Behind the Scenes of the 2025 Initial Rankings
It has been an action-packed year of volleyball. Ranking the top 50 in the class of 2025 was TOUGH. They have talent across the board. And every time I see teams play, I am impressed with more and more athletes.…
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Continue ReadingIt has been an action-packed year of volleyball. Ranking the top 50 in the class of 2025 was TOUGH. They have talent across the board. And every time I see teams play, I am impressed with more and more athletes.
We truly work to do our best to provide accurate rankings for each graduating year. The rankings are a collaborative effort and can be very tough. A lot is taken into consideration including high school, club team, and, obviously, talent.
Here is some behind-the-scenes information on the initial class of 2025 rankings!
What’s the Story of this Class?
The talent in the class seems nearly infinite. Every time I scout at a tournament I am impressed with more and more athletes. Not only are they talented but they are improving at an incredible rate. It is so fun to see athletes at the beginning and end of seasons and the growth they have as athletes and leaders on the court.
For this initial ranking, we have ranked the top 50 athletes in the class. We used our coverage of both the high school and club season. We have also added 40+ athletes to our watch list. As these athletes continue to improve and impress, this list will only grow and refine.
How do we evaluate and rank athletes?
We look at a plethora of things when we are looking to evaluate and rank athletes. There is a lot to consider including where they are playing for high school and club. What tournaments are they playing in? And what divisions? How well are they performing at the highest levels? We try to look at all aspects of their game in various different settings.
Do we consider stats?
Sometimes stats may be a piece of the puzzle. And same for any awards or honors such as All-State or All-Conference, but there is so much more to an athlete than just the numbers they produce. That is why we like to get the live view and see them on the court and in action. There is nothing more valuable than actually seeing an athlete play. And, for many athletes, we see them play numerous times over several years.
Do positions play a role in the ranking?
Again, it is definitely a piece of the puzzle. Some positions naturally get more playing time than others such as a libero, 6-rotation outside, or a setter running a 5-1 offense. Middles, right sides, and defensive specialists only tend to be on the court for three rotations. Setters are relied on as leaders on the court but on a lot of teams outside hitters manufacture the most points for a team. Middle blockers are essential and key on defense while also earning points but liberos provide consistency and keep the ball alive. You can look at positions or try to determine which position should be valued higher, but it ultimately comes down to the athlete.
In our active rankings right now we have a setter, libero, and outside hitter ranked at #1. And players of every position are ranked in the top 10.
My athlete made the initial watch list, why isn’t she ranked?
The first ranking for a class is possibly the most challenging. We have lists of athletes from events and this class is still so early in their athletic careers. This class still has three years of high school and club volleyball to play and there is a ton of room for growth. The initial watch list had over 100 athletes, and it is unfair to try and rank them without seeing them play more. This is why we started with a top 50 ranking. We want to see this class play more before we continue to expand it.
How are rankings used?
The number of colleges who subscribe to our sites increases constantly. We currently have over 200 college coaches subscribed to our site. These coaches do use our information as a resource, for where athletes are playing and if they have committed to a college already. We have deep rankings in 20 states which allow coaches from smaller schools or D3 schools to find athletes who are a great fit.
Even though there are national rankings, it is important for us that every athlete find the perfect fit. Coaches follow our social media, articles, and our rankings to help them create a list of potential athletes.