The 2026 Indiana high school volleyball season is nearly upon us! Our Insider Brian Haenchen will be getting you prepared for the upcoming campaign with a week’s worth of content, all leading up to the unveiling of our preseason Super Team on Aug. 14 and Central Indiana preseason Fab 15 on Aug. 17.
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Today, we’re looking at the state’s top outside and opposite side hitters.
Blaine Adams, Cathedral
Ranked 17th in her class by PrepDig Indiana, Adams clocked 276 kills in her sophomore season with a season-high 14 in a five-set win over Roncalli. Part of a well-balanced attack, she added 25 blocks (six solo) and 110 digs in 101 sets played for the sectional champions.
Karis Barnes, Lawrence Central
A 5-8, six-rotation junior, Barnes broke out as a sophomore, totaling 327 kills on .230 hitting. She also notched 87 aces, 12 blocks, 244 digs and 10 assists. A high school team captain, Barnes helped her Boiler Juniors team to a top-5 finish at USA Volleyball nationals over the summer. She’ll look to carry that momentum into the fall against a beefed-up schedule that features non-conference matches vs. Fishers, Heritage Christian, Southport and Bishop Chatard, plus conference clashes against Lawrence North, Carmel and Center Grove.
Luca Bombacino, Chesterton
A 2027 Michigan commit, Bombacino enjoyed a career year on the attack, racking up 452 terminations on .270 hitting. She logged at least 10 kills in 26 matches, including a 24-kill outing against Penn, and has 1,093 for her career. The 6-foot pin also notched 42 aces, 31 blocks, 226 digs and 16 assists.
Jada Cripe, South Newton
Cripe built upon a strong freshman campaign with 445 kills (.292 hit%), 66 aces, 289 digs, 18 total blocks and 19 assists. The 5-9 junior had five matches with 20-plus kills and cleared 30 terminations twice (season-high 34 on .288 hitting in five-set win over Marquette Catholic in regional championship).
Gabby Gilliard, Center Grove
Gilliard is a powerful hitter with raw talent and ample upside. She picks up 410 kills in and 314 digs her debut campaign, with 14 double-doubles, including a 28-kill + 21-dig performance vs. Fishers. Gilliard rounded out her line with 314 digs, 29 aces and 37 total blocks.
Caroline Hanchar, Cathedral
A dynamic six-rotation hitter, Hanchar overcame a mid-season to establish herself among the area’s top attackers, recording 251 terminations on .238 hitting. She also logged 35 aces, 26 blocks, 328 digs and 33 assists, and enters her senior season with 763 kills (.266 hit%) and 828 digs for her career.
Hayden Mandsager, Cathedral
Mandsager, 2027 Ball State commit, registered 227 kills and 54 total blocks (13 solo) last fall. She cleared 10 kills in six matches and logged multiple blocks in 16. Mandsager rounded out her line with 46 aces and 237 digs.
Elyse Mead, West Noble
Ranked among the state’s best 2028s at her position, Mead cleared 530 kills on .314 hitting last fall, leaving her with 991 terminations through two varsity seasons. She netted 44 aces (109 career), 25 total blocks, 314 digs (643 career) and 20 assists for the sectional runner-up Chargers.
Ali Nobbe, Oldenburg Academy
A 6-1 pin, Nobbe garnered first team all-state honors following a career year on the attack. The 2027 Northern Illinois commit finished with 338 kills on .235 hitting (805 career kills), 64 aces with 150 service points, 27 total blocks, 287 digs (703 career) and 31 assists. She had a season-high 25 kills on .333 hitting vs. Milan in the sectional.
Shania Rhamy, Southwood
The Kentucky-bound senior was unfazed by the jump to 2A, racking up a career-high 436 kills (.385 hit%), 64 aces, 51 blocks (48 solo), 314 digs and 51 assists for the regional champion Knights. Rhamy won a Class A title as a freshman then led Southwood back to semistate as a sophomore, and has a career line of 1,157 kills (.353 hit%), 187 aces, 112 blocks and 936 digs.
Kendall Rowray, Yorktown
The 5-8 2029 hitter commanded the state’s attention last fall, racking up 577 kills on .288 hitting for the semistate runner-up Tigers. Rowray had 20-plus kills in 13 matches and racked up 33 against both Brownsburg and New Palestine. She rounded out her season line with 57 blocks, 59 aces and 363 digs.
Paige Rudolph, Westfield
The senior built upon a strong sophomore campaign, racking up 226 kills on .283 hitting, with 51 blocks, a couple aces and 60 digs in 95 sets for the regional champion Shamrocks.
Brooklyn Sigler, Hamilton Southeastern
The 5-11 senior clocked 209 kills on .352 hitting for the powerhouse Royals. Sigler also notched 50 blocks, 16 aces and 77 digs in 92 sets.
Macy Sorg, Floyd Central
The 2028 Georgia Tech commit led the Highlanders back to semistate, by doubling her kill total (432) on a much-improved .268 hit%. She also racked up 214 digs, 42 blocks and 55 aces, and cleared 20 kills in four matches.
Sarah Stegall, Fort Wayne Carroll
Stegall’s sophomore season was derailed by injury, but she set about making up for it last season, registering 270 kills (.352 hit%), 24 blocks and 60 digs in 105 sets for the undefeated 4A state champions. The Notre Dame commit is the Chargers’ top returning attacker and ranked No. 6 statewide in her class by PrepDig Indiana.
Audrey Utterback, Plainfield
The 5-10 junior fueled the Quakers’ run to state, totaling 606 kills on .280 hitting, 349 digs, 42 total blocks (16 solo), 52 aces and 204 service points. Utterback committed to UCLA over the summer and enters her junior season with over 1,010 career kills.
Caroline Ward, Tri-West
The 6-1 SMU commit moved to the pin for her junior season and absolutely dominated. Ward accumulated 681 kills (more than the previous two seasons combined) on a career-best .258 hitting, 60 total blocks (16 solo), 63 aces and 313 digs. She has over 1,200 kills through three varsity seasons.
Amaya Zander, Lawrence North
Zander, a 5-11 junior, quadrupled her kill total as a sophomore, racking up 449 for the Wildcats. She had five matches with at least 20 kills, highlighted by a five-set thriller vs. Hamilton Heights wherein she racked up 37 on .301 hitting. Zander also logged 18 blocks, 17 aces and 89 digs.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA volleyball preview: Indiana’s top outside and opposite hitters to watch in 2026
Reporting by Brian Haenchen, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brian Haenchen, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
