Monday Whiteboard: June 15th, AAU's & More

June 15th- Early Commits, Washington Setter's to Watch,   The first official contact period has begun for the class of 2026; Division I and Division II coaches can make the sanctioned call, send out a text or email, and start offering prospects a place in their programs. It's difficult to believe, but the number of known Division I commits as of 7 PM Pacific on June 17th is at least 35 class of 2026 players. The Big Ten leads the way with 13 athletes on board, and the SEC follows with nine known verbals. In a best-case scenario, the coaches and the player have established a strong connection through multiple camps when a player gives a verbal commitment almost immediately after the contract period opens. The student-athlete had already made unofficial visits, and the player had no rushed deadline to commit. There is the possibility a player may have been dreaming of playing for Nebraska, Texas, or USC for years and is ready to jump in with both feet if an offer comes on June 15th at 12:01 AM.   These immediate, early verbals are the exceptions, and no athlete should compare their recruiting experience to what they see happening with other prospects. 2024 commits from the high school ranks are still trickling in mid-June and were fairly steady through late May. 2024! Camp starts in early to late August, and coaches are still filling spots. If you want to play in college and have a baseline of skill and dedication, there is a spot for you. As always, student-athletes must decide what level they are suited for and if that works with their college/program of choice. As the Washington class of 2024 calls it a career, multiple players with excellent talent have chosen to move on and be exclusively students. Attending school on the beach in California or studying finance at an Ivy sometimes outweighs the available volleyball opportunities.   FIVE 2026 SETTERS TOP WATCH   We can't forget our Washington setters with June 15th passed- here are a few to keep an eye on:   [player_tooltip player_id='249301' first='Maya' last='Quitquit']- All-around player with great hands, excellent defense, and a coach-on-the-floor mentality.   [player_tooltip player_id='244061' first='Noella' last='Migliuri']- Gonzaga Prep's rising junior, is athletic and has a great block. Migliuri uses quick feet to chase down the second ball.   [player_tooltip player_id='249332' first='Juleah' last='Leapai']- The SIVBC setter from Bellevue High School has solid size, buttery hands, and is a positive leader on the court.   [player_tooltip player_id='310800' first='Olivia' last='Gonzales']- The Lake Stevens setter is a strong right-side attacker and a gritty defender who plays with heart.    [player_tooltip player_id='514745' first='Bailey' last='Broeker']- The Tumwater prospect is 5'9" with a bulldog mentality on the court. Broeker does an excellent job keeping the defense off balance.    Recruiting Podcast Recommendation: Out of Rotation. <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-rotation-volleyball-podcast/id1686967706" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-rotation-volleyball-podcast/id1686967706</a>   Out of Rotation is the podcast of Louisville Associate Head Coach Dan Meske. Dan is engaging, has terrific guests, and covers all things volleyball, including a recent look into recruiting. Remember that his viewpoint is that of a coach of a top-ten program. That differs from the level that 99% of our athletes here in Washington will play at; however, many of his discussions and episodes apply universally across all divisions and levels. Meske has a great Instagram page, too- he is not afraid to share his knowledge of the game with everyone.   AAU Championships: Feeling the Heat in Orlando   With USAV Nationals on the West Coast this season, Washington club attendance at the Orlando, Florida AAU Championships is sparse. WVBA 18 Adidas had a solid 3-4 record against a talented handful of teams in the 18 Open, dropping two matches to first-place Munciana 18 Samurai. Although the field was small, look at the commitments for Munciana on this team alone: Wisconsin, Duke, Purdue, Stanford, Indiana, Santa Clara, Mississippi State, Penn State, Texas A&M, and more. Outrageous!   NPJ Seattle, Space Needle, and WVBA all have teams traveling to the Sunshine State; WVBA 15 will try to back up their Emerald City 15 Open Championship with another solid performance. NPJ 17 Seattle is a talented squad that could cause problems for opponents.     <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Looking Ahead: The Player's Takeover Nationals Previews!</h2>   We are excited to have over ten teams from across the state ready to be profiled before the Nationals this June and July. The athletes are taking over and providing a breakdown of their fellow players. Each team will have every player covered, and the series of articles begins running this week!   AUGUST RANKINGS UPDATE- The 2025, 2026, and 2027 classes will receive a rankings update in August. Then watch for a 2028 Watchlist after the fall season. Coaches and club directors should watch their emails as we request feedback on this update.   ATTENTION CLUB COACHES: Please enter and personalize your club program on the site. When we add a player or a player sets up their free profile, they can choose the club, and it will have all your social media contact information, logo, etc., added.   Here is a link to the club program setup page: <a href="https://prepdig.com/create-your-program/">https://prepdig.com/create-your-program/</a>.

June 15th- Early Commits, Washington Setter's to Watch,