Prospect Spotlight 2026 Uncommitted Setter Katelyn Pritchard

Our number one goal across our entire Prep Network site is to spotlight those players who excel in their sport in hopes of creating much needed exposure for them to get recruited.  Normally we highlight multiple athletes in each article to maximize our reach.  Every now and then we will do some solo articles on some special players for different reasons.  This article is about one of those special players, [player_tooltip player_id='318199' first='Katelyn' last='Pritchard'], who is one of the hardest working freshman I have ever seen.  We were able to sit down with her and get to know who she is and what she can offer a volleyball program at the next level.  Let's take a closer look at who Katelyn is as both a person and a player.    [player_tooltip player_id='318199' first='Katelyn' last='Pritchard'] [2026] 5-11 Setter (HS: McAllen/Club: Texas Fierce Elite/Verbal: Uncommitted)   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/02/53-KATELYN-PRITCHARD.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-328704" width="106" height="159" /></figure>   Katelyn is currently ranked as the 56th best overall prospect and 11th best setter in the 2026 Class according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings.  After watching her all season, she has every chance to move up the list very quickly at the next update I will release.  She plays for McAllen High School and also plays club for Texas Fierce Elite.  I was first introduced to this young floor general at one of the first tournaments of the year this club season and have been a huge fan since.  I have a strong feeling that she could be one of the better setters to come out of the Rio Grande Valley area in a very long time.  She also has attended one of our showcases during the qualifier season.  As a setter, Katelyn can flat out dish the rock with the best of them.  She uses every muscle in her body to track the ball down and be in a fantastic position to contact the ball.  Her form and technique is exquisite at such a young age and that is because of her attention to detail with her private lessons.  Not many young players have such a hard work ethic to be better each day, but Miss Pritchard is built different.  She has a great support system at home who helps her become the best.  There is not much to dislike with her game at all.  Her out of system sets to the right side are beautiful as they are pinpoint accurate.  She truly looks like a sniper on the court as she delivers the ball to each of her hitters.  Oh did I mention that she can attack at a high level also?  Well, she can.  Her arm swing is super quick as she can light up a defense in a hurry.  Having a setter with such a high reach and a fantastic frame is a godsend for any volleyball coach.  She is definitely a name to know at a young age.    We were able to ask Miss Pritchard a few questions to get to know her better and here are her responses.   Prep Dig TX:  Why Volleyball? Why is it important to you? What do you love about it?   Katelyn:  Volleyball has helped to instill a strong work ethic for myself and this, along with many other life lessons, will stay with me long after my volleyball career is over.   Prep Dig TX:  Tell me what you love about your position on the court the most?   Katelyn:  I love being a setter! Being a setter I get the opportunity to work with the hitters to create a solid offense for the team. I love seeing the hitters make a great play off of one of my sets and also seeing the defenders work like crazy to get a pass to me to start it all off.   Prep Dig TX:  I see you also train really hard outside of practice with your team. What do you love about it?   Katelyn:  Outside of my team training, I put in a lot of time training to continue to hone my skills. I get to continue working harder to reach my goals.  I gain more confidence in myself and my abilities by seeing the growth with each training session.   Prep Dig TX:  What do you like about strength training?   Katelyn:  I like strength training because it makes me feel better and it also helps to make me stronger and be a more dynamic player.   Prep Dig TX:  What are you looking for in a college program/coach?   Katelyn:  In my search for a college program, I am looking for a program where I would feel like part of the family. Somewhere where it allows me to continue growing even further.  I'd like a place where I can contribute towards the team goals and continue to learn and grow as a player. I would expect a coach to be someone who would hold me accountable and help me reach my full potential as a player and a teammate.   Prep Dig TX:  What does Leadership mean to you?  How do you plan on becoming a better leader this season?   Katelyn:  Leadership to me means knowing my role on the team and making sure my teammates know that I will always try my hardest for them and the team. It means that they can trust me to help lead them towards our goals.   Prep Dig TX:  What are you looking forward to most this club season?   Katelyn:  This season, I am really looking forward to going to compete at Nationals. I am excited to get to compete against other teams that will be there and hope our team will be bringing home the National Championship win! This is also an excellent opportunity to gain more exposure as well.    