Midseason Report: Unsung Players in the Class of 2026

When you have a hotbed-of-talent state like Indiana, it's pretty easy for young talent to get lost in the shuffle. Here at Prep Dig our job is to make sure we find the young women who have the ability to play at the next level and who possess the qualities every great teammate should have. Now that we are halfway through the high school season, there are plenty of players emerging in the junior class who truly stand out and deserve to be recognized for their hard work, their volleyball abilities and their serious potential to move on and compete at the next level in the year 2026. Here are five players, all residing south of Indianapolis, who fit that bill completely.    Not sure how I hadn't heard about Meilani until now because she is an absolute powerhouse of a defensive player. I watched several matches of her playing, and she was so consistent in her play - always talking/encouraging, always covering, always stopped on defense and always providing a spark for her teammates! She is so calm and disciplined on defense and serve receive making her a dream to play next to in the back row. She currently averages 4.4 digs per set and 14 digs per match, to go along with her stellar serving and around one ace per set. York has a lethal standing float serve that she can laser right down the sideline wreaking havoc on her opponents. Lastly, she is a great out of system setter who can use her hands to put up a solid ball every time. This young lady is the real deal DS!     While watching teammate York play, I was lucky enough to stumble upon a solid middle blocker in Creviston. Any time I am watching a MB the first thing I personally look for is their ability to actually block - this was the FIRST area that Makenzie shined in when I watched film. Her long arms allow her to reach really high above the net, but she also seals it off well, leading to her averaging one block per set and almost 3 blocks per match. As a lefty middle, she makes it very hard on opponent's MBs to block and their defenses to defend. She can run quick sets in front of and behind the setter, as well as hitting many different angles. With her length, blocking skill and left-handed ability, I see Creviston as a stellar collegiate prospect.     Here is a young lady who is the epitome of a team player; during club she was a solid 6 rotation OH for KiVA and now at Seymour she goes between hitting outside and setting for the Owls, and she does both of those things very well. What stood out to me most as I watched Anna play was that she was going to do whatever it took for her team to be successful, whether that meant taking a big rip on the outside, dropping in a hard float serve or putting up a solid set for her teammates. She plays all facets of the game well, including setting, which is a rarity amongst today's players who tend to specialize very early in their careers. Fish would be a great pickup for any collegiate squad looking for an athletic, competitive player who can fill in where needed and do it WELL.     It is such a blessing to have a long, fast setter who can not only deliver beautiful sets all along the net, but who can also be offensive and block well. Addison is all of these things wrapped up in an absolute gem of a volleyball player. When she jump sets she contacts the ball at a very high point, making her hard to read as an opposing blocker and making it hard to keep up with the speed of her sets. Vaughn's 5'11" frame is ideal for a setter because it allows her to run a quick and dynamic offense, while also giving her team a nice size block against opposing OH's. What I love most about Addison is her aggressive play at the net - she uses both one handed and two handed dumps, both in front of her and behind to always keep the opposing teams defense guessing and off balance. Look for this New Albany talent to take her play to the next level for sure.     Another gem I stumbled upon while watching a teammate play (Vaughn above), is Scharlow, a high-flying, hard-hitting, ball of energy, 6 rotation OH. One of the things that makes Ellie so effective on offense is her deep transition to approach allowing her to hit EVERY angle on the court with a ton of pace. This discipline to transition fully on the outside every time is what really makes her shine - I saw her attack HARD down the line and cross court, tool the right side block and hit high hands. She has all the shots you want to see in a junior OH. On defense she was relentless and never looked hurried or chaotic, making her a perfect fit to play middle back and then swing to hit back row. Scharlow is the kind of player you want to anchor and lead your team - she never lets up, is very efficient and leads with both skill AND energy.

When you have a hotbed-of-talent state like Indiana, it's pretty easy for young talent to get lost in the shuffle. Here at Prep Dig our job is to make sure we find the young women who have the ability to play at the next level and who possess the qualities every great teammate should have. Now that we are halfway through the high school season, there are plenty of players emerging in the junior class who truly stand out and deserve to be recognized for their hard work, their volleyball abilities and their serious potential to move on and compete at the next level in the year 2026. Here are five players, all residing south of Indianapolis, who fit that bill completely.