group at USAV nationals.
Alia Schoonover
Alia
Schoonover
6'0" | MB
Buckeye Valley | 2026
State
OH
– MB | Ohio #5
The middles were the biggest challenge regarding the ranking of the top prospects and as Schoonover was selected as the #2 middle in the initial rankings, she is still extremely good while possessing some skills that top other middles on this list. The biggest area for Schoonover to make gains going forward is on the defensive side and finding ways to make similar levels of impact by comparison to other prospects with more length. She does have good quickness to move from pin to pin defensively and establish a block for their defense to react around her and can stuff opposing hitters as she elevates and then presses well when on time. Where she clearly stands out in this position is on the offensive side as she knows how to create the right timing and space around her setter while showing great arm control to swing with pace and range in the air. Additionally, she is the best slide attacker in this group. For her Buckeye Valley team, she led their offense as a freshman at 4.0 kills per set and a .249 attack efficiency in seeing the most swings on the squad. Look for her to show more dominance during the upcoming high school season.