October 18, 2023

It’s time for another round of our HS Player Spotlight. This time we are back to the Class of 2026 and checking in on sophomores who are making big-time contributions to their respective teams. Below, we highlight 15 players who fit that description. Halle Dolliver OH Malcolm NE: With Dolliver leading the charge, Malcolm is a Class C1 state contender. The Clippers started the week 23-4. Dolliver has put up 531 kills, which is more than half of the team’s total. She is averaging 6.6 per set and is also second in both digs and aces. She’s had a couple monster performances so far this month. One featured a season-best 42 kills in a five-set loss to Platteview. Another was dropping 33 kills in a five-set thriller over Beatrice. Ava Brown OH Lexington OH: A 6-2, 3-star recruit, Brown has starred in her role. She set and hit in club this past season for Blackswamp but has mainly hit for the Minutemen. She’s registered a team-leading 464 kills, averaging 6.2 per set and hitting .385. She’s also racked up 172 assists, averaging 2.3 per set. She’s also third in blocks, digs and aces. She’s reached double-digit kills in every outing to date, including twice having 30 or more kills. She had a season-best 32 kills earlier this month in a four-set victory against New Philadelphia. Ayanna Watson OH Bishop Gorman NV: Watson – 6-4, 5-star recruit – was our featured Player of the Week this week. She’s having a remarkable season for the Gaels. She leads the roster with 427 kills, averaging 5.2 per set and hitting .389. She’s also second in blocks and aces and third in digs. She’s been hot of late, turning in her top three performances this month, including two last week. She recorded a season-high 29 kills and hit .481 in a four-set victory over Faith Lutheran on Oct. 9. She also hit an astonishing .952 in sweeping Basic on Oct. 2. In that contest, she had 20 kills on 21 attempts. Megan Ingersoll OH Spain Park AL: Ingersoll – a 3-star recruit – is turning in a strong season for the Jaguars. She entered the week having sent down 415 kills. She’s averaging 4.2 per set and is also tops in digs at 2.2 per set. She had a season-high 22 kills in a tough five-set loss to Hoover in mid-September. She also had 12 digs in that contest, two off her season-high of 14. Leilani Lawrence OH Tampa Prep FL: A 4-star recruit, Lawrence is contributing in plenty of ways for the Terrapins. She leads the way in both kills (282, 3.8 per set) and blocks (100, 1.3) and is third in digs (3.0 per set). She’s also second in aces. She broke out for a season-high 25 kills in a five-set victory over Academy of the Holy Names in late September. She also had a season-best 18 digs and season-high 13 blocks in that one. Brooke Harwood RS/MB Eastmark AZ: The Firebirds are among the Division 4 state contenders with Harwood a big reason why. The 6-3, 5-star recruit is turning in a giant season. She entered the week with 411 kills, averaging 5.1 per set and hitting .350. She’s also the block and ace leader and is third in digs. She has six matches of at least 20 kills. Twice she’s recorded a season-high 24 kills, including last week in a four-set loss to American Leadership Academy – Gilbert. Madison Brown S Noblesville IN: The season is over for Brown and Noblesville, which fell to national No. 4 Hamilton-Southeastern this past Saturday. A 3-star recruit, Brown dished out 1,075 on the year, averaging 9.8 per set. She had plenty of huge efforts. She registered 40 or more assists 10 times. It included 50 or more twice, and her season-best 61 dimes in a five-set victory over Fishers last week. Anna Flores S Keller TX: Flores – a 4-star recruit who hit and set for TAV 15 Black this past club season – is running a 5-1 for the Indians this fall. She’s amassed 804 assists to date, averaging 8.3 per set. She’s also the team’s leader in aces, as well as second in digs. Four times she’s had 43 assists or more, including a season-best 51 in a five-set victory against Northwest in mid-August. Elena Ruble St. Pius X MO: Ruble and company are among the top contenders for the Class 4 state title. The 3-star recruit started the week with 701 assists, averaging 10.8 per set. Her 47 aces also lead the team. She’s reached at least 40 assists six times. Among them was a season-high 44 dimes in a sweep of Farmington in mid-September. Ella Florez S Mill Valley KS: A 5-star recruit who sets and hits in club, Florez’s responsibility for the Jaguars has been just setting. She’s totaled 698 assists to date, averaging 8.9 per set. She’s had big outings of late, including a season-best 46 assists in a five-set loss to Olathe West on Oct. 5. She also recorded a season-high 17 digs in the loss. She dished out 38 assists in a sweep over Shawnee Mission South last week. Gabi Rodriguez L McKinney North TX: Rodriguez – a 4-star recruit – has held it down defensively for the Bulldogs. She entered the week with 611 digs, averaging 8.0 per set. She’s also the leader in aces. She had her best two matches earlier this month. In one she registered 42 digs in a sweep of Greenville. She posted a season-best 50 digs in a four-set victory over Sherman as well. Ruby McDermott L Blessed Trinity GA: A 3-star recruit, McDermott has been another standout defender and playing a big role defensively. She’s put up 431 saves and is averaging 4.3 per set. She’s another who also leads the squad in aces. McDermott totaled a season-best 28 digs in a four-set loss to Pope in early September. It was one of five times she’s had