The Top 10: 2026

Our first attempt at ranking the class of 2026 is here! Listen, we still have a lot of work to do and a lot of people to see. Much of what we know now is based on the last two high school seasons and some club knowledge. One of the big things we look at besides those things is next-level potential. We watch matches live and on film. We talk to people. Here is the initial top 10 for this class.   1. [player_tooltip player_id='154038' first='Ella' last='Florez'] - S - Mill Valley/Pohaku   Last season, Florez showed her versatility by swinging and hitting for her Mill Valley team as a freshman. This year she played primarily in the role of setter and became a state champion in her sophomore season. She had just under a thousand kills in the state title run along with 253 digs and 68 kills.   2. [player_tooltip player_id='357545' first='Jade' last='Xu'] - OH - Emporia/[program_tooltip program_id='430200' first='KC' last='Power']   Xu has the size and the game to put her in our 2nd spot in our first ranking. She improved on a really good freshman season but delivered big for her Emporia team. The 6'1" pin averaged 4 kills per set for 344 on the year. She also saw her dig numbers double to 250. Her block game is something we saw improvement in as she continues to develop into a six-rotation player.   3. [player_tooltip player_id='355656' first='Leah' last='Robinson'] - OH - St. James/Mavs   We like size and athleticism on the pins and you get both with Robinson who plays at St. James. The 6'1" outside hitter became a key focus for the offense in year two and finished with 277 kills. She was just south of 200 digs but showed she is reliable defensively and in the passing game.   4. [player_tooltip player_id='222089' first='Grace' last='Martin'] - OH - St. Thomas Aquinas/Pohaku   Martin stepped up big in her second season and helped lead St. Thomas Aquinas back to the state title match in 2023. The 5'11" outside became a great compliment to [player_tooltip player_id='153937' first='Alea' last='Goolsby'] on the outside. Martin finished the fall with 256 kills and 199 digs. In the passing game, she had close to 500 receptions.   5. [player_tooltip player_id='222092' first='Willow' last='Weninger'] - RS - Blue Valley Southwest/Pohaku   Rounding out the top 5 is Weninger representing Blue Valley Southwest and Pohaku. Southwest had a breakout season behind the play of Willow on the pin. She paced the team for the second year in a row with 263 kills. We expect to see her numbers defensively rising as we would love to see her develop into a six-rotation right side.   6. [player_tooltip player_id='222086' first='Morgan' last='Sears'] - OH - Blue Valley Northwest/Pohaku   This top 5 shows why Pohaku was amongst the top teams in the country a year ago and as we slide to 6, Sears comes over and will join the squad this year. Year 2 saw Sears go from 225 to 283 and 13 to 142 in the kill and dig compartments. She has a good rise at 5'11" and continues to grow in her back-row play.   7. [player_tooltip player_id='357543' first='Hayden' last='Grimes'] - OH - Andale/[program_tooltip program_id='432164' first='Fight' last='Club']   We go south to Andale where we find all-state pin [player_tooltip player_id='357543' first='Hayden' last='Grimes']. Grimes could very well be a defender at the next level at 5'9" and her elite defensive skills. She lights it up on the outside though, evidenced by her 401 kills this fall. Defensively, 397 digs put her just shy of 400.   8. [player_tooltip player_id='222564' first='Brooklyn' last='Benoit'] - OH - Wichita Northwest/Air Capital   Benoit doesn't have the biggest numbers but exhibits potential with her size and court IQ. This fall she had 216 kills and 296 digs.   9. Cami Sher - MH - Olathe West/[program_tooltip program_id='430200' first='KC' last='Power']   We expect to see Sher's game continue to develop. At 6'1", she showed signs of being a top prospect contributing to a very good Olathe West team. Her foot movement and length are a great asset. She had 119 kills in her first year of varsity ball and will be a focal point for [program_tooltip program_id='430200' first='KC' last='Power'].   10. [player_tooltip player_id='222087' first='Carlie' last='Pandjaris'] - Blue Valley West/Mavs 816   Blue Valley West touted a couple of sophomore defenders you'll see on this list. Pandjaris grabs the 10th spot after a solid year contributing to a state tournament team. She had 160 digs and 320 receptions, down from the over 400 she had in her freshman season.

Our first attempt at ranking the class of 2026 is here! Listen, we still have a lot of work to do and a lot of people to see. Much of what we know now is based on the last two high school seasons and some club knowledge. One of the big things we look at besides those things is next-level potential. We watch matches live and on film. We talk to people. Here is the initial top 10 for this class.