Prep Dig TX:  What do you think is your biggest obstacle this year compared to last season? How do you plan to overcome it?   Katelyn:  The biggest obstacle I am currently working to overcome is that I am on a new club team this season.  I am having to earn my team's trust by working hard to learn what each of their strengths and weaknesses are in order to help everyone, myself included, play to the best of their ability and have a amazing club season.   Prep Dig TX:  What are three individual goals that you have for this club season?   Katelyn:  Three individual club goals that I have set for myself this season: First, I want to improve as much as I can from my teammates and also from the competitors that we play against in these tournaments. Second, I want to improve my knowledge of the game and continue learning and becoming a smarter player. Third, I want to do my part to make everyone around me better.  I want to help them also reach their potential.   Prep Dig TX:  Tell me a time when you faced adversity in life and how you overcame it or a lesson you learned from it:   Katelyn:  A time when I faced adversity was when I went through a phase of taking every game and every rep so seriously that I forgot for a minute why I am out there in the first place. I had to overcome this by sitting down with my coach to talk through it and just remember that this is just a game.  It is a game that I truly love. After that, it all started to fall into place again.    Prep Dig TX:  Name two people that have influenced you in volleyball the most.    Katelyn:  The main person that has really influenced me in volleyball is Ryan Richardson, my club coach. He has taught me not only the skills needed on the court, but he has also helped me remember how much I love this sport and to play with passion/love for the game.  Another person who has influenced me on this volleyball journey is my Dad. He has always been a role model for me when it comes to hard work/work ethic and has supported me unconditionally in everything I do. My Dad is right there with me every time through the whole journey.   Prep Dig TX:  What is something that a coach has told/taught you that lives in your head rent-free?   Katelyn:  One of the things my coach has told me that lives in my head rent-free, is to, “Forget average, be legendary!” I think about this all the time and it pushes me to get out of my comfort zone and strive to be the best version of myself I can be.  It has taught me to be the best and not settle for less.    Prep Dig TX:  What other hobbies/interests do you have outside of volleyball?   Katelyn:  When I'm not playing or working out, I love spending time out at the ranch and doing other outdoor activities with my family. We like to go out and hunt and fish a lot and I really like spending time with them doing those things.   I have not met many young players who think this way. Miss Pritchard is definitely way ahead of the pack in the way she thinks about constantly striving to get better in every aspect. Her focus on the physical and mental game is unmatched in my opinion. My hope is that some of our young readers get inspired from how Katelyn works hard outside of practice. I know it is very early in the recruiting process, but I will be telling a lot of my coaching friends about this kid. She is going to be a highly touted recruit in a few years. If I were you, I would jump on this train early. We will continue to watch her progress in the sport and will keep you updated on her journey. Stay tuned for more from [player_tooltip player_id='318199' first='Katelyn' last='Pritchard']   Check out the link to her Hudl page and you can watch all of her highlight reels from her school season. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/17721192/katelyn-pritchard">Click here to watch</a>. She also has a lot of film on her social media accounts and on YouTube. Search @Katelyn_Pritchard_Setter2026 or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXZtova83qI">click here to watch her videos.</a>   As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes.  If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at Michael@prepdig.com  Also don't forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.  Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook.  Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Texas Family!  Don't be afraid to interact with us.  We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments.  Keep them coming!

Our number one goal across our entire Prep Network site is to spotlight those players who excel in their sport in hopes of creating much needed exposure for them to get recruited. Normally we highlight multiple athletes in each article to maximize our reach. Every now and then we will do some solo articles on some special players for different reasons. This article is about one of those special players, Katelyn Pritchard Katelyn Pritchard 5'11" | S McAllen | 2026 State TX , who is one of the hardest working freshman I have ever seen. We were able to sit down with her and get to know who she is and what she can offer a volleyball program at the next level. Let's take a closer look at who Katelyn is as both a person and a player.