18 states, led by California, represented in 2024 VolleyballMag Boys Fab 50

Variety is the main talking point when it comes to the 2024 VolleyballMag Boys Fab 50 list that honors the top 50 senior-age players in the country.

This year, a record 18 states (including Rhode Island, which is likely making its first Fab 50 appearance) are represented in a sport that continues to grow in leaps and bounds in this country. California, as is custom, leads the way with 25 entries, comprising nearly half the list.

There are more than 50 players listed due to a tie for the final spot (ties are not broken). Illinois held its usual top-three position, finishing second this time around with eight entries, while Arizona was third with four.

A total of 31 clubs dot the list, with Southern California-based Balboa Bay the runaway winner this time with nine players on the list. Team Rockstar, also based in SoCal, is second with five and west-suburban Chicago-based Sports Performance is third with four entries. MB Surf (Southern California) and AZ Fear (Arizona) were next with three each.

Nineteen colleges have inbound players on this list with Jeff Nygaard’s USC Trojans first with seven entries, followed by Stanford with six and Penn State with four. We’ll see how the men’s college recruiting class rankings shake out later this year when these incoming freshmen are combined with portal transfers and international players.

An interesting twist with this year’s list: 

Five players that would have made the list graduated high school early and enrolled at their respective colleges and are either redshirting, playing or practicing with their new teams. Several voters noted they abstained from voting for these players because of that special circumstance, thus they have been grouped into a separate category.

Our annual inquiry into the top five players in the Class of 2024 shows UCLA-bound Sean Kelly from the MB Surf club as the top recruit with USC signee Sterling Foley (Balboa Bay) second.

Hawai’i recruit Finn Kearney from Arizona was third with Trent Taliaferro (UCLA) and Oregon native Isaiah Preuitt tying for the fourth spot. Kelly, Foley and early graduate Tread Rosenthal (Hawai’i) carved out a clear-cut top three.

Voters also weighed in on 25 underclassmen to watch (non-seniors). This year’s list totals 27 with a three-way tie for the 25^th and final spot. Top vote-getters with the 25 Underclassmen to Watch List include (in alphabetical order) Layton Bluth (AZ Fear), Grant Lamoureux (Triad in North Carolina), Jacob Little-Phillips (Winter Park in Florida), Myles Jordan (Houston Volleyball Academy), Roman Payne (Coast), Marek Turner (Rockstar) and Rafael Urbina (Bay to Bay) among the top vote-getters among the up-and-comers.

The VolleyballMag.com youth boys awards continue in early summer with the boys high school All-American teams, player of the year, coach of the year and team of the year.

As always, the Boys Fab 50 is voted on by a distinguished panel of NCAA Division I-II coaches. VolleyballMag has no input on who makes the list other than to tabulate votes and assemble the final product. The Boys Fab 50 list continues to be the longest-running junior boys awards program in the country with a multiple-decade lineage.

If you see a height, club affiliation or college choice off-kilter in either list, contact Mike Miazga at [email protected].

Class of 2024 Early HS Graduates

These five players were originally voted onto the 2024 Boys Fab 50 list, but graduated early and have already attended/practiced/played at the college level:

Caleb Blanchette, 6-5, S, Ravenwood (Brentwood, Tennessee), C2 Attack, USC
Ford Harman, 6-1 L-S-OH, Santa Barbara (CA), Santa Barbara, Long Beach State
Kellen Larson, 5-10, Libero, Woodbridge (Irvine, CA), Balboa Bay, Long Beach State
Tread Rosenthal, 6-8, S, Mira Costa (Manhattan, CA), MB Surf, Hawai’i
Kahale Clini, 6-3, OH, Punahou (Hawaii), Outrigger, UCLA
Rosenthal ran a 5-1 at Hawai’i and was named to the All-Big West first team. Blanchette did the same at USC and made the MPSF all-freshman team.

