Six Hidden Gems in the 2026 Class

The 2026 class will take center stage as seniors when the fall season starts in Late August in Washington. These six players have had terrific club seasons and have the potential to be valuable contributors at the high school and collegiate levels. There is a place to play for nearly everyone after high school ball is over, as long as the prospect is persistent and has a realistic idea of their level. Class of 2025 athletes are still signing to play with programs, and of course, some players, even in the top half of the rankings, decide to call it a career. There is plenty of time left for the class of 2026 to make a mark and find their place- these players are on their way.    Douangmany-Turner does anything her Space Needle team needs. She is a quality setter with soft hands and a strong base, passes the ball precisely on defense, and can earn kills while swinging from the right side. The Cascade High School prospect is comfortable reversing the flow of the offense and setting the pipe, and has a knack for finding high hands as an attacker.     Lathan will be a senior next fall at Central Valley; she will bring her experience, solid passing, and positive energy to the Bears' back row. She played for Renovators 18 this club season; Lathan was steady in serve receive, seeing the ball early and keeping her platform away from her body and correctly angled. She has worked hard on her out-of-system setting and looks comfortable delivering the second ball to the pin with her hands or platform.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://youtu.be/TM8d-kxufmY?si=QT6wG4fFzGwN09-a </div></figure>     Jamieson is a power player in the middle. She has been terrific for CRU during the club season and will be the anchor for West Valley Yakima during the fall school season. A devastating blocker, Jamieson is growing her game in other ways. She covers herself and other attackers at the net, can pressure defenses with her serve, and is willing to play tough defense when she is in the back row.     Nelson has been excellent playing the DS role for NPJ 17 National Portland- dropping dimes and helping her fellow prospects from Washington [player_tooltip player_id='486987' first='Lillian' last='Zarzana'] and [player_tooltip player_id='249592' first='Addie' last='Cameron'] blast rockets for kills. Nelson will cut off the serve in the seam when she has the angle, confidently working the ball to her setter in a good location. She plants her feet and is calm on defense; Nelson cushions hard swings to keep her team flowing and scoring in transition.     Sanderford is a long, athletic pin hitter with an aggressive swing, whose best volleyball is yet to come. Playing for [program_tooltip program_id='747679' first='Emerald' last='Rain'] 17 Premier this club season, the Silas High School 2026 OH grew her game as a six-rotation attacker. Her wingspan gives her a high contact point, and she looks ready to take big swings when the team needs a critical kill. College coaches looking for a player with room to develop and the size to compete as an outside hitter should have Sanderford on their radar.     Lehman is a physically strong athlete who has good height and solid passing fundamentals. She has had the opportunity to be a six-rotation outside for WVBA this club season, honing her skills in serve receive and using an aggressive approach to terminate balls on the pin. Lehman was dialed in at the Emerald City Classic, doing some of her best work offensively for the season.

The 2026 class will take center stage as seniors when the fall season starts in Late August in Washington. These six players have had terrific club seasons and have the potential to be valuable contributors at the high school and collegiate levels. There is a place to play for nearly everyone after high school ball is over, as long as the prospect is persistent and has a realistic idea of their level. Class of 2025 athletes are still signing to play with programs, and of course, some players, even in the top half of the rankings, decide to call it a career. There is plenty of time left for the class of 2026 to make a mark and find their place- these players are on their way.