SLC Showdown - Five Unsigned 2027s Who Will Help A College

I spend a lot of time watching the 2027 age group, so right now, as schools are filling those spots, I know a good chunk of them that are still unsigned and very talented players. Some are holding out intentionally for specific spots or schools. Some are deep in conversations with schools. Some just haven't been found yet. Here are a few that I came across at SLC that schools should pick up a phone soon, because they will be gone. And check my track record, I've said this before...but just about every one I said that about previously is signed now.    I feel weird when I dip into the Texas pool of players, they are all so deep and talented in this area, it's fun once in a while to branch out though, keeps things in perspective. Lizzy is a lefty setter I got to see up close and personal in Utah that has a wide ranging game. She plays great defense, covering tips along the net as well as solid receiving, playing hard hit balls down the line. She's got good touch and timing on dumps, not getting the ball too high, so that it drops before the other team can read it. She's got a good solid serve with good drop and she can place it pretty well. I saw an excellent ace down the line with some precision. Her setting showed great touch for the middles and right sides, and flipped some good low quick tempo balls when she needed to. She definitely controlled her offense and ran things for her team. She showed capability of running a 5-1, but her solid back row defense and quick decision making also lends to a good 6-2 setter with lots of offensive toys.     Meg is an underrated setter in the DMV area, who has been getting a great chance to show off her skills on a talented [program_tooltip program_id='484770' first='VA' last='Juniors'] team. I'm glad she's found a home where she fits and is getting to show what I've seen glimpses of for a while now. She plays solid defense for a setter, better in the back than at the net, although she can still run a passable 5-1 for a team. She's good at spreading the ball around and keeping teams off balance, and is good for a couple kills a match on some well placed dumps, and has been working on her blocks. She's another player that is going to have success at the next level, she's mentally rock solid and rarely makes mistakes and knows how to lead a successful team under pressure. I know she's had interest from a few schools already, and I expect more offers to start flying in as we close in on Nationals. If there's a team out there on the fence, they'd better close the deal while they can, or they're going to regret letting her get away.     Another find in the CO area this weekend, Sadie is a stellar under the radar find. She's got great height, just short of 6 feet, and can play anywhere along the net. She showed great blocking ability, as she was a MB last season in club, showing a few solo blocks and good hands on the deflection. Offensively, she gets up with a good approach and timing, and stays up long enough that she can adjust on the fly. She's got good hitting technique and showed a lot of power letting a few balls rip that I got to catch. This is my second find in CO this weekend that just hasn't gotten a lot of coverage, and I think she should. In D3 especially where height is hard to come by, she could be a conference wrecking player. I know if she were to sign in my home area for one of those D3s I don't know if I've seen a hitter like her there, they usually get stolen by the mid major D1 and D2s. It's a very interesting player I think some schools should take a flyer on.     Naomi continued a breakout year with a fantastic weekend in Utah. As she's been picking up more and more advanced coaching, she's been becoming more of a weapon every week. All weekend, she used that left-handed advantage to eat teams up from the RS. Going line, going cross, when she got that ball down, it was very rarely played. She had a day early in the tourney where she got to serve all day and didn't miss a single serve all day, throwing off teams with the left-handed look, she racked up quite a few aces. At the net she had and contributed to some big blocks, including a sequence to win the Bronze bracket where she got point 24 with a big solo block, and then 25 by hammering home a cross shot on the next play. She's a talent that teams in our area are going to have nightmares if they let her get away, I'm expecting a show at nationals and a big 18s year, which means even more interest. On a team running a 6-2 where they need two legit RS options, she's been magnificent, and some school is going to scoop her up very soon.     I write about this one a lot, but it's prime signing season for a lot of schools trying to wrap up their 2027 list and she's one of those players that next year teams will go, how did I miss on her? The talk always comes back to her height, and my push back is that her vertical more than makes up for that touching 10'1. I'd also add that more than a few "tweeners" in this height range with good vertical have signed recently, and D1 at that. She's going to bring a lot of offense somewhere next year. The race is on to sign her, someone may want to close the deal while they still can.    This stretch from May through Nationals is a big, important signing period; lots of schools will be at AAU and USAV Nationals, and teams in talks with kids, risking new schools jumping in the mix late, going into their senior year. To start this year there was a lot of talent still hanging around unsigned, but quickly in the winter, those disappeared off the boards. This summer isn't the end for these unsigned 2027s, but you're going to see them signing much faster from here on out. Coaches still shopping this aisle are busy bees right now, just in time for them to shift to the next class. It's a never-ending process and one I don't think coaches get enough credit for putting the work in on, hopefully this list will help a couple of them out though.

I spend a lot of time watching the 2027 age group, so right now, as schools are filling those spots, I know a good chunk of them that are still unsigned and very talented players. Some are holding out intentionally for specific spots or schools. Some are deep in conversations with schools. Some just haven't been found yet. Here are a few that I came across at SLC that schools should pick up a phone soon, because they will be gone. And check my track record, I've said this before...but just about every one I said that about previously is signed now.