Previewing the Northern Virginia Regionals

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below is a preview of the Northern Virginia Class 6 Regional brackets. The VHSL has not yet completed all the brackets. Class 6 is where many of the Northern Virginia high schools compete. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Class 6B</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Battlefield (16-3) vs Woodbridge (10-11)</strong> - Battlefield has lots of talent. They have beaten Osbourn Park twice while Woodbridge has split with them. Both teams were swept by Colgan.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Battlefield has strength in the outsides in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235275' first='Grace' last='Bianchi']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235276' first='Taelin' last='Connolley']</strong> from the left and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181311' first='Skyler' last='Tennant']</strong> from the right. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235279' first='Melorra' last='Arthur'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235278' first='Aava' last='Shingler']</strong> share the setting duties. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='182776' first='Brianna' last='Clay']</strong> provides length up the middle and forces the opponent's middle blocker to commit to her quick hit approaches, leaving the outsides with one block up. The Bobcats have a strong libero in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='233450' first='Jaelle' last='Savannah Hinkle']</strong>. Except for Colgan, this is probably the most complete team in the bracket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I have not seen Woodbridge play but they appear to rely on <strong>Kylie Barbier</strong> for their offense. She leads the team in kills. <strong>Kylie Ta'amai</strong> is another option from the left side. [player_tooltip player_id='235306' first='Brianna' last='Washington'] is a formidable middle who leads the team in blocks and is third in kills. <strong> Isabelle Eaton</strong> is the lone setter on the floor responsible for running the offense. <strong> Clara Freeman</strong> appears to be the libero, leading the team in digs and service receptions. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Battlefield with the sweep.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Forest Park (14-7) vs Colonial Forge (17-3)</strong> - They played earlier in the season, the opener for both teams and Colonial Forge rolled to a pretty easy sweep. Don't know if Forest Park has improved that much to change the outcome. Their results against common opponents are pretty similar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Forest Park has a tall team, but rely on the shorter, but high flying sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235293' first='Destini' last='Pickett'] </strong>for most of their offense. She leads the team in kills, though<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='181237' first='Zoe' last='Strachan']</strong> (pictured below) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231680' first='Natalie' last='Brown']</strong> are very active from the right sides. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209180' first='Jasmine' last='Okeoma']</strong> is a big force up the middle because of her 6'3" height. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235745' first='Kristina' last='Diaz']</strong> is responsible for the defense and passing as the libero. The setting duties are shared between <strong>Declyn Tooze</strong> and <strong>Niya Nash.</strong> <img class="wp-image-189730" style="width: 150px;" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/04/Zoe.jpg" alt=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Colonial Forge won the Commonwealth District, just ahead of Massaponax. I have not seen this team play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I would suspect Forest Park has not improved from the opener to take this one. Colonial Forge in four.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Colgan (26-2) vs Freedom (15-7)</strong> - Colgan has too much fire power and have already swept Freedom twice. We can't imagine the third match being any different.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Sharks biggest weapons are 6'4" middle<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='181185' first='Brielle' last='Kemavor']</strong> and 6'0" outside <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209790' first='Aubrey' last='Hatch'].</strong> Setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231633' first='Alexis' last='Scipione'] </strong>is one of the strongest in the area and their libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='207594' first='Paula' last='Sigurani'] </strong>keeps the offense humming with her passing and defense. They also can sprinkle in talented pieces with middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231670' first='Grace' last='Smith'] </strong>and the other outside<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='224016' first='Kezia' last='Francis']</strong>. Their only two losses have been to State champs in West Virginia (Mussleman) and Virginia (Flint Hill). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Freedom is another team I have not seen play. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181563' first='Emma' last='Kerwin']</strong> is the big stick with over 300 kills. She can also play some pretty good defense, leading the team in digs. Speaking of defense, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='233447' first='Payton' last='DeJean'] </strong>is the libero that can make all the plays on the back end of the court. The 6'4" middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235284' first='Caitlin' last='Johnson']</strong> can battle at the net, but she falls two years short in experience with Kemavor. Sophomore setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='241010' first='Gwyneth' last='Vu'] </strong>has some sweet hands to mold an offense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Freedom just doesn't have enough. Colgan for the sweep.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Patriot (16-7) vs Potomac Senior (10-14)</strong> - The only common opponent they have in which Patriot won and Potomac lost was Mountain View. Otherwise, they have both lost to Colonial Forge and Colgan and they have both beaten Osborn and Unity Reed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Patriot relies on their sister combination for their offense, with senior left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231669' first='Dryden' last='Rancourt'] </strong>doing most of the damage and her younger sister, frosh <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='220923' first='Soleil' last='Rancourt']</strong> providing sparks from the right side. [player_tooltip player_id='235272' first='Aria' last='White'] is the other left side that can pack a punch with her spikes. They have two strong setters in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181245' first='Anisa' last='Flowers']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235277' first='Lauren' last='Katz'].