2026 Rankings Update: Behind the Scenes

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The "How" behind the Rankings update.</h2>   I want to offer a glimpse into the rankings from our end. Here is what I wrote in a 2025 rankings update last spring. It holds for this and every update we put together here at Prep Dig Washington.   "We want to take this opportunity to explore the how and why of the rankings and spotlight three of the top-ranked players at their positions. Prep Dig thoroughly explains rankings at this link: <a href="https://prepdig.com/how-we-rank/" target="_blank">https://prepdig.com/how-we-rank/</a>. We borrow liberally from the “How We Rank” page in this article and hope to give you a glimpse into how the rankings relate to players on the court in Washington."   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">Height, Quickness, and Explosiveness Matter!</h1>   "If a player is more athletic, taller, or quicker, that will compensate for current skill deficiencies. There's the adage that you cannot teach size and speed. If you go down the different levels of college athletics, the difference is very rarely in skill level. The most significant gaps are in size, explosiveness, and athleticism. Volleyball is a game with no physical contact and a fixed net that separates the two teams. Playing above the net, with power and accuracy (kills), is a difference-maker. Reacting quicker to a ball (digs) or serving with force and control (aces) can be trained, but players have different natural physical abilities that may set them apart.   Prep Dig scouts look for plays and flashes of athleticism that translate to the college game. Sometimes, a high school player may only make a few plays in a set that stands out. But if there are one or two displays of extraordinary athletic bursts during the match, there's a difference in how those are evaluated, reflected in our rankings.   Some scouts may value production and stats more than others, and that's absolutely allowed. Competing and producing every night is a skill. But at the same time, players need to be able to compete athletically and match up in size against their competition."   Let's connect that to our top ten in the 2026 class. The physicality of these players is evident when you watch them play. All the attackers are 6" or over (at least in shoes) and have explosive arms. The setters are taller and may be the best overall athletes on their teams. The single libero in the top ten is extremely quick, agile, and stars on the beach and indoors.   What about liberos? Our site's rankings often mirror the positions college coaches prioritize in recruiting. Although not absolute, a terminal outside is frequently a team's most valuable position. Louisville was missing its top outside attacker in the championship against Penn State; it fell short when the Nittany Lions' outside, Jess Mruzik, took over the match. Next, coaches will look for setters, middles, and right-sides, followed by liberos and defensive specialists. It's an interesting contradiction; teams can't win matches if they struggle in serve receive, and many programs spend a large percentage of their practice on passing. Yet, the players executing the serve-receive game are recruited last and lower in the rankings. Why? It ties into height, explosiveness, and quickness. That combination is rare, and you can't teach someone to grow taller, and they can only be physically improved to a certain degree. It's position scarcity- and that scarcity is not an issue for liberos and defensive specialists.   I appreciate players who produce and win big at the high school level, no matter how big or small the school is. We want to find those small school stars for our site and the rankings. Over the last several years, small school players like Ellie Marble, Ella Schoene, <a href="https://prepdig.com/player/ava-semprimoznik/" target="_blank">Ava Semprimoznik</a>, Lauren York, and more have reached the top half of the rankings. When players have outstanding physical tools, as Marble does, they can be in the top ten regardless of the small school classification.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Top 10</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='231549' first='Laura' last='Eichert'] tops the 2025 rankings. The University of San Diego-bound junior will play for NPJ Forefront this club season and is ranked the 84th-ranked prospect nationally. Another six-rotation outside, [player_tooltip player_id='450701' first='Gabriella' last='Thompson'], is second in our rankings. Thompson is committed to the University of Miami in the ACC and is the 120th-ranked prospect nationally. [player_tooltip player_id='251026' first='Kaitlyn' last='Nguyen'] is a possible power conference libero recruit; she has spent time in the outdoor and beach National Team Development programs.   Two middles are four and five in the rankings. [player_tooltip player_id='243691' first='Emma' last='Gutke'] is a 6'3" Auburn commit, and [player_tooltip player_id='335612' first='Lauryn' last='Coleman'] has committed to play her college ball at Santa Clara.   The six through ten positions in the rankings are occupied by two setters, two OH/RS prospects, and an outside who will play beach at the next level. [player_tooltip player_id='243689' first='Selana' last='Morales'] has tremendous power and athleticism, and her play as a right side helped deliver Curtis the 4A State Championship. Mya Quitiquit is the top-ranked setter in the class, with [player_tooltip player_id='251032' first='Samantha' last='Humphrey'] from North Thurston right behind her. The two setters lead their teams to runner-up finishes in the 4A and 3A State tournaments. [player_tooltip player_id='251030' first='Rian' last='Stephan'] checks in at nine in the rankings; the 6'2" OH/RS grew her game playing on the outside for Lynden this season. The top ten is finished off by [player_tooltip player_id='363992' first='Addison' last='Conner']- the North Thurston outside is committed to playing in the sand at Cal Poly; she was tremendous for North Thurston this season. Conner took critical swings and delivered massive kills for the Rams.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"></h2>   Here are a few more thoughts on rankings…   How often are rankings published? Rankings are expected to be published 2 to 3 times a year for each state in our network of websites. We work diligently with our existing staff to stay on schedule with timely updates.   Why do you update so often? Players emerge constantly. These are athletes in their teenage years where growth spurts, skill development, and playing opportunity occurs at varying timelines. To keep up with the rapid and random nature of player development, we feel that frequent updates are our best chance at accuracy. Humility also drives the frequency of our updates. We know that the rankings will never be perfect — that's an impossible standard, and we cannot reevaluate every player in the state between every update. Again, updating often gives us the best chance to keep up.   How to use the rankings as a tool:   Claim or create a profile on the Prospect Index. This gives every prospect the ability to control their player profile. From fixing the spelling of their name to the school they attend to updating their college offers, prospects and their families will be able to do it all.   Share a screenshot of your player profile on social media! In your communication, feel free to link to articles, social media posts, and videos our scouts have on you.   <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"> <a href="https://prepdig.com/prospect-index/">Prep Dig Prospect Index</a> </blockquote>