2027 Players Watch List: Impact Liberos

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've recently released our first watch list for the class of '27. With over 50 freshmen on the list, it's difficult to sift through. For the next few days, we'll take a moment to talk about five athletes at each position group. Here are five liberos that should be on your radar moving forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='435868' first='Mya' last='Nelson'], 5-5, Lebanon</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The libero for the bronze-medal-winning squad at AAUs should be the first mention on this list. Let's also add in All-American status from the same tournament, and you can see why we have Mya here. She's fast, athletic, anticipates well, and can play either left back or middle back. I got a chance to see a little more of her play at summer league and our Freshman Showcase, and it was the same in both settings: solid, consistent and reliable play from the special jersey. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='435664' first='Cicily' last='Borders'], 5-4, Roncalli</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another "Top Performer" at our Freshman Showcase a few weeks ago, Cicily stayed on her feet well in drills, constantly ready to make the next play. I like that her feet are active but not hurried. Too often, defenders in this age group think that movement is the same as effort. Getting stopped on defense works for this young lady, and she dug a ton of off-speed and deflected balls because of her balance and staying on her feet.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='435869' first='Vivian' last='Stevenson'], 5-3, Yorktown</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Well, duh. Of <em>course</em> a Yorktown kid should be here. Yorktown (and by extension, Munciana) is known for supplying top-level liberos, and Vivian is no exception. She's quick, gets to a lot of balls some other kids can't, and is accurate with her passing placement. At our recent Freshman Showcase a few weeks ago, I want to repeat the following: she was the first to pick up a ball and pepper. If that's not commitment to improvement and her status as loving this sport of ours, I don't know what is.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='443834' first='Katie' last='Brinkruff'], 5-6, Fishers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vivian's partner in crime at warmups of the Freshman Showcase, Katie got a chance to swing a little too. Her athleticism showed some front row play, and even took a few swings with the big kids. Her future looks to be as a defender, but I liked her willingness to go for it in multiple positions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='435866' first='Kyla' last='Hurley'], 5-5, Penn</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of a few kids to make it down to us from Penn at the Freshman Showcase/Stock Up Showcase, Kyla is a quick and active defender who took on all tough attacks and made every ball better for her setters. After an exceptional libero season at [program_tooltip program_id='430155' first='Team' last='Pineapple']'s top 14s team, her fire and relentless play should carry over nicely to high school ball and beyond.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->