Averi Bridges Commits To Penn State Volleyball

Posted on by Ethan Kasales
Averi Bridges

Averi Bridges became the first member of Penn State women’s volleyball’s 2028 recruiting class Monday when the 5-foot-8 libero/defensive specialist from Nebraska verbally committed to the Nittany Lions.

Bridges attended Penn State’s 8 Star Camp last Thursday at Rec Hall alongside four of the program’s 2027 commits, Taylor Harrington, Nejari Crooks, Molly Robertson, and Kate Kalczynski. Bridges also camped at Wisconsin, Minnesota, and SMU before committing to the Nittany Lions.

“I am so thrilled to announce that I have verbally committed to Penn State to continue my academic and athletic career!” Bridges wrote on Instagram. “First, I want to thank God for making this opportunity possible and for leading me exactly where I need to be. I also want to thank my family for supporting me and being with me every step of the way. And a special thanks to Blake Rawlins for helping me become the volleyball player I am today. I am grateful for everyone at VCN, including my teammates, who have all been a part of this journey. Lastly, thank you to Coach Katie [Schumacher-Cawley], Brian [Toron], Megan [Hodge Easy], and Abby [Detering] for giving me this opportunity to be a part of this amazing program and culture at Penn State! Can’t wait to be a Nittany Lion!! WE ARE.”

Bridges is a rising junior at Ashland-Greenwood High School in Ashland, Nebraska, where she also runs track for the Bluejays, and represents VCNebraska (17 Elite) on the club circuit. Penn State sophomore defensive specialist Ava Jurevicius played two seasons for VCNebraska, based out of Lincoln, before arriving in University Park.

Bridges, Harrington, Crooks, and 2027 Penn State commit Olivia Henry, who was unable to attend last week’s 8 Star Camp due to a scheduling conflict, are among 20 athletes selected to the 2026 U.S. women’s U19 national team.

The group will train July 9-16 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, then 14 players will be chosen to compete at the 2026 NORCECA Women’s U19 Continental Championship, held July 17-25 in San José, Costa Rica.

Bridges is ranked within the top 35 overall prospects from the 2028 recruiting class by Prep Dig, VB Adrenaline, PrepVolleyball, and Prep Rivals, which recently joined the three aforementioned outlets in publishing girls’ high school volleyball rankings.

Bridges clearly made a positive impression on Katie Schumacher-Cawley and the rest of Penn State’s coaching staff during last week’s 8 Star Camp, as she was one of the first, if not the first, 2028 recruit to receive a phone call from them the morning of June 15, the first day college coaches are permitted to contact 2028 prospects.

VB Adrenaline called Bridges “aggressive and intense” in its writeup of her commitment to the Nittany Lions. She’s a regular attendee of USA volleyball NTDP training sessions, and will continue building chemistry with Penn State’s 2027 commits this July in Colorado at U19 camp.

Bridges’ commitment kicked off the recruiting cycle in a big way for the Nittany Lions, who will likely take a smaller class in 2028 after landing five commits for 2027. Bridges has already established herself as one of the nation’s top liberos in her class halfway through her high school career.

Here’s where the four recruiting services have Bridges ranked:

Prep Rivals: No. 20 overall, No. 2 L/DS

PrepVolleyball: No. 25 overall

Prep Dig: No. 34 overall, No. 4 L/DS

VB Adrenaline: No. 35 overall, No. 3 L/DS