Nine States, Nine 2026 Rising Outside Hitters
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We’re at the midpoint of the club season and there are some 2026 outside hitters who are on the rise. We’re going coast to coast with a few in between. Qualifier season is full throttle with teams starting to claim…
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Continue ReadingWe’re at the midpoint of the club season and there are some 2026 outside hitters who are on the rise. We’re going coast to coast with a few in between. Qualifier season is full throttle with teams starting to claim their bid for Vegas or building momentum with JVA World Challenge in Louisville coming up in a couple of weeks. Take a look at a few of plenty with these 2026s making an impact so far this club season.
Isabella Ruether – MKE Sting 16 Gold
Ruether is a new addition to Sting 16 Gold and is someone quickly rising on the radar of 2026 pins. At just under 6’0 tall, she has the length as well as the power to score points at a high level. The ceiling for Ruether is scary high with this being her first year competing against a high open level. As she continues to develop a backcourt game, she will be a full six rotation point scorer – bad news for the other side of the net.
Kenzie Moeller McKenzie Moeller- Iowa Select 16 Mizuno
Moeller had a huge weekend for Iowa Select 16 Mizuno at MEQ. She continuously found a way to score points from the outside and even the service line. Moeller has already won a state title for her high school squad in North Scott out of the Quad Cities area on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River. She has a blend of speed and power where she creates so many opportunities for good things to happen. Last weekend she was able to take something out of nothing, big swings out of system where she was finding that blend of IQ and power. This Iowa Select team has over 30 wins already this season and will be a court to watch for plenty of 2026 talent.
Alexis Hadeler – Sky High 16 Elite
I was able to see Sky High 16 Elite out of the Northern Chicago suburbs at MEQ in Indianapolis. Hadeler has a complete all around game where she can serve receive, pass, and score points. She can take it line, cross, and will find the open spot where she is also an outlet from the backrow as well. This is a complete team that has a solid foundation of ball control running a 6-2 with plenty of attackers who can put the ball away.
Bryn Lunski – MN Select 16-1
MN Select 16-1 just punched their ticket to USAV 16 Open this past weekend with a second place finish at the Northern Lights Qualifier. This team has so many athletes, plenty of depth, and electric outside hitters who can score points. One of those outsides is Bryn Lunski where her speed and athleticism sets her apart from other outside hitters. She is a high flyer where she always keeps the defense off balance. She does this with great court vision, seeing the open spot to terminate with a big swing or a throw to a deep corner. There is no fear in swinging big where she knows how to go high hands to score points. With Lunski on the outside, this opens everything up for Select where they have so many different ways to score points.
Madyson McCarthy – Coast 16-1
I was able to see McCarthy live at Triple Crown over Presidents Day for her Coast squad out of Southern California. McCarthy has a well rounded, polished game where her footwork in her attacking is textbook. Her last two steps are extremely fast to the ball and she has a violent arm swing. The physicality at the net is dangerous where she swings with no fear, looking to create chaos for the other side. The So Cal teams will have plenty of qualifiers coming up where they will look to punch their ticket to an open bid in Vegas come July.
Alyssa Gumbel – Team Pineapple 16 L Black
I was able to see Team Pineapple at Central Zone in Indianapolis and Triple Crown this past February and I really liked the game of Alyssa Gumbel. She is a really dynamic player who can score on the pin where she is not afraid to take a swing in a tight situation. She can take the ball to a variety of spots on the court, varying her angles when she approaches, and just scores points. After doing a little bit more research, she plays middle for her high school team which would explain her great court vision and ability to find the deep corners. This Team Pineapple squad out of the Fort Wayne, Indiana area is very talented. They were an 15 Open qualifier in 2023 and will be a dangerous team on the JVA/AAU circuit in 2024. Gumbel will be an important part to her teams success this spring, heading into the summer.
Mia Gold – Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal
The entire Tribe 16s age group between their Cardinal and Navy teams are tearing up the state of Florida and beyond. One of the key players in this age group is Mia Gold who is a six rotation outside hitter who can score from anywhere. She can serve receive, pass, and be a threat to score from middle back, right side out of serve receive, and on the pin. The combination of Gold and Gigi Artiles is a really deadly 1-2 punch for Tribe who will be back in action this upcoming weekend at the Windy City National Qualifier.
Madi Andrews – Athena 17 Gold
Yowzer, I don’t get to see a lot of teams from the Pacific Northwest, but Madi Andrews is just different. She plays with a maturity beyond her years. At 6’1 she has a very high contact point where everything looks the same in her approach and swing no matter what spot she is looking to hit. The last two steps of her approach are fast and powerful where she puts so much pace on her swing. She is more than her offensive game as she can serve receive, pass, and is a major blocking presence as well playing up on the Athena 17s team in Oregon.
Caydence Doolan – Metro 16 Travel
I was able to see Doolan and Metro 16 Travel at MEQ where she was so impressive. As an outside hitter she was able to hit the ball square nearly every single time making it really tough for the other side of the net to cleanly make a pass in system. She has a high contact point where she is really dangerous when she can terminate down the line. She doesn’t have the height of former Metro athlete Emerson Sellman who is off to Ohio State, but there are flashes of her game that are very similar. She is a big time scorer where there is no bad shot for her.