2026 Recruiting Needs: Five Programs of Interest

Five Programs of Interest Heading Into 2026 Recruiting

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Minnesota Golden Gophers

2025 Class (Unofficial)                                             2026 Projected Needs

• Setter: No  .                                                        Setter: ??
• Outside: #5 Position Kelly Kinney                     Outside: Yes
• Opposite: #3 Position Carly Gilk |                     Opposite: No
• Middle: #46 in Class Jordan Taylor                   Middle: Yes
• Libero: Top 125 McKenna Garr                          |Libero: No          

Overall Outlook: Coach Cook and staff will look to follow up a Top 5 2025 Class with another solid 2026 Class. Look for Middle Blocker to be priority #1 for this group. You can never have enough big arms at the pins in the Big Ten so Minnesota will target a top Outside. Setter is a question mark and a position they could fill if they get the prospect they covet. Adding good young defensive talent helps any program, so look for the Gophers to go after another Libero/DS.

Potential Prospects: #4 Middle Elena Hoeke, #1 Middle Keoni Williams, Middle Laney Tarnow, #5 OH Gabby DiVita, #2 Outside Halle Thompson, #4 Outside Jayden Robinson, Outside Laura Eichert, #1 Opposite Sarah Hickman, Setter Rayna Christianson.

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Ohio State Buckeyes

2025 Class (Unofficial)                                               2026 Projected Needs

• Setter: No                                                           Setter: Yes
• Outside: #56 Navea Gauthier                           Outside: Yes
• Opposite: No                                                      Opposite: Yes
• Middle: No                                                          Middle: Yes
• Libero: Mia Stahler                                             Libero: ??

Overall Outlook: With only two verbals in their 2025’s, Ohio State will look for a big 2026 class. A setter is focus #1. The Buckeye staff will look to land a quality player at every position except Libero.

Potential Prospects: #3 Setter Mallory Matheny, #6 Setter Madison Victoriano, #4 Setter Blair Thiebaud, #2 Middle Ella Andrews, #3 Middle Kendall Northern, Middle Lynney Tarnow, Outside Layly Hoying, #6 Outside Morgan Williams.

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UCLA Bruins

2025 Class (Unofficial)                                                         2026 Projected Needs

• Setter: No                                                             Setter: Yes
• Outside: Eliana Urzura                                         Outside: Yes
• Opposite: #55 in Class Mija Bendzuite               Opposite: No
• Middle: #53 in class Hazel Alevok                      Middle: Yes
• Libero: #77 in class Sakura Codling                    Libero: ??

Overall Outlook: The new Bruin regime landed a Top 20 2025 class and will look to do even better with 2026s. Setter has to be a priority, and then adding solid depth at Outside and in the Middle. My guess is they pass on a Libero unless they get a walk-on.

Potential Prospects: #2 Setter Isabelle Hoppe, #6 Setter Madison Victoriano, Setter Reese Stringer, #8 Outside Audrey Flanagan, #9 Outside Gigi Artilles, Outside Laura Eichert, Middle Kinsley Young.

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Texas A&M Aggies

2025 Class (Unofficial)                                                2026 Projected Needs

• Setter: Kirra Musgrove                                         Setter: ??
• Outside: Megan Fitch  .                                        Outside: Yes
• Opposite: Taryn Morris                                         Opposite: No
• Middle: Mackenzie Collins                                    Middle: Yes
• Libero: Addi Applegate                                         Libero: No

Overall Outlook: Aggie Nation will try to parlay a Top 5 2025 Class with another highly ranked 2026. We have mentioned this program often and think that this is the next program to explode on the national scene. They need to keep adding difference-making pins to compete with that orange school they share the state with. Look for Middle to be another area they will try to upgrade. They signed a solid Setter and Libero last class, but when you are trying to build and take the next step, you will upgrade whenever you can add talent.

Potential Prospects: #3 Outside Ayanna Watson, #4 Outside Jayden Robinson, #6 Outside Morgan Williams, Outside Nadiya Shelby, Outside Arianna Muoneke, Middle Kinsley Young, Middle Hayden Conner, Middle/Outside LaVariya Pinder, #2 Setter Isabelle Hoppe.

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USC Trojans

2025 Class (Unofficial)                                                            2026 Projected Needs‍

• Setter: #3 Setter Reese Messer                           Setter: No
• Outside: #34 in Class Quinn Loper                       Outside: Yes
• Opposite: #1 Opposite Abigail Mullen                  Opposite: No
• Middle: No                                                              Middle: Yes
• Libero: #2 Taylor Deckert and Addie Townsend  Libero: No

Overall Outlook: The Trojans always recruit well! They will look to add more star power to the front-row positions as they head to battle in the Big Ten.

Potential Prospects: #3 Outside Ayanna Watson, #4 Outside Taylor Robinson, #6 Outside Audrey Flanagan, Outside Bellamie Beus, Outside Laura Eichert, #1 Middle Keoni Williams, #4 Middle Brooke Harwood, #2 Middle Ella Andrews, #3 Middle Kendall Northern, Libero Kaitlynn Nguyen, Libero Ella Grimes.

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