2025 Arkansas POY Watchlist: Next 20 Athletes Announced

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're proud to launch our first AVCA-Inspired Arkansas Player of the Year Watchlist, spotlighting the top high school volleyball talent across the state. Modeled after the AVCA's format, this recognition honors athletes for their performance, impact, and leadership both on and off the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're advancing our list with 20 standout players. We'll be adding midseason additions on September 21, semifinalists revealed on October 21, finalists named on October 31, and the winner announced on November 2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Selections for our Arkansas AVCA-Inspired Watchlist are based on a combination of factors that showcase each athlete's true impact on the court. Key criteria include:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Effectiveness on the court:</strong>&nbsp;How well the player performs during matches, including consistency, skill level, and decision-making.<br></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Statistics:</strong>&nbsp;Measurable contributions such as kills, assists, digs, blocks, aces, hitting percentage, and other relevant stats.<br></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Leadership:</strong>&nbsp;Influence on teammates, communication, work ethic, and overall presence as a team leader both in games and practices.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors are eligible for this award.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Importantly, no player's eligibility or placement will be affected by college commitments, school classification, or program size. This watchlist celebrates all players who demonstrate excellence, regardless of external factors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2025 Prep Dig Arkansas Player of the Year Watchlist, Round 2:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='749906' first='Molly' last='Miller'], Fayetteville, 6'0, Sophomore, Setter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='749766' first='Abbigale' last='Simmons'], Marion, 5'2, Senior, Libero</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Harper Davie, Shiloh Christian, 6'0, Freshman, Opposite/Setter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='744576' first='Jaxon' last='Jersey'], Little Rock Central, 5'7, Senior, Outside Hitter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='743939' first='Audrey' last='Calva'], Bentonville West, 5'10, Junior, Outside Hitter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='750224' first='Caroline' last='Stallbaumer'], Shiloh Christian, 6'2, Sophomore, Middle Blocker</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='809375' first='Ella' last='Shelby'], Southside, 5'5, Senior, Libero</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='749856' first='Reese' last='Davis'], Har-Ber, 5'7, Junior, Setter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='828024' first='Jaycee' last='Bossert'], Harmony Grove, 5'10, Junior, Outside Hitter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='749911' first='Avah' last='Brown'], Rogers, 6'1, Sophomore, Pin Hitter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='746301' first='Sydney' last='Crowder'], Little Rock Central, 5'8, Senior, Setter/Opposite</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='749837' first='Evelyn' last='Venters'], Bentonville, 6'1, Junior, Middle Blocker</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='809395' first='Joely' last='Tankersley'], Har-Ber, 5'5, Junior, Libero</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='859659' first='Ava' last='Beasley'], Paragould, 5'10, Junior, Outside Hitter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='763687' first='Bristol' last='Bonanno'], Shiloh Christian, 5'3, Freshman, Libero</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='412444' first='Haley' last='Thomas'], Siloam Springs, 5'7, Senior, Setter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='809513' first='Anna' last='Grace Dedmon'], Greenwood, 5'9, Senior, Middle Blocker</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='839946' first='Emmerson' last='Rehkopf'], Farmington, 5'11, Junior, Outside Hitter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='749859' first='Isabella' last='Gonzalez'], Benton, 5'9, Junior, Pin Hitter/DS</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='746818' first='Taylor' last='Lease'], Bryant, 5'10, Junior, Middle Blocker</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='768346' first='Brinkley' last='Gigerich'], Lakeside, 5'11, Freshman, Middle Blocker/Pin Hitter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Dig Arkansas is BACK! Here is our first Prep Dig Arkansas Player of the Year Watchlist with all classes, positions, multiple schools, etc. We will update again on September 21st with 20 additional player names. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- Hannah Watkins, Prep Dig Arkansas Lead Scout, @prepdighannah on IG/X.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->