Four 'small' IHSAA schools with BIG class of 2026 pin talent

While bigger schools in classes 3A & 4A are getting lots of attention during high school season, there are so many solid 1A & 2A programs out there, especially down south. Recently I had the pleasure of seeing five teams compete from both Greene and Daviess counties and I was beyond impressed at the talent that is residing there (for my fifth team, North Daviess, see: <a href="https://prepdig.com/2024/08/ihsaa-opening-day-under-the-radar-players-to-watch-down-south/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IHSAA Opening Day: Under the Radar Players To Watch Down South | Prep Dig</a> ).Each of these class of 2026 ladies are confident, strong pin hitters and leaders for their teams who I can easily see excelling at the next level in both NCAA Division 1 and 2. Without further ado, here are five BIG pin hitters you need to know about RIGHT NOW.    Mariana is a pin hitter who plays even bigger than her 5'11" frame. When she hits from either the right or left sides, she is looking to put a dent in the floor and make sure the opponent has no chance of defending her swings. I really like her play from the OPP spot, and believe it is her strongest position because she combines that killer swing with solid blocking ability. Van Der Aa just has that quiet, joyful confidence about her that makes you want to play with and root for her. Plus, you know a player is serious when they are willing to drive 1.5 hours to play at an elite club for an open level 1s team. Look for Mariana to do big things at Bloomfield and put her name down in the record books in kills and blocks over the next two years.     Ella is a player who I first saw play when she was in middle school, and I knew she was going to be incredible. She is the full package of big jumper, intense competitor, hard swinger and hustle defender that any coach would dream of having on their team. Plus, her deep jump float has no spin and drops out of nowhere. And like Van Der Aa she is clearly committed to exceling on the court - driving 1.5 hours to play for Circle City's 1s team. What I loved most about watching Ella at this stage is her leadership. When she is on the court in high school matches, she is easily the most gifted volleyball player there, but she never acts like it. She is an incredible encourager of her teammates when she plays and is the heartbeat of her Linton-Stockton team. Warrick is absolutely the full package.     To be honest, I have no idea how I didn't know about Addison! From the moment she took the court, you could tell that she was going to be a force in the match. Jones looks like a player headed for college level volleyball and carries herself with tons of confidence and clearly has a lot of volleyball knowledge. She knew how to manage almost every situation she was put in, whether she was hitting from the pins or the back row - I seldom saw her make a hitting error and it wasn't like she was hitting easy roll shots. Her height says 5'11" but I had a hard time believing that because she plays like a 6'2" OH, oftentimes hitting hard, down and OVER the opposing block. Addison is definitely a six-rotation pin who can dig, pass and provide a great attack out of the back row. Write her name down because you'll be seeing her at the next level for sure.     Barr-Reeve's other OH, Lanie, is completely different than Jones. She is smaller, quicker and a highflyer. A six rotation OH who is lethal in both the front and back rows, Graber brings such a steady competitive presence to the court for the Vikings. Lanie works hard to get way off the net in transition EVERY TIME and always sets herself up for a big approach and huge jump. She can swing line, seam and sharp cross court depending on what the defense is giving her. And like Jones, she doesn't make many errors in either the front or back row - she is very efficient from all spots on the court. While defending, Graber is all hustle all the time - a staple of the Barr Reeve program - I never saw her miss a chance to cover her hitters or run into the stands to chase down a ball out of middle back.     Easily my most exciting discovery of the week, Reagan is a powerful right-side hitter with great jumping ability. She is the kind of kid who is set up to develop really quickly for the next two years of high school & club ball. From the OPP position she could hit both line and cross-court with a ton of heat and she put up a big, strong block there as well. As she continues to work on her serving, as well as her off speed shots, Kieft is going to get more and more recognition and looks. She plays with a ton of energy on the court and stands out amongst the rest. You know when you go to a game expecting to watch a certain player and then all of a sudden you can't keep your eyes off of a different player? Well, that player you can't stop watching is Reagan - she catches your attention when she swings, and she just keeps the hits coming.

While bigger schools in classes 3A & 4A are getting lots of attention during high school season, there are so many solid 1A & 2A programs out there, especially down south. Recently I had the pleasure of seeing five teams compete from both Greene and Daviess counties and I was beyond impressed at the talent that is residing there (for my fifth team, North Daviess, see: IHSAA Opening Day: Under the Radar Players To Watch Down South | Prep Dig ).Each of these class of 2026 ladies are confident, strong pin hitters and leaders for their teams who I can easily see excelling at the next level in both NCAA Division 1 and 2. Without further ado, here are five BIG pin hitters you need to know about RIGHT NOW.