You are on the right track.
1. I have definitely called PNMs and met them in person. I typically start with asking for elaboration of things on their resume, but then transition into rush type questions. I'll ask about their planned major, what inspired them to do that, what they do with their free time, how they spent their summer etc. You would be surprised what you can learn in a phone call. Does it take the place of knowing them personally? Not at all, and I would never presume that. But, you can get an idea of their conversation skills, their motivations, their interests, not to mention their manners.
2. I also start working the phone to find people who personally know them. Initially I try to find members of my org that can serve as the liaison but will also just ask mutual friends. I do not write recs where I haven't at least found a mutual contact who can tell me more than "oh she's a nice girl." I ask them very specific questions about her character and personality. How do I find the mutuals? Teachers, parents, students from her high school, members of her church, individuals connected with some of her community organizations, etc.
3. If you can't write much from her resume, then it is probably poorly written. As someone who writes 40+ recs a year, they can run the gamut. Most high school students just don't understand what to put in a recruitment resume. Example: one PNM did a ton of local runway and print modeling, but since it wasn't through school she didn't think she could list it. Other common omissions are volunteer work, honors, scholarships, and hobbies that are actually time consuming. I met with a PNM just yesterday who put "running" down as a hobby. Turns out that she is currently training for her 4th half marathon in less than 2 years. This is where the phone call, where you are "rushing" the PNM, can help fill in lots of holes from a resume.
It is also possible that you simply have a vanilla PNM. It happens.
Good luck!
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