Indiana University Athletics
11/12/2026 12:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – For the third-straight year, head coach Steve Aird and the Indiana volleyball program will welcome a top-20 recruiting class on National Signing Day. The Hoosiers continue to stack elite talent in Bloomington as they build the program through the prep ranks. The 2027 recruiting class will bring a pair of top-55 national prospects to campus this winter.
"We are excited to add two tremendous athletes to our program in January," Aird said. "They have had great prep careers and are accustomed to winning at a high level. There is no doubt that they will make an impact on the program early and often. Their skills and energy will continue to push the program to new heights and Hoosier fans will love how they represent our program and university.
Both players – libero Kaitlyn Herweg and opposite hitter Samantha Karjala – will enroll in January to begin training with the program ahead of their first year of college volleyball. It's the fourth time under Aird that the Hoosiers will sign a top-20 national recruiting class. Prep Dig's latest class rankings tabbed IU with the 18th best overall group and the sixth best in the Big Ten.
Kaitlyn Herweg, a 5-6 libero from Long Beach, California, is one of the nation's best prospects at the position. Prep Volleyball has her has the country's top libero while Prep Dig ranks her as the number four back row prospect. Both services have her as a consensus top-40 prospect in the national rankings. According to all-time Prep Volleyball rankings, Herweg is the highest-ranked recruit (No. 16) to sign with IU in program history.
Herweg led Los Alamitos High School to a 30-9 record during her senior campaign and a spot in the quarterfinals of the CIF Open Division State Championships. She finished her prep career with the program's all-time digs record after picking up over 1,500 digs during her time as the team's starting libero.
Samantha Karjala, a 6-1 opposite hitter from Tampa, Florida, will join an IU program built for talented and athletic pin hitters. She is a natural right side attacker and has turned into one of the country's fastest-rising prospects over the last year. Karjala is a top-55 national prospect by both Prep Dig (No. 38) and Prep Volleyball (No. 52) in this year's senior class.
Karjala spent her senior campaign in 2025 at Calvary Christian High School where she led the Warriors to a FHSAA 3A State Championship. She recorded 342 kills (3.8 per set) on a .379 hitting percentage and added 79 service aces in her final prep campaign. Karjala also won a state title when she attended Plant High School.
IU has amassed 39 wins over the last two seasons and has a chance to secure back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time this century later this month. Herweg will wear number 11 next season while Karjala takes the number four. Both players will start their collegiate journey this January.
Kaitlyn Herweg • 5-6 • Libero • Long Beach, Calif./Los Alamitos (SC Rockstar)
• No. 16 Overall Recruit by Prep Volleyball, No. 1 Libero (August 2026)
• No. 34 Overall Recruit by Prep Dig, No. 4 Libero (October 2026)
• Highest Ranked Recruit in Program History – Prep Volleyball
• Career Stats: 1,554 digs, 158 aces, 445 assists
• Los Alamitos School Record Holder – Digs
• 2026 USAV 18U Junior National Champions (SC Rockstar)
• 2026 Max Preps Preseason All-American, Top-10 Senior Libero
• 2026 USAV 18U Junior National Championships All-Tournament Team
• 2024 USAV 16U Junior National Champions (SCVC)
Herweg – Why IU: "I chose IU because it felt like the right fit for me to not only grow as an athlete but as a person. I will be able to do that with people that constantly work to make me better."
Aird on Herweg "We had Kaitlyn graded as one of the best liberos in the country early in the recruiting process. She continued to improve as the club season developed and became one of the nation's top prospects. She has elite touch, a great feel for the game, plays hard and is not afraid of big moments.
Her serve receive is excellent, her nose for the ball is elite and she can keep our team in system when the setter takes the first ball. We run a unique offense and one that relies heavily on our first touch. She is as good as it gets in that area with so much room to grow."
Samantha Karjala • 6-1 • Opposite Hitter • Tampa, Fla./Calvary Christian (OTVA)
• No. 38 Overall Recruit by Prep Dig (October 2026)
• No. 52 Overall Recruit by Prep Volleyball (August 2026)
• Career Stats: 659 kills, 108 aces, 120 blocks, 170 digs
• 2026 AAU Junior Nationals 17 Open MVP and All-Tournament Team
• 2026 17 Open AAU National Champions (OTVA)
• 2025 Class 3A Florida Girls Volleyball Player of the Year
• 2025 FACA 3A District 14 Player of the Year
• 2025 AVCA Second Team All-American
• 2025 FHSAA 3A State Volleyball Champions (Calvary Christian)
• 2025 16U Open AAU All-American
• 2023 FHSAA 7A State Volleyball Champions (Plant)
Karjala – Why IU: "I wanted to find a university where I could pursue everything I envisioned for myself, both as an athlete and as a student. From the first conversations, IU made me feel like I was already part of something bigger. I felt connected to the people and the program. The chance to compete in the Big Ten and be part of a community that values excellence beyond the court made it a very easy choice.
Aird on Karjala: "Sam is a proven, high level offensive talent that can score from all areas of the court. She can score from the endline, can block at a high level and has proven to be one of the most impressive point scorers at the club level. Her defensive skills are developing, but we see her as a six-rotation player that can score and dominate matches.
