Top Uncommitted Prospects for East Coast Championships

For many local clubs the East Coast Championships in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the last tournament before AAUs or USAV Nationals. For others it is the last tournament of the travel season period. These are some of the top uncommitted prospects from the classes of 2024 and 2025 whose teams will be playing in this tournament. Beginning June 15th colleges can start formally communicating with the class of 2025. We also included some 2026 names that need to be watched.   Division I colleges are in a quiet period during this time. They will have to wait until the AAUs or the USAV Nationals to follow some of these athletes.   MVSA Starz   This will be a tune-up for them. They are scheduled to play in AAUs at the Premier level. When you watch libero [player_tooltip player_id='352786' first='Casey' last='Bradley'] play you can sense her love for the game. She plays hard and manages the position well. Sometimes half the battle is finding the girls who really want to play. That will not be a problem with Casey. She ranks as the 10th best libero in the class of 2024.   At 5'11" [player_tooltip player_id='352784' first='Christina' last='Lockett'] falls a bit short of what coaches look for in middles. She does have the ability to hit the ball hard, runs the quicks well and has good arm extension to make up for that lack of height. Her vertical also looks pretty good. Christina also grabs a 10th spot ranking for middles in the class of 2024.   Maryland Juniors   Maryland Juniors qualified to play in the American Division of Junior Nationals. [player_tooltip player_id='309025' first='Payton' last='Swinton'] brings the offense for Juniors with her powerful lefthanded swing, perfect for the right side. Because Juniors runs a 5/1 she also plays all six rotations allowing that left handed howitzer to fire lasers from the back row. She stands 5'10" with a good vertical.   Columbia Red   [player_tooltip player_id='235746' first='MacKenzie' last='Calhoun'] runs a 5/1 for the Columbia offense. She ranks fourth among the setters of 2024. Two of those setters ahead of her have already committed. At 5'9" she brings a good vertical to hammer the ball when in the front row. MacKenzie runs an offense well using the jump set to draw the middle blockers up. She also fires bullets when she serves. Columbia will play in AAUs at the Premier level.   Vienna Elite Blue   Another team scheduled to play at the Premier Division in AAUs. The two players to watch on this team are left side [player_tooltip player_id='209789' first='Seliz' last='Aktuglu'] and libero [player_tooltip player_id='209800' first='Sydney' last='Pham']. At 5'9" Seliz may lack the height to play outside at a Division I school, but she hits the ball hard, uses the block well, and can play all six rotations. A solid player with a strong serve to add to her repertoire. Sydney plays a solid libero, earning second team honors for Class 6 State. She ranks as the fourth highest libero in the class of 2024. The top three have already committed. That would make her next in line.   American    American will be playing in the Club Division at AAUs. [player_tooltip player_id='235276' first='Taelin' last='Connolley'] is the highest ranked player on the team. She hits outside, stands only 5'6" but is a battler. Perhaps her height will prevent her from playing Division I but a Division III school might want to take a look at her. A solid all around player.   540 VB    This team has two middles worth taking a look at. First, [player_tooltip player_id='233560' first='Carley' last='P Coghill'], who brings a strong serve to the game. She is also athletic and quick with a good attitude on the court. The other is 6'2" middle [player_tooltip player_id='309022' first='Peri' last='Linterman'], who belongs to the class of 2025 but plays up. She runs the quicks well and ranks number three for middles in the class of 2025. Definitely a player teams want to take a look at. They will be playing AAUs in the Club Division.   