Naiya Padilla Naiya Padilla 5'4" | DS/L/S Heritage Christian | 2028 CA : Social Media Star of the Week

💡 Game You’re Proud Of
I’m most proud of my serve receive passing right now. It’s my second year playing Libero/DS, and that part of my game keeps getting better every day. I was a setter for over 5 years before being moved to Libero/DS as a freshman on varsity at Bishop Alemany under Coach Morgan, so I had to learn a new position at a high level very fast. Under Coach Morgan’s leadership, I was also able to play and train with high-level players like Alanah Clemente and London Wijay, which pushed me to raise my level, play faster, and grow my volleyball IQ. I think what helps me stand out is my consistency in serve receive, plus my court awareness and ability to read the game—I love seeing patterns and anticipating plays before they happen. My setter background also gives me strong ball control and helps me make smart decisions in transition. This year I played varsity at Heritage Christian under Coach Natalia, and I’m continuing to grow in the libero role with Supernova 16s while competing in Open tournaments.

📲 Why This Post Mattered
Being featured on PrepDig CA meant a lot to me because it made me feel like the work I’ve been putting in is being noticed. I’ve worked hard transitioning from setter to libero/DS, so getting recognized for my game gives me confidence and motivates me to keep improving.

Social media has helped my recruiting journey by giving coaches an easy way to see my game – especially my serve receive, defense, and back-row setting – and it helps me stay visible as I grow. I also create posts to lead coaches to my YouTube channel, where I keep my full highlight videos organized by tournament and skill so it’s easier for them to evaluate me. My goal with posting is to show my development over time and reflect who I am as a player: competitive, coachable, and always working to get better.

🧠 What Coaches Should Know
I want college coaches to know that I’m a player who is always willing to work and improve. I’m very coachable, competitive, and I care a lot about doing the little things right. I’ve had to adjust and grow a lot already by transitioning from setter to libero/DS, and that taught me how to learn fast, stay humble, and keep building my game.

Off the court, I take school seriously too. I have a strong GPA, I’m taking AP classes, and I’m working on my SAT/ACT because I want to compete at a high level academically and athletically. I bring energy, leadership, and consistency, and I want to be the kind of teammate coaches can trust in big moments.

Naiya Padilla Naiya Padilla 5'4" | DS/L/S Heritage Christian | 2028 CA

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247