Prep Dig Ranks All Four Penn State Volleyball 2026 Commits Within Top 35 Nationally

Posted on by Ethan Kasales

Katie Schumacher-Cawley and the rest of the Penn State women’s volleyball coaching staff have done an excellent job identifying talent early and securing verbal commitments from high-level prospects, often before their profiles blow up on the national recruiting scene.

The program’s 2026 recruiting class is the latest example of Schumacher-Cawley and assistant coaches Brian Toron, Megan Hodge Easy, and Mike Henchy capitalizing on their evaluation skills and trusting what they see at camps and tournaments.

The Nittany Lions landed commitments last summer from Danielle Whitmire, Finley Krystkowiak, Haley Burgdorf, and Kendall Northern, all of whom were ranked in the top 35 of Prep Dig’s most recent 2026 national rankings, released Monday. Penn State is tied with Wisconsin and Nebraska for the most commits ranked in the top 14 with three apiece.

Whitmire is currently the highest-ranked commit for the Nittany Lions, as the Texas Advantage Volleyball standout rose to No. 5 nationally in the midst of an especially impressive club season. Whitmire, a 6-foot-2 junior at Walnut Grove High School, is expected to focus her attention on the setter position at Penn State, but she also has a strong skill set as a hitter in the 6-2 offenses her teams occasionally deploy.

Whitmire was among a handful of sought-after setters who attended Penn State’s third and final 7 Star Camp last June, now aptly named the 8 Star Camp to reflect the program’s eighth NCAA national championship victory over Louisville last December. Whitmire clearly caught the attention of Penn State’s staff at the premier camp and was one of the first prospects to receive a call from them a few days later on June 15, 2024, the first day Division I and II volleyball coaches were permitted to contact 2026 prospects.

Whitmire quickly became the first member of Penn State’s 2026 recruiting class on June 16 when she announced her verbal commitment to the Nittany Lions. Whitmire has continued to see her stock elevate since last June and now has three well-respected hitting options alongside her in Krystkowiak, Burgdorf, and Northern. Only Texas commit Genevieve Harris is ranked higher than Whimire at the setter position in 2026, checking in at No. 3 overall, per Prep Dig. All-American setter Izzy Starck, who led the Nittany Lions to a national title as a true freshman last season, finished her high school career as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, according to the same outlet.

Krystkowiak, a powerful 6-foot-4 outside hitter from Encinitas, California, was the second 2026 prospect to pick the Nittany Lions, just one day after Whitmire kicked things off. Krystkowiak, who plays for WAVE Volleyball Club and Torrey Pines High School, slightly improved upon her already lofty status in Prep Dig’s latest rankings update, climbing to No. 11 overall. Krystkowiak’s father, Larry, played in the NBA for more than a decade (1986-95, ’97). Her twin sister, Samantha, is committed to play beach volleyball at Stanford.

Krystkowiak has drawn significant attention on social media, with several clips of her crushing volleyballs on the club circuit this spring being shared widely on Instagram. Krystkowiak and Burgdorf, a 6-foot standout from St. Charles North High School and Sports Performance VBC in Illinois, will each bring something a little different to the outside hitter group when they arrive on campus at Penn State, but both are among the nation’s best at the position in the 2026 cycle.

Burgdorf, who committed to the Nittany Lions on July 22, 2024, also improved her Prep Dig ranking by a few spots to No. 35 overall in Monday’s update. Burgdorf has a nice blend of hitting and passing skills and hails from the talent-rich Chicago area that Schumacher-Cawley thoroughly enjoys recruiting as a proud Chicagoan herself.

Burgdorf and Krystkowiak were among a handful of Penn State signees/commits who had front-row seats for Penn State’s Big Ten championship-clinching win over Nebraska on November 29 at Rec Hall. The Big Ten Network broadcast panned to them celebrating with now-freshmen Gabby Nichols and Ava Jurevicius courtside in the moments immediately following the win.

Northern, a 6-foot-1 middle blocker from Elevation VBC and Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati, Ohio, is one of the most impressive pure athletes in the 2026 recruiting class. Northern plays well above her listed height and has delivered a handful of viral videos of her own with heavy swings and smooth footwork at club tournaments this spring.

Northern, who improved her Prep Dig ranking to No. 14 overall, is likely to start her career at Penn State as a middle blocker, but it’s not out of the question that she could see some time at right-side hitter if the need arises. Northern committed to Penn State on August 20, 2024.

Whitmire, Krystkowiak, Northern, and Burgdorf will all have the chance to reconnect in person at USA volleyball’s NTDP spring training series May 8-11 in Bradenton, Florida. All four are regular invitees of the prestigious quarterly training program.

While it’s unclear whether Penn State’s staff is still pursuing 2026 prospects or feels content with its heralded four-player class as is, the spotlight will soon shift primarily to the 2027 recruiting class, as June 15, 2025 and the frenzy of contact between coaches and rising high school juniors quickly approaches. Coming off its eighth national championship in the last 26 seasons, Penn State volleyball will surely be a coveted phone call to receive.

Four of Penn State’s five 2025 signees are already enrolled in classes at the university and have been participating in spring practices, plus informal player-organized trainings with their new teammates, since arriving on campus in January. Gabby Nichols, Marin Collins, Lexi Gin, and Ava Jurevicius fall into that category, while Alexis Ewing will join them sometime after the spring semester. Of note, Ewing’s high school in Maryland, The Bullis School, does not permit early graduation.

It will be exciting to see how Whitmire, Krystkowiak, Northern, and Burgdorf finish up their club seasons this spring and what strides they continue to make in their respective developments heading into their senior years of high school this fall.

While many in the volleyball community who follow the recruiting industry closely are already well aware of their names, many more will undoubtedly find themselves checking sites like Prep Dig to read more about these Penn State commits.