Six Athletes Separating Themselves Through Coachability

<a href="https://prepdig.com/subscribe/" id="https://prepdig.com/subscribe/">This article was shared with 150+ college coaches. Join PrepDig with 30% off using code: Coachable247</a>   Talent gets an athlete into camp. What happens after determines whether a college coach remembers her name.   The six athletes below all left camp with the same realization from different moments. Coaches were not looking for perfection. They were watching how each player responded when a pass was missed, how she communicated when the gym got faster, and whether she applied a coaching point the moment she heard it.   That is the separation that matters most in recruiting. Not who looked best in warmups, but who proved she could take instruction and turn it into action in real time.    Samantha Liba refuses to let one mistake dictate the next point.   If she missed a pass or didn't like the result of a swing, she immediately shifted her focus to the next opportunity. That resilience allowed her passion for the game, communication, and encouragement of teammates to remain constant throughout the camp.   Listening to college coaches reinforced another important lesson. They weren't searching for perfection. They wanted athletes willing to learn, compete, and continue developing over time. One coach's message especially resonated with Samantha: sometimes the athlete with the highest ceiling isn't the one who dominates at sixteen, but the one who continues improving until she's twenty.   One of her favorite moments came during an out-of-system hitting drill. After earning a big kill, hearing both her teammates and a college coach celebrate the swing reminded her why she continues investing in the process.   As she continues pursuing her dream of playing Division I volleyball, Samantha remains focused on developing both as an athlete and as a person, knowing that growth doesn't stop when the tournament ends.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     For Rylee Welcome, the camp reinforced the importance of trusting both her instincts and her personality.   As the pace of play increased, she found herself relying more heavily on her eye work, learning to process what was happening in front of her before making the next decision. That ability paid off during one memorable rally when she found herself taking the second contact from middle back. Remembering a coaching point from earlier in the day, she confidently disguised the play instead of making the obvious choice, creating a one-on-one opportunity for her hitter.   It was a small adjustment, but one that immediately translated from instruction into competition.   The biggest lesson Rylee carried home had little to do with technique. She realized that athletes don't need to change who they are to stand out. College coaches want competitors who play confidently, embrace their personality, and trust their game regardless of size or circumstances.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Zari Spellman felt her blocking, communication, and competitive energy translated well as the pace increased, but what stayed with her most was hearing college coaches emphasize authenticity over perfection. They wanted to see how athletes competed, responded, and handled adversity rather than expecting flawless execution.   One drill especially stood out. The throws-and-jabbing movement had always challenged her, but during the camp everything suddenly clicked. She moved confidently, executed consistently, and left the drill knowing she had made meaningful progress.   Since then, Zari has continued focusing on strengthening her defense, communication, and overall consistency while remembering that growth often begins the moment athletes stop worrying about perfection and start trusting themselves.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Michelle Tecuapetla Garcia left the camp with an even greater appreciation for urgency.   Throughout the camp, communication became increasingly important as athletes worked through faster drills and unfamiliar teammates. Whether navigating out-of-system situations or competing during game play, she realized that the highest-level teams communicate early, celebrate relentlessly, and never stop supporting one another.   The most memorable moments came when she embraced the risks college coaches encouraged. During one sequence, she confidently attacked on the second contact for a point. Later, the final rally of the camp turned into a long, chaotic exchange before she finished the match with a line shot after an out-of-system set.   Rather than remembering the points themselves, Michelle remembered the energy surrounding them. Every celebration reflected teammates who trusted one another enough to compete fearlessly.   That experience reinforced the direction she continues pursuing today: becoming a more versatile attacker while maintaining the discipline, conditioning, and consistency needed to compete at the highest level.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Throughout the camp, Salai Osi focused on becoming a smarter attacker. Instead of relying solely on power, she learned how to tool the block, find high hands, attack open seams, and recognize mismatches before the ball crossed the net. Those adjustments allowed her to remain productive against bigger blockers while expanding her offensive toolbox.   One coaching point immediately changed the way she thought about attacking. Engaging her core more effectively allowed her to generate power while reducing unnecessary stress on her shoulder, creating a swing that was both stronger and more efficient.   