Top-ranked 2027 Outside Hitter Commits to Penn State
Olivia Henry, a 6-foot-4 outside hitter from Bayside, Queens, New York, became the third member of Penn State women’s volleyball’s 2027 recruiting class when she verbally committed to the Nittany Lions Tuesday.
Henry is a rising junior at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, transferring there from Fieldston (formally known as The Ethical Culture Fieldston School) in the Bronx ahead of her sophomore season last fall. Henry is ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect and No. 1 outside hitter in her class, per Prep Dig’s latest update.
Henry attended camps at Pitt and Florida in the past, but after competing in Penn State’s 7 Star Camp before her freshman and sophomore years, and the program’s 8 Star Camp II last week on June 11, Henry ultimately decided that she wants to play for Penn State.
Katie Schumacher-Cawley sent out her signature eight-star siren on social media Monday night, the second day Division I coaches were permitted to contact 2027 prospects, and fans quickly speculated about whether it was Henry. She announced the news on her Instagram account Tuesday evening.
“I am THRILLED to announce that I will be furthering my academic and athletic career at Penn State University! God is so good!” Henry said. “He is the reason behind everything and he has guided me to where I stand today.
“I want to thank my dad for pushing me to get to where I am today, for waking me up at 6 a.m. to run laps, for coaching me from the sidelines, and for being an amazing dad. I would never be close to where I am now if it [weren’t] for him.
“I want to thank my friends and family for supporting me throughout my volleyball career. I am so grateful for my club and USA teammates for supporting me and being the best friends I could ever ask for. Finally, I want to thank Coach Katie, Coach Brian, Coach Megan, and Coach Michael for giving me this opportunity. WE ARE!!! Philippians 4:13”
Henry Joins Nejari Crooks and Taylor Harrington in 2027 PSU Class — and 2025 USA U19 Team for Pan-American Cup
Henry joined close friends Nejari Crooks (No. 11 overall, No. 1 right-side hitter) and Taylor Harrington (No. 16 overall, No. 4 middle blocker) in Penn State’s 2027 class, which is likely to finish as the nation’s No. 1 recruiting haul that cycle. Henry has a six-rotation skill set, plays high above the net — already touching at least 10’5″ — and has a wicked “4 to 4” shot as part of her repertoire.
Henry, Crooks, and Harrington are among 12 U.S. players who will represent their country at the 2025 NORCECA U19 Pan-American Cup June 24-28 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The trio of Penn State commits and their U.S. teammates will face Venezuela in their first match on June 24 at 3 p.m. ET. Henry will wear No. 5 for her U.S. junior national team debut.
While this is the first time all three 2027 Penn State commits are donning the red, white, and blue jersey in competition, they are all regular USA volleyball NTDP training series invitees, coming together quarterly to work on their skills. Henry, Crooks, and Harrington all attended Penn State’s 3-1 win over Nebraska on November 29, 2024, watching the Nittany Lions clinch a share of their 18th Big Ten title.
Penn State Enjoying Stellar (Eight-Star) Recruiting Success
The now-eight-time NCAA national champions are dominating on the recruiting trail, and Henry’s commitment is the latest proof that Schumacher-Cawley and her assistant coaches, Brian Toron, Megan Hodge Easy, and Mike Henchy, are operating at a level few other programs can match. Nebraska and Texas have strong cases, but it’s hard to argue with Penn State’s results in high school and transfer portal recruiting of late.
Henry is an extremely exciting prospect who Penn State fans should be overjoyed about landing. With two seasons of high school volleyball left at athletics powerhouse IMG Academy, Henry has plenty of time to continue developing her game prior to enrolling at Penn State ahead of the 2027 season.
Fun story: Henry didn’t announce her verbal commitment until after 7:30 p.m. Tuesday because she was waiting on her Penn State T-shirt and hat to arrive. Taylor Harrington commented on Henry’s Instagram post, saying, “So happy Amazon pulled through.” If only Henry’s delivery driver knew the college volleyball recruiting world was waiting on them to find out where the 2027 class’ top outside hitter is going.
Remember the name Olivia Henry. It won’t be too long before she’s playing in a Penn State jersey at Rec Hall. Here’s a link to watch Henry’s Hudl highlight reels.