The Upperclassmen Coaches Trust to Do It All

<a href="https://prepdig.com/subscribe" data-type="link" data-id="https://prepdig.com/subscribe">Use code Coachable247 for 30% off. Subscribe to follow these upperclassmen as they navigate recruiting this season.</a>   The best college programs aren't just looking for a player who fits one box. They're looking for the athlete who does whatever the roster needs, whether that means learning a new position, picking up a new skill, or filling in wherever a gap opens up. That's the through line connecting this group. Each of these six has taken on a new challenge on the court, added a new skill, or expanded her range, and turned it into a genuine strength. That kind of versatility doesn't happen by accident. It's a mindset, and it's exactly the kind of upside that makes a coach want to see more.    Kamryn Vargas treats every skill as something she can add, not something she's stuck without. She set as a volunteer when her team needed a body there, and she's up at 6 a.m. doing plyometric work purely to raise her vertical for hitting situations. That's initiative, not necessity. On the court she's the player who sets the tone rather than waiting for someone else to do it, staying loud, staying aggressive, and stepping into pressure moments other players avoid. For a program managing multiple lineup combinations across a season, that kind of built-in flexibility is hard to find and even harder to develop from scratch. She's currently in the emailing and camp-attendance stage of recruiting, and while she hasn't heard back from as many coaches as she'd like yet, she's staying consistent with outreach. What's changed most since last season is how she responds in the moment, both to her own mistakes and to her teammates when the score gets tight.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Layla Sheffield never actually left her position, and that says as much about her as any switch would. She wanted to play right side, but she stayed at middle every time her team needed her there, and she's used her own time to train right side on the side rather than forcing the issue. That's a rare kind of team-first decision-making that coaches notice fast once they see it play out over a full season. On the court she communicates, closes blocks, and runs the middle offense reliably, and she's actively working to become a multi-position option rather than a specialist locked into one role. This showcase marked her first real step into the recruiting process, and she's approaching it the same way she approaches her position, with patience and a plan. Since last season she's grown more confident offensively and sharpened her blocking and communication at the net.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Madison Goodrich started her volleyball career as a setter, and that foundation still shapes how she plays libero today. She understands what a setter needs before the ball even arrives, she reads the court like someone who has run an offense, and she translated all of that into a defensive game built on anticipation rather than just reaction. That dual perspective is exactly what a coach wants organizing the back row, someone who can talk her teammates through a system because she's seen it from both sides of the net. She's currently emailing coaches and fielding calls from D1 and D2 programs, and she's kept her film and outreach current throughout the process. Her defensive reads have sharpened since last season, and her serve receive has become noticeably more consistent.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Angelique Lealofi reads the whole court before she decides where to put the ball, a habit that comes from genuinely knowing all three skills rather than specializing in one. She passes, sets, and hits, and she places shots with intent rather than just finding open grass. That range is exactly why her move from middle to outside for her senior year should read as an asset instead of a question mark. A coach who takes her gets a player who has already proven she can play winning volleyball from more than one spot on the floor, which means she solves problems a single-position recruit can't. She's been proactive about the process too, emailing UCLA and SDSU directly during her junior year, and while one program had already filled its 2027 class, she kept reaching out rather than waiting on responses. Her reaction time has also sharpened since last season, showing up in faster closes at the block and quicker first steps on defense.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Samantha Burgin calls herself a honey badger on the court, and once you hear how she plays, it fits. She's aggressive, she's tough, and she reads a defense the way a setter has to if she wants her hitters scoring consistently. What stands out most is how she handles her hitters' mistakes, absorbing the blame herself if it keeps them swinging with confidence. That's a setter coaches can build an offense's mental game around. She made the move from outside hitter to setter mid-way through her first club season, which meant learning one of the most demanding positions on the floor in real time and under real doubt. She's open about how uncomfortable that transition felt early on, and just as clear about how far she's come since. She's currently in the emailing phase of recruiting and has been building her social media presence and camp attendance to get in front of more programs.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Samira Tucker plays with a level head that shows up most when the moment gets loudest. She resets fast after a bad rep, she transitions quickly to and from the net, and she backs it all up with a serve that touches 55 miles per hour. That combination of composure and physical tools is what makes her block-to-attack transition genuinely dangerous rather than just quick. She corrected a footwork issue from last season that used to slow her down at the net, and the difference shows up in every approach she takes now. She's currently emailing coaches and hearing periodically from D3 programs, and she's leaned into club travel and updated recruiting profiles to widen her reach.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247    <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">If You Enjoyed This Article, Help Us Keep the Momentum Going</h2>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">🔥 Athletes</h3>   Take time to explore the player profiles featured in this article. Look at how they turned a position change or a new skill into a real strength, how they presented that shift to coaches, and what their evaluations say about the habits behind it. If you're navigating your own transition right now, whether it's a new position, a new role, or a new level of competition, this is a good moment to be honest about how you're framing it. Are you telling coaches a story about adaptability, or one about uncertainty? Make sure your film, your emails, and your profile reflect the player you are right now, not the one you were before the switch.   📣 Club Coaches & Directors Celebrate the athletes from your program who were featured, and use this list as a real conversation starter with your upperclassmen. Some of them are deep into active recruiting conversations. Others are just beginning. This is the stretch where your guidance matters most, especially for athletes navigating a position change. Help them understand how to talk about that shift with confidence instead of apology, and share this article to reinforce that message.   🎯 College Coaches These profiles represent upperclassmen athletes who have taken on a new position or added a new skill and turned it into a genuine strength. For programs managing roster gaps or building depth at multiple positions, these are exactly the kind of low-risk, high-upside recruits worth a closer look. Continue updating your evaluations, follow up on athletes you've had on your radar, and use PrepDig to identify additional prospects building this kind of range as the season progresses.   🙏 Parents & Supporters Watching your athlete take on a new position or role isn't always easy, especially when it means starting over in some ways. Thank you for supporting her through that. This is the time to help her stay focused on what she's building rather than what she left behind. Share this article, look through the featured profiles together, and use it as a conversation about the strength it takes to adapt, not a measure of where she stands against anyone else.   🚀 <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"/>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prepdig.com/recruiting-resources/"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/07/image_3e909a.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1003951"/></a></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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