That lesson carried directly into competition. One of Salai's proudest moments came when she consistently scored by making intelligent decisions instead of forcing difficult swings.   As she continues developing, her attention has shifted toward strengthening her serve receive while continuing to refine the crafty offensive approach that allows her to compete against anyone on the other side of the net.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Leadership became Carmela Schulz's biggest takeaway from the camp.   As a libero, she understands that making plays is only part of the job. She challenged herself to become more vocal between rallies, communicate with greater purpose, and bring competitive energy to every point. The faster the gym became, the more she realized that college coaches weren't only evaluating passing technique. They were paying attention to body language, attitude, and how athletes responded when they weren't touching the ball.   One moment captured that lesson perfectly. During a defensive drill, Carmela noticed that few athletes were applying the coaching point that had just been emphasized. When it was her turn, she intentionally executed exactly what the coach had asked for and immediately received positive feedback.   For Carmela, the compliment wasn't about the drill itself. It was confirmation that coachability gets noticed.   Today, she continues focusing on improving her speed, defensive range, and consistency while carrying forward one important lesson: great liberos lead long before the ball ever comes their way.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">If You Enjoyed This Article, Help Us Keep the Momentum Going</h2>   🔥 Athletes   The best college camps continue through every practice, every workout, every conversation with a coach, and every match that follows.   The athletes featured here each walked away with something different. Some learned to trust their instincts. Others discovered the importance of communication, coachability, leadership, or taking calculated risks. Several realized that the biggest breakthrough wasn't a new skill at all. It was a new way of thinking about the game.   Study this group closely. Their stories are a reminder that growth rarely happens in one defining moment. It happens when athletes choose to carry the lesson forward long after they leave the gym.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">📣 Club Coaches & Directors</h2>   Thank you for creating environments where athletes are encouraged to learn, reflect, and apply what they're taught.   Throughout this article, your athletes described moments when coaching points finally clicked, confidence began to grow, and new challenges helped reshape the way they approached competition. Those moments don't happen by accident. They are the product of coaches who teach the game, ask athletes to think critically, and create environments where growth is celebrated as much as results.   If one of your athletes is featured, celebrate them. Share this article, tag @PrepDigCA, and continue highlighting the work being done inside your program.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">🎯 College Coaches</h2>   One of the most valuable parts of recruiting is understanding how athletes learn.   The reflections throughout this article offer a glimpse into how these players process feedback, respond to adversity, communicate with teammates, and apply new concepts under pressure. Those qualities rarely appear on a highlight reel, but they often become the foundation for long-term success at the collegiate level.   Athletic ability may create opportunities, but athletes who remain curious, coachable, and committed to continual growth are often the ones who maximize them.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">🙏 Parents & Supporters</h2>   Thank you for supporting the journey that continues long after the tournament is over.   The lessons your athletes described were built through years of practices, road trips, conversations, setbacks, encouragement, and unwavering belief from the people standing beside them. Every opportunity to learn, compete, and grow has been shaped by the support surrounding them.   Thank you for continuing to invest in their development, not only as volleyball players, but as young people who are learning resilience, confidence, and the value of lifelong growth.   🚀 <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"/>   Want More Exposure? The PrepDig Showcase Series is designed for athletes who want to take ownership of their recruiting journey and better understand how visibility, evaluation, and opportunity work together. These events offer more than competition. They provide athletes with a chance to learn how exposure works, compete in front of evaluators, build confidence, and gain valuable insight into what coaches are looking for at each stage of development.   Whether your goal is to improve communication, showcase your skills, earn recognition, receive meaningful evaluation, or simply learn how to stand out in a competitive environment, each showcase is built to help athletes grow both on and off the court. If you're ready to invest in your development, tell your story, and put yourself on the radar, <a href="https://prepdig.com/all-events/?type=Showcase" id="https://prepdig.com/all-events/?type=Showcase">registration is open</a>.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/05/image_7a4b01.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-991561"/></figure>   Thank you for making today's wins matter — one article, one player, one memory at a time.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247

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