What Programs Are Winning The 2027s…So Far

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're just over 72 hours into the live recruiting period of the Class of 2027 and we can already see programs who are gaining some “Wins” in their verbal commits.&nbsp; The Big Ten is off to a hot start which can be expected, but who are the ones making gains? Where are some top Class of 2027s heading when it comes to the next level.&nbsp; Let's take a look.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Penn State and Nebraska - The Big Names Keep Coming</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Nebraska</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Rank</strong></td><td><strong>Name</strong></td><td><strong>State</strong></td><td><strong>Position</strong></td><td><strong>High School</strong></td><td><strong>Club Team</strong></td><td><strong>Commitment</strong></td></tr><tr><td><strong>1</strong></td><td>Kendall Omoruyi</td><td>Arizona</td><td>MB</td><td>Casteel</td><td>Arizona Storm Volleyball Club</td><td>Nebraska</td></tr><tr><td><strong>10</strong></td><td>Shaye Witherspoon</td><td>Missouri</td><td>OH</td><td>Lafayette</td><td>Rockwood Thunder</td><td>Nebraska</td></tr><tr><td><strong>35</strong></td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='458117' first='Malorie' last='Boesiger']</td><td>Nebraska</td><td>S</td><td>Norris</td><td>[program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE']</td><td>Nebraska</td></tr><tr><td><strong>68</strong></td><td>Mallory Johnson</td><td>Michigan</td><td>DS/L</td><td>Byron Center</td><td>Far Out Volleyball Club</td><td>Nebraska</td></tr><tr><td><strong>103</strong></td><td>Pulelehua Laikona</td><td>Arizona</td><td>DS/L</td><td>Mesa</td><td>Arizona Storm Volleyball Club</td><td>Nebraska</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nebraska just may be done with five athletes given their verbal to Coach Dani Busboom Kelly.&nbsp; The Huskers have consistently brought in top recruiting classes where they are guaranteed plenty of talent which is obvious, but their depth is also something to note.&nbsp; They also keep those athletes who are “Homegrown Huskers”. Mallorie Boesigner is in the back yard of Lincoln and will be heading to Nebraska as one of the top setters in the Class of 2027.&nbsp; Her older sister, Maisie Boesiger will be heading into her senior season at Nebraska.&nbsp; They also have the Arizona connection working for them.&nbsp; Kendall Omoruyi is the Prep Dig #1 prospect in the country.&nbsp; She plays for Arizona Storm out of the Phoenix area and won't be the only Storm athlete heading to Lincoln where teammate Pluehea Laikona made her verbal as well.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Penn State</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Rank</strong></td><td><strong>Name</strong></td><td><strong>State</strong></td><td><strong>Position</strong></td><td><strong>High School</strong></td><td><strong>Club Team</strong></td><td><strong>Commitment</strong></td></tr><tr><td><strong>2</strong></td><td>Olivia Henry</td><td>Florida</td><td>OH/RS</td><td>IMG Academy</td><td>IMG Academy</td><td>Penn State</td></tr><tr><td><strong>11</strong></td><td>Nejari Crooks</td><td>North Carolina</td><td>RS/S</td><td>Wesleyan Christian Academy</td><td>Triad Elite Volleyball Club</td><td>Penn State</td></tr><tr><td><strong>16</strong></td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='296486' first='Taylor' last='Harrington']</td><td>Virginia</td><td>MB</td><td>Wakefield</td><td>[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last='']</td><td>Penn State</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:image {"id":411092,"width":"498px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/06/DSC03263.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-411092" style="width:498px;height:auto"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Olivia Henry from Nationals in 2023</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is a synergy about this class that is so exciting for Nittany Nation.&nbsp; Olivia Henry, Nejari Crooks, and [player_tooltip player_id='296486' first='Taylor' last='Harrington'] were recently named to the U19 Youth National Team that will be competing in the Pan American Games.&nbsp; I first saw Olivia Henry when she was 14, playing for a club out of New York at nationals in Chicago.&nbsp; There was something special brewing there.&nbsp; Crooks is the lefty setter/right side combo player who can do a little bit of everything.&nbsp; She will be heading to Penn State as a freshman when setter Izzy Starck will be a senior.