The Chesapeake Regional Bid Winners

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a competitive weekend of volleyball, with a number of teams seeking a Junior Nationals bid in the 2023 Cheasapeake Bid Regional Championships. [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] had two winners and two second place finishers in the 14-18 age group. [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] made their first Regional Bid appearance, capturing a first, second, third and fourth place finish in the various 14-18 age groups.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below are the teams who finished in the top four in the 14-18 age groups. Because I could only watch the teams in the 16U and 17U Divisions some players are named from that group who helped their teams attain a bid. Later this week I will identify some names in the 16U and 17U Divisions who impressed but their team fell short of earning a bid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>17''s</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["180302"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64212213659f3"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge']</strong> got the big prize, though they did not have to deal with Metro, who had already earned a 17 Open Bid and did not participate in this tournament. [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] failed to lose a set in their five match ride in the Regional Qualifiers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The big hitter for the team may have been the unheralded 5'8"middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='242037' first='Ashlynn' last='Spence']</strong> who seemed to find the critical kill when the team needed it most. She played "smashmouth" volleyball, hitting the high "2" sets in the middle and driving them to the floor. [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] did not try to fool their opponent with the quick sets, not with Ashlynn on the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>She buried the ball to the left and right side of the court to conclude her kills. No middle from the other side found a way to stop her. She hit with no predictability with her shots. Additionally, she also contributed points in the tournament with good blocks and aces when serving. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the pins, the main hitters were 6'0" left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='243771' first='Berkeley' last='Konrady']</strong>, a 2025 playing up and 5'10" right side/setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='233008' first='Greta' last='Barvick'], </strong>a 2024 graduate who played her high school season last year hitting left side. At the start of this season her setting showed shades of inconsistency as she tried to reacclimate to using her hands rather than her arm to create an offense. Consider it a success as she accumulated assists and kills in equal abundance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='180302' first='Emma' last='White'] </strong>provided consistency at the libero spot. She also accumulated points with a wicked serve. Another player to note who does not get mentioned enough is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='360562' first='Keleigh' last='Chrisman'].</strong> She also contributed to the championship run with kills and blocks at the middle position. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] </strong>finished second. They battled [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] in the finals before ultimately getting swept 25-22 and 25-15. The critical win was their 26-24, 27-25 sweep of Virginia Juniors in the second round of the playoffs. A tough loss for Juniors to be eliminated from the tournament. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] relied on their one woman army in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='180294' first='Kiylah' last='Presley']</strong>, who hit middle, left and back row to create her offensive excellence. The Virginia commit also participated in a two person serve receive. In the critical second set against Juniors she juiced a critical kill to put [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] up 25-24. Eventually she ended the set with a block to finish it 27-25. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] also relied on <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209795' first='Harlan' last='Wyche'] </strong>for the middle attack. She runs the quicks to take the pressure off the outsides, especially Presley. Her quickness on defense in the back row after her serve surprised me. Throw in a little passing and she could become an effective left side. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong> [player_tooltip player_id='244160' first='Nia' last='Gibson']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181236' first='Erika' last='Bracey']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='248712' first='Kyla' last='Harris']</strong> contributed critical blocks from the right side. All three bring a height of 6 foot or greater to the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181240' first='Natalie' last='Carlin']</strong> took over the libero role and played it well. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='180282' first='Paige' last='Ahakuelo']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='180285' first='Clara' last='Yu']</strong> shared the setting responsibilities running a 6/2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Maryland Jrs</strong> nabbed the last bid, earning a third place finish for a Freedom slot. They have a talented group of girls with setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='309026' first='Lindsay' last='Kelley']</strong> spreading the offense. She sets a 5/1 using quick sets to keep the opponents off balance. Her two main pins who provided plenty of octane were left side<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='361569' first='Malani' last='Martin']</strong> and right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='309025' first='Payton' last='Swinton']</strong>. Payton brings a fast lefthanded swing to the right side. Malani stands just 5'7" but brings a good vertical that gets her approach jump close to 10 feet. She just recently returned from an ACL injury and seems fully recovered,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Juniors libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='360605' first='Tiffany' last='Blakely']</strong> provided solid passing and hustling defense in the back row. <strong>Kia Harmon</strong>, <strong>Mya Durham</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='319714' first='Maya' last='Ogbogu']</strong> all made good contributions from the middle. The trio ran quicks to keep opponent's defenses guessing. Also worth noting <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='319715' first='Deviana' last='Walker'], </strong>who made some key kills from the left side.