Unranked Players Finding the Spotlight

Like anything in life rankings change. Whether it be team rankings or individual rankings. Performance has a lot to do with that. So does exposure. Before the start of the high school season last year if you asked me what I thought about [player_tooltip player_id='196556' first='Caleigh' last='Ponn'] my response would have been "Caleigh who?". After watching her dominate as an outside hitter at the Endless Summer high school event last year she jumped from unranked to number three in my rankings for the class of 2025. She recently committed to Kansas State.   Below are some additional players who do not appear in my rankings who I happened to see play since my last rankings. They earned an asterisk in my notebook. Many of these players are located in the Richmond/Virginia Beach area as I try my best to locate the best in that area. Completed rosters by coaches would make that job much easier.   It took just one Jamboree in Massaponax to come up with four of these players. The other was a transfer that opened my eyes.   [player_tooltip player_id='464566' first='Taylor' last='Meredith'] middle (Saint Catherines) - The middle was unstoppable at the Massaponax jamboree. She plays basketball for St. Catherines so she may be absent from the club scene. For the Saints she was their primary attacker. Last year she led her team in blocks and tied for the team lead in kills. Taylor belongs to the class of 2024.   [player_tooltip player_id='464573' first='Blake' last='Crawford'] outside (Atlee) - There is a reason I have yet to run across Blake. She just started her frosh season, playing left side on a very strong Raider team. Blake swings lefthanded and is listed as a setter on the Raider roster. It will not surprise me if they use her also on the right side. In the games I watched she only played left side. Blake is from the class of 2027.   Avery Flaherty outside (Atlee) - Avery plays opposite Blake as a left side. Her game focuses more on strength in putting balls away. The class of 2024 played club at River City Volleyball Academy last year. She showed a strong back row attack and hit a couple good shots from the right side. A strong offensive presence for the Raiders, who can also provide some veteran leadership.   [player_tooltip player_id='475116' first='Jocelyn' last='Pye'] outside (Bishop O'Connell) - Last year Jocelyn played for East Coast Power Valor, the same club as defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id='212888' first='Maia' last='Cerezo'], who attends Bishop O'Connell. Jocelyn went to Meridan High School but transferred to nearby Bishop O'Connell this year. The class of 2025 has immediately filled the role as one of the Knights primary outside hitters, playing all six rotations. She shows a high volleyball IQ spraying her hits to find the open spot on the court. At 5'11" she also brings the height to put up a good block at the net.   [player_tooltip player_id='248635' first='Campbell' last='Wood'] libero (Saint Catherines) - Cambell earned a spot in the rankings after the club season. She played for Richmond Volleyball Club and her libero play for the Saints led them to the semifinals in the VISAA where they eventually lost to Flint Hill. Last year she led her team in digs per set and was second in aces. In 2022 she earned a spot on the All-Metro team as the libero. Color me embarrassed for removing her from the rankings. She brings a good serve to the court and plays a solid defense by cleaning the floor with her dolphin dives.   Diamonds to be Watched at the Smaller Schools   [player_tooltip player_id='233008' first='Greta' last='Barvick'] setter (Chelsea Academy) - Her school plays in Division III of the Virginia Independent School's Athletic Association (VISAA). Last year she earned a spot on the All State team. For Chelsea she hit left side, leading the team in kills. For her club Blue Ridge she set and played right side, qualifying her team for Junior Nationals. At a scrimmage against Bishop O'Connell yesterday she actually played middle, going against other middles three inches taller than her 5'10 frame. She battled well.   She carries a high volleyball IQ, knowing where to find the open spot on the court. Against O'Connell she served a number of aces, mixing short and deep serves. She finished the fourth set with two aces in their only win of the match. Greta ranks number eight in the class of 2024 and is the second highest ranked player yet to commit. Colleges will not regret taking a look at her skills, though at the Division III level her skill level far exceeds those of her opponents.   [player_tooltip player_id='229773' first='Evie' last='Ballengee'] middle (Liberty Christian Academy) - Evie (pictured above) ranks number 54 in our class of 2026. She appears to be going the [player_tooltip player_id='196556' first='Caleigh' last='Ponn'] route for better exposure, playing for Academy North Carolina for the 2023/2024 club season. This past season she played for Heart of Virginia. She stands 6'1', which is a nice length for a middle. For a volleyball player it can be tough to get exposure in Lynchburg, Virginia. Evie puts up a good block and her hitting should improve with more repetitions. She had a good tournament at Capitol Hill Classic.   [player_tooltip player_id='393939' first='Gabrielle' last='Washington'] middle/outside (Glenelg Country) - Based on watching her video she got ranked at 122. Normally, I do not rank girls who I have not watched in person, but her skills and 6'2" length were definite pluses. Later, I got to see her play at a Metro clinic and she competed well on the same court as the first team. She belongs to the class of 2025 so getting playing time for the Metro 17 team will be a challenge, if that becomes a choice. Last year she played for Chesapeake Elite Cardinal.   The First Week of High School Play   For public schools scrimmages have almost ended. Private schools started a week later so they continue with their scrimmage. No surprises in the first week of action, however, there were some statement games.   Riverside started the week strong with three wins. They swept past Battlefield and John Champe, then knocked off Loudoun County in four. For Loudoun County it was a tough week with two losses.   Woodson won with a pair of sweeps. In their game against Washington Liberty [player_tooltip player_id='233000' first='Maura' last='Fay'] finished with 20 kills, while [player_tooltip player_id='210539' first='Emma' last='Gardner'] contributed 14.   Langley finished the week with two sweeps. The biggest was against defending class 6 state champions Alexandria City. They play their first regional match next week against Herndon.   Colgan had two big wins, the first against Patriot and the second over Battlefield. Both games went four sets.

Like anything in life rankings change. Whether it be team rankings or individual rankings. Performance has a lot to do with that. So does exposure. Before the start of the high school season last year if you asked me what I thought about Caleigh Ponn Caleigh Ponn 5'6" | DS/L Hidden Valley | 2025 State #91 Nation VA my response would have been "Caleigh who?". After watching her dominate as an outside hitter at the Endless Summer high school event last year she jumped from unranked to number three in my rankings for the class of 2025. She recently committed to Kansas State.