I think her upside is exciting and her work rate and energy are great attributes. She is a fun-loving kid and a great teammate but also has an incredible competitive drive. She wants the ball and wants to put matches on her arm. She will be a foundational piece of this program for years to come and her future is incredibly bright."
"We are excited to add two tremendous athletes to our program in January," Aird said. "They have had great prep careers and are accustomed to winning at a high level. There is no doubt that they will make an impact on the program early and often. Their skills and energy will continue to push the program to new heights and Hoosier fans will love how they represent our program and university.
Both players – libero Kaitlyn Herweg and opposite hitter Samantha Karjala – will enroll in January to begin training with the program ahead of their first year of college volleyball. It's the fourth time under Aird that the Hoosiers will sign a top-20 national recruiting class. Prep Dig's latest class rankings tabbed IU with the 18th best overall group and the sixth best in the Big Ten.
Kaitlyn Herweg, a 5-6 libero from Long Beach, California, is one of the nation's best prospects at the position. Prep Volleyball has her has the country's top libero while Prep Dig ranks her as the number four back row prospect. Both services have her as a consensus top-40 prospect in the national rankings. According to all-time Prep Volleyball rankings, Herweg is the highest-ranked recruit (No. 16) to sign with IU in program history.
Herweg led Los Alamitos High School to a 30-9 record during her senior campaign and a spot in the quarterfinals of the CIF Open Division State Championships. She finished her prep career with the program's all-time digs record after picking up over 1,500 digs during her time as the team's starting libero.
Samantha Karjala, a 6-1 opposite hitter from Tampa, Florida, will join an IU program built for talented and athletic pin hitters. She is a natural right side attacker and has turned into one of the country's fastest-rising prospects over the last year. Karjala is a top-55 national prospect by both Prep Dig (No. 38) and Prep Volleyball (No. 52) in this year's senior class.
Karjala spent her senior campaign in 2025 at Calvary Christian High School where she led the Warriors to a FHSAA 3A State Championship. She recorded 342 kills (3.8 per set) on a .379 hitting percentage and added 79 service aces in her final prep campaign. Karjala also won a state title when she attended Plant High School.
IU has amassed 39 wins over the last two seasons and has a chance to secure back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time this century later this month. Herweg will wear number 11 next season while Karjala takes the number four. Both players will start their collegiate journey this January.
Kaitlyn Herweg • 5-6 • Libero • Long Beach, Calif./Los Alamitos (SC Rockstar)
• No. 16 Overall Recruit by Prep Volleyball, No. 1 Libero (August 2026)
• No. 34 Overall Recruit by Prep Dig, No. 4 Libero (October 2026)
• Highest Ranked Recruit in Program History – Prep Volleyball
• Career Stats: 1,554 digs, 158 aces, 445 assists
• Los Alamitos School Record Holder – Digs
• 2026 USAV 18U Junior National Champions (SC Rockstar)
• 2026 Max Preps Preseason All-American, Top-10 Senior Libero
• 2026 USAV 18U Junior National Championships All-Tournament Team
• 2024 USAV 16U Junior National Champions (SCVC)
Herweg – Why IU: "I chose IU because it felt like the right fit for me to not only grow as an athlete but as a person. I will be able to do that with people that constantly work to make me better."
Aird on Herweg "We had Kaitlyn graded as one of the best liberos in the country early in the recruiting process. She continued to improve as the club season developed and became one of the nation's top prospects. She has elite touch, a great feel for the game, plays hard and is not afraid of big moments.
Her serve receive is excellent, her nose for the ball is elite and she can keep our team in system when the setter takes the first ball. We run a unique offense and one that relies heavily on our first touch. She is as good as it gets in that area with so much room to grow."
Samantha Karjala • 6-1 • Opposite Hitter • Tampa, Fla./Calvary Christian (OTVA)
• No. 38 Overall Recruit by Prep Dig (October 2026)
• No. 52 Overall Recruit by Prep Volleyball (August 2026)
• Career Stats: 659 kills, 108 aces, 120 blocks, 170 digs
• 2026 AAU Junior Nationals 17 Open MVP and All-Tournament Team
• 2026 17 Open AAU National Champions (OTVA)
• 2025 Class 3A Florida Girls Volleyball Player of the Year
• 2025 FACA 3A District 14 Player of the Year
• 2025 AVCA Second Team All-American
• 2025 FHSAA 3A State Volleyball Champions (Calvary Christian)
• 2025 16U Open AAU All-American
• 2023 FHSAA 7A State Volleyball Champions (Plant)
Karjala – Why IU: "I wanted to find a university where I could pursue everything I envisioned for myself, both as an athlete and as a student. From the first conversations, IU made me feel like I was already part of something bigger. I felt connected to the people and the program. The chance to compete in the Big Ten and be part of a community that values excellence beyond the court made it a very easy choice.
Aird on Karjala: "Sam is a proven, high level offensive talent that can score from all areas of the court. She can score from the endline, can block at a high level and has proven to be one of the most impressive point scorers at the club level. Her defensive skills are developing, but we see her as a six-rotation player that can score and dominate matches.
I think her upside is exciting and her work rate and energy are great attributes. She is a fun-loving kid and a great teammate but also has an incredible competitive drive. She wants the ball and wants to put matches on her arm. She will be a foundational piece of this program for years to come and her future is incredibly bright."
Wednesday, November 11
Sunday, November 08
Friday, November 06
Saturday, October 31