The End of the Regular Season Top Ten

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The public school season has come to an end but the private schools still have another week to go before their regular season ends. Time to take a look at who the top ten teams are as we enter into the playoffs to determine the State champions. Records are obtained from Max Preps.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Flint Hill </strong>(28-0) - They appear to have no weak spots on their roster. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='233010' first='Mickhaila' last='Murray']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181099' first='Sydney' last='Bryant']</strong> are proving to be capable left side hitters. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181303' first='Isabelle' last='Bardin']</strong> comes in to set in the front row while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='180283' first='Natalie' last='Nguyen']</strong> sets the back row. At 6"0" Isabelle gives Flint Hill a giant wall of blockers in the front row. As a frosh <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='238358' first='Evie' last='Huang']</strong> has taken over the back row duties and twin sisters <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='180295' first='Ryla' last='Jones'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181232' first='Renee' last='Jones']</strong> terrorize from the other right side and middle. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209181' first='Sonja' last='Meyer']</strong> takes over the other middle. In their 28 victories, they have yet to lose a set. A recent sweep of Colgan was a statement win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Langley </strong>(19-0) - They have a younger team that seems to be clicking as the regular season winds down. They had not lost a set in their last 16 matches, but they stumbled in their last match, losing one game to Herndon. They did lose an early season tournament pool play match 2-0, but since they are not best of three those games are not counted in a team's won/loss record. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181298' first='Ana' last='Toumazatos']</strong> leads the team in kills by a wide margin. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181307' first='Leni' last='Stanton-Parker'] </strong>plays middle and outside and is second on the team in kills but leads the team in blocks. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='180284' first='Chloe' last='Hokenson']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='238357' first='Claire' last='Mo']</strong> are the setting combo. Chloe leads the team in aces with a wicked jump serve. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bishop O'Connell</strong> (23-1) - Their only loss was a hard fought five set match to Holy Cross. Holy Cross was last ranked the number two team in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area by the Washington Post while O'Connell was ranked third. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181098' first='Grace' last='Maria']</strong> leads the team in kills and service aces and is a key component on defense and in the passing game. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='180296' first='Madison' last='Bowser']</strong> leads the team in blocks but is also an offensive contributor in the middle, second on the team in kills. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='180281' first='Erin' last='Debiec'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='226029' first='Emily' last='Reyburn']</strong> are the setting combo, though there are times when Erin will run a 5/1. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Colgan (</strong>24-2) - Their only two losses are to last year's West Virginia state champions Musselman and Virginia's number one team Flint Hill. To show you what an impact <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181185' first='Brielle' last='Kemavor']</strong> has on this team, she leads the team in kills and blocks playing the middle. Against Flint Hill the passing struggled which took her away from the offense. Left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209790' first='Aubrey' last='Hatch']</strong> is second on the team in kills, first in aces and an important piece of their serve receive game. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='207594' first='Paula' last='Sigurani']</strong> is their libero while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231633' first='Alexis' last='Scipione']</strong> is the quiet assassin that distributes the sets on the court. She is not one to get overly emotional on the court but you can sense her intensity.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>J<strong>ames Woods</strong> (20-0) - They may be undefeated but their lack of height would pose problems for them if they played one of the four teams listed above. Since they are a Class 4 rated public high school they will not be playing any of the teams listed above in the playoffs. Two super frosh hit from the outside. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181302' first='Kennedy' last='Spaid']</strong> leads the team in kills while the 5'4" <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181280' first='Brenna' last='Corbin']</strong> brings her beach game indoors with her shots. Junior setters <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='180282' first='Paige' last='Ahakuelo'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='180286' first='Hannah' last='McCullough']</strong> share setting duties. Hannah is also a top rated beach player who uses her beach instincts to achieve success on the hard court. Libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='239320' first='Carsyn' last='Vincent']</strong> leads the team in digs but Brenna also contributes since that is her position in club ball. The 5'8" middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='233483' first='Ella' last='Kelchner']</strong> leads the team in blocks while her counterpart the 5'6" <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='239321' first='Lexi' last='Taylor'] </strong>is third in blocks, but is second in aces. This is a team filled with beach players that know how to keep the ball alive. Kennedy is the tallest player on this team at 5'10".