Volley by the James: End Game

<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-126510 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/01/volley-on-the-james-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />A terrific event came to a close after three glorious days of volleyball that helped everyone heal a little from the last 10 months of trying to figure out whatever the new version of normal will be. This event provided hundreds of young women to step away from their every day lives and find joy in playing a sport that they love with their friends. This is what the essence of youth sports should be. The lessons it teaches and the joy it brings. All that being said, winning is still really fun as well so we will recognize the outstanding performances. </p> <p>The 12 club division champion hails from the great state of North Carolina with the Albemarle Regional Volleyball Club earning the Gold for the 12 ad under division. They finished the tournament with a perfect record in matches, but having to fight for the last three matches in 3 set wins including a 17-15 set win in the challenge round. </p> <p>The 13 Club champion was dominated throughout by the MVSA (MD) 13 Wahoo! The team from Montgomery County Maryland and the Chesapeake region lost a single set to Blue Ridge Volleyball Association. Dulles Youth u15 Thunder won the Silver bracket. Grit (VA) 13 Gold won Bronze. Coastal VA 13 Ashley was the Flight 1 champion. </p> <p>The 14 Club division was dominated all weekend by Coastal VA 14 KP who won t<img class=" wp-image-126767 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/01/double-block-248x300.jpg" alt="" width="155" height="188" />he Gold with a 8-0 record and in sets a 15-1 finish, the lone loss being to ODVA 14 National on Sunday. ODVA won the Silver Division. BRVA 14-2 was the Bronze champion with Dulles Youth u14 Thunder and Colonial Volleyball Club (CVC) won Flights 1 and 2 respectively. </p> <p>The 14 Open bracket was dominated all weekend by Paramount 14-1 and was the top seed heading into the Gold finals. BRVA 14-1 avenged their lone loss on the weekend by defeating Paramount 26-24, 23-25 and 15-7 in the final set to win the Gold Championship. Paramount settled for the Silver with MVSA 14 Charge earning the Bronze. </p> <p>MVSA 15 Starz  emerged as the undefeated champions of the 15 Club division with a perfect 8-0 record, besting<img class="size-medium wp-image-126661 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/01/RVC-18-Open-crop-3226x2118-1610856396-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Timberlake Volleyball Club and BAVA 15 Blaze in the Gold Bracket. Coastal Hampton Roads only match loss came to the champions and had to settle for the Silver Division crown. Williamsburg Volleyball Club 15 National won the Bronze. The five flight champions were RVC Slate (Flight 1), Roanoke United 15 Red (Flight 2), VAVA 15-1 (Flight 3), CORE VA Titanium (Flight 4) and RVC 15 Wave (Flight 5). </p> <p>Paramount VBC was dominant in the 15 and 16 Open divisions, winning both Gold Championships with undefeated records. RVC 15 National  finished 2nd with Maryland Juniors 15 Elite Black rounding out the medalists. RVC 16 National was also the runner-up for the 16s division with Heart of Virginia 16-1 coming home with the Bronze. </p> <p><img class="size-medium wp-image-126766 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/01/spike-with-block-300x296.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="296" />The 16 Club division was won by BAVA 16 Breakers with RVC 16 Zonal as the runner-up. Colonial Volleyball Club 16 Purple, led by Setter Berkeley Stenger and Hitter Hope Parrish from Denbigh Baptist, had an outstanding tournament with their sole loss coming to the BAVA 16 Breakers in Sunday’s pool finale come home with the Silver Medal. MVSA 16 Fusion won the Bronze bracket. Horizon Edge 16 Black (Flight 1), VAVA 16-1 (Flight 2), ODVA East Coast Blue (Flight 3), and RVC 16 Slate (Flight 4) all finished their weekend with a championship. </p> <p>The 17 Club Division was one of the most tightly contested fields in the tournament with 6 teams posting records of 6-2 records or better. New Kent 17 Coyotes emerged as Gold Bracket champions, besting Braddock Road in the finals with Vienna Elite 17W finishing 3rd. Coastal Hampton Roads 17 National had to settle for the Silver championship despite one loss the entire tournament. Horizons Edge 17 Black won the Bronze bracket with Venom 17-1 (Flight 1), Dulles Youth u16 Thunder (Flight 2), ODVA 17 National (Flight 3) and Dulles Youth u17 Thunder (Flight 4). </p> <p>Maryland Juniors 17 Elite Black edged out Roanoke United 17 Red for the championship and the Gold. Paramount<img class="size-medium wp-image-126788 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/01/IMG_1513-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> 17-1 finished 3rd with RVC 17 National and Vienna Elite 17 F rounding out the top 5 teams. The division featured 9 players from the AVCA Phenom Watchlist with a 10th missing the tournament due to injury, Paramount’s elite Middle Hitter Helena Frankovich. The outside hitters were Kaitlynn McNeel and Elise Williamson (RVC), [player_tooltip player_id="111456" first="Lauryn" last="Payne"] (Paramount), [player_tooltip player_id="111464" first="Audrey" last="Muth"] (Coastal Hampton Roads) and [player_tooltip player_id="111449" first="Cam" last="Davenport"] (Roanoke United). Setters [player_tooltip player_id="111459" first="Katie" last="Hardie"] and [player_tooltip player_id="111458" first="Krissy" last="Whitesell"] (Roanoke United) and [player_tooltip player_id="111444" first="Lainey" last="Feighery"] all competed this weekend and showcased why they are high level prospects and among the top players in the state. </p> <p>Roanoke United emerged as the 18 Club champions with a perfect record all weekend, not dropping a single set the entire weekend. BRVA had a great showing as well with a runner-up finish. Baltimore Elite 18 Navy had an excellent tournament but had to settle for the Silver and BAVA 18 Lightning won Bronze. The Flight champions were VAVA 18-1 (Flight 1), River Valley 18 Blue (Flight 2) and CVC 18 Purple (Flight 3).</p> <p>All in all, it was an amazing weekend for volleyball and the community as a whole and a well deserved hand of appreciation to Richmond Volleyball Club for running a safe and stellar event. Keep an eye out for the Top Prospects and Under the Radar players from the Volley by the James and our club previews in the coming days and weeks. </p>