Top Ten New Additions to the 2024 Rankings

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below are the top ten new additions to our 2024 rankings. As with the 2023 new additions, many of them fall outside the Northern Virginia area.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='235746' first='MacKenzie' last='Calhoun'] S (River Hill/Columbia) - I watched her set for her travel team Columbia. She ran a 5/1 fueling the offense with effortless sets to all areas of the court. Her offensive performance is also impressive whether she is hitting right side, left side or just dumping it over the net. At 5'9" she carries the height to play front row. Her high volleyball IQ keeps teams guessing (MacKenzie - on the left - pictured below with her younger sister).<img class="wp-image-267052" style="width: 150px" src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/Calhoun-sisters-crop-3003x1972-1670952464.jpg" alt=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='190541' first='Hannah' last='Ball'] OH (Midlothian/Richmond VBC) - Her offensive game led Midlothian to their first volleyball State Championship, finishing undefeated for the year. At 5'11" she packs a wallop in her swing. Hannah was one of the more impressive outsides I watched during travel ball. She was just as impressive with her swing during the State Championship game earning her a spot on the Class 5 State first team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='248630' first='Kayla' last='Foley'] L/DS (First Colonial/Beach Elite) - Kayla made the defensive game look easy. She found herself in the right spot to make dig after dig in the State championship match. Even balls hit away from her she found a way to reach them with incredible one handed saves. Her performance earned her selection to the first team for the Class 5 State team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='233007' first='Alexis' last='Keeter'] OH (Grafton/Beach Elite) - When the dust settled on the Class 4 championship match the votes went to Keeter for player of the year, even though her team finished in second place for the fifth consecutive year. Alexis led her team in kills, pounding close to six per set. When I look at her 5'11" frame I see potential for further growth as she heads into her senior year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='233010' first='Mickhaila' last='Murray'] OH (Flint Hill/Metro) - For the Metro 16 club team last season Mickhaila played in the shadow of [player_tooltip player_id='180288' first='Emerson' last='Sellman'] and Macaria Spears. This year Flint Hill used her on the left side. When the dust settled the Independent School League (ISL) voted her to the first team. The VISAA named her State player of the year. She carries diversity in her shots, disguising her roll shot well, but when she needs to hit it hard she can bring the velocity.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='235747' first='Natalia' last='PeBenito'] L/DS - pictured above (Good Counsel/Columbia) - Natalia plays a steady libero. For the second year in a row the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) voted her to the first team. Liberos who have hustle in their game are always keepers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='237667' first='Skyler' last='Riggio'] RS (Briar Woods/VAVA) - The 6'1" right side has a swing that is difficult to contain from the right side. She also played all six rotations allowing her to be used in their back row attack. The Class 5D Region and the Potomac District recognized her by voting her to the first team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='233008' first='Greta' last='Barwick'] S (Chelsea Academy/Blue Ridge) - She set a 5/1 for her travel team last year. For Chelsea she abandoned her hands for her right arm, topping the team in kills with more than six per set. She carried a hitting percentage just over .400 per cent (.407). The VISAA Class III Division voted her to the first team for leading Chelsea to the semi-finals. For Blue Ridge she will return to setting but using her right arm for hitting when in the front row.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='207594' first='Paula' last='Sigurani'] L/DS (Colgan/Paramount) - At the Junior Nationals the one player I noticed was their libero Paula. She played for a struggling American club team that found itself competing in the darkest corners of the gym, away from the curious eyes of college recruiters. For Colgan the previous year her libero play led them to a State championship and this year she carried the Sharks to the finals in 2022. The move to Paramount may allow her to showcase her skills to a wider audience.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='223897' first='Amelia' last='Tomlinson'] L/DS (Western Albemarle/Richmond VBC) - The Class 4 voted her to the State second team. Amelia carries a nose for the ball sniffing out digs by the dozens. Her defensive prowess allowed her high school to advance to the first regional title in the high school's history. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->