No Waiting Period: 6 Georgia Freshmen Already Playing Big

There is usually supposed to be an adjustment period for freshmen playing varsity volleyball.   The speed is different. The hitters are stronger. Serving gets tougher, and mistakes that younger players could get away with suddenly turn into points for the other team.   A few Georgia freshmen don't seem particularly interested in waiting around for that adjustment period to end.   Over the last week, these six continued taking on real varsity responsibilities — running offenses, terminating from the pins, controlling the back row and finding ways to impact matches well beyond what we normally expect from first-year players.    Freshman setter Caitlyn Watson has already found a way to influence Dominion Christian from the service line. She leads the Knights with 16 aces and is averaging more than an ace per set while Dominion has put together a strong September stretch.   What I like here is the willingness to create pressure. Young setters already carry plenty mentally because they're responsible for organizing the second contact. Caitlyn is adding another responsibility by making her serve a weapon instead of simply putting the ball in play. As her setting reps grow, that confidence should continue becoming an important part of how she controls stretches of a match. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga     Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='791498' first='Madeline' last='Siskin'] has already worked her way into a major offensive role for Pace Academy. She currently leads the Knights at 3.3 kills per set while hitting .289 and also sits atop their ace totals. Pace picked up wins over Paideia and Salem this week as its young pin continued carrying a meaningful share of the attack.   Madeline plays with the kind of aggressiveness I like seeing from a young pin. There's no sense that she's simply happy to be getting varsity swings. She's trying to score. The next stage will be learning how to keep that aggression while adding more answers against bigger, better-organized blocks, but she's already getting enough volume to work through those situations now. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga     Freshman Khloe Wimberly has already become one of Mitchell County's most productive front-row players. She leads the Eagles in kills, sits near the top of their serving production and has also been one of their more active blockers.   Khloe's positional flexibility is what catches my attention. She's getting experience both in the middle and at the pin, and those are very different views of the game. In the middle she has to read quickly and move laterally; outside she has more responsibility for solving imperfect sets. The numbers are still developing, but the amount she's being asked to learn as a freshman should pay off as her game becomes more polished. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga     Freshman Catherine Sullivan gave Lakeside a bright spot during Tuesday's match with a Dunwoody team that entered on a six-match winning streak. Catherine finished with 10 digs, five kills, two aces and a solo block even though Lakeside ultimately fell in straight sets.   I liked the balance of that line more than any one number. Catherine found ways to stay involved even when the match wasn't going Lakeside's way. Young players can disappear when momentum shifts hard toward the other side; she continued defending, serving and taking swings. That competitiveness is worth remembering because it's difficult to teach a player to stay engaged once a match becomes uncomfortable. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga     Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='996316' first='Violet' last='Calderone'] had one of the better all-around underclassman performances of the week when Fellowship Christian edged Whitefield Academy in three sets. She finished with 15 digs, eight kills, two aces and a solo block, then followed with 12 digs, three aces and two solo blocks against Mt. Bethel Christian.   Violet keeps showing up in different parts of the box score, but the defensive production stands out most to me. Fifteen digs while still being involved offensively says she isn't waiting for the front row to impact the match. There's a noticeable willingness to stay involved in long rallies, and for a freshman, that kind of all-around responsibility is a good sign of how quickly the varsity game is starting to slow down for her. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga     Freshman Arielle Irby has been asked to do a little bit of everything for Lassiter, and that became especially clear during the Trojans' recent stretch. Against Northview, she finished with 24 assists, six digs, five aces and a solo block as Lassiter recovered from dropping the opening set. She now leads the Trojans with 405 assists while also pacing the team in digs per set and aces.   What I like about Arielle's game is how connected she stays to the rally. She isn't setting and then disappearing. She's defending, serving aggressively and finding ways to turn broken plays back into something Lassiter can use. That's a lot for a freshman to process, especially from positions where decision-making matters on nearly every contact. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga    Freshmen don't need to look finished. That's part of what makes watching them interesting.   Arielle is already organizing an offense. Violet and Catherine are filling up several columns. Khloe is learning multiple front-row jobs, Madeline is taking high-value swings and Caitlyn is creating pressure from the setter position.   The common thread is responsibility. None of these six is being hidden, and that's usually where the fastest development begins.   Follow Prep Dig Georgia for post-match evaluations, rankings coverage and continued reporting throughout the 2026 GHSA season.   Note to GA Athletes:   If you'd like to be considered for future coverage, please send me your high school season schedule and share a little bit about yourself so I can come support you and share your story. 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There is usually supposed to be an adjustment period for freshmen playing varsity volleyball.