Top 5 Players in the Class

1. Sean Kelly (UCLA)
2. Sterling Foley (USC)
3. Finn Kearney (Hawai’i)

T4. Trent Taliaferro (UCLA)
T4. Isaiah Preuitt (Long Beach State)

2025 VolleyballMag Boys Fab 50

Name, Height Position, High School, Club, College
Ephraim Abhuline, 6-6, MB-OH, LaSalle (Providence, R.I.), South County Jrs, Merrimack
Roan Alviar, 5-11, Libero, Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, CA), Bay to Bay, Princeton
Jayden Bargiel, 6-7, MB, O’Fallon (IL), HP St. Louis, Pepperdine
Jett Bathurst, 6-3, S-RS, Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, CA), Team Rockstar, Loyola-Chicago
Ben Bray, 6-3, OH, Huntington Beach (CA), Pinnacle, Grand Canyon
Kaumana Carreira, 6-8, MB, Tesoro (Las Flores, CA), Balboa Bay, Stanford
Logan Chen, 6-5, S, Lake Mary (Florida), Winter Park, Lewis
Vincent Coello, 6-6, OH, Catholic Memorial (Waukesha, Wis.), Milwaukee VBC, Pepperdine
Christian Connell, 6-5, OH, Torrey Pines (San Diego, CA), Wave, USC
Christian Couch, 6-7 RS-OH, Bel Air (Maryland), Yorktowne, Penn State
Johnny Dykstra, 6-1 Libero, Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, CA), MB Surf, USC
Ambrose Engling, 6-8, RS-OH, Middleton (Wisconsin), Milwaukee VBC, Princeton
Tim Ennis, 6-4, OH, Scotch Plains-Fanwood (New Jersey), Warren Six Pack, UC Irvine
Preston Fixemer, 7-2, MB, Millard South (Omaha, Nebraska), High Flyers, Lewis
Sterling Foley, 6-6 OH, Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, CA), Balboa Bay, USC
Gaige Gabriel, 6-8, MB, Exeter Township (Exeter, Pennsylvania), Yorktowne, Penn State
Ryan Gant, 6-5, S, Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, CA), Rockstar, Stanford

Riggs Guy, 6-3, OH, Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, CA), Balboa Bay, UC Santa Barbara
Cole Hartke, 6-11, OH, Barrington (IL), Sports Performance, Pepperdine
Ben Hutchinson, 6-7, OH-RS, Brebeuf Jesuit (Indianapolis, Indiana), Academy, Ohio State
Drew Hudson, 6-1, Libero-OH, South Warren (Bowling Green, Kentucky), C2 Attack, Ohio State
Soren Jepsen, 6-10, MB-RS, Olympus (Holladay, Utah), Club GSL, BYU

Trevell Jordan, 6-10, MB, Desert Ridge (Mesa, Arizona), AZ Fear, Grand Canyon
Cooper Keane, 6-6, OH, Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, CA), Team Rockstar, USC
Raglan Kear, 6-6, OH-RS, Santa Barbara (CA), Santa Barbara, UC Santa Barbara
Finn Kearney, 6-5, OH-RS, O’Connor (Phoenix, Arizona), AZ Fear, Hawai’i
Sean Kelly, 6-7, OH, Loyola (Los Angeles, CA), MB Surf, UCLA

Cameron Kosty, 6-4, S-RS, Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, CA), Bay to Bay, UC Irvine
Alex Lillie, 6-7, MB, Connetquot (Bohemia, NY), Academy (NY), George Mason
Victor Loiola, 6-4, OH, Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, CA), MB Surf, Long Beach State
Ryan Louis, 6-9, OH-RS-MB, Shadow Ridge (Surprise, Arizona), Hanai, Ball State
Victor Lowe, 6-5, S-RS, Harvard-Westlake (Los Angeles, CA), SCVC, Hawaii
Jack Mally, 6-6, OH, Geneva (IL), Sports Performance, Loyola-Chicago
Ian Nolte, 6-5, OH, Wilson (Long Beach, CA), Team Rock Star, Ohio State
Jake Pazanti, 6-3, S, Huntington Beach (CA), Pinnacle, Long Beach State
Ryan Pecora, 6-7, MB, Kempsville (Virginia Beach, Virginia), Coastal, Penn State
Evan Porter, 6-0, Libero, Punahou (Honolulu, Hawai’i), NA, Stanford
Isiah Preuitt, 6-7, MB, Central Catholic (Portland, Oregon), Ajax (OR), Long Beach State
Eamon Rigdon, 6-6, RS-OH, Servite (Anaheim, CA), Pulse, USC
Tyler Robinson, 6-8 MB, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA), Rockstar, USC

Ethan Saint, 6-3, RS-OH, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA), Balboa Bay, UCSB