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Columbia Academy </strong>did not earn a bid, but they wait next in line if one of the above teams wins a higher bid while playing in a future qualifier. The player who impressed the most was setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235746' first='MacKenzie' last='Calhoun']</strong> for her ability to distribute the ball to various areas of the court. She sets a 5/1, always uses her hands and when the pass is near the net she jump sets to keep the defense off balance. She ran the slide well with middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='399505' first='Ava' last='Bradley']</strong>. With MacKenzie setting you get a number of different offensive looks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Right side <strong>Sophia Gentile</strong> brings a strong, fast arm swing to the right side. You also have to love her enthusiasm and presence on the court. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='235747' first='Natalia' last='PeBenito'] brings leadership as well as solid passing skills and defensive consistency. Middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='399506' first='Jocelyn' last='Rogers']</strong> also hits quicks well. Left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='244161' first='Samantha' last='Morin'] </strong>plays six rotations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bids - Metro Open, [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] National, [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] American and Maryland Jrs Freedom </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>16's</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["181763"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6421ba73e7560"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coming into this tournament Metro 16 carried a monkey on their back. Noone questions the talent on this team. Unexpected finishes in tournaments they were favored to win haunted them. At the Capitol Hill Classic in the 15-18 age grouping, they were the only Metro team not to win gold. In fact, they failed to qualify for the first division after day one. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A ninth place finish at the Charm City Challenge in Baltimore as well as a 29th place finish at the Sunshine Qualifier were big disappointments. Taking down [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] in the finals of the Chesapeake Regionals appears to have knocked that monkey off their back. Now they can go into the qualifiers with the confidence they can get the job done when called upon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181763' first='Jada' last='Aksu'] </strong>showed some competitive spirit in the tournament. You could see from her actions on the court she wanted to win that final against [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last='']. With that monkey still clinging to their back, they lost the first set 25-19. Metro loosened the monkey in set two dominating [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] in the second set 25-16. The monkey disappeared after four kills from Jada in the final set, including the game winner that gave Metro their National bid with a 15-9 victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181303' first='Isabelle' last='Bardin']</strong> may have been the most important player in the tournament. She played a key role in the team claiming the National bid with her setting, hitting and blocking. At 6'2" she can do it all (although I have yet to see her pass). She made smart choices in using the hitters, keeping the middles active to keep the opponent's blockers off balance and distributing the sets to the hot hitters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of those hot hitters was outside/middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181307' first='Leni' last='Stanton-Parker'].</strong> At 6'0" with a blocking vertical of over 10 feet and an approach jump listed at 10'6" she can fly over the competition. She played in the middle in the championship match and finished off some quick set kills that were momentum builders. The trio of Aksu, Bardin and Stanton-Parker play with lots of emotion on the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181805' first='Madison' last='Smith']</strong> made key contributions from the left side. Her game has improved from last year. Her hitting carries greater velocity and she varies the location of her kills. She also plays an important role in passing as a six rotation player. When <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181307' first='Leni' last='Stanton-Parker'] </strong>moved from left side to hitter in the championship match <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='249341' first='Baylee' last='Doolan']</strong> came in to play left side. Despite her smaller height (5'8") she can put some mustard on the ball. She also plays a strong back row, coming in as a defensive specialist when she is not playing left side.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finally, Libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='238358' first='Evie' last='Huang'], </strong>setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181244' first='Ryan' last='Hicks']</strong> and middles <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181315' first='Sierra' last='Evans']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235284' first='Caitlin' last='Johnson']</strong> also deserve mention as key contributors in the Metro win. This is a talented cast. I can't wait to see what they will accomplish in their next tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coming into the Regionals <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last='']</strong> had already won a USA bid. Their only goal was to snag the National bid. They swept through the competition, winning all their games by limiting their opponents to under 20 points, except their first set of the tournament against St. James who scored 21. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As a combo the two best middles in the tournament have to be <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181309' first='Brianna' last='Holladay']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='225187' first='Simone' last='Schaefer']</strong>. Bri brings her 6'2 height to tower over the competition. Simone brings power and strong blocking to her game. She moves well from pin to pin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The left side who shined the most was <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='248705' first='Zoe' last='Ryu']</strong>. This was the first time I witnessed her play. At 6'0" she carries some length and brings power to her swing to put the ball down. Her number came up consistently when monitoring kills. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235282' first='Adriana' last='Perodin']</strong> swings hard, powering through blocks. Her 5'8" height handicaps her but she finds a way to get the ball past the taller blockers. Her defense, passing and serving also remain critical to the team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The two setters <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='238357' first='Claire' last='Mo'] </strong>and<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='183972' first='Abigail' last='Litonjua']</strong> weave this offense together. Claire ranks as a 2026 player who plays up. Both list at 5'9" so they can be effective at the net to set in the front row if called upon. