2026's Building Recruiting Momentum From State Tournament

The high school season might not be prime time in regards for recruiting at the next level, but it is still a time for athletes to gain plenty of momentum heading into the club season.  There is something special about competing for your school and being on the big stage.  I was fortunate enough to see these athletes live at the Iowa State Tournament and the Wisconsin State Tournament.  Some of these athletes might be heading towards a different sport for college, but they still had quite the performance and would definitely have a spot at the next level for volleyball.  Here are some 2026's who have built some recruiting momentum heading into the winter.     Welcome to Wisconsin! Buckner is a new addition to the Milwaukee area with her father, Greg Buckner, joining the coaching staff with the Milwaukee Bucks. Addison and her twin sister [player_tooltip player_id='524605' first='Abigail' last='Buckner'] played a part in the third straight state championship for DSHA. [player_tooltip player_id='403531' first='Addison' last='Buckner'] is a 5'10 outside who is absolutely electric in her ability to score points. She is a high flyer with a fast arm that can hit a variety of angles. Her final swing on Saturday sealed the deal for the Dashers where she was reaching high and snapping cross court to put the exclamation mark on championship point. She will be playing for [program_tooltip program_id='428672' first='Milwaukee' last='Sting'] this upcoming 2025 club season.     The libero from Sussex Hamilton was a key piece for the Chargers where they finished as runner ups in D1. This team had plenty of power and athleticism, but what was a constant throughout the entire tournament was the presence of Zgonc and how she was able to keep a hard driven ball in system. Watching her during the championship match against DSHA, Zgonc was consistently digging the big swings of Wisconsin commit, [player_tooltip player_id='178033' first='Madison' last='Quest']. She can defend and serve receive at a high level. She played for [program_tooltip program_id='428672' first='Milwaukee' last='Sting'] 16 Black in 2024 and will be a libero to watch for the 2025 club season.     DSHA out of Milwaukee won their third straight state championship in Wisconsin's largest division. One athlete to watch for the Dashers from the Class of 2026 is [player_tooltip player_id='249645' first='Callie' last='Carr']. Carr is a 6'0 right side who has plenty of length, athleticism, and physicality to terminate and block at a high level. Her upside is what is intriguing about her game at the next level. She has picked up plenty of momentum in the past year and will be really exciting to watch when the club season picks up in another month.     I've never written about Leah Nordin before, but I know our sister site, Prep Girls Hoops is quite familiar with Nordin who is a high level basketball prospect in the Class of 2026. She has received offers from plenty of mid-majors such as South Dakota, Illinois State, and Tulsa while also having an offer from Marquette for basketball. However, seeing her swing on the outside for Shawano this past weekend at the state tournament - she would have a big future in the volleyball world. She touches extremely high and has such a great feel for the game. Her athleticism is just different. With the 2025 basketball season starting this week, it would be fun to see her drop into a club tryout this upcoming weekend.      [player_tooltip player_id='284076' first='Sammy' last='Davis'] is another high level basketball prospect out of La Crosse Aquinas where she was a key piece for the Blugolds runner up finish in D3. Watching Davis live, her leaping ability and physicality in the front row is at another level compared to other athletes she is competing against. She had 11 kills in their semifinal three set sweep and 22 kills in their championship match. With all of her power, Davis has great hands and court awareness where she finds a way to get it done for her side of the net. She has in-state offers from UWGB And Marquette for basketball, and if she wanted to pursue volleyball at the next level she would probably have the same.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A lot of this from [player_tooltip player_id='243182' first='Isabelle' last='Kremer'] for <a href="https://twitter.com/PVVolleyball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PVVolleyball</a> I think she was a three rotation right side player last year and is a six rotation outside and primary passer in serve receive. Hitting over .400 <a href="https://t.co/ULI8ySLZ5G">pic.twitter.com/ULI8ySLZ5G</a>— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepDigChris/status/1854201471732175000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>    [player_tooltip player_id='243182' first='Isabelle' last='Kremer'] won the week in Iowa where her Pleasant Valley team won the large school division in Iowa, where she was named captain of the all tournament team. Kremer was a three rotation right side during the high school season in 2023 and spent the offseason transitioning to the outside while also being a primary passer in serve receive. In Pleasant Valley's semifinal match against Dowling, she had 16 kills and 11 digs and followed that up in the championship with 24 kills. She can handle a high volume of swings while still being incredibly efficient. Her ceiling on the outside is extremely high. This club season she will be heading into Chicagoland, joining 1st Alliance who is coming off a runner up finish at USAV 16 Open and includes multiple Big Ten commits of their incoming 17s team.       