Five Outside Hitters You Need To Know From The Class Of ’26

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With every updated rankings release comes a positional breakdown. Today's edition talks about five outstanding outsides that should make a major impact during club season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='254827' first='Lydia' last='Stahley'], 6-1, Roncalli, Team Indiana</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Long and lean, Lydia is a smooth-jumping, high-attacking outside that can make blocks look obsolete. She was part of a thirty-win team at Roncalli this past fall that <em>almost</em> made it to the state finals for the first time in recent memory, and should be back as a primary attacker again for the Royals. Named as part of the USAV All-Tournament team this past summer in Chicago, she's even more physical since the end of Nationals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='217453' first='Rose' last='Mahin'], 5-9, Franklin Community, Rev</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Staying south of I-70, We go a bit further south to Franklin, where Rose has been hammering the competition for two full varsity seasons. Even though she looks slight, she plays much bigger and stronger than her frame suggests. A high attack touch (10?), a whip of an arm and consistent ball control are just a few of the many traits that make Rose special, and this upcoming club season should have many doors open for her possibilities.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='221342' first='Lily' last='Jones'], 6-1, Roncalli, Circle City</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A recent transfer from Center Grove, Lily is a big and physical pin attacker that can play from either pin and uses her strength and heavy arm to her advantage. She's playing up on the 17 Black (read: 17-2) squad as the lone sophomore on a junior-heavy team. I'm a huge fan of her versatility, as she can be placed in either pin to put balls away on any tempo of ball at any time. She's also the second Roncalli sophomore on this list, which makes the Royals a popular choice for making another run to Worthen next fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='301139' first='Macie' last='Smith'], 6-0, Hamilton Heights, Academy</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The athlete with the highest attack touch on this list is Macie, who has been past ten feet for at least a full calendar year by now. She makes jumping look easy and gravity an afterthought. While up there, Miss Smith can make decisions on shots at an age where the defenses she plays against just aren't used to seeing that level of physicality. The 16-1 at Academy is loaded with talent, and Macie might be the biggest and brightest star of them all.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='216040' first='Kylie' last='Wilson'], 5-9, Fishers, Munciana</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Although listed as a middle in some of her recruiting pages, Kylie should project to be a high-flying pin attacker with a high volleyball IQ. Buried on the depth chart behind a bunch of veterans at Fishers, Kylie should be using this club season to her advantage, finally showing what she's capable of at the Open level of JVA. Springy and smart, Miss Wilson should garner a lot of attention as an O2 for a smaller school that can do a little of everything because of her athleticism.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->