Emerging Programs Picking Up Top 2028 Talent

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are some “newish” names when it comes to the recruiting world with college program picking up multiple nationally ranked athletes.&nbsp; We are a week into 2028s officially being recruited and patterns are starting to come together.&nbsp; What are we seeing?&nbsp; Who is making waves?&nbsp; How one athlete can change the direction of a program before they even step foot on campus.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>South Carolina already has five in their class and this is an athletic crew that is going to lead a new era of Gamecocks.&nbsp; Watch for Jada Skinner.&nbsp; She has been one to watch for Houston Skyline where she is a top six rotation outside hitter who can serve receive, defend and score points.&nbsp; This will translate well to the next level.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>UCLA has had an exciting few months since new head coach Matt Werle, brining in Ava Sarafa and Ava Utterback out of the transfer portal.&nbsp; They will welcome Ava's sister in Audrey Utterback out of Circle City.&nbsp; These two have been tearing up the courts in Indianapolis for years.&nbsp; They will also bring in Stella Hamood from Circle.&nbsp; That Indy grit looks good in LA.&nbsp; Lola Schumacher, the current libero is also an Indiana product.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coach Kristen Kelsay has been building something special in East Lansing,&nbsp; Michigan.&nbsp; She got two of the top players out of Minnesota last year with setter Ellery DeBoer and libero Cora Bicknese.&nbsp; She is staying with top Midwest kids in Lauren Sheldon out of Legacy Volleyball Club right there in Michigan and Elle Hatlevig out of the Iowa Premier.&nbsp; Legacy consistently produces some of the top prospects in the country and if Michigan State can start getting players out of there it will be an exciting future.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Georgia is bringing in quite a crew that starts with getting some of the top players in their home state.&nbsp; They are getting two high level athletes out of A5, one of the top clubs in the country in Chelsea Torrense and Mali Nyankori.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another SEC school making waves in Tennessee.&nbsp; They have nationally ranked athletes in Dylan Kupiec and Eliana Koram who will be forces at the net.&nbsp; They also picked up one of the top players in Alabama in Madison&nbsp; Mayo. I was able to see Mayo play at the Mideast Qualifier and she was real impressive as a six rotation outside that finds way to score out of the front and backrow.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">South Carolina</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>35</strong></td><td>Jada Skinner</td><td>Texas</td><td>OH/RS</td><td>Fulshear</td><td>Houston Skyline</td><td>South Carolina</td></tr><tr><td><strong>95</strong></td><td>Kennedy Davis</td><td>Georgia</td><td>MB</td><td>North Forsyth</td><td>A5</td><td>South Carolina</td></tr><tr><td><strong>98</strong></td><td>Mallory Mizell</td><td>South Carolina</td><td>OH</td><td></td><td>Stars</td><td>South Carolina</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Trinity Ellis</td><td>Texas</td><td>RS</td><td>Plano Senior</td><td>Untouchables EPA</td><td>South Carolina</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Brooke Neale</td><td>Indiana</td><td>DS/L</td><td>Westfield</td><td>Munciana</td><td>South Carolina</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">UCLA</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>38</strong></td><td>Audrey Utterback</td><td>Indiana</td><td>OH</td><td>Plainfield</td><td>CIRCLE CITY VBC</td><td>UCLA</td></tr><tr><td><strong>93</strong></td><td>Stella Hamood</td><td>Indiana</td><td>DS/L</td><td>Avon</td><td>CIRCLE CITY VBC</td><td>UCLA</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Norah Hollis</td><td>Colorado</td><td>OH/RS</td><td>Village</td><td>Colorado Jrs</td><td>UCLA</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Scarlett Taylor</td><td>North Carolina</td><td>S</td><td>Green Hope</td><td>Triangle</td><td>UCLA</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Georgia Tech</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>55</strong></td><td>Sasha Slaughter</td><td>California</td><td>MB/RS</td><td>Berkeley</td><td>Absolute</td><td>Georgia Tech</td></tr><tr><td><strong>66</strong></td><td>Addison Musgrove</td><td>Texas</td><td>S/RS</td><td>Lutheran South Academy</td><td>Houston Skyline</td><td>Georgia Tech</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Tennessee</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>83</strong></td><td>Dylan Kupiec</td><td>California</td><td>MB</td><td>Torrey Pines</td><td>Wave Volleyball Club</td><td>Tennessee</td></tr><tr><td><strong>91</strong></td><td>Eliana Koram</td><td>Virginia</td><td>MB/RS</td><td>Atholton</td><td>Metro Volleyball Club</td><td>Tennessee</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Madison Mayo</td><td>Alabama</td><td>OH</td><td></td><td>Alabama Performance</td><td>Tennessee</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Cal</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>74</strong></td><td>Caitlin Carrizales</td><td>Texas</td><td>5'6"</td><td>Nolan Catholic</td><td>TAV</td><td>Cal</td></tr><tr><td><strong>88</strong></td><td>Nia Tinsley</td><td>Arizona</td><td>5'7"</td><td>Horizon</td><td>AZ Storm</td><td>Cal</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Michigan State</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>26</strong></td><td>Lauren Sheldon</td><td>Michigan</td><td>OH/MB</td><td>Stoney Creek</td><td>Legacy Volleyball Club</td><td>Michigan State</td></tr><tr><td><strong>76</strong></td><td>Elle Hatlevig</td><td>Iowa</td><td>OH</td><td>Norwalk</td><td>Iowa Premier</td><td>Michigan State</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Georgia</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>33</strong></td><td>Chelsea Torrence</td><td>Georgia</td><td>S</td><td>East Forsyth</td><td>A5</td><td>Georgia</td></tr><tr><td><strong>90</strong></td><td>Mali Nyankori</td><td>Georgia</td><td>MH</td><td></td><td>A5</td><td>Georgia</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Ema Mitchell</td><td>Florida</td><td>OH</td><td></td><td>Game Point</td><td>Georgia</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Diane Nzoupet</td><td>Virginia</td><td>DS/L</td><td></td><td>Paramount</td><td>Georgia</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Aaliyah Ray</td><td>Florida</td><td>MB</td><td></td><td>Gainesville Juniors</td><td>Georgia</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table -->