Capitol Hill Classic – The Past and Present Award Winners
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Sometimes you can tell a lot from the present by looking at the past. Capitol Hill Classic has been issuing individual awards since 2012 for many different categories. Below is a blast through the past and into the present as…
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Continue ReadingSometimes you can tell a lot from the present by looking at the past. Capitol Hill Classic has been issuing individual awards since 2012 for many different categories. Below is a blast through the past and into the present as we take a look at some of the past award winners.
2014
Jenaisya Moore won a ton of hardware on her way to Ohio State stardom. While playing for MVSA Wahoo in the 13 Open she won the best attacker award. I have to wonder if Skip was coaching her then. She repeated the best attacker award in 2015 and 2018 while playing for Metro. In 2017 and 2019 she won MVP awards. She also won best digger in 2019.
2015
Elena Shklyar set for Michigan State back in 2018-2021. She won best setter in the 15 Open while playing for Virginia Elite.
2016
Milan Gomillion, the current libero for Maryland won the best digger award for Metro for 14 Open. She would go on to repeat that award in 2017 and 2019. In 2020 she was voted the MVP for 18 Open.
Rainelle Jones won best blocker for Metro in the 16 Open. While playing for Maryland she spent many of her years leading the NCAA in blocking. Her younger twin sisters would follow in her footsteps and win the best blocker award in later years.
2017
Mickhaila Murray Mickhaila Murray 5'11" | OH Flint Hill | 2024 State VA won best receiver at 12 club while playing for American. In 2020 she would win the best server award for Metro South in the 16 club Division. Mickhalia currently plays for the Metro 17 team.
Laila Ricks won the best blocker award while playing for Metro. She would repeat that award win in 2018. Laila currently plays for Maryland.
2018
In the 13 Open Pam McCune Pam McCune 6'2" | MB St. Johns | 2023 State #186 Nation VA would begin her blocking dominance. She won best blocker for Metro and would repeat the feat in 2019, 2020 and 2022. Pam won the DC Gatorade Player of the Year award this year.
At the 14 Patriot Division Trisha Guevara Trisha Guevara 5'3" | S Stone Bridge | 2023 State VA won the best digger award while playing for Areyto.
Morgahn Fingall won the MVP Award while playing for Metro. She would go on to have a great career at the University of Tennessee.
2019
Jada Aksu Jada Aksu 6'0" | RS Georgetown Day | 2025 State VA won the best blocker award while playing for Vienna Elite in the 12 club division. Evie Huang Evie Huang 5'6" | DS/L Flint Hill | 2026 State VA was her teammate and won best digger. They both play for Metro 16. Jada plays right side while Evie covers the libero position.
Emerson Sellman Emerson Sellman 6'4" | OH Academy of Holy Cross | 2024 State #5 Nation VA made her first appearance in the awards, winning the best server award for Metro in the 13 Open. She would go on to win MVP awards in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
Mailinh Godschall Mailinh Godschall 5'7" | DS/L Centennial (MD) | 2024 State #183 Nation VA won her first award at the 13 Open as best receiver while playing for Metro. She would win best digger in 2022. Also at the 13 Open Ryla Jones Ryla Jones 6'4" | MB Flint Hill | 2024 State #80 Nation VA would emulate her sister Rainelle by winning the best blocker award. Her twin sister Renee Jones Renee Jones 6'5" | RS Flint Hill | 2025 State #132 Nation FL would win this award in 2022 and 2023.
Safi Hampton Safi Hampton 6'1" | OH Hammond (MD) | 2023 State #34 Nation VA won the best attacker award in the 14 Open Division while playing for Metro. She would repeat that award in 2022. Sydney Bryant Sydney Bryant 5'8" | S Virginia Academy | 2026 State VA would win the MVP award that year, as she would do in 2022 and 2023.
Caleigh Ponn Caleigh Ponn 5'6" | DS/L Hidden Valley | 2025 State #83 Nation VA must have been 12 years old when she won the best digger award at 14 club while playing for Roanoke United. The next year at 15 Patriot she won the best digger and the MVP award.
Rachel Richardson, who is now playing for Duke and was involved in the BYU racial incident, won the best attacker award in the 16 Open. In 2020 she also won the MVP award. Rachel plays libero/defensive specialist for Duke.
2020
At the 13 Open Isabelle Bardin Isabelle Bardin 6'3" | S Flint Hill | 2025 State #121 Nation VA began her setting career by winning the best setter award for Metro. A year higher Lilah Stevens Lilah Stevens 5'9" | OH Stone Bridge | 2024 State VA won the best attacker award for Metro in the 14 Open.
