Excelling on the high school volleyball court can be difficult. Even more so when you're the daughter or sister of a current or former professional athlete.
But these 20 athletes, who already have the name recognition, have found a way to make a name for themselves with impressive stat lines, championships and national rankings.
Patrick Ewing's daughter
Alexis Ewing is blazing trails in her home state of Maryland by becoming a pioneer in name, image and likeness opportunities. The
Bullis (Potomac, Md.) standout was the first to grab NIL deals after the state relaxed the rules on high school athletes. The Penn State commit, whose mother is a former volleyball All-American at Long Beach State as well as her coach, signed a deal with College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving, according to a story in the Washington Post.
Alexis Ewing is among a number of daughters of former pro athletes making their own name on the high school volleyball courts. The daughter of basketball legend Patrick Ewing and volleyball All-American Cheryl Weaver, Alexis Weaver is a Penn State commit and has led Bullis to a 6-2 record this season. (Photo: Fred Ingham)
Ewing is not unlike a lot of athletes cashing in on that front, but her surname does, perhaps, draw more attention.
"The fact that she’s my daughter, she’s her mom’s daughter, I don’t
think that should add pressure to her. I just think she has great
genes," Patrick Ewing told
the Post in December.
Alexis Ewing told the paper the pressure with her last name is something she takes in stride.
"Sometimes there is pressure to live up to my parents and all they have
accomplished," she told the Post. "That’s the biggest struggle — to make them
proud."
Alexis Ewing, daughter of New York Knicks legend Patrick Ewing, is one of the first Maryland athletes to take advantage of NIL opportunities. (Photo: Fred Ingham)
Scott Elarton. The 6-foot-7 pitcher spent 10 seasons in the Majors with Houston, Colorado, Cleveland and Kansas City. He finished his career 56-61 with a 5.29 ERA and 698 strikeouts.
Daughter: The 5-11 junior setter has 436 assists this season for the 15-0 Eagles. A preseason MaxPreps All-American, she has tallied 1,633 assists in her prep career.
Alexis Ewing — Bullis (Potomac, Md.)
Father: Patrick Ewing. A Basketball Hall of Fame member, he was a transformative center in high school, collegiately at Georgetown and then with the New York Knicks. He was a McDonald's All American and National Player of the Year in high school, an NCAA champion and scored 24,815 points with 11,617 rebounds in the NBA.
Mother: Cheryl Weaver. She's the coach at Bullis and was an All-American volleyball player at Long Beach State.
Daughter: The junior outside hitter has led the Bulldogs to a 6-2 mark this season, averaging nearly five kills per set. The 6-4 Penn State commit is ranked in the top five in her class in the DMV and became the first prep athlete in Maryland to take advantage of NIL opportunities. Last season, she posted 114 kills in 36 sets and led the Bulldogs to the postseason.
Jessica Fields — Mount Paran Christian (Kennesaw, Ga.)
Brother: Justin Fields. The starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears, he played prep ball at Harrison before leading Ohio State to the 2021 CFB National Championship game. This season he's thrown for 1,143 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Bears.
Sister: Also a top 2025 basketball player, the 6-1 junior middle blocker had 47 kills, 26 blocks and 16 digs for the 36-9 Eagles. On the hardwood last season, Fields helped Mount Paran to the AA title, scoring 23 in the title contest.
Janelle Green — Blue Valley North (Overland Park, Kan.)
Father: Trent Green. A 15-year NFL and CFL veteran who won a Super Bowl while with the St. Louis Rams. He threw for more than 28,000 yards in his career, was a two-time Pro Bowl player and is tied for the longest pass in NFL history (99 yards). He also has been seen as a line judge at some of BVN's home matches.
Daughter: A Cincinnati commit, she's closing in on 2,000 career assists as a four-year varsity player for the Mustangs. The MaxPreps All-American has helped BVN to a 27-2 record while posting 435 assist this season with 132 kills and 176 digs.
Eva Jefferies — Sierra Canyon
Father: Jared Jefferies. The 11th pick in the 2002 NBA Draft played 11 years in the association for the Wizards, Knicks, Rockets and Blazers, scoring 3,003 points in his career. He played prep ball at Bloomington North and stayed in-state to play collegiately for the Hoosiers. In 2002, he led Indiana on a Cinderella run to the NCAA title game. He dropped 24 points with 15 boards against No. 1 Duke in the East Regional semis.
Daughter: The 6-3 freshman has 43 kills in 33 sets played for the Trailblazers. She's hitting at 41 percent on a team with several MaxPreps All-Americans. She has 14 aces and 10 blocks on the season.
Ava Jurevicius — Lincoln Lutheran (Lincoln, Neb.)
Father: Joe Jurevicius. A Super Bowl champion in 2002 with Tampa Bay, the wide receiver spent 10 seasons in the NFL with the Giants, Seahawks and Browns. A second-round pick in the 1998 draft after playing at Penn State, Jurevicius has 4,119 career receiving yards and 29 touchdowns in the NFL.
Daughter: The 5-10 defensive specialist transferred to the Warriors this season after older sister Caroline began playing at the University of Nebraska. Ava, a junior, has 117 kills in 64 sets for 26-1 Lincoln Lutheran. She has 175 digs and 111 serve receives on the season.
Jadyn Livings — Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas)
Father: Nate Livings. A BCS National Champion with LSU in 2003, the guard played six seasons in the NFL with the Bengals and Cowboys.