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='296486' first='Taylor' last='Harrington'] is an exciting athlete out of Virginia who has the length and athleticism to be a gamechanging middle blocker who can block and score at a high level.&nbsp; The combination of this current Class of 2027s and the Class of 2026 is electric.&nbsp; Three key athletes from 2026 are outside hitter Haley Burgdorf of Sports Performance, middle blocker Kendall Northern of Elevation, and setter Danielle Whitmire of TAV.&nbsp; These six athletes alone make for quite the lineup.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sparty Strikes Early </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The hiring of Kristen Kelsay at Michigan State was exciting for many with her background being a former Michigan State athlete and coaching experience in the Big Ten. The stars aligned and so are the recruits.&nbsp; Coach Kelsay was previously the assistant coach at Minnesota and brought those connections with her picking up setter Ellery DeBoer out of Minnesota Select and libero Cora Bicknese from Vital.&nbsp; She also picked up a local Michigan athlete in Mallory Wandel of Michigan Volleyball Academy.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Look At You, Mizzou! </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coach Dawn Sullivan is making some big splashes with her 2027 recruits where she has three big time athletes coming to Columbia.&nbsp; Maizy Agnello has been quite an athlete to follow from Illinois woh has been one of the top outside hitters in her class.&nbsp; She plays for Sky High out of the North Chicago suburbs where she has such an athletic and physical style to her game.&nbsp; When she strikes the ball, it just sounds different.&nbsp; Mizzou received commits from setter Lucky Fasavalu from Mizuno Long Beach and pin attacker Eve Bushnell out NC Volleyball Academy. They are leading the SEC in the 2027 recruiting battle…so far.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Minnesota Capitalizing on “The West”</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Whenever I start to see commits coming in, I think about how they will blend with the recruiting classes before them.&nbsp; Minnesota has some really powerful pins coming in.&nbsp; Kelly Kinney will be a freshman this fall for the Gophers coming from South Florida and from the 2026 class they will have Makenna Crosson form California coming in.&nbsp; This year they landed another big time attacker from the West in Tessa Larkin who players for Arizona Storm out of the Phoenix area.&nbsp; Larkin can serve receive, defend, and is such a flyer.&nbsp; I think we are starting to see more trends of these West Coast athletes coming to the Big Ten knowing they get to come back to their home area every year.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>New Coach, Same Big Commits For Creighton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brian Rosen was the Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for Creighton with Kirsten Bernthal Booth.&nbsp; Bernthal Booth is now working with the administration of LOVB and Rosen was quickly named the one to take over the reigns.&nbsp; The Jays have picked up some big names near and far to Omaha.&nbsp; Allie Hudgins is one of the top outside hitters in Texas, a physical force who gave her verbal on day one.&nbsp; Their two other commits have a bit of a local flare with [player_tooltip player_id='445956' first='Reagan' last='Wallraff'] who preps at Elkhorn North in suburban Omaha.&nbsp; Ruthie Robinson will make the trip down Interstate 29 from Sioux Falls to Omaha as one of the top players in South Dakota.&nbsp; These athletes fit the Creighton style of play where they have length, athleticism, and a big upside that Creighton always manages to bring the best out of their athletes.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Power Keeps Going To Louisville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Much like Creighton and their coaching change, Louisville had the plan in place for when Coach Dani Busboom took the head coaching job at Nebraska.&nbsp; Associate Head Coach Dan Meske was named head coach and the recruits keep coming.&nbsp; Two big time attackers heading to Louisville are Keilani Ledaja-Brewer from Triangle Volleyball Club in North Carolina and Carsyn Cromer out of Munciana in Indiana.&nbsp; These two are the fast twitch athletic style of attackers who flat out score points.&nbsp; The Cards are also bringing in quite the defender in Elizabeth Bower who has been playing up an age group on the Idaho Crush 17 Bower team who has put on quite a show this season on the 17s circuit.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->