Danielle Whitmire Commits To Penn State Volleyball

Posted on by Ethan Kasales

Danielle Whitmire, a 6-foot-2 setter from Celina, Texas, became the first member of Penn State volleyball’s 2026 recruiting class when she verbally committed to the Nittany Lions Sunday afternoon, announcing the news on her Instagram account.

Whitmire is a rising junior at Walnut Grove High School and plays club volleyball for Texas Advantage VBC, the same program that produced Penn State alumna Katie Clark in the 2018 recruiting class. Whitmire participated in Penn State’s third annual 7 Star Camp on June 9 at Rec Hall, where she turned heads as one of the top prospects in attendance.

“I am extremely excited to announce my verbal commitment to further my academic career and play Division I volleyball at Penn State University,” Whitmire wrote on Instagram. “Wanted to give a big thank you to my family, friends, and coaches who have gotten me here and shown persistent love and support through this process.

“Thank you to God for blessing me with the ability to pursue my dreams. I would like to thoroughly express my gratitude toward the Penn State coaching staff, Katie, Brian, Mike, and Megan, for providing me with this opportunity. We Are.”

Whitmire, who also has experience hitting, clearly impressed Penn State’s coaching staff during last week’s talent-rich camp, where she shared the court with 2025 Penn State commits and future teammates Marin Collins, Lexi Gin, Gabby Nichols, and Ava Jurevicius. Whitmire likely heard from several major programs on June 15, the date college coaches were first permitted to contact rising juniors by phone.

After landing the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect from the 2024 recruiting class in Izzy Starck, who will be Penn State’s first true freshman starting setter since Micha Hancock in 2011 this fall, the Nittany Lions do not have a high school setter committed in their five-member 2025 class, which also includes outside hitter Alexis Ewing. Whitmire’s addition helps solidify the future of Penn State’s setter situation, as the Texan will have a chance to learn from Starck before being pressed into action.

Whitmire is ranked as the nation’s No. 19 overall prospect from the 2026 recruiting class, per VB Adrenaline, while Prep Dig has her slotted No. 20 overall and PrepVolleyball has her at No. 89. Whitmire’s verbal commitment to the Nittany Lions further showcases Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s impressive ability to recruit high-level setters. She’s signed Seleisa Elisaia, Mac Podraza, and Izzy Starck since taking over for Russ Rose after the 2021 season.

Whitmire can return to Penn State’s campus for her official visit as early as August 1, or she could wait until the 2024 season gets underway, in order to watch the Nittany Lions compete at Rec Hall, like Collins, Gin, and Nichols did during the Penn State Invitational last September.

Whitmire has experience attending USA volleyball’s National Team Development Program (NTDP) training sessions. Collins, Nichols, and Ewing are fellow Penn State commits who have also participated in those quarterly invite-only events. Whitmire has competed in UA Next camps in the past, too.

Whitmire wore No. 3 at the 7 Star Camp, the same number she wears for her high school and club teams. She’s playing for TAV 16 Black this season, helping her team triple qualify for USAV Nationals in Las Vegas July 3-6. Whitmire sets from the back row and hits front row at times for her club team.

Whitmire can try on her future Penn State uniforms for a photo shoot during her official visit, an always popular part of the itinerary for recruits. Whitmire will also be able to continue familiarizing herself with campus and spend time with Penn State’s current players, who welcomed her via social media Sunday following her commitment.

Here’s a link to Danielle’s recruiting video from the website SportsRecruits.com:

https://sportsrecruits.comathlete/danielle_whitmire?video=3889283