</strong> Lauren can stay in for some offensive contributions along the right side. The middles are reliant on the veteran senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235271' first='Makiya' last='Williams']</strong> and the rising frosh <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='238850' first='Sydney' last='Bennett']</strong>. It is the frosh that actually leads the team in blocks. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181239' first='Lanie' last='Goff']</strong> is the libero that captures her share of driven balls. This team fell just a couple points short of beating Battlefield for the Cedar Run District title. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> I have not seen Potomac Senior play but their offense appears to be distributed to <strong>Olivia Wright </strong>and <strong>Alina Jalali</strong>. Their setter is <strong>Lea Shuttlesworth </strong>and their libero <strong>Bridgette Templeton</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Patriot will take this one in four.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Colonial Forge may have other thoughts, but this appears to be a final between Battlefield and Colgan. Colgan will win that game in four to continue their defense of a second straight State championship. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Class 6 C</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The top four teams, <strong>Robinson</strong>, <strong>Alexandria City</strong>, <strong>Hayfield</strong> and <strong>Edison</strong> were given byes until the quarter finals. That gives the lesser seeded teams an opportunity to play a couple games as they move through the brackets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Alexandria City</strong> (26-2) - They were 54-1 the previous two years so this team has been pretty consistent. Setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181179' first='Chloe' last='Wilmot'] </strong>(pictured below) and left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181178' first='Milan' last='Rex']</strong> are the formulas for that consistency. Milan averages close to six kills per set hitting from the back row and front row and also leads her team in digs. And when she is playing club she is a setter. She can do it all. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='233012' first='Bridie' last='Wendling']</strong> is another left side that is formidable, second on the team in kills. The middles <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231672' first='Annalie' last='McCarthy']</strong> and <strong>Travis Harper</strong> can put up pretty good blocks, but what is surprising is that setter Wilmot is third on the team in blocking. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235292' first='Zana' last='Royster']</strong> is a solid libero. This is a team that looks much better than what I saw at the start of the season. <img class="wp-image-211276" style="width: 150px;" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/07/chloe.jpg" alt=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Robinson </strong>(16-4) - They beat Alexandria City the first two times they played them but lost to them in the Patriot District championship game. They are led by setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209177' first='Paige' last='Meins'] </strong>and left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181102' first='Rylah' last='Robinson']</strong>. This is a veteran team with at least five of the six players on the court seniors. The middles are <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181184' first='Chelsea' last='Colter'] </strong>and sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235824' first='Georgia' last='Simonsen']</strong>. The libero is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='239319' first='Emma' last='Cortez']</strong>. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231667' first='Rosina' last='Parker']</strong> hits the other left side and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235826' first='Bryton' last='Hill'] </strong>hammers from the right. <img class="wp-image-216304" style="width: 150px;" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/user-uploads/Rylah-Robinson-2.jpg" alt=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hayfield </strong>(16-4) - The record is good but the talent level falls just short of the above two teams. They run a 5/1 around junior setter <strong>Diana Cseke</strong>. <strong>Kaia Lyons</strong> is a solid libero that puts up a consistent pass and plays defense well. Outside <strong>Emily Weber </strong>goes back to serve and fires bullets. Don't know if she can do that consistently but it worked in the District championship match against Edison. The 6'2" middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='236647' first='Elizabeth' last='Stackpole'] </strong>provides good height and offense in the middle. Junior outside <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='183408' first='Mary' last='Dinegar']</strong> can also pile up points with her kills. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Edison (</strong>14-8) - The lefty swinging left side [player_tooltip player_id='236646' first='Elizabeth' last='Hulett'] contributes the bulk of the offense. Sophomore middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181308' first='Taylor' last='Erickson']</strong> runs quicks to keep the defense on their toes. <strong> Isabella Pared</strong> is the other left side. She accumulated a number of points with her serve against Hayfield. <strong>Amanda Shelton</strong> and <strong>Jacqueline Walker</strong> share setting duties. During the Hayfield match they also turned to Jacqueline to set a 5/1. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> A couple teams with a shot to advance to the quarter finals are: <strong>Woodson</strong> (10-9), who have a pair of talented outsides in [player_tooltip player_id='233011' first='Maura' last='Fay'] and frosh <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='210539' first='Emma' last='Gardner']</strong>. They are 0-4 against Alexandria City and Robinson. They play <strong>Justice</strong> (17-13) who has <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181205' first='Helen' last='Frankovich']</strong> to string together the bulk of their offense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I expect it to be an Alexandria City/Robinson final, with the two teams facing off for the fourth time this season. The Titans will win to even the series at two wins apiece. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->