Top Players to Watch from 15U at Junior Nationals
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Perhaps I’m looking too much into this, but when I watch this class of 2026 they will be pretty special to watch develop. There is so much depth here, with at least difference makers named all the way up to…
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Continue ReadingPerhaps I’m looking too much into this, but when I watch this class of 2026 they will be pretty special to watch develop. There is so much depth here, with at least difference makers named all the way up to the top 20. Five of those players, Kennedy Spaid Kennedy Spaid 5'11" | OH James Wood | 2026 State VA and Brenna Corbin Brenna Corbin 5'5" | DS/L James Wood | 2026 State VA (Blue Ridge), Evie Huang Evie Huang 5'6" | DS/L Flint Hill | 2026 State VA (Metro), Claire Mo Claire Mo 5'10" | S Langley | 2026 State VA (Paramount) and Megan Phan Megan Phan 5'7" | S Bullis | 2026 State VA (Virginia Juniors) play up at the 16s. While Metro is the one team playing open, there are probably three other teams who could also compete at that level. Can’t wait to see how this all plays out.
Metro (Open)
General Info – They finished second to Paramount in the Chesapeake Regional Qualifiers. They won the Mid-Atlantic Power League in Hampton, which consisted of teams in the 14-16 age group. At the Sunshine Qualifier they placed 18th out of 32 teams but all their other tournaments they finished in the top five.
How They Qualified – Shortly after their disappointing loss to Paramount in the Chesapeake Regional Qualifier they took third in the Northeastern Qualifier to grab an Open bid. In order to accomplish that they had to beat Paramount to advance to the semifinals.
Players to Watch – The pins have impressive length for a 15 team. The best may be the smallest at 5’10, left side Caydence Doolan Caydence Doolan 5'11" | OH North Hagerstown | 2026 State VA . She creates a threat whether she attacks from the front row or back row. What is most impressive is the athleticism she brings to the court, showing the ability to pass and move quickly on defense. Her game is smooth and deadly while she reaches 9’8″ with her approach jump. Morgan Williams Morgan Williams 6'4" | OH Lake Braddock | 2026 State VA plays the other left side and stands 6’3″. Her game clearly shouts power. When she hits the ball it has extra zip to it as it strikes the floor.
The right side is crowded with the 6’2″ Emma Gardner Emma Gardner 6'3" | OH WT Woodson | 2026 State VA , 6’1 Nadiya Johnson Nadiya Johnson 6'2" | RS North Point | 2026 State VA and 6’1 Soleil Rancourt Soleil Rancourt 6'2" | OH Patriot | 2026 State VA all deserving playing time. Emma hit left side for her high school Woodson. She also won best blocker at D.C. Capitol Hill Classic. Nadiya reaches over 10 feet with her approach jump. Her game is just starting to develop. In high school Soleil earned second team honors in the Cedar District, the only frosh to make the first or second team. Her older sister Dryden won player of the year.
Metro carries two solid back row players on their roster. The first is class of 2027 Laila Chadwick Laila Chadwick 5'8" | DS/L James Madison | 2027 State VA . Laila stands 5’8″ and hit outside last year. It would not surprise me if she made her Madison high school team as a frosh hitting outside. Very athletic on the court and moves quickly to the ball. The second is Giselle Norris Giselle Norris 5'6" | DS/L Millbrook | 2026 State VA . It would be difficult to find a harder worker on the court or one who has so much enthusiasm for the game of volleyball. This work ethic can only make her better.
The setters Charis Burge Charis Burge 5'10" | S Bullis | 2026 State VA and Sydney Bryant Sydney Bryant 5'8" | S Virginia Academy | 2026 State VA both played for high school State champions as frosh. Charis with Urbana and Sydney for Flint Hill. At 5’10” Charis can also be used as a hitter on the right side. Last year Charis was listed at 5’6″. Both can distribute their sets to all areas of the court, using their middles for quicks and their back row for additional offense.
Finally, for their middles they can use any of their three right sides. Also available are Gabrielle Wigglesworth Gabrielle Wigglesworth 5'9" | MB Georgetown Day | 2026 State VA and class of 2025 Rowan Johnson Rowan Johnson 6'1" | MB Holy Cross (MD) | 2025 State MD . Listed at 5’9″ Gabrielle may be one of the smaller Metro front row players. Don’t let that size fool you. She can reach close to 10 foot with her approach jump, surprising opposing hitters with her range over the net. At 6’1″ Rowan brings the height to move from pin to pin, neutralizing large areas of the court.
