Young and Ready: 6 GHSA Underclassmen Making Lots of Noise

One of my favorite parts of covering the GHSA season is watching younger players reach the point where they stop looking young on the floor.   By mid-September, the freshman and sophomore labels start meaning a little less. Teams have more film, matches carry more weight and opponents have a better idea of who they need to slow down. That is usually when we start seeing which younger players are ready to handle bigger responsibilities.   These six have already become important pieces for their teams, and each is showing something worth following as the season continues.    Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1008868' first='Courtlyn' last='Richard'] has given St. Pius X useful versatility across the front row. She has played both middle and right side while producing as one of the team's more consistent attackers.   Those two positions ask for very different things, and Courtlyn has had to adjust accordingly. In the middle, she has to move quickly and stay involved with the setter. On the right, she has more space to work with but also has to deal with blocking some of the opponent's best outside hitters.   That experience should continue helping her become a more complete front-row player. She doesn't have to settle into one exact role yet. Right now, the value is in seeing her learn different responsibilities while still finding ways to contribute offensively.. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga     Freshman outside hitter Alara Pruitt has already become one of Brookwood's primary offensive options, producing around three kills per set and taking on a role that usually comes with a lot of attention from opposing defenses.   That attention is part of what makes this stage of Alara's development so interesting. Once teams know you're a player they have to stop, the game starts changing. Blocks get more organized, defenders start leaning toward your favorite shots and servers try to keep you from getting comfortably into the offense.   Alara has continued swinging with confidence, which is exactly what you want to see from a young outside. The next progression will be adding more ways to score and learning how to stay productive when opponents take away the first option.. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga     Sophomore libero [player_tooltip player_id='731322' first='Sawyer' last='Straley'] has stepped into a demanding role for Marist and has handled it well. She is averaging close to four digs per set while anchoring the back row for a team that expects to play clean, fast volleyball.   What stands out about Sawyer isn't necessarily one spectacular defensive play. It's the way she helps keep rallies organized. A good libero makes difficult balls look manageable, and a lot of that starts with reading the play early enough to get stopped and balanced before contact.   She's also learning one of the hardest parts of the position: moving on quickly. Libero is unforgiving. One serve can get past you and another is coming seconds later. Sawyer is getting valuable experience learning how to reset, stay composed and keep making the next play.. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga     Sophomore Brooke Belarmino gives Cartersville a lot of flexibility because she isn't limited to one job. She has handled a significant share of the setting responsibilities, has experience on the right side and has also been one of the Hurricanes' more productive servers.   Brooke's versatility makes her interesting to watch because she gets to see the game from multiple perspectives. When she's setting, she's learning how to manage hitters and keep the offense organized. When she's on the pin, she's experiencing the timing and spacing those hitters need from their setter.   She also brings a little edge from the service line, which gives her another way to impact a match before she ever touches the second ball. For a sophomore, she's already being asked to do quite a bit, and she looks increasingly comfortable moving between those responsibilities.. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga     Freshman outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='1021724' first='Aleeah' last='Boller'] hasn't needed much time to make herself part of Milton's offense. She has already become one of the team's most productive attackers, averaging around three kills per set and getting meaningful swings against varsity competition.   What I like about Aleeah is that she keeps attacking. Young hitters can get cautious once teams start putting a bigger block in front of them or begin sitting on their favorite shot, but she has continued playing aggressively and taking the opportunities Milton gives her.   Now the fun part is watching her game expand. As defenses get more familiar with her, she'll have to find more ways to score — using hands, changing speed, finding line and staying effective when the set isn't perfect. She's getting those lessons early, which should only help her as she develops.. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga     Sophomore setter [player_tooltip player_id='952439' first='Kamryn' last='Brown'] has already taken on a huge role for Union County, and the biggest thing that stands out is how comfortable she looks being responsible for so much of the offense. She has piled up more than 500 assists this season while also putting pressure on teams from the service line.   Kamryn is getting the kind of experience that can speed up a setter's development quickly. She has to make decisions when the pass is perfect, but she also has to figure things out when it isn't. That means chasing balls, changing the plan mid-rally and deciding which hitter gives Union County its best chance in the moment.   For a sophomore, she already looks comfortable having the ball in her hands repeatedly. The next step is continuing to build the consistency and deception that come with more time running an offense. . ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga    What makes this group interesting isn't that any of them looks like a finished player already. They shouldn't.   They're freshmen and sophomores who are already being trusted with real varsity responsibilities. Kamryn is running an offense, Aleeah and Alara are taking important swings, Brooke is handling multiple roles, Sawyer is organizing the back row and Courtlyn is giving St. Pius options across the net.   As the season gets deeper, those jobs will only become more demanding. That's what makes the next few weeks so interesting for this group.   Follow Prep Dig Georgia for post-match evaluations, rankings coverage and continued reporting throughout the 2026 GHSA season.   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One of my favorite parts of covering the GHSA season is watching younger players reach the point where they stop looking young on the floor.