The 20 most underrated high school girls volleyball liberos in the nation

These 20 defensive standouts have big-time production and are hoping to boost their recruiting stock this season

The craziness surrounding high school football and basketball recruiting has yet to fully seep into other sports, but recruiting rankings and star systems are becoming more commonplace in the volleyball world.

As the hype around top prospects grows, high school volleyball players who don’t get flooded with Division I offers continue to grind away.

SBLive Sports is featuring high school volleyball players from across the country who are rising up recruiting boards with their play on the court. We started with the distributors, followed by the attackers and middle blockers, and now we finish with defense.

Here are 20 liberos/defensive specialists who are boosting their recruiting stock this season.

Note: All stats are current through Sept. 21.

Jocelyn Aguirre, sr., Taylor (Florida)

A four-year varsity player, Aguirre is averaging a career-best 6.1 digs per set this season. She also has more than 600 assists during her time at Taylor and is closing in on 100 career aces, including 16 as a senior. 

Lainey Benson, sr., Hastings (Nebraska)

Benson recorded her 1,000th career dig in a late-August victory over York. The senior libero is averaging 7.8 digs per set this fall. 

Peyton Estes, sr., Fall River (California)

Estes has nearly doubled her digs production from a season ago, going from 4.2 per set to 8.3 as a senior. Estes is also a standout softball player for Fall River who batted .413 last spring. 

Daxlyn Gammell, jr., Salem Hills (Utah)

Gammell is putting up six digs per set this fall and is sitting on 276 digs, already exceeding last year’s total. The junior has yet to commit a defensive error this season. 

Avery Jones, sr., Broken Arrow (Oklahoma)

Jones had 250 digs, 25 aces and a 95.8 serving percentage a season ago for a Broken Arrow team that reached the Class 6A state postseason. The senior libero is a key piece of Broken Arrow’s back row. 

Destinee Loeza, sr., Hanks (Texas)

Loeza is having a monster senior season as Hanks’ top defensive player. She is averaging 7.5 digs per set and has 613 total digs this fall.  

Kaitlyn Meincke, sr., Century (Minnesota)

Meincke recorded 522 digs as a sophomore, 477 more as a junior and is sitting on 198 through 10 matches this season. The athletic libero is averaging 7.6 digs per set. 

Amelia Michener, sr., Allentown Central Catholic (Pennsylvania)

Michener is already close to matching her digs total from a season ago. She had 207 digs as a junior and is at 177 this fall, averaging 5.7 per set. She also has 23 aces. 

Katie Moore, sr., Windsor (Missouri)

A varsity starter since her freshman season, Moore entered this fall with 1,286 career digs. She’s had 320 more digs this season — averaging 6.2 per set — and is one ace shy of 100 for her Windsor career. 

Maci Murrell, sr., Rolesville (North Carolina)

In her first season with the varsity team, Murrell had 290 digs as a junior. Rolesville is much improved this fall and Murrell has played a big role in the turnaround by averaging seven digs per set with 24 total aces. 

Emma Poitras, sr., Kouts (Indiana)

A senior leader for Kouts, Poitras is averaging 6.4 digs per set this season. She also has 56 assists and 24 aces to go along with her defensive abilities. 

Avery Power, jr., Brandon (Mississippi)

As a sophomore last season, Power was the starting libero for a Brandon team that captured the Class 6A state championship. She is thriving again this season, putting up 6.4 digs per set to go along with 71 assists and 44 aces. 

Nola Sevin, sr., Mt. Carmel (Louisiana)

A four-year varsity player, Sevin entered her senior season with 1,524 career digs. Sevin was a key defensive leader for last year’s Mount Carmel team that made it all the way to the Division I state championship match.

Alivia Shepherd, sr., Boise (Idaho)

Shepherd is averaging 6.1 digs as a senior for a Boise team that is much improved from last season. She had 47 digs in an early-season victory over Centennial. 

Allison Smith, sr., John Battle (Virginia)

Smith blew past the 1,000 career digs mark during her junior season and is averaging 5.4 per set as a senior. Her twin sister, Mackenzie, is a setter and hitter for John Battle. 

Kenzie Stover, jr., Anna-Jonesboro (Illinois)

Stover recorded 512 digs last season and is sitting on 287 as a junior, averaging 7.8 per set. In the spring, Stover is a forward for Anna-Jonesboro’s soccer team. 

Tatum Thompson, sr., Bishop Gorman (Nevada)

Thompson had 865 digs as a sophomore and 546 more last season, committing just one defensive error. She is averaging 5.2 digs per set for Class 5A contender Bishop Gorman. 

McKenna Vencill, sr., Edgewood (Ohio)

Vencill, who is averaging 7.4 digs per set this season, recently recorded her 1,000th career dig. She is a team captain who also competes for Edgewood in basketball, golf and softball. 

Jaycee Villastrigo, sr., Crook County (Oregon)

Villastrigo recorded 560 digs a season ago, the most among returnees in Oregon high school volleyball. The libero is also a standout pitcher and infielder for Crook County’s softball team. 

Rylee Walker, sr., Brookland (Arkansas)

Walker had 451 digs and 54 aces a season ago as Brookland captured the Class 4A state title. The Bearcats are looking to go back-to-back, and Walker is a big reason why. 

(Rylee Walker photo by Tommy Land)

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-- Bob Lundeberg | @sblivesports