June 15: First And Second Contact Athletes To Watch

Want a subscription to PrepDig? Use code Kyp30 for 30% off of your annual subscription! And don't forget to follow @KypPDIN on X for all of your Indiana high school and club volleyball news!   Today is Christmas Eve for the class of 2028. The first day that NCAA coaches can directly contact athletes for fall ‘28 entry is tomorrow, and a lot will go down in the coming weeks. We're here today to break down the athletes we expect to be offered early and often among the first two ball contacts for each roster. Here are ten athletes that have shone above and beyond the average player that we see, and that should be offered and accepted this week.    The two-time defending 4A state champ and one-time international player is most likely the #1 choice for Indiana-based defenders. Her skill set, leadership and calm level of play are all attributes that coaches long for in their first contact recruits.     The only athlete that I know of playing up two age groups is one [player_tooltip player_id='586405' first='Chloe' last='Ritchie']. And we're not just talking about wearing a jersey and being on the roster. Miss Ritchie is from Libero High School, where Yorktown has repeatedly produced top-end, Power Four liberi over the years. Chloe is no different, and is easily the best defender for the Samurai at Munciana.     For a solid two years now, Stella has been the rock-solid choice at both Avon and Circle City as the top libero in attendance. Taking over the libero position during her freshman season at Avon, Stella's done everything that's required of a high-end defender at any Power Four squad. Active with her feet and calm in her platform, she's a second coach on the floor, and acts accordingly with a high volleyball IQ.     Length and consistency while playing a mostly open-level schedule is key to getting recognized on the national stage. What's more is her attendance at every showcase from PrepDig to Power Four summer camps over the past two years. Her constant and consistent grind knows nothing but hard work and excellence, and is a solid defender with high-end leadership abilities a lot of defenders just don't have in this class.     Central Indiana hasn't heard much about Hayden because of her close ties to Chicago and their Windy City Power League. Rest assured, she belongs among the best the class has to offer when it comes to both serve receive and defense among liberi. Hayden's active feet, willingness to do the dirty work to keep the ball in play and high-level club scheduling allows her the opportunity to be prepared for whatever recruiters will throw at her when tomorrow comes.     Playing up an age group with Rev's 17-1 squad, Maggie is a long, tall and lean setter running a 5-1 offense with a good number of highly touted recruits while also balancing an open-level schedule against bigger, older and stronger players. She's easy-going, coachable, athletic and can set any ball in any situation to any position with ease and consistent tempo. She fits the mold of D1 setter, and should be receiving a plethora of recruiting contacts this week.     Yet another northern Indiana prospect very few know about in central Indiana, Nicole's all-around knowledge and skill set belie her parent-driven training——her parents are coaches, after all, and she has that “it” factor that looks like what a coach looks like if they themselves played. With maturity beyond her years and the ability to play all positions better than her teammates, Nicole will be a nice pickup for a roster looking for exactly that.     Athletic, springy and smart, Paislee's been judged by her size for years. Don't get it twisted—-Miss Terry is more than capable of doing anything the bigger setters can do, and a lot of it has to do with her relentless athleticism and high volleyball acuity. Training with Munciana for years helps, and her knowledge of all parts of the game help her hone her setting into some of the better ball placement in the state.     One of the more aggressive setters in this (or any) class, Miss Gutt is already accustomed to running a fast offense at the open level, and has the hitters around her to keep defenses honest. I'm a huge fan of her footwork, as it's trained well, consistent and gets her to where she needs to be regardless of where the ball is passed. No nonsense, no complaints and certainly no excuses, Caitlyn belongs in the upper echelon of setters in the class of ‘28 looking to commit early.     I mentioned all of those setters to finish this article with the kid that has already beat them all. Charlee earned a bronze medal in 15 Open at GJNCs last spring, and have already qualified multiple times for another open run at this year's GJNC in 16 Open. It's easy to forget who the captain of the ship is at Circle's most accomplished team, and even though the attackers get all of the praise, it's Charlee doing the directing, no matter the situation or the pass. Miss Groninger will be a pleasant surprise for any school looking for that unassuming, coachable kid that can run a high-octane offense with an off-the-chart volleyball IQ.

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