Blue Ridge 15s & Metro 16 Travel Dominant MAPL
Blur Ridge 15s Blue
This past weekend, we witnessed the rise of the Blue Ridge Volleyball Association in Winchester, Virginia. This club offers indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. The majority of its players play both, which you can see during the indoor competition. The 15s Blue team entered this tournament as the #18 seed and they had to finish first in their pool play to be able to play in the gold challenge. The first thing that caught my eye when I watched this team was how well they know each other. This is not a big or strong team, but they are fast and smart. Their volleyball IQ is high for their age and they were able to defeat some good teams in their division, ultimately winning the Blue division. There were a few players who stand out during this tournament:
Ada McCoy- OH – Blue Ridge 15s Blue
Ada is an explosive athlete with a great vision of the court. She is able to put the ball in tough spots in the court and make it hard for the defense to dig it. Blockers had a hard time adjusting to her. Her team relies on her to put the ball away. She is a good decision-maker in tough situations.
Kennedy Spaid- OH – Blue Ridge 15s Blue
Kennedy is another hitter that the team relies on. She is very athletic and explosive,hits with range, and is very proficient in her attack. Her athleticism and intelligence make her a better player during tough situations.
Brenna Corbin – Libero – Blue Ridge 15s Blue
When you watch Brenna, you can tell she plays beach volleyball too. She is very smooth on the back row, as her ball control and reading ability makes her defense easy. You can find her everywhere on the court, either covering her hitters or encouraging them to take a swing. She is the true leader of her team.
Metro 16s Travel
The Metro 16s Travel team is one the strongest team in the country for their age. They have a lot of similarities to their 18s team. They have a deep roster with the youngest talented and skilled athletes. Every player contributes to the success of the team. The hitters are well trained and they have the ability to put the ball anywhere on the court. Their setters did a great job moving the ball around and made it hard for blockers and defenders to predict who was going to get the set. Their ball control is one of the best. They are very smooth in the back row and make the setter’s job easier by keeping the team in system the majority of the time. This team defeated many 17s and 18s teams to win the black division. There were few players who showed consistency throughout the weekend:
Lilah Stevens – 5’9 – OH/OPP – Metro 16 Travel
I was very impressed with Lilah’s performance during this tournament. Her athleticism allows her to create a lot of trouble for her opponent. Many teams who do not know her are focused on other 6’3 and 6’4 hitters, which gives a lot of disadvantage to Lilah to hit against one to no block. What most coaches do not know is that the 5’9 outside hitter can touch 9’11 on approach jump and 9’5 on blocking jump. This data can tell you what Lilah is capable of doing on the court. I believe she is going to be the secret weapon for her team to win decisive games.
Emmerson Sellman – 6’3 – OH – Metro 16 Travel
Emmerson is an all-around player who can do everything on the court. She is the type of player that you look for when the team is in trouble. She is not afraid to take a swing either from the back or the front row. She is able to hit the ball at any spots in the court. Emmerson has an extremely high volleyball IQ and knows when it’s time for a shot or a heavy swing.
Rayla Jones – 6’2 – MB – Metro 16 Travel
Rayla is following her older sister Rainelle’s footsteps. She is a strong, quick and resilient athlete. Her athleticism allows her to hit any type of set. She is one of the best to do a transition from blocking to hitting, and she is always asking for the ball. I would describe her as a very confident player and she is eager to help her team succeed.