Six ‘26 Hitters That Dominated At The Socal Prenationals Preview

<p>The SoCal PreNationals Preview took place on June 28 at SoCal Volleyball Club in San Marcos, CA. The event was hosted by Prep Dig California's m, Michelle Bradford, and was one of the most exciting showcases I've ever attended! The players showed high energy during drills and played competitively during the 6-on-6 matches.</p>   <p>This showcase was unique because it allowed players to demonstrate their versatility and receive firsthand recruiting advice from recently committed volleyball players. The participants were grouped by randomly chosen hair ribbon colors and rotated through different courts, performing each volleyball skill for about 15 minutes, regardless of their primary position. I saw setters excelling in hitting drills and middles thriving in defensive passing drills. For coaches and scouts, it provided a great opportunity to see which players could perform well in multiple positions, giving them an edge in recruiting.</p>   <p>Despite the high level of competition, a few players stood out among their peers. Several elite hitters in the class of 2026 impressed me both offensively and defensively, consistently delivering big hits and big blocks. Here are the top-performing hitters from that class.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='394276' first='Bridget' last='Blu']</strong></h2>   <p><strong>OH | 6'0” | School – Mira Costa; Club – Actyve Volleyball </strong></p>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/06/IMG_1150_da8fc7.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-558552" /></figure>   <p>Bridget stood out as one of the top pin hitters across all the classes combined. Just one look at her hitting, and you'll be captivated. She impressed several coaches and myself at the event, demonstrating that her attacking skills in drills translate into powerful hits during games. Bridget possesses many attributes college coaches seek: a quick arm swing, high vertical, and she's already 6'0” going into her junior year. She also excelled in blocking and hustled hard during digging drills. Bridget has the skill set to play high level college ball and can only go up from here. I look forward to following her career over the next two years.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/reel/C80IYYGOSca/?igsh=MTRmbnQ2c25sNDNmbg== </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='391117' first='Nina' last='Hemsley']</strong></h2>   <p><strong>MB | 6'0” | School – Etiwanda; Club – <a href="https://prepdig.com/program/forza1-ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">[program_tooltip program_id='510735' first='Forza1' last='CA']</a></strong></p>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/06/IMG_1151.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-558646" /></figure>   <p>Nina showed up and showed out in middle position at the event. Her energy was felt in the gym both while playing and when praising her teammates. She did a great job getting on top of the ball on several occasions, ultimately leading to impressive hits in drills and kills in matches. She does a great job transitioning off the net quickly and eagerly calling for the ball. Hemsley learned her setter's height/speed on quicks and threes early in the showcase which gave her an edge during 6-on-6. Her and her team won almost every match with some help from Nina's kills and blocks.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/reel/C80dnyhSEuR/?igsh=MTV4eG9vd2Y1MzRsbA== </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='391082' first='Addison' last='Coady']</strong></h2>   <p><strong>MB | 6'2” | School – <br>Mater Dei; Club – Mizuno [program_tooltip program_id='429455' first='Mizuno' last='[program_tooltip program_id='429449' first='Long' last='Beach Volleyball Club']<a href="https://prepdig.com/program/forza1-ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><br></a></strong></p>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/06/IMG_1152.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-558676" /></figure>   <p>Addie wowed me in middle and was a blocking machine in the 6-on-6 matches towards the end of the event. During drills, she showcased her powerful swing and played with high energy that carried over into competitive games. Not only did she score kills in matches, Coady tallied several blocks as well—possibly the most by any player that day. Standing at 6'2”, her height certainly helps, but it was her impressive blocking footwork that helps her get more roofs. Addie is a true middle blocker that possesses top tier volleyball skills.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='533015' first='Milan-Synai' last='Lewis']</strong></h2>   <p><strong>OH | 5'9” | School – <br>Woodrow Wilson; Club – Long Beach Volleyball</strong> <strong>Club</strong></p>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/06/IMG_1153.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-558678" /></figure>   <p>Milan showcased impressive hitting skills during drills, displaying a wide range of attack options in her repertoire. Throughout the day, I observed her execute hits down the line, cross-court, hard angle 6, and sharp angles. What's most impressive is her ability to execute these attacks from both the outside and opposite positions, solidifying her status as a versatile pin hitter. Milan's knack for getting on top of the ball and her quick snap provide her with the power needed to tally kills effectively. With continuous performances as consistent as the one she showed at the event, I'm confident she'll be off the watchlist soon and placed in the California rankings. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='482048' first='Whitney' last='Fairfield'] </strong></h2>   <p><strong>MB | 6'0” | School – <br>Classical Academy; Club – SoCal</strong></p>   <p>Whitney's performance was outstanding throughout the entire event. She has a strong approach and nice vertical that helps her to get on top of the ball. She killed it in hitting drills and during matches against other teams, Fairfield continued the momentum by scoring points with some great kills. She tallied some big blocks during match play as well. In digging drills, she showcased her athleticism by getting up some really tough balls. Whitney was a great watch and was impressive in multiple areas during the preview.  </p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Sophia showcased some great hitting and blocking in the pin positions. Her quick arm swing generates a lot of power and she does a great job of getting on top of the ball. She has a high vertical jump and great court vision with the ability to hit line or cross court effectively. During 6-on-6, she put up a big block against hitters and scored multiple points off attacks. She was an exciting watch and impressed several coaches and scouts at the preview. </p>    <p>This was a great showcase and there were so many talented players in the building. The competition level was high and the energy was through the roof. Wishing the best of luck to all of the players that attended. </p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <ul> <li>Follow/tag us on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/prepdignv?igsh=MWNqc3lrc2huZzZxcA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr"><strong>@prepdignv</strong></a> and <strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lasvegasvbanalyst?igsh=dXdjMHVnZTc0d3h6&utm_source=qr">@lasvegasvbanalyst</a></strong></li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Claim your FREE PrepDig player profile <a href="https://prepdig.com/prospect-index/">here</a>. </li> </ul>

The SoCal PreNationals Preview took place on June 28 at SoCal Volleyball Club in San Marcos, CA. The event was hosted by Prep Dig California's m, Michelle Bradford, and was one of the most exciting showcases I've ever attended! The players showed high energy during drills and played competitively during the 6-on-6 matches.