Every once in a while, an athlete steps onto the court and changes the feeling of the match. Jael Smith Jael Smith 6'3" | MB Mater Dei | 2029 State CA is that type of player. Every time the ball is set in her direction, you start anticipating something special. She influences winning volleyball as an attacker, a blocker and a competitor, and she has the tools to project at the Division I level.

The production backs it up. She has 129 kills this season while hitting .363 on 262 attempts with 34 errors. Her career line includes 226 total blocks, 41 of them solos. She stayed with SC Rockstar because the culture made it feel like family.

Her biggest jump since summer is her blocking.

“I’ve done countless training sessions with multiple coaches to gain new information that I not only included in my practice, but put into play.”

That last part matters. Plenty of athletes collect information. She puts it into play.

“When a match gets tight, I reset by taking a deep breath, and always try to consider what I can do better on in the next play. Whether it was covering, blocking, being available for my setter, etc.”

She resets by looking for the next job, not the last mistake. Mater Dei and the NTDP taught her where that habit comes from.

“There will never be a moment where you’re successful 100% of the time. Those are the moments where you learn, move on, and improve your game.”

Her best volleyball is still ahead of her.

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247

Jael Smith Jael Smith 6'3" | MB Mater Dei | 2029 State CA took the net away from hitters.

She is a 6’3″ sophomore middle. She is ranked the No. 1 2029 middle in California and No. 2 in the state overall. Jael plays above her class. She led Mater Dei with 6 blocks, three of them solo, and hit .643 with 9 kills and no errors.

She was dominant at the net with a long extension and worked her swings around the block, hitting both the right and left angle. Before the match, Jael told me “I can pull a blocker with a strong approach” and that making a play does not always mean you’re the one scoring. Her swings around the block and her presence at the net did that work.

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247

Jael Smith Jael Smith 6'3" | MB Mater Dei | 2029 State CA

“My job at the net in a playoff match like this is to consistently be there for my team. Making a play does not always mean you’re the one scoring. I can pull a blocker with a strong approach. I can take up space for my back row just by being up with a block. Getting low and covering, talking at the net, adjusting when I feel it’s needed. When everyone does their job, we are able to thrive as a team. I am most excited to cheer each other on and get excited when someone else does good. I think that our joy for each other is one of the many aspects that pull our team together.”

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247

Jael Smith Jael Smith 6'3" | MB Mater Dei | 2029 State CA is a sophomore middle who plays above her class right now. She moves fast at the net and adjusts on the fly, closing gaps against hitters who are trying to exploit any late positioning. That kind of read-and-react footwork usually takes years to develop, and she already has it as an underclassman. She continues to make a case that she’ll be one of the most disruptive blockers in the state before she’s even a junior.

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247

Jael Smith Jael Smith 6'3" | MB Mater Dei | 2029 State CA
Jael Smith Jael Smith 6'3" | MB Mater Dei | 2029 State CA , who was one of the MVPs at Friday’s PrepDig Sophomore ID Camp, was once again a force in the middle for Mater Dei. Her kills were accurate, powerful, and well-timed throughout both the championship match and the entire tournament.

Jael Smith Jael Smith 6'3" | MB Mater Dei | 2029 State CA named LovbLA Player of the Sophomore ID Camp

Jael Smith Jael Smith 6'3" | MB Mater Dei | 2029 State CA walks into a gym with a resume that speaks before she ever swings. A 2025 CIF State Girls Volleyball champion, a USA U-17 National Team selection, and a 3.8 GPA out of Mater Dei. That is the profile of a sophomore who is already operating at a different level than most of the gym around her.

The showcase confirmed why. Jael was one of the most dominant offensive players on the court, combining a heavy arm with remarkable consistency, a rare pairing at this age. Power is common. Power with control is not. She attacked with force while staying precise, and her ability to hit sharp angles made her especially difficult to defend from either pin. Blockers could not simply lean on strength to slow her down. She found the seams.

Jael’s combination of strength, precision, and offensive firepower made her one of the true powerhouses of the showcase. Pair that with a national team resume and a state championship pedigree, and it becomes clear why coaches were circling back to watch her repeat swings.

Asked to describe LovbLA in one word, Jael said “family.” She spoke about wanting to see the competition, the big players, and the big moments, and about what it means to watch a professional volleyball team take shape in Los Angeles for the first time. She called it an inspiration to every young girl watching the sport grow.

That is the LovbLA effect. It turns a showcase into something bigger than a single event, and it turns players like Jael into the next generation watching what professional volleyball in their own city can become.

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247

Smith was named one of the MVPs of the showcase, as she checked off pretty much every box in the middle blocker department. What was really impressive about her was that she was quite reliable in the full six-on-six drills when she was set the ball. Smith’s blocking was also precise when she got the chance to display it.

Jael Smith named Top Performing Middle Blocker at 7/31/26 SoCal Sophomore ID Camp Showcase, Irvine, Ca.

Jael Smith was one of the most dominant offensive players on the court. She combined a heavy arm with remarkable consistency, attacking with power while maintaining control. Her ability to hit sharp angles made her especially difficult to defend, and she repeatedly found ways to terminate rallies. Her combination of strength, precision, and offensive firepower made her a true powerhouse throughout the showcase.

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247

Jael Smith Jael Smith 6'3" | MB Mater Dei | 2029 State CA is staying with SC Rockstar this season. She said the culture and the people there made it feel like family, and that heading into the season, she is excited to be recruited at the highest level.

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247

Every once in a while, an athlete steps onto the court and changes the feeling of the match. Jael Smith Jael Smith 6'3" | MB Mater Dei | 2029 State CA is that type of player. Every time the ball is set in her direction, you find yourself anticipating something special. She continues to elevate every part of her game, making an impact as an attacker, blocker, and competitor. The athleticism is obvious, but what separates Jael is how consistently she influences winning volleyball. She has all the tools to project at the Division I level, and I believe her best volleyball is still ahead of her.

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247