Road to June 15: Our Favorite 2026 Stories So Far this Year

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's about that time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>By now, you've probably become fully acquainted with the significance of June 15 on the volleyball calendar. It's the first date of open contact between Division I and II college coaches and prospective athletes heading into their junior year of high school. For this cycle, the Class of 2026 enters the spotlight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're committed to lifting up as many 2026s as we can during this momentous time. This is just the start of the journey, and our coverage of this group is ongoing. The grind never stops.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's start with a quick retrospective on some of our favorite 2026-focused features so far this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepdig.com/2024/05/nebraskas-multi-position-2026s-to-follow-at-gjnc/"><strong>Nebraska's Multi-Position 2026s to Follow at GJNC</strong></a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Versatility is a highly coveted trait at the collegiate level. Nebraska has become known for its adaptable players who might even switch positions when moving up to the next level. Our feature on multi-position 2026s heading to GJNC addresses this trend with standouts like [player_tooltip player_id='187703' first='Evynn' last='Olsen'], [player_tooltip player_id='253933' first='Peyton' last='Svendsen'], and [player_tooltip player_id='349486' first='Lauren' last='Kuhlmann'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="https://prepdig.com/2024/05/must-see-nebraska-2026s-playing-17s-at-gjnc/">Must-See Nebraska 2026s Playing 17s at GJNC</a></span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Don't forget about the athletes "playing up" this year. The Great Plains Region has several 2026s worth watching in the 17s age group, including [player_tooltip player_id='349479' first='Kamryn' last='Behrns'], Bailey Boeve, and [player_tooltip player_id='464932' first='Angela' last='Berger'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="https://prepdig.com/2024/05/which-nebraska-2026s-need-to-be-added-to-our-watch-list-part-2/">Which Nebraska 2026s Need to Be Added to Our Watch List? (Part 2)</a></span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This conversation will soon turn into new entries in our player database. The club season has revealed a long list of names that need to be added to our watch list, and this summer stretch is the right time to do it. Keep an eye on up-and-coming athletes like Audrey Fennell and [player_tooltip player_id='582836' first='Kaitlyn' last='Topolski'] from this group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="https://prepdig.com/2024/05/nebraskas-late-season-stock-risers-2026-setters/">Nebraska's Late-Season Stock Risers: 2026 Setters</a></span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're thrilled about Nebraska's setter depth in the 2026 class. This group is stacked with natural leaders, state champions, and do-everything athletes. These traits define players like [player_tooltip player_id='349457' first='Bella' last='Sjuts'], [player_tooltip player_id='278995' first='Kaitlyn' last='Bodnar'], and [player_tooltip player_id='275965' first='Taytum' last='Perdew'], all of whom are discussed in this feature.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":488101,"width":"281px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","align":"right"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/452-Maddie-Johnson.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-488101" style="width:281px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Johnson</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="https://prepdig.com/2024/04/which-nebraska-2026s-took-a-step-forward-at-show-me/">Which Nebraska 2026s Took a Step Forward at Show Me?</a></span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Show Me Qualifier is one of the Great Plains Region's biggest venues of the year. This Kansas City event showcases dozens of Nebraska teams and always seems to reveal the next stars from around the state. Check out the link above to see more details on emerging athletes like [player_tooltip player_id='402985' first='Maddie' last='Johnson'], [player_tooltip player_id='349406' first='Stella' last='Neal'], and [player_tooltip player_id='349418' first='Chloe' last='Rauner'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="https://prepdig.com/2024/03/easter-special-nebraska-2026s-showing-big-hops-this-season/">Easter Special: Nebraska 2026s Showing Big “Hops” This Season</a></span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've made several references to "athleticism" in this feature, so let's bring back an article that uses this as a central theme. Our Easter special discusses players like [player_tooltip player_id='253923' first='Jalyn' last='Branson'], [player_tooltip player_id='276190' first='Amelia' last='Boone'], and [player_tooltip player_id='349476' first='Lauren' last='Eggerling'], who have all been jumping out of the gym this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="https://prepdig.com/2024/03/stock-rising-liberos-digging-into-the-nebraska-2026-rankings/">Stock-Rising Liberos Digging into the Nebraska 2026 Rankings</a></span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a throwback to our mid-season rankings update. We ought to include an ode to the liberos, and this one fits the bill for the 2026s. [player_tooltip player_id='349472' first='Emeline' last='Myers'], [player_tooltip player_id='396746' first='Jane' last='Kubat'], and [player_tooltip player_id='349487' first='Alaina' last='Kopf'] made considerable gains the last time we refreshed our 2026 list.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":442789,"width":"279px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","align":"right"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/07/652-Emeline-Myers.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-442789" style="width:279px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Myers</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="https://prepdig.com/2024/02/nebraskas-standout-2026-attackers-at-asics-presidents-day/">Nebraska's Standout 2026 Attackers at ASICS Presidents' Day</a></span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>February's ASICS Presidents' Day Classic never fails to seize our attention. High-flying attackers were a major storyline from this one, so we discussed some names to know in the link above. [player_tooltip player_id='275943' first='Lily' last='Wohlgemuth'], [player_tooltip player_id='276202' first='Ashley' last='Beethe'], and [player_tooltip player_id='396756' first='Raleigh' last='Bowen'] are among the many athletes to earn recognition here.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="https://prepdig.com/2024/01/2026-middles-poised-for-big-gains-this-club-season/">2026 Middles Poised for Big Gains this Club Season</a></span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>How about a little pre-club content? These are a few middle blockers we honed in on before all the action even started. [player_tooltip player_id='396732' first='Payton' last='Sullivan'], [player_tooltip player_id='396748' first='Hunter' last='MacLeod'], and [player_tooltip player_id='275902' first='Siena' last='Sumner'] are featured prominently here.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->