Eight 2028's You Don't Want To Miss

As the 2025 high school season comes to a close and we bid the seniors farewell, there are a few underclassmen who are ready to step into a new era. These athletes have proven to be key difference-makers in their program's success -- and they're poised to be dominant forces the next two seasons to come.    One of the top prospects for the '28 class for Utah is none other than [player_tooltip player_id='827925' first='Taylor' last='Freeland'] -- a 6'3'' outside hailing from Riverton. Her next-level potential is blatantly obvious as she has the talent and height to be the leading dominant force in this class. She's fluid in her movements on and off the net, gets her feet to the ball, and has the ability to unload. Freeland's arm is fast and her ability to move the ball around is impressive. The scariest thing about her is that she is still young, and the climb to her ceiling is only getting started.     What is probably the most exciting aspect about [player_tooltip player_id='894190' first='Maija' last='Mortensen'] is that she is just a sophomore. With her length, Mortensen tracks well along the net with good footwork to help close blocks, create positive touches, and make big plays. She stays engaged throughout rallies and transitions quickly off the net to make herself an option. When Mortensen is at the net, she disrupts blocking patterns with her offensive abilities. With her reach and height, she has good range to turn the ball and find holes in defenses. When she is 1-1 and on top of the ball, she will unload.     A high flyer and must-watch pin. Maia Schwalger is fluid, yet aggressive on the court. She elevates extremely well and has a high contact point paired with a fast arm swing. Schwalger finds kills from her sheer ability to hit over blockers, but also shows good range from hard down the line to deep 5/6 corner kills. Only a sophomore, but she proves that she is going to be an unstoppable force for the Chargers the next two years.     [player_tooltip player_id='894198' first='Cree' last='Cooper'] is a 5'10 dynamic, adaptable pin whose energy is exciting and contagious. She gets her feet to the ball, elevates, and has a fast arm swing. She already has good offensive range, but she shows that she can find new ways to score. Whether she's placed on the rightside or the left she still brings the same level of play and energy when she's on the court. In serve receive she creates strong angles and stays calm under pressure.     [player_tooltip player_id='894191' first='Sienna' last='Kuresa'] is a true 6-rotation outside. She can pass, play defense, and be terminal at the net. She tracks the ball efficiently in serve receive to create early, strong angles to get the ball back to her setter. She plays solid defense demonstrating good eye-work and ball control. Offensively, Kuresa finds various ways to score, whether it's high off hands, a throw down the line, roll to the donut, or with power cross or line. She has efficient footwork in transition and an approach which helps her stay offensive and create swings for herself.     Standing at 6', [player_tooltip player_id='894195' first='Paisley' last='Gosney'] is a versatile pin. On the right she is a great blocker with good eye-work and set-ups. Her arm is fast and has a solid foundation of range that helps her find ways to score -- whether that's swinging cross, line, or tooling hard off the block. She gets her feet to the ball, manages tough sets, and demonstrates good power consistently. She has been a steady force for the Hawks and will continue to be for the next few seasons to come.      [player_tooltip player_id='896269' first='Madison' last='Scott'] is a balanced outside for the Tigers. Under pressure, she remains cool and terminates when her team needs her to. She demonstrates a wide range of shots -- her playing sand has helped develop her IQ and execution. Scott has a strong arm and generates solid power and pace behind the ball with control and showcases her potential to continue expanding her offensive and defensive abilities.     Standing at 6'3, [player_tooltip player_id='811027' first='Annie' last='Cronauer'] is huge for the Wasps. She transitions off to make herself a consistent option even if the pass is not always there. She produces decent power behind the ball already, but there's room to continue developing a faster swing. What impressed me most about her was her performance going up against two senior middle-blockers and still found ways to score anyway. Regardless of their seasoned experience, her setter continued to feed her the ball and she swung away. She's young and with time, more hours in the gym and on the court, Cronauer is going to be dominant.

As the 2025 high school season comes to a close and we bid the seniors farewell, there are a few underclassmen who are ready to step into a new era. These athletes have proven to be key difference-makers in their program's success -- and they're poised to be dominant forces the next two seasons to come.