The high school volleyball season is nearing full swing in all 50 states
and the District of Columbia. In 2024,
Byron Nelson (Trophy Club, Texas) was crowned MaxPreps National Champion and
Macaria Spears of
Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas) earned the nod for MaxPreps National Player of the
Year.
With Spears now at Texas, it's
time for
a new group of stars to step up. We have identified
the candidates to fill that void in the Preseason MaxPreps All-America
Team.
The 75 players recognized shined during competition a year ago or showed
enough promise to be mentioned alongside the game's best. Read on for a
complete look at the projected stars of the 2025 season.
Hitters
6-foot-3 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Committed to TexasFinished with a team-high 549 kills as the Tigers went 46-3 and were nationally ranked for much of the season. She also led the team in aces with 66 and added 486 serve receptions, 302 digs and 59 blocks.
Gentry Barker, Lake Travis (Austin, Texas)
5-10 | Junior (Class of 2027) | San Diego StateTransferred to Lake Travis over the summer after posting 468 kills for Lovejoy last season. She added 620 serve receptions and 466 digs.
Bellamie Beus, Skyview (Nampa, Idaho)
5-11 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Kentucky The Hawks went 27-8 against a challenging schedule as Beus dropped 595 kills (5.2 per set) while hitting at 35 percent. She added 536 serve receptions, 335 digs, 58 aces and 54 blocks.
Samantha Destler, Marymount (Los Angeles, Calif.)
6-1 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Washington She had 387 kills as the Sailors went 33-8 against an ambitious schedule along with the SoCal gauntlet. She topped 20 kills in a match four times and had 17 in a three-set battle with Cornerstone Christian at the Durango Fall Classic.
Audrey Flanagan, Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
6-3 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Wisconsin The Mustangs were ranked in the MaxPreps Top 25 for much of the season behind Flanagan's 478 kills, 447 serve receptions and 209 digs.
Kylie Kleckner, Byron Nelson (Trophy Club, Texas)
6-0 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Washington On a team loaded with stars, Kleckner was the main offensive weapon. She dropped 573 kills (5.2 per set) while hitting at 36 percent. The six-rotation standout added a team-high 513 serve receptions along with 297 digs, 54 blocks and 50 aces.
Tessa Larkin, Xavier College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.)
6-1 | Junior (Class of 2027) | MinnesotaHelped the Gators finish No. 8 in the final MaxPreps Top 25 while also grabbing the Class 6A state title. She dropped 474 kills (4.5 per set), including 23 in the four-set title game victory. She added 515 serve receptions and 337 digs.
Ella Hale, Mount St. Mary (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
5-11 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Uncommitted The Rockets went 39-1 with a Class 5A title as Hale paced the squad with 587 kills (5.2 per set). She added 312 digs and 308 serve receptions. She is closing in on 1,000 career kills.
Sarah Hickman, Stratford (Houston, Texas)
6-5 | Senior (Class of 2026) | StanfordShe had 377 kills as Spartans reached the Class 6A
Division 2 final. She hit at 31 percent and added 124 digs, 120 serve
receptions, 76 blocks and 52 aces.
Eva Jeffries, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
6-3 | Junior (Class of 2027) | Uncommitted Pounded 415 kills (3.3 per set) while hitting at 31 percent for the Trailblazers. The daughter of former NBA player Jared Jeffries added 315 serve receptions, 206 digs, 53 blocks and 42 aces for Sierra Canyon.
Westley Matavao, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
6-0 | Junior (Class of 2027) | UCLAThere might not be a heavier hitter in the game. She pounded 276 kills in 80 sets (3.5 per set) after joining the Monarchs after a transfer sit-out period. A six-rotation player, she added 455 serve receptions and 284 digs for the nationally-ranked Monarchs.
Hanna McGinest, Sierra Canyon
5-10 | Junior (Class of 2027) | Uncommitted Led the No. 11 team in the country with 452 kills (3.7 per set). The daughter of former NFL linebacker Willie McGinest added 689 serve receptions, 299 digs, 55 blocks and 41 aces.
Lawson Monroe, Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga.)
6-1 | Senior (Class of 2026) | BrownThe Knights grabbed an impressive eighth straight state title behind the Class AAAA Player of the Year. A two-sport standout, she dropped 506 kills as the Knights went 43-6 before averaging 15.3 points per night on the hardwood.
Layli Ostovar, Mater Dei
5-11 | Senior (Class of 2026) | USC Led the Monarchs with 337 kills (3.6 per set) despite missing some time early in the season. A six-rotation player, she had 344 serve receptions, 275 digs and 35 aces. She had 108 kills in the postseason for Mater Dei, averaging more than 15 kills per match.
6-4 | Junior (Class of 2027) | Uncommitted
A member of the U19 USA Volleyball gold medal team, she had 613
serve receptions, 543 kills (4.3 per set), 186 digs as the Eagles went
25-15 last year and reached the Southern California Division I regional final.
6-0 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Rice The 1-2 punch of Seay and Kleckner was lethal for the MaxPreps National Champions as the Bobcats went 40-1 and won the Class 6A Division 2 title. Seay pounded 488 kills (4.3 per set) while adding 495 serve receptions, 315 digs and a team-high 52 aces.
Bailey Sinish, Carroll (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
5-11 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Indiana The first-team All-State pick averaged 19 kills per match in the semi-state and final matches as the Chargers brought home the Class 4A title. She hammered 494 kills and hit 35 percent with 236 digs, 61 aces and 49 blocks.
Lydia Stahley, Roncalli (Indianapolis, Ind.)
