Top Sophomores at the SoCal ID Camp Redefining Their Role

<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 sophomores as they take on varsity this fall.</a>   At the SoCal Sophomore ID Camp in Irvine, a group of athletes arrived with a track record of making bold calls about where they play, not just how well. For a lot of sophomores, the position that got them noticed as freshmen isn't necessarily the one that gets them recruited, and this class proved it, whether that meant moving off the pin, picking up a brand-new role mid-season, or refining the exact mechanics of the position they already play.    Ainsley Reimer plays middle blocker and opposite for Saint Joseph High School, and her growth this spring has been about expanding what she can run, not just how hard she can run it. After realizing she leaned almost exclusively on ones and threes last season, she's spent this offseason working with her coaches on a faster approach and quicker arm swing, opening the door to back ones, slides, and pushes as she heads into her sophomore year. That combination of speed and range is what she wants to bring into every rotation. Off the court, she's already building real recruiting conversations, with emails and footage reaching coaches across all three divisions and Division III programs responding directly. She sees her leadership as lead-by-example, built on staying locked in during practice rather than letting her focus drift.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Avani Dhillon is redefining her range this year. A setter, right side, and outside hitter for Independence High School, she picked up setting for the first time this spring at her coach's request, despite having no prior experience running an offense. The confidence came gradually, and now she's focused on carrying that consistency into her sophomore season while staying vocal enough to tell her hitters exactly what she needs before every play. She's candid that her confidence isn't always steady game to game, and she's working on keeping her floor higher on the days it dips. As a setter and right side, she's learned how much her own energy sets the tone for everyone around her: when she's positive, her team feels it, and when she's not, they feel that too.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Lexi Lee has spent this year sharpening the technical details of playing middle blocker for Centennial High School. Her club season centered on reading the court and getting up to block on time with the hitter, a skill she expects to translate directly into calling plays and reading her setter faster on defense. She's also been rebuilding her hitting mechanics from the ground up, working specifically on the spacing between her jump spot and the ball after it hurt her consistency last season. That kind of precise self-scouting, knowing exactly what's holding her back and fixing it piece by piece, is what defines her this high school season. She's already begun reaching out to college programs and wants to keep that communication going as her sophomore year unfolds. On the court, her leadership has always been vocal, and she's noticed herself carrying that into huddles and conversations off it as well.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Sicily Churchill made the jump from middle blocker to outside hitter this year for Orange Lutheran, and the transition has reshaped how she competes. She's put in real time on her arm swing and shoulder mobility to build a swing she can trust for both consistency and power. The bigger shift has been mental: she used to play timid when her team fell behind, and she's replaced that with a next-play mentality that lets her stay aggressive regardless of the score. Now in her sophomore season, she's building a list of schools to reach out to and wants to play the kind of match where she never second-guesses herself. She's grown more vocal as she's settled into her new position, and she wants that voice to help lift her teammates as much as it helps her own game.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Sofiyah Martinez is already thinking several steps ahead in her recruiting outlook, and it's shaping the position she wants to play. She spent this club season putting in heavy defensive work, and the improvement has her excited to show it off in her high school season. Assessing her height and her college goals, she's begun considering a full move toward defensive specialist and libero rather than staying at outside hitter, a decision she's making with real self-awareness about where she projects best long-term. Her ability to bounce back immediately after a mistake is what she points to as most defining about her as a competitor. She's building her list of target schools now and wants to start sending more film as her sophomore season gets underway. Her leadership shows up quietly, through helping teammates mentally, physically, and vocally, and that role has shifted over the years based on exactly what her team has needed from her.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Stella Roberts transferred clubs specifically to move from middle blocker to outside hitter, joining Bakersfield Volleyball Club to compete at a higher level and develop the position she wants to play going forward. Outside of club, she took private lessons to build out her serve receive and her transition attacking from the left side, working toward being a complete six-rotation player who competed at Nationals in Indianapolis this spring. She's already active in the recruiting process, building her profile across SportsRecruits, University Athlete, and YouTube, and has attended camps at Cal Baptist, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Cal State Northridge, with interest starting to come back. As a freshman she was focused mostly on learning her role; now she's taking ownership of her own development outside of practice and setting the standard for what hard work looks like on her team.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Yemaya Chappell doesn't want to be defined by one position, and this season reflects that. A middle blocker and right side for Crossroads, she spent her club season working on slides and learning the opposite position for the first time, a deliberate step toward becoming a more complete, adaptable player rather than staying locked into one role. She's also started experimenting with her blocking, her back-row play, and her serve, treating her sophomore year as an open runway for finding out what else she can do on the court. Her attacking has become a bigger part of her identity as a player, and so has her leadership, which has shifted from lead-by-example toward something noticeably more vocal over the past year, a clear signal of how far she's come since her freshman season.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247    <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 built their profile, how they presented themselves, and what their evaluations say about the habits that got them there. If you're still early in your own recruiting process, this is not the time to compare your timeline to theirs. It's time to be honest with yourself about what's left to do. Reach out to coaches. Follow up on interest. Make sure your film, your evaluations, and your profile reflect where your game is right now, not where it was last season.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">📣 Club Coaches & Directors</h3>   Celebrate the athletes from your program who were featured, and use this list as a real conversation starter with your sophomore class. Some of your athletes are already building real momentum with coaches. Others are just starting to figure out what the process looks like, and this is the stretch where your guidance matters most. Help them understand which conversations to prioritize, which opportunities are worth chasing, and how to present themselves as they head into a new high school season. Share this article and keep the sense of urgency honest without making it feel like pressure. Keep your club updated with the <a href="https://prepdig.com/california/clubs/club-programs/">California Club Program Database</a> and stay connected to every opportunity we create for exposure.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">🎯 College Coaches</h3>   These profiles represent sophomore athletes who are generating early interest across California. This is a critical window to start tracking who's building momentum before the class gets crowded. Continue updating your evaluations, follow up on athletes you've had on your radar, and <a href="https://prepdig.com/college-subscribe/">Use a Premium College Subscription</a> to identify additional sophomore prospects who may still be flying under the radar this season.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">🙏 Parents & Supporters</h3>   This is one of the most important stretches in your athlete's recruiting journey, even if it doesn't feel urgent yet. Thank you for supporting them through it. This is the time to help them stay focused, organized, and proactive rather than anxious about a process that's just beginning. Share this article, look through the featured profiles together, and use it as a conversation about what's still ahead, not as a measure of where they stand 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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