2027 Defenders That Are Under The Radar

Drew Ellis February 26, 2025 @ 12:22 PM

<p>As the Class of 2027 continues to emerge into the spotlight, we are seeing more prospects that display the ability to be a special player.</p>   <p>When it comes to liberos and defenders, this class has a lot of raw talent that are finding their identity as players. Here's a look at six that show promise and could emerge as great defenders.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Elise Hultberg, Valley Lutheran/Five:1</strong></h2>   <p>Hultberg moves with purpose on the court and stays very engaged on the play. She's laser-focused on her opponents and anticipating where she needs to be on the floor. Her technique is also sound. Hultberg gets low to the ground and watches the ball into her arms for a clean pass to the setter. I think as more eyes get on her in the years ahead, Hultberg will prove she's among the best defenders in the class.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='523872' first='Anika' last='Jaroszewski'], Plymouth Christian/Michigan Elite</strong></h2>   <p>Jaroszewski has the ability to make a quick movement to get a clean pass off. She's spry and does a good job of covering space, but it's those lightning-fast reactions that allow her to be a strong libero prospect. She's getting tested regularly by strong hitters, so it should help elevate her game even further over the coming months.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='470701' first='Zoey' last='Kapeller'], OLSM/High Performance</strong></h2>   <p>Kapeller is a longer libero, which brings some advantages. She's got a lot of reach and covers a lot of space, which has allowed her to make some digs that others can't. But, she's not just a big wingspan, she's also quite agile and athletic. Kapeller makes some really graceful sprawls to make clean digs and she's got a good sense of when to time them out. Kapeller looks like an athlete that could play anywhere, but is focused on being a top defender.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442989' first='Kyler' last='Madison'], Milford/L2</strong></h2>   <p>Madison is a scrappy player that shows a lot of athleticism for the position. She stays light on her feet and keeps on the move, but could trust in her instincts a little more often. You can see improvement in her technique and her consistency, so as she lets the game come to her and rely on her skills, she will continue to make more strides as a prospect.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454376' first='Blair' last='Russow'], Bedford/Legacy</strong></h2>   <p>Russow does a nice job of making the most out of her opportunities. She's shown the ability to play anywhere in the back court and be effective. Currently in a DS role with her Legacy squad, Russow has been a great complement to her team. She's light on her feet and able to make the last-second movement to get under an attack.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='523849' first='Avery' last='Seif'], Caledonia</strong></h2>   <p>Seif looks very calm and collected in the back row. There's not much wasted movement in her play, as she locks in to the play and can anticipate where the ball is going. Her digs look relatively effortless and routine, as she shows a lot of trust in her ability to get in the right place. Seif also shows that she can make a clean pass on a dive or sprawl, as she also times those out very well.</p>

As the Class of 2027 continues to emerge into the spotlight, we are seeing more prospects that display the ability to be a special player.