2028 Setters to know

The 2028 setter class continues to grow deeper with young athletes already showing advanced feel, leadership, and the ability to control a match well beyond their age. While hitters often grab the headlines, elite setters remain the engine that drives high-level volleyball, and this group has several rising prospects beginning to separate themselves early.   Here at PrepdigAZ we wanted to take a deeper dive into some of these floor generals and give you an idea about who you need to go see over the course of the next year. I can tell you after watching these athletes dominate their field it is only a matter of time before college coaches and volleyball fans get to know these names by heart!    Our number 1 setter in the class is [player_tooltip player_id='787997' first='Jade' last='Smith'] and she is for sure someone you need to get out and see as her setting game is elite in so many areas. Her setting is great because she shows confidence in distributing to all pins and her middles rather than leaning too heavily on one option. Her hands are fundamentally sound and she has clean contact, with minimal spin and she's especially effective at squaring to target, even when pulled off the net. She's comfortable setting on the move and has shown the ability to deliver hittable balls from a variety of body positions, which is a key trait at higher levels.   A few other things she does well is that in transition, she competes to get to second contact and shows urgency, turning broken plays into usable swings for her team. On the other side of the coin, intangibles stand out for her as well. She carries herself like a floor general, communicates clearly with hitters, and maintains composure regardless of score. She has some great leadership qualities and her teammates respond to her energy.   Jade is a setter to watch not only for her all around play, but for ability to play at a high level and demonstrate why she is one of the best setters in AZ.     Campbell is a fundamentally sound 2028 setter with a steady presence and clear understanding of how to run an offense, and she's the type of player who makes the game easier for those around her. Her hands are soft, and she is capable of running an offense from everywhere on the floor. She also is athletic and fast enough to get to a lot of balls other setters wouldn't be able to get their hands on. She has great footwork and shows it off in her transition and speed to get to balls in longer rallies.   Another area that stands out is her effort in coverage stands out. She understands responsibilities, fills seams, and doesn't take plays off, often extending rallies with second effort digs. There's a clear toughness to her defensive game and she's willing to pursue balls and compete through longer points. On the floor she is just relentless with her game in all the positive aspects coaches look floor.   Overall, Campbell is a setter to get out and see of the course of the next year. She is capable of doing a lot of things on the court to help her team win and has some of the best hands in the class. For sure someone you need to get out and see!     London has gained a lot of traction in Prepdig's eyes and really should be someone that is getting on your radar in the coming months as someone to get to know! I would say London is a dynamic 2028 setter who brings a strong mix of athleticism, competitiveness, and developing court command, and she's steadily emerging as a player to track in her class. She thrives in up-tempo systems, showing the ability to push the pace to her pins while still maintaining a consistent, hittable ball. Her hand contact is reliable, and she does a nice job delivering location with purpose, particularly on out-of-system balls where many setters her age struggle.   Another thing about her is her communication level stands out immediately, as she constantly directs traffic, encourages teammates, and keeps the floor organized. She is someone that brings a ton of energy and is fun to watch in that regard. She also brings toughness and competitiveness that elevate the energy of the entire lineup. She has all those factor that coaches can't teach and we love to see that out of setters in general. She has that IT factor!   London is a top 3 setter in this class, and realistically is one of the better setters in the state of AZ. She is for sure someone you want to get to know this year and for years to come!     Vanessa is one of the tallest setters in the class, and brings a ton of versititlity to the position in terms of what she can bring to the table. One thing that stands out for Vanessa is her ability to impact the game as a setter or as a right side. Not many of these setters on this list are the offensive force that Vanessa can be on the floor. She has a great arm swing and is someone who puts up a very impressive block. At the next one could argue she is the most impressive of the groups.   However, she brings a lot more to the table over just her net play. She is someone who is comfortable extending to the antennas and shows confidence setting her middles when the pass allows, helping keep opposing blockers honest while her team is in system. She also has the ability to run the offense from all spaces on the floor as she is a strong setter and can get the ball to the pin from a ton of tough locations.   Vanessa is someone to get to know because she can be a 5-1 setter or she could be a 6-2 setter with the ability to hold her own in the front row. She has a very high ceiling and is someone you want to get to know over the course of the next couple months!     Kaylie is another great setter from the class of 2028, and one that has shown a high level of play throughout region play and NQ play. Her awareness is one thing that stands out to me. She's seems to know how to manipulate the defense by using her eyes, body positioning, and timing to create openings rather than just reacting to the pass. There's a noticeable willingness to take risks in the right moments, whether that's going behind in transition or mixing in an aggressive setter dump to steal a point. Her court IQ shows in those tough moments as someone who understands the game at a high level.   Her contributions in other areas besides setting have also stood out to us over at PrepDig. First, defensively, she is active, reads the game well, and consistently keeps rallies alive with effort plays and smart positioning. She seems to see the game at an elite level and can anticipate plays as they are happening. Also her serve continues to improve and already creates problems for opposing passers with placement and tempo variation. She knows who to attack and will attack their seams to create chaos for them.   