Highlights
Paramount (National)
General Info – This team fell just short of qualifying for Open, finishing fifth in both the Northeast Qualifier and the Sunshine. They have finished in the top ten in almost every tournament they have played in, including a third place finish in the MAPL Hampton. Their only loss at Hampton was to Blue Ridge 15. They also lost to Metro in the Northeast Qualifier, eliminating an opportunity at earning an Open bid.
How They Qualified – They went undefeated in the Chesapeake Regional Qualifier, including a win in the finals against Metro.
Players to Watch – Like Metro, the outsides are their strength. They may lack the height of Metro, but they have the athleticism to compete. The 5’10 Charlotte Arrington Charlotte Arrington 5'10" | OH Loudoun County | 2026 State VA puts good velocity on her hits with a strong right arm. She reaches close to ten foot with her approach jump and plays six rotations. Opposite her swings the 5’10” Lindsey Canty Lindsey Canty 5'10" | OH North Stafford | 2026 State VA . She also puts the ball to the floor fast.
At 6’1″ Teodora Stamenkovic Teodora Stamenkovic 6'2" | MB Bishop O'Connell | 2026 State VA can hit right side or middle. She brings excellent arm extension and wrist snap to her game. She played middle as a frosh for Bishop O’Connell. The 5’11” Piper Xeller Piper Xeller 5'11" | RS Herndon | 2026 State VA also played middle for her high school Herndon. She plays right side for Paramount and brings solid blocking and strength to her game. Two class of 2025s, 5’11” Brianna Washington Brianna Washington 5'11" | MB Woodbridge | 2025 State VA and 5’10” Kaleigh Williams Kaleigh Williams 5'10" | MB Howard | 2025 State VA are also used in the middle. Brianna has the highest approach jump on the team at 9’10”.
The 5’9″ Avery Prendergast Avery Prendergast 5'9" | S St. Johns | 2025 State VA is another class of 2025. She set a 5/1 for her high school St. Johns. That could come into play when she sets for Paramount in Chicago.
Blue Ridge (American)
General Info – Blue Ridge has finished in the top five in almost every tournament they enter. The only qualifier they competed in was the Northeast, where they finished 9th out of 38 teams in the USA Division. Most of the girls who play for Blue Ridge turn to the sand as spring turns to summer. Blue Ridge has not really played in a major volleyball tournament since April.
How They Qualified – They finished fourth in the Chesapeake Regionals but got an at large bid to American based on their performance in a number of tournaments.
Players to Watch – Gracelyn Brown Gracelyn Brown 5'9" | OH Hedgesville | 2026 State VA and Skylar Norris Skylar Norris 5'9" | OH Williamsport | 2026 State VA are two solid left sides who can put the ball away. Gracelyn started as a frosh for one of the better high school teams in West Virginia (Hedgesville). She was second on the team in kills and stayed in the back row as a primary passer. Skylar also started for her high school team Williamsport as a frosh and at 5’9″ played both middle and outside. She led her team in blocking and finished third on her team in kills. The duo form a pleasant one/two punch from the left side.
Samantha Stephens Samantha Stephens 6'3" | RS Spring Mills | 2025 State VA belongs to the class of 2025 but bears watching. She stands 6’3″ and plays both middle and right side. She can be dominate at both positions but needs more repetitions with the higher sets. Tenley Mattison Tenley Mattison 5'10" | MB James Woods | 2026 State VA also plays middle. Despite her smaller frame she brings an imposing presence at the net.
Because Blue Ridge is noted for their beach program it makes it easy for them to develop good liberos. Alycia Miller Alycia Miller 5'3" | DS/L Musselman | 2026 State VA stands out as one of those steady liberos. She passes well, moves quickly on the hard court and knows where to play on defense.
Highlights
East Coast Power Shock (American)
General Info – Most of their teammates are playing in AAUs down in Orlando. East Coast shocked many be earning a bid in American, one of the toughest feats to accomplish based on the number of teams that compete in that division. They have had their struggles, including a 27th place finish out of 33 teams at the JVA Summerfest in the Open Division. But lots of talent on this roster and they could surprise.
How They Qualified – They beat out 108 teams to take a first place gold in the Northeast Qualifier American Division.
