Girls spotlight: Final installment with 13 more underclassmen

We have reached the end of the line!

Since the 2020 VolleyballMag.com Girls Fab 50 and 30 Underclassmen to Watch lists were published last year, we have taken a periodic look at the players who received one or more votes for that 30 UC Watch list but did not make the actual list. These are players who likely will be making appearances on the actual UC list and the Fab 50 list this year.

Today, we present the final installment, introducing you to 13 — a baker’s dozen — more girls juniors players with bright futures ahead of them.

The good news: Out of all the players that information was requested throughout the last year, only five coaches did not respond. For that, we thank the high school and club coaches across the country for their continued support of their players and for our great sport.

More good news: 2021 Girls Fab 50 and 30 UC Watch ballots are going out this week, meaning those prestigious lists will revealed right around the corner here this month.

And even more good news: We’ll continue this practice throughout 2021 and into early 2022, introducing you to even more of the sports up-and-coming standouts.

Eleanor Beavin
Height: 5-6
Position: Libero-DS
Year: Senior
High School: Mercy (Louisville, Kentucky)
Club: Union
College: University of Kentucky
About Eleanor: Beavin recently was named to the 2020 VolleyballMag.com fall girls high school All-American first team after helping Mercy reach the state final match. Beavin also snagged the state’s top defensive player honor for the third time.

Sarah Bingham
Height: 6-3
Year: Senior
High School: Shawnee (Kansas) Mission East
Club: KC Power
College: Illinois
About Sarah: “Sarah is a physical presence at the net with natural blocking eyes and a deceptively long reach,” KC Power’s Danielle Stowell said. “She is always working to be available in transition, and has a fast and terminal arm. Sarah is a coachable athlete who has the intangibles to help her excel at the next level by always being the hardest-working player in the gym, and she is always supportive of her teammates.”

Julia Blyashov
Height: 6-3
Position: OH
Year: Sophomore
High School: Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, California)
Club: WAVE
College: Uncommitted
About Julia: “Julia is the type of athlete who you only get the chance to have so sparingly in your coaching career,” WAVE coach Rachel Morris said. “She is the complete volleyball player with tons of athleticism, court presence and leadership. On top of the intangibles, she is also a fantastic passer, attacker, blocker, defender, server, the list goes on and on. In addition to all of that, she has been able to handle such an incredible load and massive amounts of pressure, since a really young age, and the challenge of that has only made her an even bigger threat.”

Carter Booth
Height: 6-7
Year: Junior
High School: Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colorado)
Club: Colorado Juniors
College: Minnesota
About Carter: “Carter is a top-notch, team-first kid,” Colorado Juniors’ Judy Peer said. “She is a very hard worker and always wants feedback and always wants to improve.”

Izzy Durnell
Height: 6-1
Position: Outside Hitter
Year: Senior
High School: North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Georgia)
Club: Atlanta Extreme
College: Tennessee
About Izzy: Durnell earned a host on honors this past fall, including being named the GHSA Gwinnett County player of the year, plus earning GHSA all-state and all-senior team honors, while also earning 2020 AVCA All-American honorable mention accolades. “Izzy Durnell is a player we are really excited about,” Tennessee coach Eve Rackham Watt said in a school-issued release. “She is extremely versatile and a lefty, which adds an additional level to her all-around game. She had a tremendous senior year, garnering multiple awards and leading her team deep into the state tournament. What we love about Izzy is her ability to play any position. She will find a way to compete throughout her career.”

Ellie Echter
Height: 6-1
Position: OH
Year: Senior
High School: Fulshear (Texas)
Club: Houston Skyline
College: LSU
About Ellie: Ellie is an incredibly intelligent attacker with great offensive range,” Houston Skyline assistant director Amy Burk said. “She is the complete package when it comes to an outside, a great blocker, has good touch in serve-receive, plays solid defense, and can attack effectively and aggressively from the back row.”

