New Ranking Additions to the Class of 2025
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Done my best to rank the top players in the class of 2025. Below are some of the new additions that impressed. Rankings for the most part can be just a snap shot in time. Keep playing hard working on…
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Continue ReadingDone my best to rank the top players in the class of 2025. Below are some of the new additions that impressed. Rankings for the most part can be just a snap shot in time. Keep playing hard working on the skills that need to be done to improve your game. Over time results will get noticed.
Peri Linterman Peri Linterman 6'3" | MB Riverbend | 2025 State VA Middle (Club 540) debut ranking 17 – When a player really impresses I put an asterisk by her number or name. For the Club 540 17 club team Peri made a couple nice kills that could not help but be noticed. A look at the roster shows she belongs to the class of 2025. That sealed the deal. She stands 6’3″ and plays for Riverbend High School, who competed for the Class 5 State championship. The VHSL Region 5D voted her to the second team, just one of three sophomores included on the list.
Samantha Stephens Samantha Stephens 6'3" | RS Spring Mills | 2025 State VA Middle/Right Side (Blue Ridge) debut ranking 22 – Another player who stands 6’3″. Earlier in the season she occupied the middle position. Her lefthanded swing makes her ideal for the right side. Getting used to the timing of the higher sets has posed a bit of a challenge. She also does competitive swimming, missing some early practices and tournaments. Hitting a ball over the smaller left side blocks can become a regular occurrence once she finds that tempo. Samantha plays one year down with the Blue Ridge 15 team. They are ranked in the top 100 nationally and Samantha has been a critical player to achieve that success.
Sherry Ye Sherry Ye 5'3" | DS/L Winston Churchill | 2025 State VA DS/Libero (MVSA Sparks) debut ranking 25 – Last year Kareena Rathnam Kareena Rathnam 5'3" | DS/L Winston Churchill | 2025 State VA ranked as one of the top liberos in the Chesapeake Region and got her team into the Junior Nationals. Sherry has been showing a lot of consistency playing back row so sharing the libero spot light with Kareena has been a common occurrence for the Sparks. Both play the position well. Sherry may be a more consistent passer than Kareena and executes a dolphin dive that you normally see in a men’s game. She also brings quickness to the back row with fluid movements from her base to her defensive position to always be in the right spot to make the play.
Ava Dickerson Middle (Blue Ridge) debut ranking 26 – Ava does not worry about the quicks. Set her a “two” in the middle and she will find a way to put the ball to the floor. She hits outside and middle for her high school Warren County where she won All Area for her region. She also made the second team Class 3 All State. Ava is difficult to defend because she can hit the ball with power to both the left and right side of the courts. Blockers seem to have trouble reading her swing.
Jordyn Palazzo Jordyn Palazzo 5'11" | OH Watkins Mill | 2025 State VA left side (MVSA Sparks) debut ranking 29 – The Sparks are one of the top teams in the Chesapeake area for this age group. Jordyn plays left side opposite Emma Djordjevic, ranked number four for the class of 2025. Montgomery County voted Jordyn honorable mention to their All County team. At 5’11” she brings some height to the position. Sometimes too many eyes are focused on the whereabouts of Emma and do not realize that Jordyn can do some damage with her missile like kills in the front row.
Ivey Lucas Ivey Lucas 5'7" | S Poquoson | 2025 State VA setter (Beach Elite) debut ranking 31 – She stands just 5’6″ but she runs the offense well for Beach Elite. She can also play defensive specialist. but was the starting setter for her high school team Poquoson as a sophomore. The defensive opportunities will have to wait. Beach Elite will be playing in the National Division of the Junior Nationals. Ivey remains a critical piece to that continued success.
Corinne Howard Corinne Howard 5'11" | MB Richard Montgomery | 2025 State VA Middle (MVSA Sparks) debut ranking 33 – The 5’11 Corinne was first noticed a little last year at a local tournament and again at Junior Nationals. What impressed was her ability to dominate a game, whether playing middle or outside. She played in a Maryland Jrs. tournament earlier this year and proved to be a force in the middle. She can be a dominant player on the volleyball court when she is not playing on the basketball court and dunking balls through the hoop. Nursing an injury has prevented her from returning to the volleyball court since that early tournament. Hopefully, she will be able to return to the team in time for Junior Nationals in Chicago when they play in the American Division. MVSA ranks as one of the top five clubs in the Chesapeake Region without Corinne, but they would be better with her athleticism dominating the middle.