I saw Vogt play at the state tournament in 2023 and again at USAV nationals in July. In both of those events I only saw her set from the back row. For Waukee Northwest, Vogt was running the whole show with a 5-1 where her athletic ability and physicality in the front row was next level. There is such a presence about Vogt where she is a floor general, a leader in every aspect on the court. Her squad came into the state tournament as the the number six seed, upset two conference opponents, and finished as the large school runner-up. She will be bringing her team back in 2025 where they had no seniors this fall. This club season, she will suit up for Iowa PowerPlex where she is a next level steal.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/11/MyaLei.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-720322"/></figure>    [player_tooltip player_id='261088' first='Mya' last='Lei-Butters'] was impressive for Ankeny Centennial at the libero position. She plays with such a calm demeanor which translates to her platform. There isn't any wasted movement and she is efficient in her footwork. Last week at the Iowa State Tournament, she had great command of the backrow and played with a mature poise that anyone would love to have on their side of the net.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">[player_tooltip player_id='389006' first='Carsyn' last='Kelley'] to [player_tooltip player_id='261085' first='Maren' last='Ouellette'] for the slam dunk. <a href="https://twitter.com/PVVolleyball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PVVolleyball</a> picking up momentum in set three. <a href="https://t.co/mRKRGc3NX7">pic.twitter.com/mRKRGc3NX7</a>— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepDigChris/status/1854210818730271205?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>    Pleasant Valley ran a two setter system throughout the season, but in the state semifinals for Iowa's large class, [player_tooltip player_id='389006' first='Carsyn' last='Kelley'] was called upon to run the show. She finished the three set match with 30 assists, playing with poise and confidence, taking over the match. Kelley can defend, run her middles off multiple tempos, find her pins, and knows when to take it on her own and be offensive. What is different about Kelley is her length and physicality at the net where she poses a big problem for the opponents with her block. She has played her club ball for Iowa Select out of the Quad Cities and is one to watch to start 2025.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/11/ChanningJohnson.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-720323"/></figure>    [player_tooltip player_id='389012' first='Channing' last='Johnson'] ran the show as a 5-1 setter for Denver in their quest for their first ever state championship. Bottom line, Johnson is a pure winner. She is a talented multisport athlete for Denver where she also excels on the basketball court, but it's the volleyball hardwood where she has a bright future. As a freshman she knew how to distribute, but as a junior she is a maestro. She runs a fast paced, dynamic offense where they put so much pressure on the other side of the net. At the net, she can throw it down on the second contact and is another blocker the other side needs to recognize when they take a swing. Johnson might be a little under the radar right now, but she's one coaches need to have a star next to.       [player_tooltip player_id='389834' first='Ava' last='Lloyd'] was a huge reason why Sioux City Bishop Heelan was able to claim a Class 4A state title in Iowa. The six rotation outside hitter was impressive with how she could hit a variety of angles and change up her speeds in being able to score points. She was named to the Class 4A All Tournament Team where she has 13, 14, and 14 kills in three sweeps to claim their title. She has quite the all around skillset where she can serve receive, defend, and score.       What a dynamic player. I always knew Scheckel was the type to fill up a box score, but I hadn't seen her play live. She does it all, with passing, serve receive, setting, and scoring points. A triple double for Scheckel is just another night for her. She led the Pella Dutch to a Class 4A runner up finish last week in Coralville. She was named to the Class 4A All Tournament Team. I haven't seen Scheckel play on the club volleyball courts, but she is definitely one to have on the radar at the next level.

The high school season might not be prime time in regards for recruiting at the next level, but it is still a time for athletes to gain plenty of momentum heading into the club season. There is something special about competing for your school and being on the big stage. I was fortunate enough to see these athletes live at the Iowa State Tournament and the Wisconsin State Tournament. Some of these athletes might be heading towards a different sport for college, but they still had quite the performance and would definitely have a spot at the next level for volleyball. Here are some 2026's who have built some recruiting momentum heading into the winter.