My Top Liberos Who are Fun to Watch
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Passing may be one of the most difficult skills to learn. Those who master this skill often get overlooked. What sticks in your thoughts the most is the last touch of the rally. The spike that brings the cheers and…
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Continue ReadingPassing may be one of the most difficult skills to learn. Those who master this skill often get overlooked. What sticks in your thoughts the most is the last touch of the rally. The spike that brings the cheers and earns the point. Our memories forget the pass or dig that created the kill. Below, the liberos who make the pins look good.
Mailinh Godschall Mailinh Godschall 5'7" | DS/L Centennial (MD) | 2024 State #183 Nation VA 2024 (Metro) – What a lot of people do not know about her is she led her high school team Centennial in kills. At 5’7″ clearly her future sits at the libero position. That is the position she plays for Metro. Defensively, she always seems to be in the right spot to make a dig. Her passing and serving also contribute to Metros standing as one of the top clubs in the country. Mailinh has committed to Duke.
Kayla Foley Kayla Foley 5'5" | DS/L First Colonial | 2024 State VA 2024 (Beach Elite) – The first time I watched her play was in the finals of the Class 5 State championships against Midlothian. First Colonial came up short but Kayla impressed with her precision passing. She also played solid defense on the floor. Those skills for the position were enhanced by her attendance at Michigan State volleyball camps. Eventually she earned first team All Tidewater as a libero with a 2.33 passer rating. Not a surprise the Spartans liked what they saw. Kayla has committed to Michaigan State.
Highlights
Natalia PeBenito Natalia PeBenito 5'7" | DS/L Good Counsel | 2024 State VA 2024 (Columbia Acadamy) – One of the top liberos in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC). In fact, the only libero voted to the first team. She hustles for every ball, playing with a quiet intensity. Her libero play earned Columbia Academy an at large bid to the Junior Nationals in Chicago. Unfortunately, they were unable to attend because of scheduling conflicts. Natalia brings leadership to the court, a good attribute to possess with a commitment to Navy.
Highlights
Caleigh Ponn Caleigh Ponn 5'6" | DS/L Hidden Valley | 2025 State #83 Nation VA 2025 (NC Academy Diamond) – Not only did Caleigh lead her team in kills, she also finished second in the state of Virginia with 687. Her high school Hidden Valley ultimately lost in the finals of the Class 2 Virginia State Championships, their only loss of the season. She commutes to North Carolina to play volleyball for the more competitive style of play. One aspect you have to like in her play is her passion for the game. She never gives anything less than 100 percent.
Emma White Emma White 5'6" | DS/L Legacy Christian Academy | 2025 State VA 2025 (Blue Ridge 17) – Blue Ridge is known for their beach program. Emma stands out as one of their top beach players. Perhaps that explains her ability to pass and play defense. She brings her skills from the sand and applies them to the hard court. She also brings a little personality to the game. Blue Ridge has qualified to compete in Junior Nationals at the National Division after winning the Chesapeake Qualifiers. Emma plays up for the Blue Ridge 17 team.
Sadee Gedse Sadee Gedse 5'6" | DS/L Oakton | 2025 State VA 2025 (Paramount) – At the start of the season for Oakton she played defensive specialist. Before the season ended she earned the libero spot. She plays club for Paramount. Her play at libero earned them a qualifying bid for the USA Division. At the Chesapeake Qualifiers they fell short of bumping up to Nationals, losing to Metro in the finals. Sadee brings a lot of range to the court for coverage in passing and on defense. Another player who enhances her overall game playing in the sand.
Kareena Rathnam Kareena Rathnam 5'3" | DS/L Winston Churchill | 2025 State VA 2025 (MVSA Sparks) – Love her attitude on the court. She stays calm no matter the situation. Her passing at this point may be better than her positioning on defense. That will get better with time. Last year she played libero for Sparks. This year she shared the libero position with Sherry Ye Sherry Ye 5'3" | DS/L Winston Churchill | 2025 State VA . Both are quality performers in the back row. Sparks will play in the Freedom Division at the Junior Nationals in Chicago.