Players to Watch – The big gun on this team is their 5’10 left side Morgan Reeves Morgan Reeves 5'10" | OH St. Johns | 2026 State VA . Her back row play still needs some improvement, but her offense is so explosive they need her as an attacker there. When she rakes this team can be dangerous. Morgan starred as a frosh for St. Johns. Zoe Eyre Zoe Eyre 5'7" | OH Potomac | 2026 State VA is normally the other outside. She stands just 5’7″ but has the hops to make a difference in the front row.
East Coast has two setters who set for their high school team as frosh. Wynn Mendez Eaton Wynn Mendez Eaton 5'10" | S St. John's College | 2026 State VA was a teammate of Morgan at St. Johns and set a 5/1. At 5’9″ she can also be used as a right side. Casey Yuh Casey Yuh 5'4" | S Yorktown | 2026 State VA is their other setter. She set for Yorktown. At 5’3″ her setting duties are restricted to the back row.
Catherine Long Catherine Long 6'3" | MB Mclean | 2026 State VA stands 6’3″ and plays middle. She can dominate when playing the front row but still carries a bit of rawness in her game. Libero Livia Lee Livia Lee 5'3" | DS/L Woodson | 2026 State VA fills the court with her hustle and enthusiasm. She also brings a tough serve to the court.
MVSA Charge (American)
General Info – The one national qualifier they played in was the East Coast Qualifier, where they finished 13th out of 39 teams in the USA Division. They finished first in the East Coast championship and first in a 16 Open tournament (AAU Beachfest). They have also done well in Mid Atlantic Power League (MAPL) tournaments (9th and 13th) defeating a number of 16 teams in the process. This is another 15 team that could compete at the Open level if given an opportunity.
How They Qualified – They took third in the Chesapeake Regional Qualifier, but got bumped up when Metro received an Open bid.
Players to Watch – The two big players that churn this engine are middle Raegan Lentz Raegan Lentz 6'0" | MB Whitman | 2026 State VA and left side Eden Tardy Eden Tardy 5'10" | OH Quince Orchard | 2026 State VA . Raegan stands 6’0″ and ranks as our top middle in the class of 2026. She has a way to dominate a game with her blocking and her quick attacks in the middle that almost always hit the floor. Eden can play all six rotations, stands 5’10” and shows strength when hitting outside. She brings good velocity to her attacks.
The right sides Sydnee Peters Sydnee Peters 5'10" | RS Atholton | 2026 State VA and Fallon Gyapong Fallon Gyapong 5'9" | RS State VA attack well. Sydnee flies high with a lefthanded swing. They rotate in for their two setters Taryn Su Taryn Su 5'7" | S Wootton | 2026 State VA and Kendall Connors. Each of them does a solid job distributing the ball and keeping defenses off balance.
The back row plays steady with libero Celiana Caraballo Celiana Caraballo DS/L Walter Johnson | 2026 State VA and Elly Vanlandingham Elly Vanlandingham 5'9" | DS/L Quince Orchard | 2026 State VA . At 5’10” Elly brings length to the libero position. She has also set and hit outside for her high school team, so she has familiarity with many different positions.
Liberty Elite (Freedom)
General Info – Liberty Elite played in one Qualifier, the Northeast and finished ninth out of 45 teams in the Liberty Division. They have done well in almost all the tournaments they play in, finishing in the top five. In their most recent tournament, the East Coast Championship they placed fifth out of 24 teams.
How They Qualified – Their stock rose after Metro qualified for Open and Blue Ridge earned an American bid. Their fifth place finish in the Chesapeake Regional Qualifier earned them a Freedom bid.
Players to Watch – The biggest name to watch may be the tallest player you see on the court. That would be 6’2″ middle Parker Sutherland Parker Sutherland 6'3" | MB Hedgesville | 2026 State VA . The towering presence hits the quicks well. Definitely a difference maker on the court On the other end of the spectrum is the 5’5″ Alexa Smith Alexa Smith 5'7" | DS/L Hedgesville | 2026 State VA . While she plays an excellent libero, she also hit left side for Liberty Elite at the East Coast championship. A very athletic player who can do more than just dig.
Adyson Seymour Adyson Seymour 5'8" | S Boonsboro | 2025 State MD does a good job distributing balls to her hitters. Another setter to watch is Aven Thorn Aven Thorn 5'7" | S Jefferson | 2026 State VA , who is just recovering from an injury. Both are fluid on the court. Sophia Everhart Sophia Everhart OH State VA showed good potential to put balls away from the left side.