Chesapeake 15 Nationals All-Tournament Team
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Metro 15 and MVSA Charge 15 lost a couple heartbreakers in the first round of their gold bracket matches. Metro came out on the short end of a see saw battle 17-15 after winning the opening set. MVSA Charge had…
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Continue ReadingMetro 15 and MVSA Charge 15 lost a couple heartbreakers in the first round of their gold bracket matches. Metro came out on the short end of a see saw battle 17-15 after winning the opening set. MVSA Charge had a 9-4 lead but could not hold it, losing 15-13. Both teams have nothing to be ashamed of because they played well in the tournament, each finishing 5th out of 48 teams representing the best of the best.
For the Chesapeake 18s I only chose eight players. There was just too much talent in the 15s so I chose 12. Instead of having a first team/second team format these players would battle it out in practice to make the starting lineup. This list is compiled of players who played at Junior Nationals.
Setter – Isabelle Bardin Isabelle Bardin 6'3" | S Flint Hill | 2025 State #121 Nation VA (Metro) has the height at 6’1″ to be a force at the net. She also has a nice touch to the ball and connected with her middles well. With just a little more experience she will get more consistent with her location on the pin sets. Isabella was tasked with setting a 5/1 after an injury to their right side. Chloe Fisher (Liberty) runs a nice variety of offense, setting her hitters to all areas of the net to keep the blockers guessing. She also makes a good connection with her middles.
Libero – Evie Huang (Metro) just doesn’t seem to make mistakes. She positions herself well on defense. is not afraid to use her hands to pass a serve and her platform passing is very accurate. She also uses her hands quite frequently to set hitters out of system. Kareena Rathnam (MVSA) is also a solid passer. She is the engine that starts this offense moving with her accurate passing. There is a quiet calmness to her presence on the court.
Right Side – Ema Djordjevic (MVSA) is perfect for the right side with her powerful lefthanded swing. Because her defense and passing are so consistent I’d be inclined to run a 5/1 utilizing her back row skills and her ability to hit in the setter area to perhaps create four hitters for this offense.
Middles – Two of the middles Corinne Howard (MVSA) and Leni Stanton-Parker Leni Stanton-Parker 6'0" | OH Langley | 2025 State #116 Nation VA could also be used right side. Corinne is still a bit raw because the game is new to her. She needs to improve on her transition to her hitting zone, but when she makes contact with the ball it hits the floor hard. Leni has a jump built for the outside but her timing right now is better for the low sets in the middle. That ball hits the floor quickly when Leni makes contact. Kristen Moore Kristen Moore 6'2" | RS Virginia Academy | 2025 State VA (Metro) is perhaps the most consistent blocker of this group. She also does a good job of transitioning to put herself in a position to time the quick set.
Left Side – Madison Smith Madison Smith 6'1" | OH Homeschool | 2025 State VA (Metro) showed she is a consistent six rotation player. She hits the ball with velocity to the deepest area of the court. She also creates a solid platform for passing and is quick enough to put her in position to play defense. At 5’8″ Adriana Perodin Adriana Perodin 5'9" | OH Riverside | 2024 State VA (Paramount) is not a giant for the outside, but she jumps well and gets some velocity on her hits. She is effective at using the block to achieve kills. Alexis Ewing Alexis Ewing 6'3" | OH Bullis | 2025 State VA (Virginia Jrs) is one of the hardest hitters of the group and at 6’1″ with good arm extension she can hit it over small blocks. She is still a bit raw and needs more repetitions in her transition and approach so she can improve that timing in her spike. When I watched her she was limited to three rotations. Jordyn Palazzo (MVSA) has good height and arm extension to power balls to the floor. When I watched she only played three rotations as well, but she was a force in the front row.
Jada Aksu Jada Aksu 6'0" | RS Georgetown Day | 2025 State VA (Metro) got hurt the first day during the second match. I did not arrive until the second day, so I still have not seen her play. But I think I might reserve a spot on this team for her. From the videos I’ve seen she has a powerful lefthanded swing.