The Class of 2023 DMV All Prospect Team
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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…
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Continue ReadingThe 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.
First team
Club player of the year (2023): Grace Maria Grace Maria 6'2" | OH Bishop O'Connell | 2023 State #150 Nation VA (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 Grace Maria Grace Maria 6'2" | OH Bishop O'Connell | 2023 State #150 Nation VA , who provided explosive offense to the left side. It also allowed Hannah Howard Hannah Howard 5'8" | DS/L Musselman (WVA) | 2023 State VA , 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.
Left Sides – Grace Maria Grace Maria 6'2" | OH Bishop O'Connell | 2023 State #150 Nation VA (Paramount/Connecticut), Safi Hampton Safi Hampton 6'1" | OH Hammond (MD) | 2023 State #34 Nation VA (Metro/North Carolina) and Sydney Bryant Sydney Bryant 5'8" | S Virginia Academy | 2026 State VA (Metro/Maryland)
Setters – Milan Rex Milan Rex 5'11" | S Alexandria City | 2023 State #147 Nation VA (Paramount/UC Santa Barbara), Chloe Wilmot Chloe Wilmot 5'9" | S Alexandria City | 2023 State VA (Paramount/Duquesne)
Middles – Brielle Kemavor Brielle Kemavor 6'5" | MB Charles J. Colgan | 2023 State #148 Nation VA (Metro/BYU), Pam McCune Pam McCune 6'2" | MB St. Johns | 2023 State #186 Nation VA (Metro/Iowa State), Jasmine Okeoma Jasmine Okeoma 6'3" | MB Forest Park | 2023 State VA (Virginia Juniors/Auburn)
Libero/Defensive Specialist – Hannah Howard Hannah Howard 5'8" | DS/L Musselman (WVA) | 2023 State VA (Paramount/UMBC), Haley Gill Haley Gill 5'7" | DS/L Dominion | 2023 State #197 Nation VA (Paramount/Holy Cross)
Right Side – Helen Frankovich Helen Frankovich 6'3" | RS Justice | 2023 State VA (Paramount/UMBC), Aulie Huff Aulie Huff 6'1" | RS Kings Fork | 2023 State VA (Beach Elite/East Carolina)
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 Hannah Howard Hannah Howard 5'8" | DS/L Musselman (WVA) | 2023 State VA 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 Milan Rex Milan Rex 5'11" | S Alexandria City | 2023 State #147 Nation VA to hit there. She won a Gatorade Player of the Year award as an outside hitter last year. We named Aulie Huff Aulie Huff 6'1" | RS Kings Fork | 2023 State VA 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.
Second Team
Left Sides – Morgan Crawford Morgan Crawford 5'10" | OH Atlee | 2023 State VA (Richmond VBC/Loyola Maryland), Tatum Evans Tatum Evans 6'1" | OH Midlothian | 2023 State VA (Richmond VBC/Virginia Tech), Rylah Robinson Rylah Robinson 5'10" | OH J. W. Robinson | 2023 State VA (Paramount/Rider)
Setter – Alexis Scipione Alexis Scipione 5'9" | S Colgan | 2023 State VA (Club 540/Richard Bland), Alden Roberts Alden Roberts 5'11" | S Norfolk Academy | 2023 State VA (Beach Elite/New York University), Arleigh Hanson Arleigh Hanson 6'0" | S West Potomac | 2023 State VA (Metro/Navy)
Middle – Brianna Ellis Brianna Ellis 6'1" | MB King George | 2023 State VA (Club 540/Norfolk State), Prinzez Zeck Prinzez Zeck 6'1" | MB Wheaton | 2023 State VA (Vienna Elite/Uncommitted)
Libero/DS – Gabby Allen Gabby Allen 5'6" | DS/L Reservoir (MD) | 2023 State VA (Metro/Howard), Carly Zimmet Carly Zimmet 5'4" | DS/L Loudoun Valley | 2023 State VA (Paramount/Rider)
Right Sides – Francis Torres-Esperanza Francis Torres-Esperanza 6'0" | RS Veritas Scholars Academy | 2023 State VA (Metro/Colgate), Emma Kerwin Emma Kerwin 6'1" | OH Freedom (South Riding) | 2023 State VA (DYS Thunder/Millersville)
A little concerned with only two middles, especially when the roster carries three setters. Tatum Evans Tatum Evans 6'1" | OH Midlothian | 2023 State VA or Emma Kerwin Emma Kerwin 6'1" | OH Freedom (South Riding) | 2023 State VA have the height to fill in at the middle in an emergency capacity. Of all the players on the two rosters Prinzez Zeck Prinzez Zeck 6'1" | MB Wheaton | 2023 State VA is the only player lacking a college commitment. Obviously, the roster lacks the star power of the first team, but the talent remains strong.