The list is dotted with national players of the year, state champions and record-setters. Many also had collegiate and Olympic success and a handful are still playing professionally.
Selections were based primarily off high school resumes. Only players
who graduated in 2001 or after were considered for inclusion. Read on
for the top 25 high school football players of the 21st century (so
far).
1. Cynthia Barboza, Woodrow Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.) 2005
Resume: A two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year as well as Athlete of the Year went on to star at Stanford. In her senior season, she averaged 18.3 kills per match for the Bruins and ended her prep career with 2,145 kills. She helped the Cardinal to three straight NCAA title matches and played internationally until 2014.
Class: 2007
Resume: There wasn't an award she didn't win, grabbing Gatorade state and national honors as well as accolades from PrepVolleyball.com. She led the Mustangs to three straight CIF titles before becoming a four-time All-American at Stanford. She won a beach volleyball gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
3. Jordan Larson, Logan View (Hooper, Neb.)Class: 2004
Resume: Set a Class C record as a junior in 2003 with 15.08 kills per set while leading Logan View to the state final. She hammered 501 kills as a senior, capping three straight All-State nods with the Gatorade State Player of the Year honors. She would become a three-time All-American at Nebraska and play on four Olympic teams.
4. Macaria Spears, Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas)
Class: 2024
Resume: It's one thing to be surrounded by hitters, but when you are the focal point of the offense and still hammer 649 kills it says something about your greatness. The daughter of former Dallas Cowboy Marcus Spears was a feared hitter, a four-time state champion who earned MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors as a senior as the Lions went 37-2.
Class: 2001
Resume: A two-time All-American at Nebraska, she led Bonita Vista to a 40-0 record in 2000 as a senior. She had 57 kills, a stat that remains unmatched, in a five-set state title win over St. Mary's (Stockton). She was Volleyball Magazine's National Player of the Year in 2000 after leading Barons to a national No. 1 ranking. A four-time All-Big 12 selection with the Cornhuskers.
Class: 2001
Resume: The 2001 Gatorade National Female Athlete of the Year, she posted 345 kills and 47 blocks during her senior season as University went 41-1 and grabbed its second straight Class A title. As a junior, she hammered 426 kills despite missing a chunk of action while playing with the national team. She went on to star at Stanford, where she won two NCAA titles. She is a resident in plastic and reconstructive surgery at Harvard.
7. Brianne Barker, Amarillo (Texas)Class: 2008
Resume:
Now Brianne Barker-Gorth, the head coach for 2024 national champion Byron Nelson, was the most impactful setter in the
last 25 years, according to longtime volleyball expert John Tawa. The
daughter of Hall of Fame coach Jan Barker, she led the Sandies to
back-to-back state titles in 2006 and 2007. She was an All-American at
Amarillo before excelling at the University of Oklahoma.
8. Elia Rubin, Marymount (Los Angeles, Calif.)Class: 2022
Resume: The alpha on a team loaded with talent, Rubin led Maymount to an unbeaten season and national championship. The Durango Fall Classic MVP compiled 396 kills, 379 serve receptions, 226 digs and 47 aces. Even with a missed COVID season, she tallied 1,135 career kills and is currently readying for her senior season at Stanford.
9. Lexi Sun, Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach, Calif.)
Class: 2016
Resume: The
MaxPreps National Player of the Year as a senior, she helped the Eagles
to a 32-8 mark with 630 kills. She took her junior season off after
extensive time playing time with club and national teams. The
future Texas star still finished her Santa Fe Christian career with
1,360. In college, she was a two-time All-Big 10 first teamer and
finished with 1,150 kills.
Class: 2012
Resume: Impossible to separate the twins who helped the Titans to three state titles and a 126-1 record over their final three seasons. Amber recorded 390 kills, 283 digs, 34 aces and 38 blocks as a senior while Kadie totaled
369 kills (48.6 percent), 49 aces, 38 blocks and 340 digs. Both were
members of the U.S. Junior Women's Team in 2011 and 2012. The pair shared MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors.
Class: 2012
Resume: Led the Buccaneers to a 30-2
record and third straight state title, hammering 553 kills in her senior
season. She had 1,950 serve receptions, 1,816 kills and 1,386 digs in
her prep career as Tawa called her one of the best all-around players in
the past 25 years. She played at Stanford and finished as a three-time
All-Pac-12 selection and fifth all-time in digs.
12. Megan Hodge, Riverside-Durham (Durham, N.C.)
Class: 2005
Resume: The
future Penn State standout ended her Riverside career with nearly 1,600
kills. She became a two-time NCAA champion with the Nittany Lions and
grabbed silver at the 2012 London Olympics for the United States.
Class: 2018
Resume: Helped the Tigers go 145-6 in her four seasons with 1,797 kills and 1,654 digs. She was named the MaxPreps National Player of the Year as a senior, leading the Tigers to a Class 3A title with only one set dropped all season. Held the school's kills record until 2025.
Class: 2021
Resume: The Class 6A Player of the Year and tournament MVP, she dropped 574 kills as a senior as the Spartans went 30-1 and finished No. 3 in the country. She finished her prep career with 2,384 kills. Went on to Nebraska before finishing her collegiate career at USC and now plays for professionally for the Omaha Supernovas.
15. Ellie Holzman, Mt. Carmel (New Orleans, La.)
Class: 2018
Resume: A four-time state champion and two-time MaxPreps All-American. She posted career totals of 2,426 kills, 1,379 digs and 749 blocks while leading Mt. Carmel to a 42-2 mark as a senior. She medically retired from volleyball after her junior year at Illinois.
Class: 2004
Resume: The future USC standout helped the Lancers to four straight state titles, including a 2002 national championship in which her squad bested Barboza and Wilson in the Division 1 final. She was Volleyball Magazine's National Player of the Year in 2001 and compiled a host of local, regional and national accolades in her four seasons. She was second in overall points at USC when she graduated in 2009. She became a professional beach volleyball player and is married to Jimmy Clausen.
17. Kristin Richards, Timpanogos (Orem, Utah)
Class: 2003
Resume: A four-time state champion, she was the Gatorade National Player of the Year as a senior. She had 248 kills as a senior. At Stanford, she held the all-time school mark for career digs (1,597), career digs per game (3.44) and single-season digs (502). She was also top 10 in 20 other statistical categories for the Cardinal.
18. Stesha Selesky, Marymount
Class: 2004
Resume: She played on four state championship teams for the Sailors and was the Most Outstanding Player of the final as a senior after posting 24 assists, 15 kills and 15 digs. She played collegiately at Michigan and remains the school's career leader in digs with 2,178.
Class: 2018
Resume:
One of the best all-around players according to Tawa, she tallied 593
kills with 493 digs as a senior for the 41-3 Aztecs. A first team
MaxPreps All-American, she won a state title in 2016 and had nearly
1,500 digs and more than 1,300 career kills before a standout career at
Oregon. She was an All-American and the first Pac-12 player to record
1,500 kills and 2,000 digs. She is playing professionally with the Omaha
Supernovas.
Class: 2014
Resume: Quarterbacked the Highlanders to 45-0 season, a MaxPreps National Championship and POY honors as a senior. The 5A state tournament MVP dished up 1,189 assists as a senior and nearly 3,500 in her career. After a successful collegiate career at San Diego State and Missouri, she is back in The Woodlands coaching Cooper.
