DMV Expo will Highlight Some Explosive Talent
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There are just over 40 girls registered for the first Top 250 Expo held in the DMV area. The event will be held on December 10 at the St. James facility in Virginia. There is some explosive talent among this…
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Continue ReadingThere are just over 40 girls registered for the first Top 250 Expo held in the DMV area. The event will be held on December 10 at the St. James facility in Virginia. There is some explosive talent among this group. Most of the girls who have registered fall in the class of 2026 and 2027, an opportunity for college coaches to get a head start in their recruiting process for next year or the year after. There also exists some talent in the 2024 and 2025 class that in my opinion have Division I talent and have yet to commit. Below is a breakdown of two classifications.
Explosive Talent
These are the players I do not need to see to evaluate further. In my opinion they are Division I talent. The only reason I would need to watch them is to track their improvement over time. They are listed alphabetically.
Highlights
Ema Djordjevic Ema Djordjevic 6'0" | OH Richard Montgomery | 2025 State VA (5th ranked in Class of 2025) left side/setter – Four of the top ten in this class have already committed to Division I colleges. Ema stands 6’0″ and has a lot of diversity to her game. For her club team she hits left side, plays back row where she is involved in serve receive and defense and also attacks back row. For her high school team she sets in a 6/2, hitting from the right side. Her club uses her left side because they cherish her ability to hit back row. Many colleges could certainly use a 6’0″ setter who can put the ball down as well as the top left sides in the game. She swings left handed so she is ideal for the right side. The USA National team has invited her to a number of National Training Development Programs (NTDP).
Highlights
Taylor Harrington Taylor Harrington 6'2" | MB Wakefield | 2027 State VA (1st ranked in the class of 2027) middle – She stands 6’2″ and has the ability to dominate the game at the 14 level. It would not surprise me to see her grow a couple more inches and continue that domination at the older levels. She has the athleticism to make some impressive plays on the court. Opponents expect her to get the set, they are normally high twos and despite two blocks going up to stop her the ball whistles its way past the blocks leaving a dent on the floor. The challenge may be playing at the higher levels and hitting the quicker sets. For her high school she has been used some at the outside. From what I have heard she is an incredible teammate to have on the court. She can already reach 10 feet in her approach and that measurement was done when she was 6’1″.
Highlights
Kieran Rhoton Kieran Rhoton 6'0" | RS Independence | 2027 State VA (5th ranked in the class of 2027) right side – Another girl that could continue in her growth. She brings a strong right arm that can put the ball down. Her approach jump falls just short of ten feet but given time she will reach that height. As a right side she gets rotated out for the setter so I would like to see her develop her back row game to increase her versatility. She hits left side well so that could be a move in the future. Kieran hits the ball to all areas of the court with good velocity. Currently she stands 6’0″.
Highlights
Alli Robinson Alli Robinson 6'1" | MB Flint Hill | 2027 State VA (21st ranked in the class of 2027) right side/middle – That ranking will probably go up with the next round of rankings. She lists at 6’1″ but when she stands next to the 6’4′ Ryla Jones Ryla Jones 6'4" | MB Flint Hill | 2024 State #80 Nation VA she seems to equal her in height. Any player who can make Flint Hill as a frosh and contribute certainly gets my respect. Last year Flint Hill was ranked by USA Today as one of the Top 25 teams in the country. Alli falls just short of 10 foot in her approach jump. She can also be used in the middle where she can hit the quicks. I have not seen any back row play so that is probably not a position she excels at.
Highlights
Morgan Williams Morgan Williams 6'4" | OH Lake Braddock | 2026 State VA (1st ranked in the class of 2026) left side – Who would not want a 6’3″ left side. She shows athletic movements that allows her to play six rotations. Her feet move well to the ball when she passes and plays defense. Morgan is a strong hitter now but as she matures she will become a more powerful force. There are times when she attacks a little too early and hits underneath the ball and bangs it out. But when her timing is right once she makes contact with the ball it will hit the floor hard with a sound few players can create.
Sleepers
For the most part these are the players to watch as they mature. They have the talent to play Division I but physical traits may restrict them from that option. They dominate now but will they continue to do that as they get older? For some of the older girls they may have gone unrecognized because they play for a lesser known club.
Cassandra Bradley Cassandra Bradley 5'6" | DS/L Richard Montgomery | 2024 State VA (46th ranked in class of 2024) libero – Every time I watch her play she moves up in the rankings. Her passing is very consistent, she shows quickness playing defense and she brings a good serve to the court. There is a lot to like about her game. It remains a mystery why she has yet to commit. MVSA does not get the recognition of a Metro in this area. But watch her play. She really hustles and clearly has the love for the game.