Rachel Fairbanks
Height: 6-0
Position: Setter-RS
Year: Senior
High School: Foothill (Pleasanton, California)
Club: Tstreet
College: Pitt
About Rachel: “Rachel holds all the important marks to be the best setter: leadership skills, mindset, game-reading ability, athleticism and ball-handling skills,” Tstreet coach Kasia Ligwinska said. “She is coachable and fun to be around. On the court, she isn’t afraid to be in control, especially when things are not going the right way for the team. She is always motivated to win and compete. You don’t have to tell her twice. She knows what the goal is and what to do. Rachel has a lot of expectations coming her way, but she will meet every one just as she has done in her previous years.”

Lola Foord
Height: 5-11
Position: RS
Year: Senior
High School: South Pasadena (California)
Club: San Gabriel Elite
College: Rice
About Lola: “Lola is a great person and really understands what it means to be a student-athlete,” SG Elite’s Trent Tcheng said. “She puts the same amount of time, if not more, into her academics as she does into volleyball. She has continued to improve every season, and is always looking for new opportunities to learn and get better. She may be from Southern California, but she plays like she is from the Midwest.”

Ali Hornung
Height: 5-9
Position: OH-Libero
Year: Senior
High School: Providence (Clarksville, Indiana)
Club: Union
College: Purdue
About Ali: Hornung, like fellow Union club player Eleanor Beavin, earned 2020 VolleyballMag.com fall girls high school All-American honors thanks to a robust 446-kill and 368-dig effort for Providence. Dating back to 2017, Hornung racked up 1,284 digs.

Harper Murray
Height: 6-1
Position: OH
Year: Sophomore
High School: Skyline (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
Club: Legacy
College: Uncommitted
About Harper: Harper is a high-level athlete who possesses all the athletic qualities, as well as a high level of ball control and volleyball IQ,” Legacy’s Jen Cottrill said. “She has the ability to take over a match or control a match with her ability to do everything at a high level. The most impressive quality that Harper possesses is her desire to have the ball in pressure situations. She is confident and calm, and is willing to take the risk necessary to put her team in a position to win.”

Alexis Stucky
Height: 6-2
Position: S-OH
Year: Junior
High School: Laramie (Wyoming)
Club: NORCO
College: Florida
About Alexis: “Alexis is a tremendous combination of physical ability and volleyball IQ,” said Jill Stucky, Laramie’s coach and Alexis’ mother. “She is a well-rounded player with the ability to take on any position. She carries a huge load for her team and has a very bright future as a collegiate setter.” And this from NORCO coach Janae Vander Ploeg: “Alexis has a presence on the court that is felt by everyone. She excels at each skill in the sport and is constantly pushing herself to be better. She competes at such a high level and plays her best in pressure situations.” 

Sarah White
Height: 6-0
Position: Setter
Year: Senior
High School: Seneca Valley (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Club: Pittsburgh Elite VBC
College: Ohio State
About Sarah: “Sarah has played for us since she was 11 years old, and we always knew she was a special athlete,” Pittsburgh Elite’s Lynda Scahill said. “She has developed into an incredibly talented setter through much hard work paired with God-given athleticism. She is an unselfish player who encourages her teammates to be their best because she demands the same from herself. She is an equally talented hitter, playing whatever position her team needs her to play in order to be successful.” White was a four-time all-state player at Seneca Valley.

Mckenna Wucherer
Height: 6-1
Position: OH
Year: Junior
High School: Brookfield (Wisconsin) Central
Club: Milwaukee Sting
College: Minnesota
About McKenna: “This is Kenna’s second year with us on 18 Gold,” Sting coach Scott Blackmon said. “She’s a really good kid with a high drive and high ceiling. For a young player, she has such a mature approach to getting better and putting new efficiencies into practice. She’s just a great kid and a great teammate.”

Contact Mike Miazga at mike@volleyballmag.com

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