2025 Rankings Update: Let's Talk "How" | Prep Dig (2024)

The class of 2025 Rankings Update is out now. We want to take this opportunity to dig deeper into the how and why of the rankings and spotlight three of the top-ranked players at their positions. Prep Dig thoroughly explains rankings at this link: https://prepdig.com/how-we-rank/. We borrow liberally from the “How We Rank” page in this article and hope to give you a glimpse into how the rankings connect to players on the court in Washington.

If a player is more athletic, taller, or quicker, that will compensate for current skill deficiencies. There’s the old adage that you cannot teach size and speed. If you go down the different levels of college athletics, the difference is very rarely in skill level. The most significant gaps are in size, explosiveness, and athleticism. Volleyball is a game with no physical contact and a fixed net that separates the two teams. Playing above the net, with power and accuracy (kills), is a difference-maker. Reacting quicker to a ball (digs) or serving with force and control (aces) can be trained, but players have different natural physical abilities that may set them apart.

Prep Dig scouts look for plays and flashes of athleticism that translate to the college game. Sometimes, a high school player may only make a few plays in a set that stands out. But if there are one or two displays of extraordinary athletic bursts during the match, there’s a difference in how those are evaluated, reflected in our rankings.

Some scouts may value production and stats more than others, and that’s absolutely allowed. Competing and producing every night is a skill. But at the same time, players need to be able to compete athletically and match up in size against their competition.

The bar for athleticism and size continues to rise at the collegiate level. To be productive in college, you’ll need the requisite athleticism and size, whereas skills can be taught. So, again, those differences are reflected in our rankings. Here is a look at our #1 overall player in the 2025 Rankings: Lauren Wiese Lauren Wiese 6'3" | MB Eastside Catholic | 2025 State WA .

Playing against the highest level of competition allows players to compare against the best possible opponents, and when scouting players, we consider competition level. Clubs and coaches have to factor in the talent level of their team and pick the proper division; continuously playing in the Open with a team with an American Division skill level is detrimental to everyone involved. The USAV, JVA, and AAU have their divisions separated by skill level (hopefully) to keep tournaments competitive. Open Division is the top level for all three organizations- our scouting of players begins there, but it certainly is not where we spend most of our time; most teams are not blessed with the height, skill, and explosiveness to compete and win in the Open consistently. Our goal is to cover players at every level; the middle divisions (USA/Liberty, Premiere/Club) get significant attention from our scouts.

Prospects who compete in the Open and play at a high level can move up in the rankings if their overall game and physical skills demand it. Our #1 setter and #10 overall 2025 prospect, Annika Wright Annika Wright 5'9" | S Tahoma | 2025 State WA , from North Pacific Juniors Seattle 17, is a terrific example. In our rankings, players move up rather than move down. If a player drops drown, it reflects another player coming up the list or into the rankings for the first time. Are there exceptions to the rule? Yes, but they are few and far between.

Our top-ranked libero, Victoria Gao Victoria Gao 5'6" | DS/L Lakeside | 2025 State WA , exemplifies many of our ranking criteria. Her club team plays in the top Divisions; she is physically quick and tough, has terrific reactions and skills needed for the position, and produces digs, covers, assists, and pin-point passes at a high rate. The last piece of the puzzle for a ranking is what the player offers with intangibles. When those hard-to-measure skills align with the rest of a player’s measurables and production, scouts can differentiate when making difficult choices in the rankings.

A few more thoughts on rankings…

How often are rankings published?
Rankings are expected to be published 2 to 3 times a year for each state in our network of websites. We work diligently with our existing staff to stay on schedule with timely updates.

Why do you update so often?
Players emerge constantly. These are athletes in their teenage years where growth spurts, skill development, and playing opportunity occurs at varying timelines. To keep up with the rapid and random nature of player development, we feel that frequent updates are our best chance at accuracy. Humility also drives the frequency of our updates. We know that the rankings will never be perfect — that’s an impossible standard, and we cannot reevaluate every player in the state between every update. Again, updating often gives us the best chance to keep up.

How to use the rankings as a tool:

Claim or create a profile on the Prospect Index. This gives every prospect the ability to control their player profile. From fixing the spelling of their name to the school they attend to updating their college offers, prospects, and their families will be able to do it all.

Share a screenshot of your player profile on social media! Feel free to link articles, social media, and videos our scouts have on you in your communication.