Keep in mind, both the Fab 50 and Underclassmen to Watch lists were voted on by a panel of NCAA women’s beach coaches and prominent club beach coaches. VolleyballMag.com had no input on who made the lists other than to initiate the nomination/voting process and to assemble the final product that has generated so much interest. On a positive note, this year produced the largest voting panel in the history of this endeavor, which is now in its third iteration, started shortly after the pandemic.
Feedback on the presentations from a variety of avenues has produced even more up-and-coming players throughout the country.
We start in Southern California with the newer South Bay Sand club based out of Hermosa Beach run by former AVP player Nancy Mason-Reynolds.
Mason-Reynolds noted most of her players still play indoors but are getting on college beach coaches’ radars. South Bay entered the Spiker BVCA event late last year and won the club division, beating Wave in the final 3-0.
South Bay/courtesy Nancy Mason-Reynolds
Mason-Reynolds, also the head beach coach at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, California, started the club from the ground up, not wanting to poach players from other clubs, she noted. “I also plan to remain smaller so I can spend quality time coaching all of the athletes,” she said.
A few South Bay players of note include Abby Zimmerman, Emma McSorley and Sienna Castillo — all daughters of former AVP women’s players (Zimmerman is Lisa Arce’s daughter; McSorley is Leanne McSorley’s daughter; and Castillo is Jenn Meredith’s daughter). The 6-1 Zimmerman is a sophomore at Redondo Union High School, while the 5-10 McSorley is a junior at Notre Dame Prep in Sherman Oaks, California, andthe 6-0 Castillo is freshman at Redondo Union.
Three more South Bay Sand players to watch include freshmen Allyn Hilt (6-0, Mira Costa), Liliana Swanson (6-4, Mira Costa) and Sofia Sala (6-0, Mira Costa).
Georgie Lee/Rick Lee photo
Hawai’i prospects: One up-and-comer to keep an eye on in the Aloha state is Georgie Lee, a 6-footer who plays for the Outrigger Canoe Club.
At the 14U level last year, Lee, a freshman out of Iolani School in Honolulu, won gold at the AAU girls tour championship and the CBVA Cal Cup, earned a bronze medal at the AAU girls junior national championships, took fifth at the BVCA national championship and took ninth at the AVP junior national championship.
She’s a two-time USA Volleyball Beach NTDP Training Series invitee.
Some others names in Hawai’i to keep an eye on underclassmen-wise include Jada Souza (5-8, sophomore, Maryknoll High School in Honolulu), Kaila Wong (5-6, sophomore, Punahou School in Honolulu), Makeely Rolles (5-9, sophomore, Punahou in Honolulu), Nikko Stack (5-9, junior, Mid-Pacific in Honolulu), and freshmen Melahi Palencia (5-6, Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama in Honolulu) and Poema Kalama-Kingma (6-1, Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama). All six of these up-and-comers play with Lee at Outrigger.
The Taylor sisters, Britain and Brielle/Christy Taylor photo
SandStorm twinning: Florida native Britain Taylor with the SandStrom club made this year’s Underclassmen to Watch List. SandStorm Program Director Jay Ellmyer says to also keep an eye on Taylor’s twin sister and partner Brielle Taylor. Both are currently homeschooled sophomores. The Taylors are both part of the USA Volleyball beach national development team program and placed third two age divisions up at the AVP East Coast nationals.
Missouri standout: Marquette High School (Chesterfield, Missouri) junior Ella Keeven is a dual indoor and beach standout, who also plays for the Jaja beach club and for the High Performance St. Louis club (indoors). Keeven, committed to Texas, has played in AVP (AVP West nationals), USA Volleyball, p1440 and BVNE events.
No relation: This writer had a tad bit of difficulty keeping two Jackson standouts from Texas straight. Avery Jackson, ranked as one of the top six players in the nation in the Class of 2024, is headed to Stanford next season, while Audrey Jackson, a junior, is committed to Texas. Both play for the MADSAND club.