DMV Elite   [player_tooltip player_id='238098' first='Ankita' last='Kamath'] sets a 5'1" for DMV Elite. At 5'6" she can be a liability in the front row, but her sets are so accurate the team feels they can earn more points with her setting in all six rotations. A very cerebral setter who knows her hitters. [player_tooltip player_id='242126' first='Isha' last='Uppalli'] passes dimes consistently and also plays a scrambling defense. She ranked as one of the biggest risers in the class of 2024, moving from 96 to 51. DMV will be playing in AAUs in the Premier Division.   Below are some players from the class of 2025, except for [player_tooltip player_id='309022' first='Peri' last='Linterman'] above, who is playing up for 540 VB.   MVSA Sparks    This Sparks team carries a lot of talent. They will be playing in the American Division at Junior Nationals in Chicago. The best of this group is [player_tooltip player_id='235748' first='Ema' last='Djordjevic'], a 6'0" lefthander who plays left side. Her best position may be right side, but because MVSA rotates their setters out she plays left side to be used in all six rotations. Sometimes she moves to the right side to hit. She also hits back row and is used as one of the primary passers. She ranks number four in the class of 2025 and has participated in four USA National Team Development Programs (NTDP). A great teammate to have on the court.   Virginia Volleyball Academy Blue    VAVA will play in the 16 Premier Division in AAUs. They have two strong setters in [player_tooltip player_id='238857' first='Julie' last='Xu'] and [player_tooltip player_id='242039' first='Michelle' last='Kim']. Julie belongs to the Class of 2026. Michelle at 5'8" plays right side in high school. She has added setting to her skills and has really improved at that position. The location of her sets is more consistent, and she works the offense well. She was one of the biggest climbers for the class of 2025, moving from number 70 to 39.   Loudoun Elite   [player_tooltip player_id='240025' first='Abigail' last='Vasak'] ranks number 10 for the middles in the class of 2025. She brings a good block to the court. Loudoun Elite will play in the Club Division of AAUs.   Finally, if you wish to gaze into the crystal ball at some of the impact players in the future below are some of the rising stars from the class of 2026 to take a peek at.   MVSA Charge    Left side [player_tooltip player_id='322107' first='Eden' last='Tardy'] and middle [player_tooltip player_id='325599' first='Raegan' last='Lentz'] provide the bulk of the offense for the Charge. At 6'0" Raegan (number 23 pictured above) jumped to the number one middle in this class because of her consistency in putting the ball to the floor. The 5'10" Eden (number 7 pictured above) also makes the top ten for the class of 2026, as well as number five for the pin hitters in a very talented class. She brings strength to put good velocity on her kills and has a burning commitment to the game. Both exude confidence when on the court. They will be playing in the American Division at Junior Nationals.   Liberty Elite    The 6'2" [player_tooltip player_id='325603' first='Parker' last='Sutherland'] ranks second in the class of 2025 for the middles. She moves from pin to pin well, putting up some penetrating blocks. More importantly, she brings a loose and relaxed attitude to the court. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='325602' first='Alexa' last='Smith'] gives the team the sweet passes it needs to run the quicks and take advantage of a 6'2" middle. Both players are teammates at Hedgesville High. Liberty Elite will play in the Freedom Division at Junior Nationals.   American   This class of 2026 brings out some of the better middles. The 6'1" [player_tooltip player_id='238850' first='Sydney' last='Bennett'] runs the quicks well and also covers a significant area of the court with her blocks. [player_tooltip player_id='394612' first='Natalie' last='Carlton'] is not rated in my class of 2026 but the left side can put some velocity on the ball. Definitely a player to be watched. American will be showcasing their talent at AAUs in the club Division.

