Rhea made an impression at the Prep Dig showcase earning a top performer award. That bumped her up from 110 to 99 for our class of 2027 rankings. A further rise could occur if she can change the three year Cedar Run conference losing streak for South Lakes.

At 5’6″ she will share the setting responsibilities with the even smaller Ilana Collingham Ilana Collingham 5'4" | S/DS/L South Lakes | 2028 State VA . She brings intelligence to the court while also developing consistency with her location. Her serve also speeds across the net like a bullet, accumulating aces.

Rhea impressed me with a line drive bullet serve that had some vicious downward trajectory when it traveled over the net. The serve easily turned into an ace. I coached Rhea at the 14 level. Clearly, I do not remember that serve. It motivated me to watch her more. I came away impressed. Whether she back set or went to the outside her setting showed consistent location. The height also did not seem to vary. She definitely passed the eye test.

One thing I know from coaching her early in her career is her intelligence. She always thought of ways to score points. Early in her career that resulted in a plethora of dumps. I cautioned her that this was not the role of the setter. It felt good to watch her set and let the hitter do the work.

Her 5’5″ frame probably limits her to a back row slot. Last year she made the varsity for South Lakes setting as a sophomore. It would surprise me if she did not have at least one setting slot in a 6/2.