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235291' first='Sadee' last='Gedse'] </strong>ranks as one of the top liberos in the class of 2025. She moves extremely well in the back row and brings a good platform to the passing game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] and MVSA Sparks were rooting for a Metro win. A [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] win would earn them a National bid, dropping their USA bid back into the pool. Metro would win the American and [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] and MVSA Sparks would then have to fight for the final bid. A Metro win would give them a National bid, [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] would keep their USA bid and [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] and MVSA would keep the last two bids, American and Freedom.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":358128,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/03/blue-ridge-16-second-place.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-358128"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: provided by coach</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge']</strong> got knocked out in the semi-finals against Metro 25-18, 25-20. In a game that meant only the level of bid you earned [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] defeated MVSA Sparks 25-20, 25-18. By this time the wait had been so long that enthusiasm for the game may have been waning.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181302' first='Kennedy' last='Spaid']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181299' first='Ada' last='McCoy']</strong> may be the two best left side combos in the 16 division. They both play six rotations and bring length to the position at 5'11". Kennedy ranks number one in the class of 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181280' first='Brenna' last='Corbin']</strong> brings some tremendous volleyball IQ to the court. She moves quickly and just knows where to play on defense. The beach game brings a special skill to her indoor game. When not playing libero for club, the 5'5" Brenna plays left side for the class 4 champion James Wood. She seems to have this innate ability to know the court. The game does not move fast for her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='290934' first='Ava' last='Dickerson']</strong> hits high twos in the middle and puts the ball to the floor with ease. <strong>Kendall Watcher</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='434855' first='Alexandra' last='Lynch']</strong> share the setting duties. Their game goes unnoticed because it lacks flash, but they get the job done.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235748' first='Ema' last='Djordjevic'] </strong>leads the <strong>MVSA</strong> <strong>Sparks</strong> offense. Normally she hits left side. MVSA took advantage of her more effective left handed swing on the right side. Her 6'0" length also gives the team blocking skills that neutralize the left side hitter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='306543' first='Sherry' last='Ye'] </strong>played the libero role. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235749' first='Kareena' last='Rathnam']</strong> played as the defensive specialist. These two can cover a lot of court to keep rallies alive. It would be hard for you to find a better back row combo in the Chesapeake at the 16 level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='322103' first='Iris' last='Duan']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='322104' first='Katie' last='Tomaszewski']</strong> shared the setting duties. Contributing to the other left side is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='320821' first='Jordyn' last='Palazzo']</strong>. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='309031' first='Caroline' last='Kaye'] </strong>plays a strong middle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bids - Metro National, [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] USA, [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] American and MVSA Sparks Freedom</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>15"s</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["221415"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6421ba73e75c5"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Did not get a chance to see the 15's play because they were at a different facility. [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] swept through their competition until the finals match against Metro. It had to be an entertaining match. [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] took the first set 25-18, but Metro bounced back to win the second 25-22. In what had to be a thrilling game [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] squeezed out the third set 15-13. It would have been fun to watch that match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Metro defeated MVSA Charge in the semi-finals while [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] took down [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge']. In the third place match MVSA Charge lost their first set to [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] 25-18. They bounced back to win the second 25-17. Finally, in another classic third set MVSA won 15-13.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bids - [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] National, Metro American and MVSA Charge Freedom</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>14's</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["279857"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6421ba73e760f"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] 14's just destroyed their competition in this age group. They won the final against [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] 25-16 and 25-18. They downed Maryland Juniors in the semi-finals 25-22 and 25-13. The 22 points scored by Maryland Juniors was the most any team scored on them in the tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] knocked off Metro in a three set match 25-15, 17-25 and 15-8. Prior to that they eliminated Virginia Juniors 25-23, 25-23 in what had to be a fun match to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In what I consider an upset Maryland Juniors defeated a strong MVSA Force team in the first round of the playoff bracket 25-14, 21-25, 15-13. In pool play Maryland Juniors finished second to Virginia Juniors. [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''], Metro and MVSA Force, along with Virginia Juniors all won their bracket play by going 3-0. MVSA Force defeated second place [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] in pool play 25-23, 25-20.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Metro beat Maryland Juniors 25-15, 25-14 to capture the Freedom bid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bids - [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] National, [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] American, Metro Freedom.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->