There is no denying the fact that prep volleyball is continually growing in the United States, especially with young females. There were over 5,000 athletes at the most recent Volleyball Festival, youth play is popping up all over our beaches and high school players are verbally committing to big-name colleges earlier and earlier. And we are proud to recognize and congratulate the immense talent that is coming out of our high schools and the players who are working their way into the college and professional scene. The Fab 50 is a comprehensive—but by no means all-encompassing—list of the top high school seniors to play volleyball in the past year. This year’s list includes girls from all different positions, and a variety of heights, who are going to various colleges and universities, but all share one common desire: the will to be the best. Volleyball magazine congratulates the top 50 picks, along with the top 25 Underclassman to Watch (keep your eye out for these girls—they are going to be good).

Halli Amaro
Height: 6’ 0”
Position: OH
Hometown: Los Alamitos, Calif.
Club: Mizuno Long Beach
College: Arizona

Simone Antwi
Height: 6’ 2”
Position: MB
Hometown: Lorton, Va.
Club: VA Elite
College: Florida

Tiffany Baker
Height: 6’ 3”
Position: MB
Hometown: Carrollton, Texas
Club: Dallas Premier
College: Tennessee

Katherine Bell
Height: 6’ 1”
Position: MB
Hometown: Mesquite, Texas
Club: Texas Assault
College: Texas

Jocelynn Birks
Height: 6’ 2”
Position: OH
Hometown: LaGrange, Ill.
Club: 1st Alliance
College: Illinois

Morgan Boukather
Height: 6’ 1”
Position: OH
Hometown: Newport Beach, Calif.
Club: TCA
College: Stanford

Elizabeth Brenner
Height: 6’ 2”
Position: MB
Hometown: Portland, Ore.
Club: Northwest Juniors
College: Oregon

Ellen Chapman
Height: 6’ 4”
Position: OH
Hometown: Glenbrook, Ill.
Club: Sky High
College: Wisconsin

Jane Croson
Height: 5’ 11”
Position: OH
Hometown: Lakewood, Calif.
Club: Sports Shack
College: Hawaii
Won Gold at the 2010 FIVB Youth (U-19) Beach World Championships

Lexi Dannemiller
Height: 5’ 11”
Position: S
Hometown: West Chester, Ohio
Club: Team Z
College: Michigan

Tara Dunn
Height: 6’ 2”
Position: OH
Hometown: Poth, Texas
Club: Bexar County
College: Oklahoma

Lara Dykstra
Height: 5’11”
Position: OH
Hometown: Redondo Beach, Calif.
Club: Sports Shack
College: Nebraska

Haley Eckerman
Height: 6’ 4”
Position: OH
Hometown: Waterloo, Iowa
Club: Iowa Rockets
College: Texas

Hanna Forst
Height: 5’ 11”
Position: OH
Hometown: Lenexa, Kan.
Club: KC Power
College: South Carolina

Crystal Graff
Height: 6’ 3”
Position: OH
Hometown: Madison, Wis.
Club: Capital
College: Wisconsin

Nia Grant
Height: 6’ 3”
Position: MB/OH
Hometown: Warren, Ohio
Club: Renaissance
College: Penn State

Dominique Gonzalez
Height: 5’ 5”
Position: L
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Club: Alamo
College: Penn State

Micha Hancock
Height: 5’ 11”
Position: S/OH
Hometown: Edmond, Okla.
Club: Oklahoma Peak
Performance
College: Tulsa

Jade Hayes
Height: 6’ 0”
Position: L/OH
Hometown: Ozark, Mo.
Club: Springfield Juniors
College: Missouri
Named Most Undeniable Player for Team Swagger in the Under Armour All-America Volleyball Match

Christina Higgins
Height: 6’ 2”
Position: OH
Hometown: North
Hollywood, Calif.
Club: Sports Shack
College: California
Selected to the 2010 U.S. Youth Olympic Games team

Jeni Houser
Height: 6’ 3”
Position: MB
Hometown: Louisville, Ky.
Club: KiVA
College: Notre Dame

Madelyn Hutson
Height: 6’ 6”
Position: MB
Hometown: Brentwood, Tenn.
Club: Impact
College: Texas

Tory Knuth
Height: 6’ 4”
Position: MB
Hometown: Johnston, Iowa
Club: IPVA
College: Iowa State

Kelly Lamberti
Height: 6’ 0”
Position: OH
Hometown: Cary, Ill.
College: Ohio

Whitney Little
Height: 6’ 3”
Position: MB
Hometown: Keller, Texas
Club: TAV
College: Missouri

Chloe Mathis
Height: 5’ 10”
Position: S
Hometown: La Jolla, Calif.
Club: Coast
College: Arizona

Elizabeth McMahon
Height: 6’ 6”
Position: MB
Hometown: West Chester, Ohio
Club: Team Z
College: Illinois

Kellie McNeil
Height: 5’ 11”
Position: S
Hometown: Lakeville, Minn.
Club: M1
College: Minnesota

Katie Messing
Height: 6’ 4”
Position: MB/OH
Hometown:
The Woodlands, Texas
Club: Willowbrook
College: Pepperdine

Taylor Milton
Height: 5’ 11”
Position: OH
Hometown: San Diego,
Calif.
Club: Coast
College: Santa Clara

Megan Moenoa
Height: 5’ 10”
Position: S
Hometown: Lakewood,
Calif.
Club: Mizuno Long Beach
College: UCLA
Selected to the 2010 U.S. Women’s Junior National Training Team