Kaylie is a setter to get to know, and is someone who is going to start popping up on college radars over the next year. She has all the tools to be very elite for the class of 2028.     Paige is a fun setter to watch as she has some of the best all around game out there as a setter. One thing you will notice is movement-wise, she covers ground well and plays with urgency, consistently working to get her feet to the ball and establish a stable base before contact. She's especially effective moving laterally and has shown the ability to reset her platform quickly when plays break down. Defensively, she competes and doesn't take plays off and is willing to dig (and dig well), cover hitters, and communicate responsibilities across the backcourt.   She also runs an offense with confidence and consistency, showing the ability to push tempo while still maintaining strong ball placement across all zones. She has a natural feel for spreading the ball around and keeping blockers guessing, which makes hitters around her more effective throughout a match as they get a lot of 1 on 1 chances that other teams don't give their hitters.   Paige is a top level setter in southern AZ... but she is also a top level setter in the class of 2028 and is someone you will want to know and see this year! If you haven't, don't worry but make sure you get out and see her over the next year!     Another great southern AZ setter, Callen is someone who really is going to turn some heads in her junior season next year. What we have noticed is that she shows strong command in-system, consistently delivering a clean, hittable ball with reliable tempo to both pins and a willingness to involve her middles. Her hand placement is efficient and repeatable (which is a trait all setters need), and she does a good job getting her body squared to target.   Another thing she does well is that defensively, she competes hard every rally and consistently makes plays with her court awareness and reaction time. She is vocal in serve receive, organized in transition, and brings natural leadership qualities that teammates respond to immediately. Her serve has become a legitimate weapon, capable of creating runs with aggressive placement and changing speeds. She can set, serve, and play defense which as a setter to do at a high level makes her team all the better and brings the talent level up!   Long term, her upside remains extremely high because of both her physical tools and understanding of the game. She plays with confidence, energy, and a mature approach that separates her from many players in the 2028 class and is someone you need to get out and see!     Allison is a setter you should get to watch as she can do a lot of things for a team to elevate the overall play of her teammates throughout a match. One thing about her is that she is athletic. You can see that she moves well enough to cover the court and plays with good balance, rarely looking rushed even when pulled off the net. Her footwork is great and she seems to always be in a balanced position on contact for her sets, defense, and and time she touches the ball. Defensively, she's reliable and engaged, communicating responsibilities and contributing in coverage with a solid platform.   Another plus asset for Allison is the service line, as she's a consistent and strategic server who applies pressure without sacrificing control. She shows the ability to vary zones, targeting weaker passers and disrupting offensive systems. This leads to her team and defenses being able to stop opposing teams or generate out of system plays that lead to in system plays for her team. You have to keep the ball out of Allison's hand because when her teams are in system they terminate at a high rate as she is just that good at her position.   With her leadership qualities, defensive consistency, and ability to control an offense, she is someone you need to get to know and see! She is going to be a high level college target this time next year!     Alex is what we would call a well-rounded setter. Overall she is a setter who is beginning to separate herself with her defensive presence and impact from the service line, which is rare to see as she brings a complete skill set that extends beyond just running the offense. Defensively, she is active, engaged, and reads the game well for her age. She positions herself with purpose, shows quick reactions off the attack, and has a dependable platform that allows her to control first contact when targeted. She tracks hitters, anticipates angles, and keeps balls alive that many setters at this level don't reach.   Her offensive game as a setter also stands out as she has the ability to consistently deliver accurate sets from multiple places on the floor and doesn't need a perfect pass to do it. This allows her team to stay in system far more often than expected. She also shows strong chemistry with hitters, understands how to establish rhythm early in matches (super high court IQ), and does an excellent job recognizing favorable matchups throughout rotations.   A high IQ setter who can play defense like a libero? Alex is for sure one of the setters you need to know from this class!     Our last setter to get to know if [player_tooltip player_id='984528' first='Emma' last='Nicks']. Emma is a big setter at 5'11 but her movement and ability to control the tempo at the net is next level. She can run a balanced offense with her consistent tempo, demonstrating the ability to locate hitters in-system while also creating opportunities out of imperfect passes. Her hands are clean, and she does a nice job adjusting her release point to stay deceptive, keeping blockers off balance.   Her serving is also tough and a asset for both scoring points and creating out of system plays for the other team to make them more predictable. She is someone who is athletic and physically gifted enough to play all the way around when called upon. She has a lot of potential in her game and is someone who is going to rapidly shoot up our rankings this next go around.   Emma is someone to get to know as she is going to be a huge jumper in our next rankings update. She has a high court IQ, great hands, and athletic enough to compete at the highest level. Get out and see this rising star in the making!    We are so proud of the way AZ has competed this season, and know you guys aren't done yet!   As always, send us your schedules and be sure to follow us on Instagram!   @PrepDigArizona, @CoachMarissaMorah, and @PrepDigAnthony.

The 2028 setter class continues to grow deeper with young athletes already showing advanced feel, leadership, and the ability to control a match well beyond their age. While hitters often grab the headlines, elite setters remain the engine that drives high-level volleyball, and this group has several rising prospects beginning to separate themselves early.