New names to know from the Prep Dig Expo

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the fun things about the expo is you get to see players you may not know as much about coming into the day. These are frankly players I don't know much about after the high school and previous club seasons. So it's also a practice to try to talk about players who I just don't know. Here are some players who stood out where I had little intel about them coming into the day. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='492582' first='Lexi' last='Blaine'] - S/DS - Mill Valley/[program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] - 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blaine stood out to me primarily as a back-row defender. What alerted me first to her play was how vocal she was on the court. She took control of balls anywhere within her reach and kept the floor clean. She displayed some of her skills as a setter as well but could see her becoming a college prospect as a defender. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='492573' first='Ainsley' last='Aten'] - DS/L - Spring Hill/[program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I know one of my colleagues spoke about her on social media but Aten caught my eye as well. She was one of the more accurate passers on the day and also showed strong hands as a defender. You see a level of intensity in her you like to see in your libero. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='486262' first='Siree' last='Ridder'] - OH - Olathe West/Mavs - 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The thing that impressed me most about Ridder was her ability to take high-quality swings from both pins in drill work and live competition. She wasn't afraid to let it rip and found success in the attack. Her shot selection, deciding when to take something off or tooling the block shows her confidence and experience.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shaylee Howard - MB - Bentonville/Ozark Jrs. - 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's obvious I don't know much about Howard...she's from Arkansas. However, her lateral movement at the net stood out as a blocker. Watching her send a block back from the middle and then quickly transitioning to a pin to get another block touch was fun to watch. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='357577' first='Addyson' last='Staples'] - OH - Park Hill/[program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] - 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I like unselfish players. That is what drew my attention to Staples. She came in and did most of her work from the outside but had no problem jumping into 6 on 6 action in the middle when they didn't have any middle. And because of this, I was able to watch her and admire her play. She has good arm action on her swing and takes a good approach to attack. As a pin, I thought she was consistent in the passing game and had good footwork to prepare to swing. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cate McCullough - RS - Incarnate Word/[program_tooltip program_id='428799' first='Rockwood' last='Thunder'] - 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McCullough stood out with her heavy arm. She was one of the few pure opposites in the building and I was impressed with her ability to score in bunches with a variety of shots. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='492574' first='Alana' last='Donoho'] - DS/L - Junction City/Momentum - 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The littles don't get enough love but I keep my eye out for them. Donoho jumped on my radar because her block coverage was next level. The number of balls she kept off the floor due to being in the right spot and staying low is a difference-maker. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Briella Hendrick - DS/L - Derby/Shockwave - 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After getting her name corrected on the roster, Hendrick followed by showing her defensive playmaking abilities along the back row. I like how she reads the hitters to position herself and see what's going on in front of her. This allowed her to anticipate shot locations and get to tips with ease. She is a player who can easily anchor the defense behind the block for many teams. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='492583' first='Lucy' last='Anderson'] - OH - Frontenac/MVP - 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With very few true right sides and tons of pins, sometimes your best evaluations come where you didn't expect them. That's the case with Anderson. She caught my eye with her swings on the right side and made enough of an impact to make it in my notepad. What she displayed was she could score regardless of where she was on the court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='492585' first='Zorianna' last='Turner'] - OH - Wichita Heights/Alpha - 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Turner stood out to me because she is quick off the ground. She used that to her advantage and was able to avoid the block on numerous occasions throughout the morning. She is another play who displayed power behind her attacks and has a lively arm. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->