At the 15 Open Division Milan Rex Milan Rex 5'11" | S Alexandria City | 2023 State #147 Nation VA won the best server award. Alden Roberts Alden Roberts 5'11" | S Norfolk Academy | 2023 State VA from Beach Elite won best setter. Milan would win the Virginia Gatorade Player of the year award. From Paramount, Haley Gill Haley Gill 5'7" | DS/L Dominion | 2023 State #197 Nation VA would win the best digger award.
Emma Kerwin Emma Kerwin 6'1" | OH Freedom (South Riding) | 2023 State VA would win the best attacker award for DYS Thunder in the 15 club division. Capitol Hill moved their tournament to Atlanta in 2021 but when they returned in 2022 Emma won the MVP award in the 17 club division. She also won the MVP award in 2023 in 18 club.
Laila Ivey would win the 16 Open best attacker award while playing for Metro. She also currently plays for Maryland.
2022
Caycee Chhum Caycee Chhum 5'7" | S Georgetown Day | 2027 State VA won best setter while playing for Virginia Jrs. She would repeat that award while setting for Metro this year.
Elaina Murphy Elaina Murphy 5'6" | OH South Carroll | 2026 State VA won the MVP at 14 club while playing for Metro. Since Metro normally plays Open I will assume it is Metro North. Laila Chadwick Laila Chadwick 5'8" | DS/L James Madison | 2027 State VA won the MVP award for 14 Open for Metro. This year she won the award for top reciever.
At 15 Open Adriana Perodin won the best server award for Paramount. Leni Stanton-Parker Leni Stanton-Parker 6'0" | OH Langley | 2025 State #116 Nation VA snagged the top blocker award while playing for Virginia Juniors. Isabelle Bardin Isabelle Bardin 6'3" | S Flint Hill | 2025 State #121 Nation VA won the MVP for Metro.
In the 16 Open Emma White Emma White 5'6" | DS/L Legacy Christian Academy | 2025 State VA won the best receiver award playing for Blue Ridge. Paige Ahakuelo Paige Ahakuelo 5'8" | S James Wood | 2024 State VA took the top setter award. In her one year playing club in the DC area Macaria Spears won top attacker while teammate Renee Jones Renee Jones 6'5" | RS Flint Hill | 2025 State #132 Nation FL was voted best blocker. Renee would repeat best blocker in 2023.
Hannah Howard Hannah Howard 5'8" | DS/L Musselman (WVA) | 2023 State VA won best server for Paramount in the 17 Open. Gabby Allen Gabby Allen 5'6" | DS/L Reservoir (MD) | 2023 State VA won the best receiver award for Paramount.
2023
15 Patriot – Megan Hiltner top server for VAVA 15. Ava Engelson top receiver for SRVC Surge.
15 Open – Laila Chadwick Laila Chadwick 5'8" | DS/L James Madison | 2027 State VA best receiver for Metro. Emma Gardner Emma Gardner 6'3" | OH WT Woodson | 2026 State VA top blocker Metro. Caydence Doolan Caydence Doolan 5'11" | OH North Hagerstown | 2026 State VA MVP for Metro.
16 Patriot – Josephine Eliot voted best blocker for Metro North.
17 Patriot – Bailey Monahan won best setter for VAVA Blue.
17 Open – Lameen Mambu Lameen Mambu 6'0" | OH Chantilly | 2025 State #64 Nation VA won the best attacker playing for Metro. Also for Metro Renee Jones Renee Jones 6'5" | RS Flint Hill | 2025 State #132 Nation FL won best blocker while Emerson Sellman Emerson Sellman 6'4" | OH Academy of Holy Cross | 2024 State #5 Nation VA won MVP, both repeating their awards from last year at 16. Emma White Emma White 5'6" | DS/L Legacy Christian Academy | 2025 State VA from Blue Ridge was voted the top reciever.
18 Club – Dryden Rancourt Dryden Rancourt 5'11" | OH Patriot | 2023 State VA voted the best attacker for DYS Thunder. Teammate Emma Kerwin Emma Kerwin 6'1" | OH Freedom (South Riding) | 2023 State VA won the MVP for the second year in a row.
18 Open – I have always commented that the 6’1″ Grace Maria Grace Maria 6'2" | OH Bishop O'Connell | 2023 State #150 Nation VA passed like a libero. She won best receiver award passing for Paramount. From Metro Samantha Dorn Samantha Dorn 6'0" | RS West Potomac | 2023 State VA won top attacker, Brielle Kemavor Brielle Kemavor 6'5" | MB Charles J. Colgan | 2023 State #148 Nation VA best blocker and Sydney Bryant Sydney Bryant 5'8" | S Virginia Academy | 2026 State VA the MVP. For Sydney it was her third MVP award. She will be going to Maryland next year.