Daughter: The oldest of three playing with the Lions, Jadyn is an integral part of the No. 5 team in the MaxPreps Top 25 with 251 kills in 87 sets along with 156 digs and 45 blocks. The USC commit has topped the 1,000 kill mark for her career after posting 581 as a sophomore and 397 last season as Prestonwood won the TAPPS 6A title.
Father: Nate Livings
Daughter: A freshman coming back from surgery on a broken ankle, she has 82 kills in 49 sets and 23 blocks for the 28-4 Lions.
Father: Nate Livings.
Daughter: Also a freshman, she is hitting 45 percent with 164 kills in 84 sets and 66 blocks. Coach Ryan Mitchell called her and Naomi the next wave for the program.
Halie McGinest — Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
Father:
Willie McGinest. The three-time Super Bowl champion with the New
England Patriots spent 12 seasons in the NFL finishing his career in
Cleveland. He went to Long Beach Poly and USC before being drafted No. 4
overall in 1994.
Daughter: A transfer to the Trailblazers
from Long Beach Poly, the 6-0 outside hitter has 125 kills in 49 sets
for the No. 15 team in the MaxPreps Top 25. Her older sister Riley is in
her sophomore season at USC.
Hanna McGinest — Sierra Canyon
Father: Willie McGinest.
Daughter: The
freshman has 235 kills while hitting at nearly 40 percent for the 32-5
Trailblazers. The 5-10 hitter has added 159 digs and 253 serve receives
while playing on a squad with a national schedule. She posted a
season-high 24 kills in a five-set win over JSerra Catholic on Aug. 17.
Laycee McGrady — Fort Bend Christian Academy (Sugar Land, Texas)
Father: Tracy McGrady. The 1997 McDonald's All American went directly to the NBA after high school, spending 16 years in the association. He's a seven-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion who finished with 18,381 points.
Daughter: Just a sophomore, she's pounded 55 kills in 46 sets for the 27-3 Eagles as they look to get back to the TAPPS 5A championship game.
Ava Pierzynski — The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.)
Father: A.J. Pierzynski. A 2005 World Series champion with the Chicago White Sox, he played 18 seasons in the Majors with the Twins, Giants, Rangers, Red Sox, Cardinals and Braves. A catcher, the two-time All-Star hit .280 for his career with 2,043 hits and 188 home runs.
Daughter: The senior hitter and defensive specialist also plays beach volleyball for the Royals. This season she's posted 133 kills in 39 sets as First Academy is 14-9.
Father: Mark Prior. A four-year Major League veteran, he spent his entire career with the Chicago Cubs. He was 42-29 with a 3.51 ERA and 757 strikeouts and won a World Series in 2020. He's now a coach with the Los Angele Dodgers.
Daughter: No stats are posted on MaxPreps, but the San Diego Union Tribune named her in the preseason as a "Player to Watch." The 6-1 outside hitter plays club with Coast Volleyball.
Father: Mark Prior.
Daughter: The 5-7 sophomore setter had helped the Pilots to a 17-7 record in the San Diego Section. She also plays for Coast Volleyball in club.
Macaria Spears — Prestonwood Christian
Father: Marcus Spears. A defensive end who spent eight seasons in the NFL with the Cowboys and Ravens, he's become a commentator on ESPN after first becoming a co-host of SEC Nation in 2014. He had 236 career tackles and 10 sacks.
Daughter: On a loaded Lions team, the recent Texas commit is a power hitter who draws extra defensive attention and still manages thunderous kills. She's a leading candidate for MaxPreps Player of the Year and has 277 kills in 70 sets. She's aces 21 aces, 102 digs and 28 blocks .
Father: Matt Stinchcomb. The offensive tackle was the 18th pick overall in 1999 by the Oakland Raiders and played six seasons in the NFL. He was a two-time All-American at Georgia and his brother Jon also played for the Bulldogs as well as in the NFL with the Saints.
Daughter: The junior setter has 442 assist, 77 digs and 27 aces for the 26-7 Spartans. She's posted double-digit assists in every match this season with a high of 49 in an Aug. 24 four-set win over Hebron Christian.
Mila Stojakovic — St. Francis (Sacramento, Calif.)
Father: Peja Stojakovic. A Sacramento Kings legend, he played 19 professional seasons including 13 in the NBA. He won a NBA title in 2011 with the Mavericks and was a three-time NBA All-Star. He finished his career with 13,647 points.
Daughter: The senior outside hitter has been sidelined most the season with injuries. She posted 196 kills as a sophomore and 20 in nine sets as a junior.
Father: David Weathers. A pitcher who was part of the New York Yankees' 1996 World Series team, he spent 18 years in the Major Leagues. He was 72-88 with a 4.25 ERA and 976 strikeouts in his career. His son Ryan was a first-round draft pick by the Padres in 2018 and is now on the Marlins.
Daughter: The junior middle has a team-high 399 kills on the season for the 41-7 Mustangs while hitting at 40 percent. She also leads Loretto with 50 blocks and has added 381 digs and 399 receives. She's also a basketball player who averaged 17.3 points as her squad went 22-9.
Father: Sheldon Williams. The nine-year NBA veteran was the fifth overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. He played collegiately at Duke and is the school's all-time leader in blocked shots and rebounds.
Mother: Candace Parker. Regarded as one of the greatest WNBA players of all-time, she is a two-time champion, Finals MVP and two-time league MVP. She's played professionally for 15 years and currently plays with the Las Vegas Aces. She was the first overall pick in 2008 after playing her college ball at Tennessee.
Daughter: A freshman for the 26-4 Vikings, she has posted 83 kills in 72 sets along with 38 blocks.
