USAV Junior Nationals Recap Five – Uncommitted 2024s
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Only two more days for the Junior Nationals. This will be your last opportunity to sneak a peek at some talented uncommitted class of 2024s. Renee Jones Renee Jones 6'5" | RS Flint Hill | 2025 State #132 Nation FL…
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Continue ReadingOnly two more days for the Junior Nationals. This will be your last opportunity to sneak a peek at some talented uncommitted class of 2024s.
Renee Jones Renee Jones 6'5" | RS Flint Hill | 2025 State #132 Nation FL right side (pictured above) and Mickhaila Murray Mickhaila Murray 5'11" | OH Flint Hill | 2024 State VA outside (Metro) – Renee stands 6’5″. Her twin sister has committed to Pittsburgh. What is not too like? Mickhaila has been alternating at right side. She hits the ball hard and disguises her roll shot well. Both will be playing on court 57 at 0800 and 1000.
Greta Barvick Greta Barvick 5'10" | S Chelsea Academy | 2024 State VA setter/outside (Blue Ridge) – For her high school she hits left side. For Blue Ridge she plays setter, but stays in the front row to hit right side. She is one of the offensive weapons for Blue Ridge. They have struggled in the National Division, going 0-5. They will be playing on court 84 at 0800, 1000 and 1300.
Aubrey Hatch Aubrey Hatch 6'1" | OH Colgan | 2024 State VA and Samia Sayd Samia Sayd 5'11" | OH Marshall | 2024 State VA left sides (Virginia Juniors) – Samia is the better passer and defender and plays six rotations. Aubrey subs out for a defensive specialist. At this point, Aubrey may be the better hitter. She also plays six rotations for her high school Colgan, which has won one state championship and been to the finals the last two years. Virginia Juniors took first place in their pool finishing 5-0. They will be playing on court 37 at 1400 and 1600.
Paige Ahakuelo Paige Ahakuelo 5'8" | S James Wood | 2024 State VA setter (Paramount) – Last year she ran a 5/1 for Paramount. This year she shares the setting duties with Clara Yu Clara Yu 5'10" | S Georgetown Day | 2024 State VA . She stands just 5’7″ but she has the capability to hit the ball if given the opportunity to play front row. Blocking would be the question with her playing front row. Her setting has carried Paramount to a 5-0 record in pool play. They will be playing for first place in their pool at court 21 at 0800.
Payton Swinton Payton Swinton 5'10" | RS Arundel | 2024 State VA right side and Lindsay Kelley Lindsay Kelley 5'9" | S Glenelg | 2024 State VA setter (Maryland Juniors) – Payton stands 5’10 with a powerful left handed swing that is made for the right side. She also plays all six rotations, bringing a potent back row attack. Lindsay sets a 5/1. She runs quick attacks with frequency, keeping defenses off balance. She stands 5’9″. Maryland Juniors still has a shot to finish first in their pool. They will be playing on court 28 at 0800.
Chesapeake Teams Still Gunning for the Gold
Metro 17 (4-1) – Even a loss to the winless Boilers Juniors in their last match of the day did not prevent them from winning their pool. Emerson Sellman Emerson Sellman 6'4" | OH Academy of Holy Cross | 2024 State #5 Nation VA leads the offense while Mailinh Godschall Mailinh Godschall 5'7" | DS/L Centennial (MD) | 2024 State #183 Nation VA guides the defense. Erin Debiec Erin Debiec 6'1" | S Bishop O'Connell | 2024 State #92 Nation VA and Natalie Nguyen Natalie Nguyen 5'5" | S Flint Hill | 2024 State VA run a 6/2 with Ryla Jones Ryla Jones 6'4" | MB Flint Hill | 2024 State #80 Nation VA and Madison Bowser Madison Bowser 6'2" | MB Bishop O'Connell | 2024 State VA clogging up the middle. Lameen Mambu Lameen Mambu 6'0" | OH Chantilly | 2025 State #64 Nation VA from the class of 2025 has started to come into her own.
They finished 4-1 in pool play, their only loss occurring after they had clinched first place in their pool. It has not been easy for Metro, with five of their eight wins won by just two points.
Highlights
Virginia Juniors 17 (5-0) – Last week they played in AAUs. This week they play in the Freedom Division at Junior Nationals. The only set they have lost was the first one they played. They have captured first place in their pool in the Freedom Division.
Two quality setters run their offense in Isabel Ostvig Isabel Ostvig 5'10" | S Colonial Forge | 2024 State VA and Jaylyn Simon Jaylyn Simon 5'9" | S Holy Cross | 2024 State VA . Both hit well enough they can play right side. The left sides are normally Samia Sayd Samia Sayd 5'11" | OH Marshall | 2024 State VA and Aubrey Hatch Aubrey Hatch 6'1" | OH Colgan | 2024 State VA . Samia plays a strong defense and passes nails, which allows her to play six rotations. At 6’2″ middle Brianna Clay Brianna Clay 6'2" | MB Battlefield | 2024 State VA has the length to put up a wall on the block. Lanie Goff Lanie Goff 5'7" | DS/L Patriot | 2024 State VA plays a solid libero. She was added to the 18 roster for the Junior Nationals there.
Paramount 17 (6-0) – They have been dominating their opponents in pool play in the American Division. The closest a team has gotten is 22 points, during the second set of the day. Tomorrow, they play Aspire Premier for first place in the pool.