Highlights
Caycee Chhum Caycee Chhum 5'7" | S Georgetown Day | 2027 State VA (10th ranked in class of 2027) setter – She stands just 5’6. When she set at 13s she set a 5/1 and her team was number one in the Region. At 14s she set a 6/2 and her team was second in the Region. Last year at the 14 Open Capitol Hill Classic she won the best setter award. She runs an offense well. Everywhere she plays her teams win. Her path reminds me of the same path Natalie Ngyuen took. Natalie only stands 5’5″ but has won two State championships, sets for Metro and has a commitment to Georgetown. Caycee shows consistency with her tempo which allows her to find her hitters sweet spot. That is what good setters do.
Highlights
Ana Djordjevic Ana Djordjevic 5'7" | DS/L Richard Montgomery | 2027 State MD (16th ranked in class of 2027) libero – The younger sister of Ema. Unless she gets a quick growth spurt the libero position remains the best position for her. She stands 5’5″ but has excellent quickness. Her feet move quick to the ball during serve receive. On defense she knows her base, finds the right position to play and creates digs without a lot of movement. She also fills in with some incredible plays where you ask yourself how did she make that play. She could be the starting libero for Richard Montgomery as a frosh if Cassandra Bradley Cassandra Bradley 5'6" | DS/L Richard Montgomery | 2024 State VA did not play that position. Her serve is also strong as she ranks third on the team in aces.
Kayla Luther Kayla Luther 5'8" | OH Loudoun County | 2027 State VA (7th ranked in class of 2027) left side – Paramount finished as the best team last year at the 14 level. Kayla hit left side and captained the team. You won’t find a harder worker than Kayla. At 5’8″ you hope she grows a little to continue at left side. When she was younger she played libero for Metro for just one year. While her playing time was restricted that experience allows her to play six rotations now. Kayla brings a good vertical to the game, reaching 9’3″ with her approach jump. She made Loudoun County as a frosh. No telling what her future will be, but as hard as she works the future has to be bright.
Fiona McDermott Fiona McDermott 6'1" | MB Georgetown Day | 2026 State VA (39th ranked in class of 2026) middle – At 6’1″ she brings length to the game. Once she brings improves the quickness in her game she could be an interesting player. Only a sophomore so there exists an opportunity to enhance her game. At Georgetown Day she was one of three middles that rotated through the offense. This is the kind of player you watch for improvement.
Highlights
Daisy Pentorn Daisy Pentorn 5'9" | S Arundel | 2025 State VA (86th ranked in class of 2025) setter – What first drew my attention to Daisy was her serve. She puts quite a bit of movement on the ball once it leaves her hand. She set a 6/2 for Virginia Juniors resulting in a Junior Nationals appearance. One of the toughest things to do is analyze a setter who only plays three rotations. At the high school level she sets for Arundel, who has yet to lose a game. Looking at the player stats it appears she sets a 5/1. She currently stands 5’9″. Difficult to assess how far her hands get over the net during the block since I have not seen her play front row, but she certainly deserves some more looks.
Highlights
Alena Smith Alena Smith 5'8" | OH Dominion | 2025 State VA (62nd ranked in class of 2025) left side- At 5’8″ she is another smaller left side. That does not stop her from getting her kills. She normally plays six rotations and brings a good serve to the game. It will be interesting to take another look at her skills.
There is also a third classification. Those girls who I have yet to see play because they play at smaller high schools or in areas far away from my location. Names like Kate Bickel Kate Bickel 5'6" | DS/L Holy Cross | 2027 State VA , Amaya Bowles Amaya Bowles 5'7" | OH Dominion | 2026 State VA , Lexiana Evertts, Rebecca Huddleston, Eliza Lowe and Emma Watson are new to me. It remains a joy to always find new prospects to rank.
For those still interested in registering don’t forget to use my code “AbelsExpo2023”. That will give you a $10 discount. This event is being held during a quiet period for Division I coaches. So while there will not be any Division I coaches present at the facility. However, they could be checking out the action on Baller TV.
A word of advice. As you rise in skill level you are playing against athletes who have similar skill levels. What will separate you from those athletes is your hustle, enthusiasm and drive to get better. Show that and the odds are you will get noticed. Often times when there are multiple courts and I am wandering around trying to find a match to watch a girl diving for a ball or showing enthusiasm after a play will make me stop and watch a little more.
Good luck.