It’s a new frontier in collegiate athletics — women’s volleyball most certainly included — where the explosion of the NCAA transfer portal has completed altered the playing field.
The transfer portal, which allows college athletes to transfer without sitting out for a specified period of time (now they can play immediately), also changes the look of VolleyballMag.com’s annual women’s NCAA recruiting class ranking.
Where before we accounted for grad transfers, incoming junior-college transfers, new international players (note on the list below are just two international players) and true freshmen, now we must add the experienced transfers.
This time around, it’s the Texas Longhorns taking the top spot, followed by USC and Nebraska. (Editor’s note: This story was written before Nebraska All-American middle Kayla Caffey announced that she will transfer to Texas).
The Big Ten has four schools in our top 10 and three more earned honorable-mention status, including defending champion Wisconsin checking in at No. 6.
As always, this long-running list is voted on by an elite panel of NCAA Division I coaches.
1. Texas
Incoming freshmen: Emma Halter, 5-5, libero, Roncalli (Indianapolis, Indiana), Team Indiana; Marianna Singletary, 6-4, MB, Porter-Gaud (Charleston, South Carolina), A5; Devin Kahahawai, 6-4, OH, Kamehameha Kapalama (Kailua, Hawaii), Spike & Serve; Makenna Miller, 6-0, OH, Northwest (Justin, Texas), Texas Pistols; Marina Crownover, 5-10, S, St. Stephen’s Episcopal (Austin, Texas), Roots.
Transfers: Jenna Ewert, 5-10, S, RS Sr., Colorado, Bella Bergmark, 6-2, MB, RS Sr., Cal, Madisen Skinner, 6-2, OH, Jr., Kentucky, Zoe Fleck, 5-6, libero, RS Sr., UCLA, Keonilei Akana, 5-9, libero, Jr., Nebraska.
Synopsis: Two notable components here for coach Jerritt Elliott’s squad. In flashing neon lights is the transfer of standout outside Madisen Skinner from Kentucky. Skinner, who was part of the 2020 Kentucky team that won the NCAA title, was a VolleyballMag.com honorable-mention All-American and led the Wildcats in kills per set (3.78 last year). “I am really excited to have Madi join this team and help us try to accomplish the ultimate goal,’ Elliott told the school’s athletic website. “She has the experience at the highest level and knows what it takes to win a national championship. Fleck is a two-time Pac-12 libero of the year and another VBM All-American. She started at UC Santa Barbara…
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