For many local clubs the East Coast Championships in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the last tournament before AAUs or USAV Nationals. For others it is the last tournament of the travel season period. These are some of the top uncommitted prospects from the classes of 2024 and 2025 whose teams will be playing in this tournament. Beginning June 15th colleges can start formally communicating with the class of 2025. We also included some 2026 names that need to be watched.

Division I colleges are in a quiet period during this time. They will have to wait until the AAUs or the USAV Nationals to follow some of these athletes.

MVSA Starz

This will be a tune-up for them. They are scheduled to play in AAUs at the Premier level. When you watch libero Cassandra Bradley Cassandra Bradley 5'6" | DS/L Richard Montgomery | 2024 State VA play you can sense her love for the game. She plays hard and manages the position well. Sometimes half the battle is finding the girls who really want to play. That will not be a problem with Casey. She ranks as the 10th best libero in the class of 2024.

At 5'11" Christina Lockett Christina Lockett 5'11" | MB Tuscarora | 2024 State VA falls a bit short of what coaches look for in middles. She does have the ability to hit the ball hard, runs the quicks well and has good arm extension to make up for that lack of height. Her vertical also looks pretty good. Christina also grabs a 10th spot ranking for middles in the class of 2024.

Maryland Juniors

Maryland Juniors qualified to play in the American Division of Junior Nationals. Payton Swinton Payton Swinton 5'10" | RS Arundel | 2024 State VA brings the offense for Juniors with her powerful lefthanded swing, perfect for the right side. Because Juniors runs a 5/1 she also plays all six rotations allowing that left handed howitzer to fire lasers from the back row. She stands 5'10" with a good vertical.

Columbia Red

MacKenzie Calhoun MacKenzie Calhoun 5'10" | S River Hill | 2024 State VA runs a 5/1 for the Columbia offense. She ranks fourth among the setters of 2024. Two of those setters ahead of her have already committed. At 5'9" she brings a good vertical to hammer the ball when in the front row. MacKenzie runs an offense well using the jump set to draw the middle blockers up. She also fires bullets when she serves. Columbia will play in AAUs at the Premier level.

Vienna Elite Blue

Another team scheduled to play at the Premier Division in AAUs. The two players to watch on this team are left side Seliz Aktuglu Seliz Aktuglu 5'9" | OH Oakton | 2024 State VA and libero Sydney Pham Sydney Pham 5'3" | DS/L Madison | 2024 State VA . At 5'9" Seliz may lack the height to play outside at a Division I school, but she hits the ball hard, uses the block well, and can play all six rotations. A solid player with a strong serve to add to her repertoire. Sydney plays a solid libero, earning second team honors for Class 6 State. She ranks as the fourth highest libero in the class of 2024. The top three have already committed. That would make her next in line.

American

Taelin Connolley

HEIGHT 5'7"

POS OH

CLASS 2024

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Taelin Connolley

State: Virginia

School: Battlefield

Club: American Volleyball Club

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Highlights

American will be playing in the Club Division at AAUs. Taelin Connolley Taelin Connolley 5'7" | OH Battlefield | 2024 State VA is the highest ranked player on the team. She hits outside, stands only 5'6" but is a battler. Perhaps her height will prevent her from playing Division I but a Division III school might want to take a look at her. A solid all around player.

540 VB

Carley P Coghill

HEIGHT 5'10"

POS MB

CLASS 2024

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Carley P Coghill

State: Virginia

School: Massaponax

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This team has two middles worth taking a look at. First, Carley P Coghill Carley P Coghill 5'10" | MB Massaponax | 2024 State VA , who brings a strong serve to the game. She is also athletic and quick with a good attitude on the court. The other is 6'2" middle Peri Linterman Peri Linterman 6'3" | MB Riverbend | 2025 State VA , who belongs to the class of 2025 but plays up. She runs the quicks well and ranks number three for middles in the class of 2025. Definitely a player teams want to take a look at. They will be playing AAUs in the Club Division.

DMV Elite

Ankita Kamath Ankita Kamath 5'6" | S Rock Ridge | 2024 State VA sets a 5'1" for DMV Elite. At 5'6" she can be a liability in the front row, but her sets are so accurate the team feels they can earn more points with her setting in all six rotations. A very cerebral setter who knows her hitters. Isha Uppalli Isha Uppalli 5'5" | DS/L Rock Ridge | 2024 State VA passes dimes consistently and also plays a scrambling defense. She ranked as one of the biggest risers in the class of 2024, moving from 96 to 51. DMV will be playing in AAUs in the Premier Division.

Below are some players from the class of 2025, except for Peri Linterman Peri Linterman 6'3" | MB Riverbend | 2025 State VA above, who is playing up for 540 VB.

