LYV League Ripe with Prospects

Since 1997, Loudoun Youth Volleyball (LYV) has provided over 20,000 athletes with a chance to start their volleyball aspirations. The league has been the first step for many high school volleyball players in Loudoun County. Numerous players that have played college volleyball have started playing with LYV. As one of the premier leagues for young athletes, LYV offers high-level instruction to children from elementary school up to high school varsity programs, with various levels of play in between. The leagues generally run in Early Fall until the start of high school play-off and club volleyball season. The league is hosted at the Virginia Volleyball Center in Sterling and runs on Saturdays and Sundays. This season is a unique one for the LYV with the postponement of high school volleyball season until February in Virginia, several varsity programs were able to enter their teams into league play which has made for significant improvement for the level of play in the higher leagues. There are hundreds of players who are participating in the league this season are following safety protocols and playing without parents in attendance, aside from a few volunteers for each team. The matches on three courts are live-streamed by NVVA to allow parents and fans to watch since they can not be in the gym personally. The intensity and joy have not suffered as the matches are high energy and fiercely competitive. Many of the players take advantage of the delay in high school season to play in a league they generally could not due to the conflicting high school season schedule. Many players are putting themselves on the wish list for many college recruiters.   <img class="aligncenter" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1?ui=2&ik=6640118b48&attid=0.1.3&permmsgid=msg-f:1679289610751711488&th=174e0900f3dc1900&view=fimg&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ_QGs69Jj-jLlQiUh-xTmS8TFo1rBeFBZsKz1_40psA2_o9rv-voY3kYItKquxAbIscNpk0Y_-nFpMaEV0A9rieVo8JVOzx-s95sfr3Af8ttVAqVOAnb2IjBa0&disp=emb" />[player_tooltip player_id="111377" first="Faith" last="Nguyen"] is an undersized Outside Hitter for the Loudoun Valley High School program, a perennial state powerhouse. At 5’8, Faith has an outstanding vertical leap and is an aggressive and savvy attacker. She has exceptional ball control and is a stellar defender. As the daughter of a coach, she reads the game exceptionally well and makes the right choices to help her team. A solid blocker despite her average height, she has solid penetration and moves her hands well on the block. Considered small for Division 1, she could still handle the level of play with her athleticism, work ethic, and volleyball IQ. Some coaches may not see her as a 6 rotation player but could definitely be an asset to any program who chooses her. She’s a strong and consistent server and can play anywhere in the backcourt. She would be an ideal OH2 for many Division 2 and NAIA programs and could be an All American level player at Division 3 depending on where she lands. Her dream is to play Division 1 volleyball.   Kendall Nolen is a talented Middle Hitter from Broad Run High School who is just starting to make an impact in the volleyball community. The sophomore played club for Paramount Volleyball Club on their U16’s program. Paramount is one of the top clubs in the region. She is an intimidating blocker and an explosive leaper. She hits a very heavy ball with range. She sees the block well and has excellent placement. She isn’t afraid of larger blockers and moves well along the net to hit from a variety of locations. She could be a solid player for some college programs now as a sophomore. She has a big ceiling and a bright future ahead.   <img class="alignleft" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/rms-rmfiles-production/client_photos/athlete_5140460_profile.jpg" alt="Haley Koch’s Women’s Volleyball Recruiting Profile" />Haley Koch is one of the setters for Potomac Falls and Northern Virginia Volleyball Association. The 5’9 setter is a great leader and teammate for her teams. She’s relentlessly positive with her teammates and finds joy in their success as every setter should. She has a great release and runs a solid, consistent offense. She connects with hitters well and is extremely accountable. A good blocker and solid defender, she can be a 6 rotation setter and is comfortable running a 5-1 and is efficient enough offensively to play in a 6-2. She’s a coach’s award type player who is always there and makes the team better for all her intangibles. The future elementary teacher has committed to continue her playing career at Penn State-Abington, an NCAA Division III school in northeastern Pennsylvania. She hustles relentlessly and is a lover of the game. Volleyball is a way of life for Haley who is also a coach and referee at the Virginia Volleyball Center. She is an exceptional student on the court and in the classroom earning a 3.95 GPA thus far in her academic career.