Eight Upperclassmen Ready for College Coaches Right Now

Upperclassmen seasons are about clarity. By this stage, college coaches are looking for athletes who understand their role, compete with emotional control, and bring value beyond a single skill. The athletes below are not chasing attention. They are refining details, leading through action, and preparing themselves for the next level with intention. These eight upperclassmen show the habits, mindset, and self-awareness that translate to college programs.    [player_tooltip player_id='793674' first='Ema-Lee' last='Burke'] anchors the back row with scrappy defense and calm control in high-intensity moments. She takes pride in staying stoic, communicating clearly, and helping her team manage the pace of the game. Her focus this season is consistency, built through coachability, full effort in every rep, and repetition that turns habits into reliability. Her goals are simple and honest, have fun, win, improve, and get recruited. Off the court, Ema-Lee brings strong emotional intelligence. She describes herself as empathetic and highly aware of the people around her, while also being adventurous, drawn to hiking, water sports, and anything that pushes her comfort zone. That combination of steadiness and curiosity shows up in how she competes.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     [player_tooltip player_id='879904' first='Faith' last='Stambaugh'] identifies her strongest skill as her ability to respond to mistakes. She bounces back quickly, stays mentally engaged, and competes with resilience. That mindset carries into her technical focus, staying open to the setter and engaging her hips more effectively to stay available offensively. Her primary goal this season is clear, committing to a college where she can continue both her academic and athletic career. Faith's endurance extends far beyond the court, as she runs marathons for fun, a detail that reflects discipline, mental toughness, and long-term commitment to training.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     [player_tooltip player_id='882608' first='Kaitlyn' last='Rain'] describes herself as a fearless and dependable setter, someone willing to chase every ball to keep her offense aggressive. She is currently sharpening her decision-making by reading blocks and defenses faster, using film study, game-like drills, and reps with all her hitters to improve efficiency. Her goal this season is to grow as both a player and leader while earning college attention and working toward a verbal offer. Kaitlyn's journey is rooted in resilience. She overcame selective mutism as a child, and credits volleyball for helping her find her voice. That experience shaped her mental strength and determination, qualities that now define her presence on the court.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     [player_tooltip player_id='878992' first='Sidney' last='Buchanan']'s game is built on communication and leadership. She values being present as a teammate and growing consistently in all aspects of the game. Her focus this season is becoming more consistent, understanding that steadiness is what allows a setter to elevate those around her. Sidney approaches her development with a team-first mindset, aiming to improve both her individual performance and her impact on team chemistry. Off the court, she brings creativity and balance, sharing that she is a strong baker, a small insight into her personality and approach to discipline outside volleyball.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     [player_tooltip player_id='878825' first='Katelyn' last='Hahn'] brings consistency and communication to the back row. She takes pride in her serve and in being vocal on the court, helping organize and energize her team. Defensively, she is working on setting up in stronger positions, focusing on staying disciplined with her court spacing rather than drifting away from the line. Her goal this season is relationship-driven, continuing to build meaningful connections with college coaches she is already communicating with. Katelyn describes herself as a positive presence both on and off the court, an attribute that consistently shows up in recruitable defensive specialists.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     [player_tooltip player_id='885554' first='Leilani' last='Alvarado'] plays the game with high volleyball IQ and quiet confidence. She reads plays early, anticipates well, and makes smart decisions that keep her team organized. As an outside hitter, she values being all-around, contributing in serve receive, defense, and offense while staying reliable in pressure moments. Her current focus is blocking, improving her reads, closing speed, and timing to become more effective at the net. Her goals this season are grounded and intentional, continuing to develop as a six-rotation outside while allowing her work ethic and performance to speak for itself. Leilani describes herself as a quiet competitor, someone who leads through consistency rather than attention.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     [player_tooltip player_id='889615' first='Riley' last='Adams'] defines her game through relentless defense. She is reactive, fast, and persistent, traits that consistently separate strong defensive specialists. Her development focus is serving consistency, and her approach reflects discipline, arriving early to stretch, warm up, and get serving reps in before practice begins. Her team goal is to qualify for nationals and compete at a high level, while her personal goal is to commit to a college by the end of the season. Riley's athleticism extends beyond volleyball, as she also competed as a varsity swimmer, using cross-training to support her overall performance.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     [player_tooltip player_id='806134' first='Kendall' last='Antell'] brings energy, communication, and coachability to the court. She prides herself on being loud, positive, and supportive, consistently lifting her teammates and maintaining good energy. Her current growth focus is patience with herself after mistakes, understanding that confidence is built through self-trust. Her goal this season is to become more confident in her skills and in what she contributes to a team environment. Off the court, Kendall's personality shines through her unexpected love of football, especially as a dedicated Buffalo Bills fan, a detail that reflects passion and loyalty.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">If You Enjoyed This Article, Help Us Keep the Momentum Going</h2>   🔥 Players Use this article to grow. Take notes, study what makes others stand out, and apply it to your own journey. Want to take the next step? Reach out to a featured athlete and introduce yourself. Build connections, not just stats.   📣 Club Coaches & Directors Share this with your teams. If your athletes are highlighted, celebrate them. Post it, tag us, and help their stories reach the right eyes. Visibility matters.   🎯 College Coaches Tag these athletes in University Athlete and evaluate them as potential fits for your program. We continue tracking their growth and impact through Recruitable Credentials, the indicators coaches trust. 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Help a player get discovered — share this article and tag @PrepDigCA and @PrepDigArizona.   🚀 <a href="https://prepdig.com/my-account/subscriptions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Upgrade to a PrepDig+ Subscription</a> Access exclusive rankings, deeper analysis, and the full Prospect Index to follow every athlete's journey.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">📌 In Case You Missed It</h2>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://prepdig.com/arizona/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Here are a few recent stories gaining traction across Arizona.</a></h3>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/01/image_af9359.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-935156" /></figure>   Thank you for making today's wins matter — one article, one player, one memory at a time.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247

Upperclassmen seasons are about clarity. By this stage, college coaches are looking for athletes who understand their role, compete with emotional control, and bring value beyond a single skill. The athletes below are not chasing attention. They are refining details, leading through action, and preparing themselves for the next level with intention. These eight upperclassmen show the habits, mindset, and self-awareness that translate to college programs.