Paloma Starks was on fire throughout the Sophomore ID Showcase and quickly established herself as an athlete who was difficult to overlook. She’s an incredibly versatile pin with the ability to attack from multiple areas of the court, and her athleticism gives her plenty of ways to create scoring opportunities. The first thing that immediately jumps out is her impressive vertical—Paloma gets off the ground extremely well and uses that explosiveness to play big at the net.

Offensively, she brings an aggressive mentality that we really enjoyed watching. Paloma isn’t afraid to take a big swing when the ball is out of system and showed confidence attacking even when the situation wasn’t perfect. Rather than simply trying to keep difficult balls in play, she’s looking for ways to score. That willingness to take calculated risks, combined with her athleticism and ability to attack from different locations, makes her a dangerous option on the pin.

Her impact was just as noticeable on the blocking side of the game. Paloma uses her athleticism and elevation well at the net and wasn’t afraid to challenge some of the strongest attackers at the showcase. She competed hard against opposing hitters, worked to take away space, and showed that she can be a difference-maker on both sides of the ball.

There’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to Paloma’s game. Her explosiveness, versatility, aggressive mentality, and ability to compete at the net give her an incredibly exciting foundation to continue building upon. Higley has a good one on its hands, and we’re looking forward to watching Paloma make her mark this fall and continue growing with the game.

Paloma Starks Paloma Starks 5'8" | RS/OH Higley | 2029 State AZ named Top Performer at PrepDig’s Exposure Tour in Mesa, Arizona.

Paloma brought a fearless offensive mindset and was always ready to take a big rip. She communicated clearly, called for her sets, and remained highly receptive to feedback. Her vertical and ability to hit on top of the ball made her a difficult attacker to defend.

Paloma shared that hitting is her strongest skill and continues to work daily on improving her footwork in serve receive. Her resilience and positive attitude stood out, particularly in how she competes through personal challenges while maintaining energy and confidence for her team.

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247