Shaffer is my daughter’s teammate, so I’ve been fortunate enough to watch her growth just since we started the club season. My latest exposure occurred at the 2026 Nike President’s Day Classic in St. Louis. Shaffer was instrumental in helping Rockets 15R win a trio of three-set matches on Day 1 as it clinched a Gold Bracket spot. The team would finish fifth against a strong field. Shaffer has improved her consistency during the last few months. Reading the opponents’ block better on the attack and timing her own defense has led to the gains. Shaffer also is finding success on the slide attack to the opposite pin. It all works because of her long arms and leaping ability. There’s room for greater production with more reps as Shaffer reaches for her sizable ceiling.

I caught Shaffer in action during the club campaign when she was competing with the Rocket 14R outfit. She flashed potential during that scouting opportunity and is realizing some of it during her freshman prep season. Shaffer is a bouncy middle with explosion off of the court and power in the swing. She reads defenses well, which helps her work around the block and find holes to exploit on the other side of the net. It helped her pile up 139 kills (.318) during the Blue Raiders’ first 59 sets of 2025. Her team-best 40.0 blocks proved she was a two-way player. She has a good feel for identifying the attack, getting in position and timing her block.