Top 250 Expo: 2027 Athletes That Impressed
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Now loading: Class of 2027. Our Top 250 Expo was an invaluable tool to learn more about the talented freshmen who have started to make a difference on their respective teams. Here are the 2027 athletes who made an impression! …
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Continue ReadingNow loading: Class of 2027. Our Top 250 Expo was an invaluable tool to learn more about the talented freshmen who have started to make a difference on their respective teams.
Here are the 2027 athletes who made an impression!
Albert is an athletic, talented middle blocker from Valley Catholic. During the Top 250 Expo, Albert showcased her explosive approach and quick arm, both of which she used skillfully to detonate balls left and right. Standing at 5’11” and with a solid vertical, Albert manages to put up a big block, and on Sunday she was hard to hit against thanks to her blocking abilities. Playing on the NPJ Portland 16-1 team this year, Albert will be exciting to watch.
Becker, a setter from Portland Christian, showed off her beautiful hands and soft touch on the ball during the Top 250 Expo. Becker is an adaptive player who is able to adjust quickly to her attackers’ needs, which we were able to witness during gameplay on Sunday. She also has excellent ball control and solid technique, and she brings a great attitude to the court. I’m eager to see how Becker continues to improve on the Aspire NW 15-1 team this season.
Standing at 6’0”, middle blocker turned outside hitter Chrismer caught our eye on Sunday. Although she was hitting from a different position than where she played last club season, Chrismer brought the heat from the left pin, using her heavy arm and physicality to pound the ball deep into the court. During gameplay, Chrismer was deadly, mixing up her big attacks with tips to open court to score. She is an athlete to keep your eye on.
Highlights
The only freshman to make varsity this year for Jesuit, Douglas brought the heat during the Top 250 Expo. Douglas is an incredibly athletic, bouncy, and versatile player, able to hit effectively from the middle and the pins thanks to her impressive vertical and quick arm swing. Douglas is not just dynamic in the front row, but she is also a solid passer, too. Playing on the Athena 15-1 team this year, I look forward to seeing how Douglas continues to grow as a player.
Freeman played solidly all around during the Top 250 Expo. Thanks to a recent growth spurt, Freeman has started hitting on the outside, a position that is relatively new for the athlete who played libero last season. On Sunday, she showcased her impressive ball control on defense and her incredible steadiness on serve receive, both skills she developed as a libero. Freeman also used her high reach on the ball to put the ball away. She has a lot of untapped potential.
Highlights
Hunt is such a fun player to watch, and on Sunday she was impressive at every skill on the court. She is a very athletic outside hitter who jumps out of the gym. With a fast arm and an explosive approach, Hunt was putting balls away left and right during the Expo, and she was hard to stop during gameplay. Hunt isn’t just an incredible offensive weapon, but she also makes solid defensive moves and passes well on serve receive. She is an athlete to watch over the next few years.
Highlights
McDaniel outside hitter Ivester brought her quick swing to the Top 250 Expo. Ivester has made tons of improvements over the past season, and she was hitting impressively on Sunday, moving her hits from deep into the cross court to straight down the line with ease. During gameplay, Ivester also showcased her steady serve receive, putting up good passes off tough serves consistently. She is quickly developing into a solid six-rotation player.
Highlights
McGregor stood out quickly at the start of the Expo during Queens, where she showed off her nice hands and great set placement. McGregor has impressive hand strength for her size, which allows her to push the ball from pin to pin with ease. She is also quick on her feet and consistent in her placement, and on Sunday McGregor did an excellent job of putting her attackers in great positions to score during gameplay. I’ll be excited to see how she continues to grow on the NPJ Portland 15-1 team this year.
Middle blocker Pedersen is a formidable force at the net, and she was impressive to watch during the Top 250 Expo. Pedersen has a very quick arm and gets up high, which allows her to detonate on the ball into the deep corners. She is also quite fast in transition, an important trait for middle blockers to attack quickly and beat the block. During positional drills and gameplay, Pedersen was hard to stop. With her height, athleticism, and physicality, Pedersen is an athlete to watch.
Highlights
Rajan, a 6’1” setter from Catlin Gabel, played excellently all around on Sunday. Rajan has beautiful hands and places the ball well, and during positional drills at the Expo she was consistent and steady. As a leftie, Rajan is also an offensive setter, able to dump or attack the ball on two with ease. Despite her competitiveness and quick play, Rajan brings a calming, confident presence to the court. Given Rajan’s height and hands, she has a bright future in volleyball ahead of her.
Highlights
Defensive specialist Yeager brought her steady passing to the Top 250 Expo. During positional drills, Yeager consistently passed perfectly off free balls to the setter. In gameplay, she dug several hard driven swings, played speedy and solid coverage behind her team’s attackers, and made fast defensive plays that required quick reactions and reads on the ball. With Yeager’s athleticism and natural passing ability, she will be a defensive specialist to keep an eye on.
Highlights
Zonca, an outside hitter from St. Mary’s Academy, was a fun attacker to watch on Sunday. With a super heavy arm, high reach, and quick snap on the ball, Zonca was dominating from the left pin and put the ball away consistently. Not only does Zonca have a good swing, but she is also a smart player and uses her court vision well to place the ball into open court. During gameplay at the Expo, Zonca made good adjustments to each set to score.