Kiylah Presley Kiylah Presley 6'0" | OH Bishop McNamara | 2024 State #114 Nation VA leads the offense from the left side while middle Harlan Wyche Harlan Wyche 5'11" | MB South Lakes | 2024 State VA has been crushing the quicks. This is the best I have seen her play. Paramount uses two quality setters to distribute their offense in Paige Ahakuelo Paige Ahakuelo 5'8" | S James Wood | 2024 State VA and Clara Yu Clara Yu 5'10" | S Georgetown Day | 2024 State VA . Last year Clara set for Metro, but with Paramount she has found more playing time. Libero Natalie Carlin Natalie Carlin 5'4" | DS/L Riverside | 2024 State VA has really upped her game, while defensive specialist Paula Sigurani Paula Sigurani 5'4" | DS/L Colgan | 2024 State VA plays a scrambling defense. I have really been impressed with the quality of play of right side Nia Gibson Nia Gibson 6'1" | OH Elizabeth Seton | 2024 State VA . When she combines with Kiylah in the front row for blocking it spells trouble for the left sides.
Maryland Juniors 17 (4-2) – Maryland Juniors needs to win their one match tomorrow against the winless ID Peak. If they lose it could come down to a tie breaker for third place. If the two teams ahead of them both lose, they still have an opportunity to win one of the American Division pools.
Lindsay Kelley Lindsay Kelley 5'9" | S Glenelg | 2024 State VA quarterbacks this offense with her 5/1 setting. Her primary offensive weapon is right side Payton Swinton Payton Swinton 5'10" | RS Arundel | 2024 State VA , who hits with damaging velocity from the back or front row. Deviana Walker Deviana Walker 5'11" | OH Arundel | 2024 State VA and Malani Martin Malani Martin 5'7" | OH Annapolis Christian | 2024 State VA are weapons from the left side. The middles Maya Ogbogu Maya Ogbogu 5'10" | MB Paint Branch | 2024 State VA and Kiara Harmon cannot be ignored because Lindsay runs the quick sets to keep the defenses guessing.
Blue Ridge 16 (5-1) – Tomorrow they will be playing for first place in their pool in the American Division against undefeated Club One Az. They battled Katy United to a 17-15 win in their next to last match yesterday and then followed that up with a loss to SG Elite Roshambo. Because the two other 4-2 teams are playing against each other a loss should still make them eligible to compete for a spot in the gold bracket.
Left sides Ada McCoy Ada McCoy 5'11" | OH Musselman (WVA) | 2025 State VA and Kennedy Spaid Kennedy Spaid 5'11" | OH James Wood | 2026 State VA play a big role in this offense. Few liberos play the libero position better than Brenna Corbin Brenna Corbin 5'5" | DS/L James Wood | 2026 State VA . Middle Ava Dickerson can also provide some wallop to the offense. The setters are Kendall Watcher and Alexandria Lynch. Sometimes these two setters do not get enough credit for keeping the offense together.
Highlights
Metro 16 (3-2) – When Metro lost their first two games the first day things looked bleak. They roared back the second day winning all three, including a 15-13 win against Athena in their last match that kept them eligible to earn a spot in the gold bracket.
Isabelle Bardin Isabelle Bardin 6'3" | S Flint Hill | 2025 State #121 Nation VA leads this offense. On day one she set a 5/1. The second day Ryan Hicks Ryan Hicks 5'11" | S Broad Run | 2025 State VA helped out with the setting, giving Isabella an opportunity to provide some offense on the right side. They have plenty of weapons in left sides Leni Stanton-Parker Leni Stanton-Parker 6'0" | OH Langley | 2025 State #116 Nation VA and Madison Smith Madison Smith 6'1" | OH Homeschool | 2025 State VA , as well as right side Jada Aksu Jada Aksu 6'0" | RS Georgetown Day | 2025 State VA . Baylee Doolan Baylee Doolan 5'8" | OH North Hagerstown | 2025 State VA can come in as a defensive specialist while still providing some offense in the back row. Libero Evie Huang Evie Huang 5'6" | DS/L Flint Hill | 2026 State VA brings a solid passing game and defense to the table. She also has a serve that can score aces in bunches. Metro tends to rotate between middles Sierra Evans Sierra Evans 6'2" | MB John F. Kennedy (MD) | 2024 State VA , Caitlin Johnson Caitlin Johnson 6'5" | MB Freedom | 2025 State VA and Kristen Moore Kristen Moore 6'2" | RS Virginia Academy | 2025 State VA .
Paramount 16 (3-2) – Paramount lost their last two games, including a 16-14 third set loss to first place Circle City Black. This left three teams at 3-2. Paramount benefitted from their three sweeps on the first day to have the second best set percentage to capture third place.
Paramount appears to have Claire Mo Claire Mo 5'10" | S Langley | 2026 State VA set a 5/1. She belongs to the class of 2026 but sets like a veteran. Middles Brianna Holladay Brianna Holladay 6'2" | MB Riverside | 2025 State VA and Simone Schaefer Simone Schaefer 5'11" | OH Riverside | 2025 State VA provide solid blocking. They are also effective with the quick attacks leaving holes in the blocking for the pins to attack. Adriana Perodin Adriana Perodin 5'9" | OH Riverside | 2024 State VA , Skyler Tennant Skyler Tennant 5'11" | RS Battlefield | 2025 State VA and Zoe Ryu Zoe Ryu 6'2" | OH Georgetown Day | 2025 State VA provide offense from the left side, while Kaitlyn Demitz Kaitlyn Demitz 5'11" | RS Dominion | 2025 State VA brings a lefthanded swing to the right side. Libero Sadee Gedse Sadee Gedse 5'6" | DS/L Oakton | 2025 State VA seems to dig anything near her.
As you can see from the teams above it has been a good tournament for many of the Chesapeake Region teams in the 16-17 Division. It also shows a lot of diversity.