MVSA Sparks

Ema Djordjevic

VA #6

RS/S #1

HEIGHT 6'0"

POS RS/S

CLASS 2025

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Ema Djordjevic

State: Virginia

School: Richard Montgomery

Highlights

This Sparks team carries a lot of talent. They will be playing in the American Division at Junior Nationals in Chicago. The best of this group is Ema Djordjevic Ema Djordjevic 6'0" | RS/S Richard Montgomery | 2025 State VA , a 6'0" lefthander who plays left side. Her best position may be right side, but because MVSA rotates their setters out she plays left side to be used in all six rotations. Sometimes she moves to the right side to hit. She also hits back row and is used as one of the primary passers. She ranks number four in the class of 2025 and has participated in four USA National Team Development Programs (NTDP). A great teammate to have on the court.

Virginia Volleyball Academy Blue

Julie Xu

HEIGHT 5'11"

POS S

CLASS 2026

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Julie Xu

State: Virginia

School: Oakton

Club: DMV Elite

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VAVA will play in the 16 Premier Division in AAUs. They have two strong setters in Julie Xu Julie Xu 5'11" | S Oakton | 2026 State VA and Michelle Kim Michelle Kim 5'8" | S Rock Ridge | 2025 State VA . Julie belongs to the Class of 2026. Michelle at 5'8" plays right side in high school. She has added setting to her skills and has really improved at that position. The location of her sets is more consistent, and she works the offense well. She was one of the biggest climbers for the class of 2025, moving from number 70 to 39.

Loudoun Elite

Abigail Vasak Abigail Vasak MB Dominion | 2025 State VA ranks number 10 for the middles in the class of 2025. She brings a good block to the court. Loudoun Elite will play in the Club Division of AAUs.

Finally, if you wish to gaze into the crystal ball at some of the impact players in the future below are some of the rising stars from the class of 2026 to take a peek at.

MVSA Charge

Raegan Lentz

HEIGHT 6'1"

POS MB

CLASS 2026

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Raegan Lentz

State: Maryland

School: Walt Whitman

Club: Paramount

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Left side Eden Tardy Eden Tardy 5'10" | OH/DS/L Quince Orchard | 2026 State VA and middle Raegan Lentz Raegan Lentz 6'0" | MB Whitman | 2026 State VA provide the bulk of the offense for the Charge. At 6'0" Raegan (number 23 pictured above) jumped to the number one middle in this class because of her consistency in putting the ball to the floor. The 5'10" Eden (number 7 pictured above) also makes the top ten for the class of 2026, as well as number five for the pin hitters in a very talented class. She brings strength to put good velocity on her kills and has a burning commitment to the game. Both exude confidence when on the court. They will be playing in the American Division at Junior Nationals.

Liberty Elite

Parker Sutherland

MB/OH

HEIGHT 6'3"

POS MB/OH

CLASS 2026

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Parker Sutherland

State: Virginia

School: Hedgesville

Club: Blue Ridge

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The 6'2" Parker Sutherland Parker Sutherland 6'3" | MB/OH Hedgesville | 2026 State VA ranks second in the class of 2025 for the middles. She moves from pin to pin well, putting up some penetrating blocks. More importantly, she brings a loose and relaxed attitude to the court. Libero Alexa Smith Alexa Smith 5'7" | DS/L Hedgesville | 2026 State VA gives the team the sweet passes it needs to run the quicks and take advantage of a 6'2" middle. Both players are teammates at Hedgesville High. Liberty Elite will play in the Freedom Division at Junior Nationals.

American

This class of 2026 brings out some of the better middles. The 6'1" Sydney Bennett Sydney Bennett 6'2" | MB Patriot | 2026 State VA runs the quicks well and also covers a significant area of the court with her blocks. Natalie Carlton Natalie Carlton 5'8" | OH Patriot | 2026 VA is not rated in my class of 2026 but the left side can put some velocity on the ball. Definitely a player to be watched. American will be showcasing their talent at AAUs in the club Division.