Caleb Sapp, 6-8, RS, Claremont (Upland, CA), Balboa Bay, UCLA
Kai Schmitt, 6-1, Libero, San Clemente (CA), Balboa Bay, Stanford
Michael Schofield, 6-7, OH, Mundelein (IL), Sky High, George Mason
Jake Schreiner, 6-5, OH, Wheaton (IL) North, Sports Performance, Lindenwood
Jake Schroeder, 5-8, Libero, Cienega (Vail, Arizona), AZ Fear, Lewis
Trent Taliaferro, 6-5, S, J Serra (San Juan Capistrano, CA), 949, UCLA
Micah Tumas, 6.7, S, The King’s Academy (West Palm Beach, FL), Ocean Bay, UC Irvine
Parker Tomkinson, 6-10, MB, Carlsbad (CA), Wave, USC
Reed Wainright, 6-7, MB, St. Margaret’s (San Juan Capistrano, CA), Balboa Bay, Stanford
Aidan Weltin, 6-7, OH, Glenbard East (Lombard, IL), 630, George Mason
Caden Whiteside, 6-5, OH, Olentangy Liberty (Powell, Ohio), A2, Lindenwood
Bennett Wilson, 6-4, OH, Shenendehowa (Clifton, NY), LVC (NY), Penn State
David Wolff, 6-8, OH, New Trier (Winnetka, IL), MOD, Stanford
Kyle Zediker, 6-5, S, St. Francis (Wheaton, IL), Sports Performance, Grand Canyon

25 Underclassmen to Watch

Name, Height, Position, Year, High School, Club, College Commit (if known)
Aidan Akkawi, 6-4, OH, Jr., Downers Grove (Illinois) North, 630, Unknown
Layton Bluth, 5-8, Libero, Jr., Casteel (Queen Creek, Arizona), AZ Fear, BYU

Grayson Bradford, 6-9, RS-OH, Jr., Crespi (Encino, CA), MB Surf, Princeton
Kale Cochran, 6-7, OH, Jr., Whitney (Rocklin, CA), MVVC, USC
Jackson Cryst, 6-10, MB, Jr., Millikan (Long Beach CA), Pinnacle, USC
Thomas Demps, 6-4, OH, Soph., Broughton (Raleigh, North Carolina), Triangle, Unknown
Noah Douphner, 6-5, OH-RS, Jr., West Ranch (Valencia, CA), SC Legends, Unknown
Joel Eanes, 6-10, RS, Jr., Kellam (Virginia Beach, Virginia), Coastal, Unknown

Blake Fahlbusch, 6-7, OH, Soph., Loyola (Los Angeles, CA), MB Surf, Unknown
Kyle Fagan, 6-4, OH, Jr., Ward Melville (Stony Brook, NY), Academy (NY), Penn State
Thatcher Fahlbusch, 6-6, OH, Jr., Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, CA), Rockstar, Unknown
Declan Flanagan, 6-5, OH, Soph., Torrey Pines (San Diego, CA), Wave, Unknown
Myles Jordan,6-5, OH, Jr., Ridge Point (Missouri City, Texas), HVA, Long Beach State
Cooper Keane, 6-6, RS-OH, Jr., Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, CA), Rock Star, USC
Carter King, 6-2, OH, Jr., O’Connor (Phoenix, Arizona), AZ Fear, Unknown
Grant Lamoureux, 6-9, RS-OH, Jr., West Forsyth (Clemmons, SC), Twin City, Pepperdine
Jacob Little-Phillips, 6-2, S, Jr., Winter Park (Florida), Winter Park, Stanford
Jack Loper, 6-5, OH, Jr., San Clemente (CA), Wave, Stanford
Aleksey Mikhailenko, 6-6, OH, Soph., Homestead (Mequon, Wis.), Milw. Sting, Unknown

Roman Payne, 6-10, MB, Jr., Carlsbad (CA), Coast, Hawai’i
Christian Teresi, 6-2, S, Jr., Marist (Chicago, Illinois), Adversity, Ohio State
Trey Thornton, 6-7, RS-S, Jr., Maple Mountain (Spanish Fork, Utah), Club GSL, Unknown
Marek Turner, 6-5, RS Jr., Wilson (Long Beach, CA), Rockstar, UCLA
Rafael Urbina, 6-5, S, Jr., Thornton (Colorado), Lobos, UCLA
Carter Weight, 6-9, MB, Jr., State College (Pennsylvania), Yorktowne, Unknown
Kainoa Wade, 6-8, RS, Jr., Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama (Honolulu), Outrigger, Hawai’i
Tomas Wisniakowski, 5-11, Libero, Jr., Washington (Houston, Texas), HVA, Ohio State

 

18 states, led by California, represented in 2024 VolleyballMag Boys Fab 50 Volleyballmag.com.