Getting a setter in every class is important. Arizona volleyball found that out this year when sophomore Avery Scoggins transferred and there was no setter in the 2026 class. That won’t be the case in the coming years. Tinsley Welker-Brown will sign in November. The next year, it will be Olivia Ambeau
’s turn.Ambeau announced her commitment on Instagram Wednesday evening, writing, “I’m excited for this next chapter of growth!”
She is Arizona’s third commitment from the class of 2028. She joins outside
hitter Nikolina Djordjevich and libero Reagan Burgle.
Ambeau attended the Arizona Dream Team Camp last week. She also attended camps at Arizona State, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Central Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Missouri, Ole Miss, TCU, Tennessee, and Utah. She also attended multiple clubs’ college coaches camps.
Ambeau comes from Arkansas where she plays for Cabot High just outside Little Rock. Her club is 501 Volley. She plays setter and opposite, but most sites consider setter to be her primary position. At six feet tall, she has nice size for the position.
Ambeau had 329 kills with a .216 hitting percentage, 35 aces, 83 blocks, 251 digs, and 419 assists for Cabot as the team built a 31-3 record that ended in the 6A state semifinals. She had 14 matches with at least 10 kills and seven matches with at least 10 digs. She set season highs of 21 kills, 18 digs, 25 assists, and 12 blocks at various points in the year.
Her achievements got her added to the AVCA Phenom Watch List and invited to UA Next. The Natural State Sports Network, which provides broadcasts of Arkansas high school sports, named her the Newcomer of the Year for volleyball.
Ambeau is ranked as the second-best player in Arkansas for the class of 2028 by Prep Dig.
VB Adrenalin uses a system of color-coded levels rather than star rankings. Where a player lands in the levels depends on a score that VB Adrenaline assigns. The scale has 9 levels that range from diamond at the top to blue at the bottom. Ambeau is ranked in the orange level, which is 7th.
Darren Tipton, who runs VB Adrenaline, believes she has a great deal of potential as a setter. He included her in his “From the Film Room” series on Apr. 12, 2025.
Ambeau has great range and ball control! She runs a quick offense, an aspect that will translate to the college game, and can also power the ball down herself. She runs a variety of attacks with great accuracy and has all the makings of a great prospect moving forward!
Outside volleyball, Ambeau has a strong interest in rodeo and equestrian sports. She competes in barrel racing and pole bending, which is a sort of slalom race on horseback. She hopes to study either animal sciences or sports management.
Her club highlights can be found on her YouTube channel. High school highlights are available on her HUDL profile.