6-1 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Missouri It's her team now with the graduation of Kansas-bound Logan Bell. Stahley proved she is up to the challenge after leading the Royals with 394 kills on the way to an unbeaten season, Class 3A title and No. 4 finish in the MaxPreps Top 25.
Lynney Tarnow, Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.)
6-5 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Wisconsin The Redwings were near the top of the MaxPreps Top 25 all season behind Tarnow, who piled up 252 kills, 89 blocks and 35 aces.
Halle Thompson, Grand Oaks (Spring, Texas)
6-0 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Wisconsin Looking to lead the Grizzlies to a three-peat before heading to Madison. Thompson and Grand Oaks won the Class 6A Division 1 crown as she had 486 kills (4.8 per set) while going 42-7 and a No. 14 finish in the MaxPreps Top 25.
Ayanna Watson, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
6-4 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Pitt The Gaels were back on top in the Silver State, winning the Class 5A title behind Watson's 705 kills (7.3 per set). She added 385 serve receptions, 286 digs, 44 aces and 40 blocks.
Addison West, Skutt Catholic (Omaha, Neb.)
6-1 | Senior (Class of 2026) | North Carolina Finished the season with a team-high 476 kills, 391 serve receptions and 314 digs. She dropped 32 kills in the five-set battle with Norris in the Class B state final.
6-3 | Junior (Class of 2027) | Nebraska
A MaxPreps Sophomore All-American, she pounded a team-high 449 kills (4.4 per set) as Lancers won Class 5A
title. The daughter of former NFL player Will Witherspoon added 160 digs, 95 blocks and 118 serve receptions.
Gabi Zachariasen, Harrisburg (S.D.)
6-0 | Senior (Class of 2026) | South Dakota Pounded 403 kills (4.6 per set) as the Tigers went 31-0, won the Class AA title and finished No. 16 in the MaxPreps Top 25. She added 229 digs and 185 serve receptions.
Abby Zimmerman, Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.)
6-1 | Senior (Class of 2026) | California Hammered 429 kills along with 259 digs, 63 blocks and 57 aces as Redondo went 28-11 and was was ranked in the MaxPreps Top 25 for most of the season.
Setters
Addie Haberthy, Roncalli
5-11 | Senior (Class of 2026) | XavierNamed to the Indianapolis Star Super Team, she fed the Roncalli's two big hitters with 937 assists (9.6 per set). She only had nine ball-handling errors in 2,041 attempts as the state champions went 35-0.
5-11 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Texas
Produced 578 assists, 125 digs, 77 kills, 37 aces and 37 blocks for the Class 4A state champions.
5-11 | Junior (Class of 2027) | Coastal CarolinaCompiled 761 assists (10.0 per set), 171 digs, 61 kills and 28 blocks as the Mighty Macs went 33-5 and reached the sectional finals.
Jahan Lalli, Pope (Marietta, Ga.)
5-8 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Rhode Island The Greyhounds went 36-5 and won the Class AAAAA title as Lalli tossed up 1,111 assists (9.4 per set). She added 248 digs, 96 kills and 51 aces. In the championship match, she had 43 assists and had a high of 62 in a five-set match early in the season.
6-0 | Sophomore (Class of 2028) | Uncommitted
The MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year had a tremendous club season and has the Tigers in the national conversation again along with Zachariasen. Samuels had 870 assists last year and will pass 2,000 for her career early in the year after playing varsity as an eighth-grader.
Lexi Shondell, McCutcheon (Lafayette, Ind.)
5-8 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Uncommitted Tossed
up 750 assists for the Mavericks and is approaching 2,000 career
assists heading into her final season. She added 181 digs, 100 kills and
53 blocks.
5-9 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Uncommitted
In leading the Saints to a Class 5A state title, Vaeth dished up 1,026 assists with five hitters tallying more than 100 kills. She should surpass 2,000 career assists this year as the Kansas power again has hitters for her to dish to.
Liberos Erin Clark, Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.)
5-8 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Alabama The Aztecs went 37-7 and reached the Class 6A final. Clark had 566 digs (4.8 per set) while anchoring the defense. She enters her senior year with 1,556 digs.
5-8 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Texas
A first-team All-State selection last
year after posting 385 digs, 189 assists and 59 kills.
Kami Dyrstad, Papillion-LaVista South (Papillion, Neb.)
5-5 | Senior (Class of 2026) | Rutgers Led the way for the Titans with 507 serve receptions and 471 digs as Papillion-LaVista South won the Class A title.
5-6 | Auburn
Behind MaxPreps All-American Kristen Simon, Keiran put together a great
season with 423 receptions and 358 digs as the Rockets once again
claimed the Kentucky state title.
5-4 | Texas A&M
The Libero of the Year in
Conference 5A by the Texas Sports Writers Association, she posted 937
digs and 688 receptions as the Bulldogs reached the
Conference 5A Division 1 final. She will be in Indonesia over the next
week competing with USA Volleyball at the FIVB U21 World Championship.
All-around
Taimane Ainu'u, 'Iolani (Honolulu, Hawaii)6-0 | Sophomore (Class of 2028) | Outside hitter
Earned
MaxPreps Freshman All-American honors last year after piling up 273 kills, 252
serve receptions and 191 digs for the Raiders.
5-10 | Junior (Class of 2027) | Texas A&MThe catalyst in Byron Nelson's Class 6A Division 2 title run and MaxPreps National Championship led the Bobcats with 1,480 assists and was third on the team with 199 kills. She added 271 digs, 75 blocks and 48 aces.
6-0 | Junior (Class of 2027) | South Carolina
She has already led the Jaguars to a pair of state titles. The
South Carolina commit tallied 416 receptions, 403 kills, 270 digs and 68 aces as a sophomore.
Second team
Hitters
Setter
Libero