Sherry Ye Sherry Ye 5'3" | DS/L Winston Churchill | 2025 State VA 2025 (MVSA Sparks) – Her defense is exceptional. Her arm strength gives her the ability to perform a dolphin dive. Don’t be surprised to see her flying in the air to scoop a tip up before it hits the floor. She earned time in the libero spot with her consistent play. Having both Kareena and Sherry in the back row certainly improves the passing and defensive ability of the Sparks.
Brenna Corbin Brenna Corbin 5'5" | DS/L James Wood | 2026 State VA 2026 (Blue Ridge 16) – Another player who brings her beach skills to the indoor game. She hit outside for Class 4 Virginia State Champion James Wood, ranking second on the team in kills. She relies more on shots than velocity to get those kills. For Blue Ridge she plays libero and her quickness gives her a lot of range on the court. She plays up with the 16s. They will be competing in the American Division at Junior Nationals.
Evie Huang Evie Huang 5'6" | DS/L Flint Hill | 2026 State VA 2026 (Metro) – Evie also plays up with the 16 and under crew at Metro. Additionally, she earned the starting libero position at Flint Hill as a frosh, defeating a number of juniors who were vying for the position. Her excellent passing and defense catapulted Flint Hill to the VISAA State Championships for the fifth consecutive year. She handles the pressure well, always giving a calm presence on the court. Metro will be playing in the National Division at the Junior Nationals.
Alexa Smith Alexa Smith 5'7" | DS/L Hedgesville | 2026 State VA 2026 (Liberty Elite) – You can watch players on the court and easily identify those who want to be good. While her teammates are hitting missiles during warmups before games Alexa squares up on the other side of the net trying to dig those missiles. Liberty qualified for the Freedom Division in Junior Nationals.
Highlights
Giselle Norris Giselle Norris 5'6" | DS/L Millbrook | 2026 State VA 2026 (Metro) – You will find it hard to identify a player who has more enthusiasm for the game of volleyball. She earned a starting libero spot for Millbrook High as a frosh, which won the Northwestern conference, finishing ahead of eventual state champion James Wood. Clearly, she does everything she can to become a better volleyball player. She will be showing off her skills for Metro in the Open Division of Junior Nationals.
Highlights
Laila Chadwick Laila Chadwick 5'8" | DS/L James Madison | 2027 State VA 2027 (Metro) – She hit outside for Metro last year. This year Metro is covered at the pins so they moved Laila to the libero spot. She took to it quickly. A very athletic player who makes playing the position look so effortless. Moves quickly in the back row allowig her to cover a lot of court on defense. Laila plays up for Metro 15 and will be playing in the Open Division at Junior Nationals in Chicago..
Other liberos I enjoyed watching play this year.
Sydney Pham Sydney Pham 5'3" | DS/L Madison | 2024 State VA 2024 (Vienna Elite)
Amelia Tomlinson Amelia Tomlinson 5'8" | DS/L Western Albemarle | 2024 State VA 2024 (Richmond Volleyball Club)
Paula Sigurani Paula Sigurani 5'4" | DS/L Colgan | 2024 State VA 2024 (Paramount)
Tournament Results: MVSA Charge took first place in the AAU Beachfest. Their biggest match was in the semifinals against BAVA 16 Breakers. That game went three sets with MVSA Charge winning the third set 16-14. Eden Tardy Eden Tardy 5'10" | OH Quince Orchard | 2026 State VA and Raegan Lentz Raegan Lentz 6'0" | MB Whitman | 2026 State VA led the Force lineup… American 15 dominated their competition in a local Vienna Elite tournament. They swept through their five matches, not giving up more than 17 points. American is led by 6’2′ middle Sydney Bennett Sydney Bennett 6'2" | MB Patriot | 2026 State VA . She clearly was the most dominant player in the tournament. Another player who shined was Natalie Carlton, who put some heat on the ball from the left side…A couple 2027s who impressed at a local Vienna Elite tournament in Winchester were left side Riley Patterson Riley Patterson OH Osbourne Park | 2027 State VA and libero Ferris Brown Ferris Brown DS/L VA , both of whom played for Battle. Riley has a fast arm swing that puts some zip on the ball as it travels over the net. Ferris passes and digs her balls with good height, accumulating a number of “3” ratings with her passing….The Libero Huskies had a 2028 setter Iris Jin, who ran a 5/1 and was named team captain. They finished second in the tournament. Shenandoah Surge won the tournament, but we did not see them play.