Checking In on Ascending 15U Prospects

My schedule this club season has had me watching a lot of the 15U action from clubs around the state. It's convinced me that many student-athletes in this division will impact prep scene greatly this coming campaign.   Here's a group of players that have stood out since January:    England stands out for her consistency relative to her age and experience. It gives her a solid foundation on which to develop the rest of her setting skills. As of now, she regularly puts the ball where a strong group of Six Pack hitters can tee off. England shows potential with her swing and her long arms make her a strong net defender. There's promise here in serve-receive and in exploiting holes in the opponents defense. England sees the court well and makes good decisions.     Klooster is packed with potential that feels close to being realized. It's a matter of putting together greater consistency with her gifts for the game. Klooster excels on short sets with her quickness and pace. She also stands out for her vision, which identifies soft spots in the defense. Klooster is fast off of the court, shows explosiveness and hang time when she jumps. With more time to grow and develop, Klooster has a good chance of reaching her considerable ceiling.     I've scouted Whitford in person a lot this club season. Each time she impressed with her well-rounded skill set. Whitford is probably at her best hitting from the pin, but she's also quick and reliable in the back row. She compensates for not being as tall as other outside hitters with impressive explosion off of the court and a big vertical leap. With room to add strength, Whitford already generates power with a technically-sound swing. She also sees the court well and adjusts to what she reads from the defense.     Few prospects that I scouted this club campaign have improved more than Schlarbaum. The skills were there when she was in the 14U Division, but she's grown physically and become much more consistent. Schlarbaum is best from the pin, where she brings power and makes good decisions. She reads the block well and finds avenues to avoid it. Schlarbaum made herself a reliable six-rotation performer by working on her back-row play, which is steady. If she takes another step forward this fall, the folks in Tiffin will be real happy.     My second in-person scout of Stien happened at the 2025 Windy City National Qualifier. She impressed me with her reliability and consistency at setter. Stien moves well around her teammates, getting in proper position to set them up. She puts the ball on the money so her hitters regularly get clean swings to maximize the attack. Stien is tall with long arms, which help her defend at the net and produce swings of her own when she's given the chance.     Fineran is a work in progress like many middles at this age, but she has the makings of an impact player if it all comes together. I first saw her at the 2025 Northern Lights National Qualifier and got another opportunity at the Iowa Regional. Fineran is athletic and agile with long arms. She gathers herself quickly in jumping with a whip-like swing that creates velocity. Fineran makes sound decision on where to attack with a good read on the defense. While the middle might be her future, her play from the opposite pin gives her another path to success.

My schedule this club season has had me watching a lot of the 15U action from clubs around the state. It's convinced me that many student-athletes in this division will impact prep scene greatly this coming campaign.