6 Juniors Building Momentum Before the Rankings Refresh

Junior year feels different.   By the Class of 2028, we aren't evaluating players entirely on projection anymore. There is enough club and varsity film to have expectations.   That makes improvement easier to notice.   Did the setter become more physical? Did the outside become a true six-rotation option? Did the libero start controlling more court? Did the player who looked promising last club season translate those tools into a bigger varsity role?   These six juniors have given us reasons to reopen the evaluation.    Junior [player_tooltip player_id='828925' first='Addy' last='Gosselin'] has 666 assists on the latest statewide leaderboard, good for fifth in Georgia, and she has also been Lanier's leading server in the team's posted statistics. <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/ga/volleyball/stat-leaders/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">MaxPreps.com</a>   What makes Addy interesting is that she doesn't play setter as a passive position. Her right-side background gives her comfort at the net and a better understanding of what attacking rhythm feels like. She can also create pressure from behind the line, which gives Lanier a chance to score without needing the offense to develop perfectly.   For Addy, the next-level question is control. Can she consistently change tempo without changing location quality? Can she recognize when a hitter needs a faster ball and when that same hitter needs something simpler after an error? Junior setters become increasingly interesting when their value shifts from delivering the offense to managing it. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga     Junior [player_tooltip player_id='912840' first='Fendley' last='Kimbro'] currently sits atop Georgia's statewide assist totals on the latest MaxPreps page, and Oconee County's detailed stats had her at 663 assists, 266 digs and 77 aces before the most recent matches were entered. Against East Jackson she finished with 29 assists and 14 digs. <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/ga/volleyball/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">MaxPreps.com</a>   Fendley's season is one of the more complete setting profiles in the class. The dig volume tells us she's involved before the second contact, and her serving gives her a way to establish momentum herself.   What I like most is the workload. A setter with this much ball-handling responsibility has to learn how to stay mechanically consistent when tired. Hands get less clean when legs get heavy, and footwork is usually the first thing to disappear. Fendley is getting enough repetitions that maintaining balance and location under fatigue is becoming part of the evaluation, not just what she does in the first set. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga     Junior [player_tooltip player_id='845256' first='Myla' last='Shippy'] has been Savannah Christian's leading attacker, producing around four kills per set and hitting above .300 in the Raiders' published statistics. Savannah Christian was also sitting at the top of Class 2A when those numbers were posted. <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/ga/savannah/savannah-christian-raiders/volleyball/roster/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">MaxPreps.com</a>   At 6-foot, Myla has the frame to be physical at the pin, but I like that her evaluation isn't simply built on size. Playing outside on a strong team means she has to function inside a structured offense rather than taking every ball by default.   The next step is becoming increasingly complete when the pass breaks down. College outsides live on ugly high balls as much as they do on perfect tempo. How well Myla uses hands, sees deep corners and manages swings when two blockers are waiting will say more about her projection than one clean kill ever could. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga     Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1002761' first='Estelle' last='Leege'] has become the player Midtown turns toward when it needs offense. She recently put down 18 kills with six digs and two aces against Chamblee, continuing a season where she has consistently carried a major share of the Knights' scoring. <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/news/7yi0cF03OU-dxZVnBpN-Cg/volleyball-recap-estelle-leege-leads-midtown-to-win.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com">MaxPreps.com</a>   Estelle's ability to work from both pins makes the evaluation more interesting. The right side demands a different blocking responsibility, while the outside usually carries a larger share of out-of-system balls. Being comfortable in both places gives her more ways to stay on the floor.   What I want to keep watching is the defensive side of the profile. Pins become much more valuable when coaches don't need a substitution to protect them in the back row. Estelle has shown she can contribute there; continued growth in first-contact consistency could turn her offensive production into a much more complete six-rotation case. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga     Junior [player_tooltip player_id='792577' first='Maia' last='Lopez-Cruz'] has been South Forsyth's defensive leader at 3.8 digs per set while also leading the team with 56 aces in the latest posted update. <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/ga/cumming/south-forsyth-war-eagles/volleyball/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">MaxPreps.com</a>   Maia's profile is a good reminder that rankings aren't supposed to be a kill leaderboard. Her value lives in first contact, defense and the ability to create serving pressure. Those skills can change an entire lineup because reliable passing gives a coach freedom to keep more offensive players on the floor around her.   The intangible I like is responsibility. Serve-receive players don't get to choose when they are involved. Opponents can intentionally find them repeatedly. Maintaining mechanics after an error and still wanting the next ball is part of what separates dependable back-row players from athletes who simply make good defensive plays. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga     Junior [player_tooltip player_id='830131' first='Avery' last='Ritzert'] has led Savannah Christian at roughly 3.5 digs per set while playing libero/outside for one of the stronger teams in Class 2A. <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/ga/savannah/savannah-christian-raiders/volleyball/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">MaxPreps.com</a>   Avery's OH background is something I find useful in a libero evaluation. Hitters understand what other hitters are trying to see. They recognize approach timing, shoulder position and the difference between a full swing and a late roll shot.   The next progression is turning good reads into even better control. It's one thing to be in the right place. It's another to take a hard-driven ball and deliver it into the setter's hands rather than simply keeping it alive. Avery is already handling meaningful back-row responsibility on a winning team, which makes those details worth another look before the 2028 board is refreshed. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga    The junior class is where movement becomes especially interesting.   There is enough history to know what these players looked like before.   Addy and Fendley are carrying significant offensive control. Myla and Estelle are showing different versions of pin impact. Maia and Avery are building value through first contact and defense.   That doesn't automatically mean movement up — or down — is coming for any specific player.   It means the fall season has given us new evidence, and that's exactly what a rankings refresh is supposed to account for.   Prep Dig Georgia subscribers will see the complete updated Class of 2028 rankings and watch list when they are released.   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. Let's keep building Georgia volleyball together! Fill out the "Cover My Game" Link in my bio @benchtobeast-prepdigga on IG.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">If you enjoyed this article, show your support by following  <a href="https://www.instagram.com/benchtobeast/">  BenchtoBeast_prepdigga</a>  for exclusive Georgia content, behind-the-scenes action, and a closer look at the volleyball community you love.</h3>   We're on a mission to spotlight talent, uplift families, and bring the volleyball community closer than ever! Huge shoutout to our amazing subscribers — you're the heartbeat of this movement. Thank you for your help growing the game, and making every moment unforgettable. The best is yet to come — let's get it!   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">This journey is created by the village—athletes, coaches, families, and subscribers.</h4>   Work hard, Play hard. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga

Junior year feels different.