Kaiserslautern’s Young will represent her country this summer

Kaiserslautern freshman Kaya Young tips the ball over Lakenheath defender Audrey Young at the net during a Sept. 20, 2025, match at Kaiserslautern High School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Kaya Young accepted Sunshine Volleyball Club’s invitation to play for its Under-15 team in February hoping to gain some attention from universities such as Stanford, UCLA or USC.

And the Kaiserslautern freshman did turn heads at the 2026 Triple Crown NIT on Feb. 14-16 in Kansas City, Mo.

A scout for USA Volleyball’s U-17 program took notice. That led to her being one of 28 players selected for U.S. U-17 national teams to represent the country at either the 2026 Pan American Cup or world championships.

“I was really surprised,” Young said of getting selected. “I’m very excited. I worked hard for this opportunity, and I’m grateful that I can travel for it and be a part of that team.”

Young and her 27 potential teammates will travel to Rice University for a training camp May 17-23.

The players will be split into two squads of 14 to play in either the North, Central American and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation Pan American Cup on May 24 through June 1 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, or the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) world championships on Aug. 6-16 in Santiago, Chile.

According to a USA Volleyball statement, these will be the first U.S. U-17 teams to compete in either event.

The 6-foot-4 middle blocker has the athleticism and volleyball skills, her high school coach Zac Robinson said. But it’s her composure, energy and positive outlook that will give Young an edge when she gets to camp.

“I think those intangibles for her are going to help her so much when she competes against really high-level players,” Robinson said. “I fully believe in her.”

Young admitted she didn’t always have that mindset.

The daughter of former Stanford and professional basketball player Tim Young and Army Col. Paula (McNamee) Young – a former Cardinal volleyball player – pointed to her German club SSC Freisen as a major turning point.

About 30 minutes away from Kaiserslautern High School, Freisen competes in the 2.Bundesliga, or the second tier of the German volleyball pyramid. The club finished sixth this past season.

Playing at that level at 14 years old was an eye-opener.

“My attitude wasn’t great. I wasn’t good at performing under pressure,” Young said. “When I came here, it really put me in check. I learned from the people around me, especially on my German team since they’re all older players.”

As much as she has learned from her teammates at Freisen, she sometimes faces a language barrier. That shouldn’t be the case at the camp.

“One of my favorite things as a player is getting feedback from coaches,” Young said. “I want feedback and criticism about my play, so I can apply it and really get better.”

Although she’ll be playing on a bigger stage, Young said once she steps between the lines on the court, it’ll feel the same as anywhere else.

“I feel like I’m just going to do my best,” Young said. “I’m just going to go out there, have fun and enjoy playing volleyball like I usually do.”