Ahead of the 2026 high school volleyball season, we are highlighting the nation's top players as part of 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 2026 season.
First Team
Hitters
Taimane Ainu'u, 'Iolani (Honolulu, Hawaii)
6-0 | Outside hitter | Class of 2028 | Committed to TexasFinished 2025 with 270 kills while hitting 33 percent as the Raiders earned their first state title since 2022. She had 11 kills in the championship match against Kahuku.
Makenna Barnes, Marymount (Los Angeles, Calif.)
6-2 | Outside hitter | Class of 2027 | NorthwesternDropped a team-high 365 kills as the Sailors went 38-7 and finished No. 14 in the nation. She had double-digit kills in 15 matches and had 382 serve receptions, 194 digs and 71 aces.
Alli Bornschlegl, Norris (Firth, Neb.)
5-11 | Opposite hitter | Class of 2027 | South Dakota StateThe go-to hitter for the Class B repeat champs, Bornschlegl dropped 499 kills while hitting 39 percent. She hammered 30 kills in the state final and added 438 serve receptions and 319 digs on the season.
Brooke Codey, Assumption (Louisville, Ky.)
5-8 | Outside hitter | Class of 2028 | KentuckyEmerged as a force at the net as the Rockets won a 25th state title. She hammered 401 kills with 442 serve receptions and 288 digs as Assumption finished No.6 in the final MaxPreps Top 25.
Sarah Floyd, Highland Park (Dallas, Texas)
6-3 | Opposite hitter | Class of 2028 | TexasThe Scots went 43-8 with a Conference 5A Division 1 state title, the school's first. Floyd paced Highland Park with 380 kills in 117 sets while adding 274 serve receptions, 211 digs, 72 blocks and 62 aces.
Megan Hodges, San Juan Hills (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
6-5 | Opposite hitter | Class of 2028 | NebraskaOne of the best pure hitters in the game, she led the team with 381 kills, adding 73 blocks and 38 aces as San Juan Hills finished 22-7 and reached the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals.
Kate Kalczynski, Mercy (Farmington Hills, Mich.)
6-2 | Outside hitter | Class of 2027 | Penn StateThe Marlins raced to the Division 1 state title behind 529 kills as the future Nittany Lion hit hitting 31 percent. She added 477 serve receptions, 300 digs, 60 aces and 40 blocks as Mercy finished 43-5-2.
Kari Knotts, Lovett (Atlanta, Ga.)
6-3 | Outside hitter | Class of 2029 | UncommittedThe MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year will be in the conversation for the best player in the game after a Private School title and 631 kills last season. An amazing club season has only added to her impressive credentials and lofty expectations.
Peyton Kubik, Blue Valley West (Stilwell, Kan.)
6-2 | Outside hitter | Class of 2027 | PittsburghBecame the school's all-time kills leader as the Jaguars won the Class 6A state. Enters her final prep season at 1,309 career kills after posting 483 kills as Blue Valley West went 35-4 and reached state for the 10th time in 11 seasons.
6-2 | Middle blocker | Class of 2027 | LSU
One of three sisters in the lineup, Nyla led Prestonwood with 483 kills, 282 digs and 27 blocks as it went 34-5.
Jaycee Mack, Torrey Pines (San Diego, Calif.)6-1 | Outside hitter | Class of 2027 | BaylorPlaying alongside MaxPreps All-American and Penn State commit Finley Kystkowiak, she led the Falcons in kills with 330 and blocks with 69. She added 419 serve receptions and 263 digs as Torrey Pines went 38-5 and finished No. 9 in the nation.
Westley Matavao, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
6-0 | Outside hitter | Class of 2027 | UCLAWill be the go-to option for the Monarch with the graduation of USC commit Layli Ostovar. Matavao had 409 serve receptions, 394 kills, 177 digs, 37 aces and 32 blocks as Mater Dei won the Open Division title and finished No. 2 nationally.
Hanna McGinest, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)6-0 | Outside hitter | Class of 2027 | UncommittedLed the loaded Trailblazers with 464 kills (3.6 per set). She had 461 serve receptions, 265 digs, 29 blocks and 28 aces as Sierra Canyon finished 41-4 and No. 3 in the country.
Maya Ogbogu, Allen (Texas)
6-0 | Outside hitter | Class of 2028 | Texas A&MThe Eagles went 37-7 and reached the 6A Division 1 regional semifinals behind 444 kills from Ogbogu. She added 425 serve receptions, 235 digs and 59 blocks.
6-4 | Middle blocker | Class of 2027 | Nebraska
A force in the middle, she led the team with 102 blocks in 107 sets. Omoruyi also tallied 291 kills in her first season at Sierra Canyon.