Caroline Kaye Caroline Kaye 6'1" | MB Richard Montgomery | 2025 State VA Middle (MVSA Sparks) debut ranking 47 – At 6’1″ she covers a lot of area blocking middle. She is also the fourth MVSA Sparks player added to the rankings. Another multi sport athlete who dabbles a bit in the high jump. That gives her an impressive vertical jump that is listed at 27″. The vertical helps her hit balls over blocks in the middle. A dedicated athlete who also worked an internship as a Congressional staffer. A service academy might take a liking to her athletic skills combined with her overall early educational skills.
Alena Smith Alena Smith 5'8" | OH Dominion | 2025 State VA outside (VAVA) debut ranking 55 – A smaller outside at 5’8″ who can put the ball down hitting both cross court and line. She seems especially adept at hitting balls off the block when turning to go line and breaks out the roll shot to keep defenses guessing. Alena was one of the many sophomore players who gave Dominion a run for the State playoffs last year.
Emily Ryder Emily Ryder 5'10" | RS Smithsburg | 2025 State VA right side (Liberty Elite) debut ranking 58 – The 5’10” right side was one of the go to players when Liberty Elite was looking for a kill. Her left handed swing fits the right side acting like a whip as it is brought through the zone to hit the ball hard to the floor. Emily also brings some height to the position to block the opposing left side hitters.
Other players new to the rankings
Caroline Lang Caroline Lang 6'3" | MB St. Annes-Balfield | 2025 State VA middle (Richmond VBC) debut ranking 59
Iris Duan Iris Duan 5'10" | S Poolesville | 2025 State VA setter (MVSA Sparks) debut ranking 60
Chloe Fisher Chloe Fisher 5'8" | S Smithsburg | 2025 State VA setter (Liberty) debut ranking 63
Meagan Johnson Meagan Johnson 5'4" | DS/L Liberty Christian Academy | 2025 State VA DS/Libero (HOV 17) debut ranking 64
Anne Fielding Croft Anne Fielding Croft 5'9" | S St. Catherine's | 2025 State VA setter (Richmond VBC) debut ranking 65
Katie Tomaszewski Katie Tomaszewski 5'4" | S Northwest | 2025 State VA setter (MVSA Sparks) debut ranking 70
Claudia Balfour Claudia Balfour 6'0" | RS Northwest | 2025 State VA right side (MVSA Sparks) debut ranking 74
Josephine Eliot Josephine Eliot 5'10" | MB Frederick | 2025 VA middle (Metro North) debut ranking 87
Highlights
Daisy Pentorn Daisy Pentorn 5'9" | S Arundel | 2025 State VA setter (Virginia Jrs) debut ranking 89
Reagan MacDougall Reagan MacDougall 5'11" | MB Atlee | 2025 State VA middle (Richmond VBC) debut ranking 91
Highlights
Maya Tillman Maya Tillman 5'11" | MB North Stafford | 2025 State VA middle (Virginia Jrs) debut ranking 99
Ava Hinnant Ava Hinnant 6'0" | MB Urbana | 2025 State VA middle (Liberty Elite) debut ranking 100
Gabrielle Hines Gabrielle Hines 5'9" | OH Maggie Walker | 2025 State VA outside (Richmond VBC) debut ranking 115
Shiraz Benyoucef Shiraz Benyoucef 5'8" | DS/L Georgetown Day | 2025 State VA outside (Virginia Elite) debut ranking 117
Nora Gabbay Nora Gabbay 5'7" | DS/L Yorktown | 2025 VA DS/Libero (Virginia Elite) debut ranking 118
Caylee Walsh Caylee Walsh 5'4" | DS/L Sherando | 2025 VA DS/Libero (Blue Ridge) debut ranking 119
Bailey Burton Bailey Burton 5'5" | DS/L Saint Gertrude | 2025 VA DS/Libero (Richmond VBC) debut ranking 120