Henley Blackburn Henley Blackburn 5'9" | OH/DS/L Marist | 2028 State GA is the kind of pin I like evaluating because her value isn’t tied to waiting for the perfect set. The junior currently leads Marist at 3.3 kills per set and has also produced 39 aces, giving her two very clear ways to create pressure. She’s listed at both outside and defensive specialist, which is important when projecting whether a hitter can stay on the floor for six rotations.

What I’d want recruiters watching is how smoothly Blackburn moves from one responsibility to the next. Can she pass a difficult serve and still get into a full approach? Does she stay aggressive after being targeted in serve receive? Can she score from an imperfect ball without turning every difficult situation into a max-effort swing?

That’s where an outside begins to separate herself. I also like the serving piece. Players who can affect a match without being set become easier to keep on the floor, and Blackburn has already shown she can create pressure before the opponent even begins its offense. ~ S.Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast_prepdigga

Henley gives her team balance and calm when the court gets loud. As a sophomore, she stepped into high-stakes moments with maturity beyond her years, absorbing pressure and delivering. Her technique is clean, her approach measured, and she rarely lets the moment lead the motion. She may not always shine in the highlight reel — but she consistently does the work that wins sets. ~ Samantha Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast

Henley is a versatile scorer who thrives on outworking her opponents. She doesn’t back down from big blocks, mixing her shot selection to stay effective in transition. Her scrappiness combined with offensive punch makes her a difference-maker for Marist. ~ Samantha Fitzgerald @BenchtoBeast