Watchlist Alert : Class of 2025 Outside Hitters

The outside position has an abundance of talent in the class of 2025. The plethora of talent at the position for this class is impressive, making it a hard decision to fit all the players I want in the first drop of rankings. With that in mind, I wanted to take the time to give a shout out to some of the players that barely missed the cut from making the first set of rankings. These players are right on the fringe and in the same area as those at the end of the list, and it really only comes down to preference and nitty gritty differences between the prospects. The four outside prospects I am going to be talking about really show why the position is full of talent for college coaches to look at for the next couple seasons.

Sarahbelle Jameson Sarahbelle Jameson 6'1" | OH Creekside | 2025 FL (JJVA)

Sarahbelle has an array of skills on the offensive side of the ball that really caught my eye. One of the hardest skills to teach let alone execute is the ability for pin hitters to hit high and deep. She does a fantastic job with keeping the ball in front and rotating her arm to reach high out in front. When she contacts the ball, she stays behind the ball so she can drive the ball deep. Most athletes at her position are only taught to hit hard and low to try to bounce the ball. At the next level, the best thing for pin hitters to do is to swing hard, high, and deep. Other than that type of swing, Sarahbelle still has the awareness to bounce the ball or take some speed off and roll it to any spot on the court. She has a great understanding of the game not just offensively but defensively as well. Her future collegiate program is going to love the array of skills that she brings to the table and the consistency she’s able to play with as well.

Charlotte Mongin Charlotte Mongin 5'10" | OH Barron Collier | 2025 FL (Gulfside)

Charlotte may not be the most athletic or the most explosive player, but brings everything that a coach could ever hope and imagine for from a prospect. She’s one of my favorite players to watch because of the attitude and mentality she plays the game with in conjunction with the skills she possesses. She has every shot, tip, push, or roll shot that you can think of and has a great understanding of when and where to use it. She opens those types of shots up by also having the ability to swing aggressively with range. She can hit line, seams, and hard cross no matter the tempo or location of the set. She’s a major asset for both her school and club teams with her understanding of the game and the technique she’s been taught over the years. She’s consistent in her approach to the ball whether she’s hitting, blocking, or passing. She has full control of the things that she is able to control and it’s one of the most impressive aspects I’ve seen from a 2025 prospect.

Zara Stewart (USA South)

Zara is one of the most fluid and smooth volleyball prospects I have been able to evaluate. She’s an animal on the beach court, but brings a ton to the table for her indoor club and high school teams as well. Being a beach player, she is proficient in the ability to put the ball into the spot it needs to go through whether she rolls, tips, or pushes. What makes her different then most hitters is the level of accuracy and effectiveness with the shots that she does use. The best part about her shots is that they build off of the shots she has done previously. For example, if she sees that the off blocker is crashing for the donut roll she knows that the cut shot from area 4 to the opposite area 4 will be wide open. These are small examples of the different level of IQ that Zara shows on the court. On top of shots, she has a whip of an arm when she decides to hit it hard. When you combine all of that offensive firepower with her ability to read the court on defense, she’s an intriguing prospect for her size and skill combination that she brings to the court.

Zori Brown (Wildfire)

Zori is the type of athlete that makes everything she does look so easy, even when it’s not. She has the range to hit down the line to hard cross with pace and while taking some pace off as well. She has the control of her arm swing and her body that she can manipulate the ball that creates that range. My favorite part of her game has to be when she decides to put her body behind the ball and drive it through the floor. When she’s aggressive like that, she’s almost impossible to stop. Outside of hitting, I love how calm yet strong her platform is in serve receive and in defense. She uses her athleticism to keep balance while crashing to the ball with her feet. She’s the six rotation outside that all programs at the next level look for when it comes to her ability to execute on the offensive and defensive side. She’s an exceptional prospect that still has so much to grow and learn from on her road to playing at the next level.

As I go through each of the outsides on the Watchlist, it’s very clear to me that there is so much talent in the state of Florida at the outside position. These are prospects that really only have small holes in their game to fix and have every opportunity to step up into the top 50 at minimum. The athleticism and skill that is being showcased by this position makes it really difficult for people like me to differentiate the prospects; the smallest of details are so important to separate these prospects from each other.