Five Setters Running The Show From The Class Of ’26

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In our final article highlighting the updated class of '26 rankings, we save the best for last---the setters. Here are five athletes from five different clubs around the state that could easily run the show for the rest of their prep careers and beyond.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='210192' first='Lexi' last='Shondell'], 5-8, McCutcheon, Boiler Juniors</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It goes without saying that a person with the last name of Shondell headlines this list. In her tenth season of playing club ball (yes, you read that right), all she's done is win the prestigious Mideast Power League and win the 16 Open division of the Bluegrass Invitational. You know, no big deal. I have uncorroborated reports that she's actually been on the roster for the gold-medal winning team six times in her career, which is preposterous. In any case, she's a winner, a high level player, does everything well, and is a humble and hard-working "second coach" on the floor. Need I say more? Oh, and did I mention that she's got her team in position to earn an open bid to GJNCs as of the writing of this article?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='300206' first='Sophia' last='Gisslen'], 5-9, Carroll, [program_tooltip program_id='430155' first='Team' last='Pineapple']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even though [program_tooltip program_id='430155' first='Team' last='Pineapple']'s 16-1 squad is off for a couple of weeks from tournament play, they should be in the back of our minds as far as skill set goes. Sophia is the catalyst for this offense, and her dynamic approach to the position isn't seen much in this age group. With a strong upper body and quick feet to match, Miss Gisslen can get to any ball and make the set even more hittable than when she got it. Playing for a blue-blood program like Carroll, she knows nothing but winning, and is relentless in the gym to pursue excellence. You could do far worse than Sophia when picking a setter from the 2026 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='216341' first='Keira' last='Dommer'], 5-10, Concordia Lutheran, Summit</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Competitive and relentless while flying under the radar, Keira's squad didn't have the best of days on day 1 of MEQ's in 17 Open yesterday. Yes, you read that right, she's the setter a year <em>older</em> than her age would suggest. She'd be a nice pickup for a program looking for a setter in the class of '26 that defends her position well, has a strong upper body, locates the ball in a quicker-than-average offense and is no-nonsense when approaching the game we all love. Also from a traditionally blue-blood high school program, winning is also instilled in this young lady, who may end up being the steal of this class because of the size of her club and the lack of fanfare surrounding her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='209451' first='Maddie' last='Carnes'], 5-11, Springs Valley, Union</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From the same high school that Larry Bird came from, Maddie is a do-everything type of setter. Her squad also had a tough day one yesterday in 16 Open, barely missing a top-half finish with a three-set loss to Academy. In high school, she attacks from the front row while setting from the back, regularly earning triple-doubles in the process. In club, she's the primary setter running a fast offense on a team that is regularly in the conversation for open-level success. I like her physicality, her ability to defend her position at the net at an above-average level and her constant work around the ball without flair.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='252404' first='Addie' last='Haberthy'], 5-11, Roncalli, Circle City</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've mentioned Addie multiple times in the past, and I'll say it again---there's nothing like having a long and lean setter run an offense when the passing isn't exactly the greatest. You can almost train your passers to pass the ball tight while she goes and gets the ball. That scenario didn't exactly play out well yesterday, as the 16-1 squad will finish in the bottom half of 16 Open at MEQ. Even so, Addie plays taller than her frame, is aggressive on offense when she needs to be and locates the ball well for this group. She's from a blue-blood high school program that, in this author's opinion, is a dark-horse favorite to win the state title next fall. Long, lean, coachable and physical is what you get from Addie, and that combination is gold for her recruitment.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->