Deme Morales
Height: 5’’ 7”
Position: MB
Hometown: Amherst, Ohio
Club: Maverick-A.C.E.
College: Wisconsin
Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year for the state of Ohio

Kori Moster
Height: 5’ 4”
Position: L
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Club: Team Z
College: Michigan State

Michelle Neumayr
Height: 6’ 0”
Position: OH
Hometown: Burlingame, Calif.
Club: Vision
College: California

Val Nichol
Height: 6’ 0”
Position: S/OH
Hometown: Normal, Ill.
Club: Illini Elite
College: Purdue

Zoe Nightingale
Height: 6’ 3”
Position: MB
Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.
Club: Force
College: UCLA

Lindsey Parrott
Height: 6’ 2”
Position: S/OH
Hometown: Oakland, Calif.
Club: Golden Bear
College: California

Summer Ross
Height: 6’ 1”
Position: OH
Hometown: Carlsbad, Calif.
Club: Coast
College: Washington

Lillian Schonewise
Height: 6’ 2”
Position: MB
Hometown: Papillion, Neb.
Club: KC Power
College: California

Taylor Sherwin
Height: 6’ 0”
Position: S
Hometown: Orlando, Fla.
Club: Top Select
College: Ohio

Taylor Simpson
Height: 6’ 4”
Position: OH
Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colo.
Club: Colorado Juniors
College: Nebraska

Ali Stark
Height: 6’ 0”
Position: OH
Hometown: Mt. Vernon,
Iowa
Club: Iowa Rockets
College: Illinois

Lauren Teknipp
Height: 6’ 2”
Position: MB/OH
Hometown: McDonough, Ga.
Club: A5
College: Michigan

Courtney Thomas
Height: 6’ 0”
Position: S
Hometown: DeKalb, Ill.
Club: Sports Performance
College: Wisconsin
Named to 2010 U.S. Women’s Junior National Training Team

Kaila Thomas
Height: 6’ 1”
Position: OH
Hometown: Murrieta, Calif.
Club: Laguna Beach
College: Colorado State

Krista Vansant
Height: 6’ 2”
Position: OH
Hometown: Redlands, Calif.
Club: Rancho Valley
College: Washington

Aiyana Whitney
Height: 6’ 5”
Position: OH
Hometown: Old Tappan, N. J.
Club: Downstate
College: Penn State

Emily Wilson
Height: 6’ 3”
Position: OH
Hometown: Omaha, Neb.
Club: Nebraska Elite
College: Missouri

Emily Young
Height: 6’ 2”
Position: OH
Hometown: Schaumburg, Ill.
Club: Sports Performance
College: Southern California

*(In alphabetical order)

Top 25 Underclassmen to Watch

Name Height/PositioN/Year Hometown Club Verbal Comittment
Melanie Wade 6’ 5” MB 2012 Palo Alto (Calif.) City Beach Uncomitted
Katie Lindelow 6’ 0” OH 2012 Mandeville (La.) LSU Uncomitted
Nicole Dalton 6’ 2” OH 2012 Parker (Colo.) Front Range Uncomitted
Misty Ma’a 6’ 0” OH 2012 Honolulu (Hawaii) Asics Rainbows Uncomitted
Amber Rolfzen 6’ 3” OH 2013 Papillion (Neb.) Nebraska Juniors Nebraska
Kadie Rolfzen 6’ 3” OH 2013 Papillion (Neb.) Nebraska Juniors Nebraska
Madison Bugg 5’ 11” S 2012 Apex (N.C.) Triangle Uncomitted
Lauren Sieckmann 5’ 11” S 2012 Omaha (Neb.) Nebraska Juniors Nebraska
Jordan Burgess 6’ 0” OH 2012 Tampa (Fla.) Tampa Bay Juniors Uncomitted
Mary Hannah Arrington 5’ 9” OH 2012 Marietta (Ga.) Auburn Uncomitted
Shelby Workman 6’ 1” S/OH 2012 Shawnee Mission (Kan.) KC Power Oklahoma
Cati Leak 6’ 2” OH 2012 Guntersville (Ala.) Rocket City LSU
Megan Courtney 6’ 1” S/OH 2012 Kettering (Ohio) Team Z Penn State
Taylor Morey 5’ 6” L 2012 Muncie (Ind.) Munciana Notre Dame
Amy Neal 5’ 9” L 2012 Austin (Texas) Austin Juniors Texas
Annie Mitchem 6’ 2” MB 2012 Friendswood (Texas) 17Rox (AVA) Uncomitted
Fayette Adelaja 6’ 1” MB 2012 Baton Rouge (La.) Louisiana Volleyball Purdue
Samantha Hill 6’ 3” MB 2012 Spokane (Wash.) Spokane Splash Uncomitted
Molly McCage 6’ 3” MB 2012 Spring (Texas) Texas Team Texas
Andie Malloy 6’ 2” S 2012 Allen (Texas) Skyline Uncomitted
Alexis Viliunas 6’ 0” S 2012 La Grange (Ill.) 1st Alliance Illinois
Maddy Klineman 6’ 1” OH 2012 Manhattan Beach (Calif.) Mizuno Long Beach UCLA
Mackenzie Bigbee 6’ 1” OH 2012 Williamsburg (Iowa) Nike Six Pack Iowa State
Megan McGehee 6’ 3” MB 2012 Lee’s Summit (Mo.) MAVS Uncomitted
Emily Ehrle 6’ 1” OH 2012 Crowley (Texas) TAV Arkansas