Shayla Rautenberg, Milford (Neb.)
6-3 | Outside hitter | Class of 2028 | NebraskaLed the Class C1 state champion Eagles with 534 kills (5.6 per set). She added 232 serve receptions, 192 digs and 108 blocks as Milford went 33-1. Also earned MaxPreps All-America honors on the basketball court.
Ireland Real, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)6-4 | Outside hitter | Class of 2027 | TexasFinished the season with more than 400 kills, 150 digs and 35 blocks as the Eagles reached the Southern California Division 1 regional final. In an October match with JSerra Catholic, she dropped 45 kills.
Elsa St. Rose, Tompkins (Katy, Texas)
6-0 | Outside hitter | Class of 2028 | UncommittedThe Falcons (39-6) reached the Conference 6A Division 2 state semifinals pounding a team-high 568 kills (4.0 per set). She added 705 serve receptions, 371 digs and 50 blocks.
Setters
Malorie Boesiger, Norris
5-10 | Class of 2027 | NebraskaDished up 1,220 assists (12.0 per set) as the Titans went 36-1 with a second straight Class B title. She had a bounce-back season after missing her sophomore season with an injury. In the state final, she had 48 assists.
Lucky Fasavalu, Sierra Canyon5-8 | Class of 2027 | MissouriOn a team that featured four hitters with more than 280 kills, Fasavlau distributed the ball adeptly. She ended with 1,001 assists (8.3 per set) and added 239 digs with a team-high 66 aces.
Sophee Peterson, Byron Nelson (Trophy Club, Texas)
5-10 | Class of 2027 | Texas A&MThe MaxPreps National Player of the Year was the catalyst for the two-time Texas champion with 1,459 assists and 165 kills. She should pass 4,000 career kills this season.
Josalyn Samuels, Harrisburg (S.D.)
6-2 | Class of 2028 | NebraskaEarned freshman and sophomore top honors as she posted 1,050 assists in 2025 in helping the Tigers to a fourth straight state title and No. 10 finish in the final MaxPreps Top 25.
Liberos
5-9 | Class of 2027 | LouisvilleThe Hawks went 30-6 with a Class 6A title with Bower anchoring the defense. She had 422 digs and 333 serve receptions.
Cala Haffner, Carroll (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
5-9 | Class of 2028 | Texas The anchor of a defense that helped Carroll go 37-0 with a Class 4A title and No. 5 finish, she had 432 digs, 331 serve receptions and 60 aces.
5-6 | Class of 2027 | Nebraska
After 1,000 digs as a freshman and sophomore, Johnson was needed at outside hitter for the Bulldogs as a junior and posted 351 kills last year as Byron Center went 38-6-2 and reached the Division 1 state semifinals.
Chloe Ritchie, Yorktown (Ind.)
5-7 | Class of 2028 | UncommittedThe defensive quarterback of the Tigers as they went 26-8 and reached the Class 4A state semifinal. She had 700 serve receptions and 641 digs.
Lydia Chinchar, Carrollwood Day (Tampa, Fla.)
6-2 | Outside hitter | Class of 2027 | Kansas StateExplosive and crafty, the future Wildcat led the Patriots with 482 kills while hitting 35 percent. She had 271 serve receptions, 270 digs and 45 aces as Carrollwood went went 20-7.
Ellie Enger, Orangewood Christian
6-2 | Setter/Outside hitter | Class of 2029 | UncommittedPiled up 342 assists, 303 kills, 192 digs, 46 blocks and 36 aces, leading Orangewood Christian (26-5) to a Class 3A state semifinal appearance.
6-1 | Setter | Class of 2027 | Ohio State
Filled the stat sheet for the War Eagles with 849 assists along with 286 digs, 146 kills, 65 blocks and 61 aces as Woodward Academy went 38-6 and grabbed the Class AAAAA state title.
6-3 | Outside hitter | Class of 2027 | SMU
Missed last season after being ruled ineligible but the six-rotation player can swing it. She is looking to lead a team that went 32-9 last season and reached the second round of the Conference 5A Division 2 postseason.
Sydney Whisenton, Cornerstone Christian (San Antonio, Texas)
5-8 | All-around | Class of 2028 | BaylorAn all-around threat for the No. 11 team in the country, she dished up 524 assists and added 206 kills along with 194 digs. At the Durango Fall Classic, she had 74 assists and 36 kills over six matches against elite competition.
Second Team
Hitters
Lexi Coleman,
South Lyon East (South Lyon, Mich.)
Setters
Liberos
