The Class of 2023 DMV All Prospect Team

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The USAV Junior Nationals for 18s is complete. Time to recognize the players who shined during the club season in 2023. Most of those named on the first team play for Metro and Paramount. Those two teams qualified for the Open Division and are clearly deserving of the recognition. It will be one of the last articles we write about the players from the class of 2023. We bid them the best of times in their college pursuits. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Club player of the year (2023): <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181098' first='Grace' last='Maria']</strong> (Paramount) - Last year Paramount earned a spot in the gold bracket of the National Division. This year they did one step better, qualifying for the gold bracket in the Open Division. One of the biggest additions to the team was <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181098' first='Grace' last='Maria']</strong>, who provided explosive offense to the left side. It also allowed <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181201' first='Hannah' last='Howard']</strong>, who hit left side for Paramount last year to move to libero. For the most part the two combined to form a two person serve receive. Their precision passing allowed Paramount to finish fifth in the Open Division, which may be the highest finish ever for a team in the Chesapeake Region. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Left Sides - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181098' first='Grace' last='Maria'] </strong>(Paramount/Connecticut), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181097' first='Safi' last='Hampton']</strong> (Metro/North Carolina) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='238859' first='Sydney' last='Bryant']</strong> (Metro/Maryland)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Setters - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181178' first='Milan' last='Rex']</strong> (Paramount/UC Santa Barbara), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181179' first='Chloe' last='Wilmot']</strong> (Paramount/Duquesne)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Middles - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181185' first='Brielle' last='Kemavor'] </strong>(Metro/BYU), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181183' first='Pam' last='McCune']</strong> (Metro/Iowa State), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209180' first='Jasmine' last='Okeoma']</strong> (Virginia Juniors/Auburn)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Libero/Defensive Specialist - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181201' first='Hannah' last='Howard'] </strong>(Paramount/UMBC), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='111508' first='Haley' last='Gill']</strong> (Paramount/Holy Cross)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Right Side - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181205' first='Helen' last='Frankovich'] </strong>(Paramount/UMBC), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='233484' first='Aulie' last='Huff'] </strong>(Beach Elite/East Carolina)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The challenge for a coach with this roster is finding playing time for deserving players. The left sides are premium passers so a defensive specialist would have a hard time finding playing time with this group. You also sacrifice the offense you would get from the back row attack but people forget <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181201' first='Hannah' last='Howard'] </strong>won a Gatorade player of the year award two years ago as an outside hitter. Two right sides could be redundant with the ability of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181178' first='Milan' last='Rex']</strong> to hit there. She won a Gatorade Player of the Year award as an outside hitter last year. We named [player_tooltip player_id='233484' first='Aulie' last='Huff'] to the roster because of her left handed swing. The middles bring height and great athletic ability at the net. You can mix and match that trio and not lose a lot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Second Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["181563"],"_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-645bbd37e87f2"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Left Sides - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231671' first='Morgan' last='Crawford']</strong> (Richmond VBC/Loyola Maryland), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='248621' first='Tatum' last='Evans'] </strong>(Richmond VBC/Virginia Tech), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181102' first='Rylah' last='Robinson']</strong> (Paramount/Rider)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Setter - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231633' first='Alexis' last='Scipione']</strong> (Club 540/Richard Bland), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='245596' first='Alden' last='Roberts']</strong> (Beach Elite/New York University), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181196' first='Arleigh' last='Hanson']</strong> (Metro/Navy)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Middle - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='246319' first='Brianna' last='Ellis'] </strong>(Club 540/Norfolk State), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='309029' first='Prinzez' last='Zeck']</strong> (Vienna Elite/Uncommitted)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Libero/DS - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181208' first='Gabby' last='Allen']</strong> (Metro/Howard),<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='209185' first='Carly' last='Zimmet']</strong> (Paramount/Rider)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Right Sides - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='338971' first='Francis' last='Torres-Esperanza']</strong> (Metro/Colgate), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181563' first='Emma' last='Kerwin']</strong> (DYS Thunder/Millersville)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A little concerned with only two middles, especially when the roster carries three setters. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='248621' first='Tatum' last='Evans']</strong> or <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181563' first='Emma' last='Kerwin'] </strong>have the height to fill in at the middle in an emergency capacity. Of all the players on the two rosters <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='309029' first='Prinzez' last='Zeck'] </strong>is the only player lacking a college commitment. Obviously, the roster lacks the star power of the first team, but the talent remains strong.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->