Recruit These 2025s From 13 Different States
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The Class of 2025 is heading into a big club season where decisions will be made. There are athletes who might be completely open with a clean slate, others might be narrowing it down to a couple of schools. I…
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Continue ReadingThe Class of 2025 is heading into a big club season where decisions will be made. There are athletes who might be completely open with a clean slate, others might be narrowing it down to a couple of schools. I hate giving kids a label if they are a D1, D2, D-whatever player. This is all about finding their fit at the next level and that looks different for everyone. These 2025s might not be the best available in their state, but I think they would be considered steals at the next level. They can flat out play. Here are some 2025s you don’t want to miss on your radar.
Hildebrand is a really interesting player because of how dynamic she can be. She will lead a Iowa Rockets 17R team that has a lot of really talented 2025s that I would keep tabs on all season. They start this weekend at the M1 scrimmages. Hildebrand was a 5-1 setter for Iowa City Liberty when they won the Iowa Class 5A state title in 2022 and this past season she was a setter/right side. Her IQ is incredibly high and she can be utilized in multiple ways to help her squad.
Finnessy has improved each time I have seen her play throughout high school and club ball. When she came in as a freshman she was playing mostly on the right side. As a junior, she is a six rotation outside who can serve receive, pass, block, and score points from either pin. Her intangibles are sky high where she is positive on the court, connecting with her teammates, and finds a way to contribute. She was an All State player in Wisconsin’s largest class and led her team to a final four appearance. Sting 17 Gold will be a team who will have big goals this season as they made it a habit to play for gold come day three of national qualifiers.
Chloe Parker is 6’1 and lightning fast as a middle blocker who can score points at will. She can also attack off one foot where she could even be utilized on the right side. Her length at the net will give opponents a problem. Trust me, my high school team played her three times this season and she was so consistent and dynamic where she found different ways to score points each time. FC Elite 17 Navy is another team who will be one to watch where they have plenty of 2025s available who can contribute at the next level.
Highlights
Porter knows what it is like to train and compete at a high level with her Dynasty squad out of the Kansas City area. As the team’s libero she has a presence on the court where she is moving, talking, giving feedback to hitters, always making an impact. This 17 Black team will add USC commits Reese Messer and Abigail Mullen where I would anticipate them playing in a lot of big matches this upcoming season. Porter as well as her teammates will have plenty of college coaches on their court in 2024.
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Don’t sleep on Southeast Minnesota. LaPlante is a small town athlete who has a big game for Chatfield High School just outside of Rochester. LaPlante blends her explosive athleticism with a high IQ on the outside. She knows what she is doing when she can tool the block, using it to her advantage. She can also paint the lines with various angles. SMV has produced plenty of college athletes where they have some of the top players in Southern Minnesota who are also multi-sport athletes where LaPlante is also a standout in track.
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The Sky High 17 Elite squad is going to fun to keep tabs on this winter as they will have a new look. Georgia Watson, the Kentucky recruit will be joining this squad as well as some others who could make a big impact. Whitney Mall is a 6’2 outside hitter who is very physical on the pin. This past high school season, Mall was a key attacker for Barrington High School, a North Chicago powerhouse who made it to the large school Illinois semifinals for the third consecutive year. With her size and power on the pin, it will be very attractive to college coaches.
Alivia Eikenberg
Alivia Eikenberg
I was able to see Eikenberg play at the Colorado State Tournament and seeing her live is entertaining. She has a hammer for an arm and is so explosive. She was a 1st Team All State pick in Colorado’s largest class. She is currently uncommitted, but with her arm swing and aggressive approach, she could be a steal at the next level. Every team loves a dynamic athlete who can come in and score points instantly.
Highlights
I’m picking Brooke Larsen in my draft. The setter/right side from Council Bluffs, Iowa was one of the most dynamic players in the Iowa State Tournament this fall where she was a double-double machine as a setter/right side combo player. She puts up numbers, but there is also a competitive fire she plays with you cannot find on the stat sheet. She wants the ball in the big moments and lights a fire that is contagious on the court. She is in the heart of some NAIA powerhouses, has some top national D2 programs in the country within close proximity, and the Summit League in her backyard. She will have plenty of options.
I did a Google deep dive to see if Nadia Ewton was committed. With how she contacts the ball, I thought she might have found a home heading into the club season. She is as physical as they come on the outside where she can put a hammer to the ball. She has been playing for JJVA out of Jacksonville, Florida where I saw her at Triple Crown in 2023. Her team finished on the podium in 2023 and she will be one to get an early eye on in the 2024 club season.
Camille Middleton
Camille Middleton
Lightning in a bottle, that was the name of the game for Camille Middleton out of the Fort Worth area where she is absolutely electric from the outside. She is 5’8 with a big time vertical and a violent swing. I saw her live at the Windy City Qualifier last season where her team was a gold bracket day three finisher. For college coaches who like the springy outsides who have plenty of shots and can score from the backrow, Middleton needs to be someone to have on the radar.
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Diggs is a pure point scorer where she was key to the success of AVC 16 White in 2023. She will be playing for AVC 17 Red this season where she can contribute in a variety of ways for her team. On the outside she can be guaranteed to score with a hard cross court shot or effectively use the block. Diggs is also a point scorer from the backrow. Her team looked to her to provide a swing out of middle back where she could score to the deep corner or a roll over the top of the middle blocker.
It’s about time we show some love for the “UP”, for those outside the Midwest (Or Wisconsin or Michigan) the UP is Upper Peninsula of Michigan along the Northern border of Wisconsin. That is where Maddy Kreider comes from where she preps at Kingsford High School and will be playing for FC Elite 17 White out of Appleton. There aren’t a lot of options for high level club volleyball out of the UP so Kreider makes the two hour drive to Appleton. What she brings to the table is an all around skill set. She can set, she can swing, defend, you name it. For her high school team she is one of the top point scorers, but when it comes to club she will most likely stick to setting. This is definitely a steal from the Class of 2025.
Highlights
So physical. So athletic. Zapp has been on the top team for Circle City out of Indianapolis where they have been USAV Open qualifiers the past two seasons. The last time I saw Zapp play she was a fast twitch middle who could close the block, hit it square, and was highly efficient. Watching her most recent high school highlight video, she was hitting from the outside, right side, out of the middle, she was scary good. The pop she has on her swing is just different. This will once again be another fun team to watch take the court in 2024.