</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Battlefield </strong>(15-3) - Their only losses are to Colgan, Oakton and Freedom, one team in the top ten and two teams bordering it. They have an impressive roster of players with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235275' first='Grace' last='Bianchi'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235276' first='Taelin' last='Connolley']</strong> swinging from the left side and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181311' first='Skyler' last='Tennant'] </strong>hammering from the right. Grace has a lightening quick arm swing that puts some velo on the ball. Middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='182776' first='Brianna' last='Clay'] </strong>has length and can be used to open up the outsides with quicks to the middle. The setting chores are shared by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235279' first='Melorra' last='Arthur'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235278' first='Aava' last='Shingler']</strong> who both have good touch on the ball and consistent placement to the pins. <strong>Jaelle Hinkle </strong>is a solid libero. This is about as complete a team you can get as you head into the playoffs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Alexandria City </strong>(23-2) - We recognize this is a team with two losses to Robinson and finished second to the Rams in the Patriot District. But those are their only two losses. When you have <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181178' first='Milan' last='Rex']</strong> hitting from the outside and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181179' first='Chloe' last='Wilmot']</strong> feeding her sets in the back and front row, they are a tough team to beat. Rex averages close to six kills per set and leads the team in digs. Chloe leads the team in aces. As long as the Titans have this duo they will be difficult to beat. They have some good alternate pieces in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='233012' first='Bridie' last='Wendling']</strong>, who is second in kills and has improved her game immensely since the season has started. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231672' first='Annalie' last='McCarthy']</strong> leads the team in blocks and can provide some offense in the middle. Libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235292' first='Zana' last='Royster']</strong> is a good complement to Milan in the back row. The duo can cover a lot of space on the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Robinson </strong>(14-3) - Two of their losses have been to Flint Hill and Langley, while the third was to James Madison. This is a veteran group that will have at least five seniors playing on the court. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209177' first='Paige' last='Meins']</strong> leads the offense with her setting. She has one of the best outsides to dish to in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181102' first='Rylah' last='Robinson']</strong>. Rylah may only be 5'9" but she has a strong arm that finds the open spots. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231667' first='Rosina' last='Parker']</strong> is her partner on the left side. She is pretty terminal whether she is hitting balls from the back row or front row. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181184' first='Chelsea' last='Colter']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235824' first='Georgia' last='Simonsen'] </strong>share the middle responsibilities, with sophomore Georgia being the only non senior among the starting group. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='239319' first='Emma' last='Cortez'] </strong>is a quick libero that can keep rallies alive. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rock Ridge</strong> (18-3) - This is the only top ten team that I have not seen play. I give them their dues for winning the Dulles District. They lost to Stone Bridge when the Bulldogs were going good and in the top ten and they lost to Riverside and Dominion. They have swept 10 time defending champ Loudoun County twice. Hopefully I'll get to see them in the playoffs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Patriot </strong>(15-6) - They may have six losses but two each were handed to them by Colgan and Battlefield. Another loss was to Colonial Forge, a 16-3 team in Southern Virginia. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231669' first='Dryden' last='Rancourt'] </strong>leads with the kills from the left side while her younger sister, frosh <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='220923' first='Soleil' last='Rancourt']</strong> contributes from the right side. They are first and second on the team in kills. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235272' first='Aria' last='White']</strong> can also contribute some offense from the left side. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235271' first='Makiya' last='Williams'] </strong>and frosh <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='238850' first='Sydney' last='Bennett']</strong> are strong middles. Sydney leads the team in blocks while Makiya has the best hitting percentage on the team. The setting is shared by <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 to play on the right side and is third on the team in blocks. Anisa leads the team in aces. Providing the fuel for the offense is libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181239' first='Lanie' last='Goff']</strong>, whose passing and digs are what sets this offense in motion. Despite their high number of losses this is a team that has the talent to battle for a State championship. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the bubble are Millbrook, Oakton, Riverside and Briar Woods. Episcopal in the Independent School League (ISL) is having a strong season and just missed getting in.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chesapeake Chirps</strong>: <strong>Bishop O'Connell</strong> was almost ambushed by <strong>Paul VI </strong>in the Panthers gym last night. O'Connell was hit by the flu bug so five of their 12 rostered players were out. This allowed three junior varsity players to get called up to gain some varsity experience. The match went five with O'Connell winning the final 15-11. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181098' first='Grace' last='Maria'],</strong> who was not at full strength because of the flu had an incredible match taking 66 swings and finishing with 35 kills. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='180296' first='Madison' last='Bowser']</strong>, another player impacted by the flu was quiet for the first four sets but turned it on in the fifth with five of her 11 kills. Frosh <strong>Alana Wirth,</strong> who came up from the JV finished with 13 digs, two aces and three kills. ...In a couple of District playoff matches two defending State champions were swept. <strong> Broad Run </strong>defeated Class 4 state champion <strong>Loudoun County </strong>and <strong>Potomac Falls</strong> shocked the struggling Class 5 state champs <strong>Stone Bridge.</strong>...<strong>Alexandria City </strong>and <strong>Robinson</strong> will meet for the third time this year in a Divisional Playoff game. Robinson has won both times they have played Alexandria City. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->