DMV Playoff Review

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The playoffs are in full gear in Virginia and just getting started in Maryland and soon in DC. Time to take a look at the teams and the players to watch from Maryland and D.C.. Virginia Emma Gardner VA #9…
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SubscribeThe playoffs are in full gear in Virginia and just getting started in Maryland and soon in DC. Time to take a look at the teams and the players to watch from Maryland and D.C..
Virginia
Highlights
Alexandria City hosted the last District championship match, taking on the number one seed Woodson. Even though Woodson won the regular season Alexandria City hosted the championship because it was the defending champion. During the regular season Woodson had swept Alexandria City twice. However, Alexandria City was more competitive the second time they had played them. The Titans were also coming into the match with a five match winning streak. The hope existed that things would be different the third time around.
Unfortunately for the Titans it was too much
Maura Fay
Maura
Fay
6'1" | OH
Woodson | 2024
State
VA
and
Emma Gardner
Emma
Gardner
6'3" | OH
WT Woodson | 2026
State
VA
. Emma led the team with 15 kills and
Maura Fay
Maura
Fay
6'1" | OH
Woodson | 2024
State
VA
added 9. The first two sets seemed like more of the same with the Cavaliers waltzing over the Titans 25-15, 25-14.
The Titans were more competitive in set three with
Julia Kelly
Julia
Kelly
6'1" | OH
Alexandria City | 2025
VA
getting a kill to pull the Titans to within one and then combining with
Harper Travis
Harper
Travis
5'11" | MB
Alexandria City | 2024
State
VA
for a block to tie the game at 20-20. A
Sofie Ferrell
Sofie
Ferrell
5'9" | S
Woodson | 2026
State
VA
setter dump gave the Cavaliers the lead again, but Kelly got another kill to knot it at 21-21. The Cavaliers went on a two point run after a Catherine Quigley overset kill and a solo block by
Maura Fay
Maura
Fay
6'1" | OH
Woodson | 2024
State
VA
to up the lead to 23-21. Maura would later add a tip kill to pull the Titans within one point of completing a third sweep.
Bridget Wendling Bridget Wendling 5'10" | OH Alexandria City | 2024 VA pushed a two handed set to land deep into the setter’s coffin corner to pull the Titans to within one 23-24. A small rally was ended when the Titans were called for a net, which completed the Cavaliers sweep 25-23.
Nora Gilmer
Nora
Gilmer
6'0" | S
Woodson | 2024
VA
,
Emma Gardner
Emma
Gardner
6'3" | OH
WT Woodson | 2026
State
VA
and
Maura Fay
Maura
Fay
6'1" | OH
Woodson | 2024
State
VA
were voted to the All District tournament team for Woodson. For Alexandria City
Harper Travis
Harper
Travis
5'11" | MB
Alexandria City | 2024
State
VA
and libero
Rania Shuster
Rania
Shuster
DS/L
Alexander City | 2024
VA
were named to the team. Rania won the libero spot during the season and played the position well enough to earn second team honors on the All District Patriot team.
Both Alexandria City and Woodson will be hosting regional matchups.
The Class 6 Region A were all sweeps. Grassfield, Glen Allen. Deep Run and Cosby all advanced.
The Class 5 Region D also got started with Briar Woods sweeping past Independence 25-17, 25-16 and 25-13. Massaponax also swept past Lightridge 25-15. 25-11 and 26-24. Riverbend and Riverside both earned byes. Riverbend will host Briar Woods while Riverside will host Massaponax on 11/2. Class 5 Region B saw winners in Woodside, Granby, Menchville and Maury.
In Class 4 region C action Loudoun County just squeezed past Dominion in five, winning the last set 15-12. Earlier in the season Dominion had swept Loudoun County. Rock Ridge got past Woodgrove in four 25-9, 25-19, 28-30 and 25-10. Loudoun County will play Woodgrove for the Region 4c championship. Class 4 region B saw winners in Dinwiddle, Courtland, Spotslyvania and Chancellor. Atlee and Hanover received byes with Atlee slated to play Dinwiddle and Hanover slotted to play Spotslyvania. Region 4 A action saw Jamestown, Manor, Gloucester and Smithfield winners.
Maryland
Highlights
Richard Mongomery played Wooten for the Montgomery County championship. Wooten had beaten the Rockets in five when they played during the regular season. It went five again, with Wooten winning the fifth set 15-12.
Ema Djordjevic
Ema
Djordjevic
6'0" | OH
Richard Montgomery | 2025
State
VA
picked up 17 kills in the game. The junior has reached 500 kills for her high school career.
For Class 4 the Richard Montgomery Rockets may have the most talented roster despite losing to Wootten twice. They start with
Ema Djordjevic
Ema
Djordjevic
6'0" | OH
Richard Montgomery | 2025
State
VA
,
Elizabeth Mitchell
Elizabeth
Mitchell
5'9" | OH
Richard Montgomery | 2026
State
VA
and
Corinne Howard
Corinne
Howard
5'11" | MB
Richard Montgomery | 2025
State
VA
providing offense from the pins. Corinne can also play middle. Ema shares setting duties with
Amy Ye
Amy
Ye
6'1" | S
Richard Montgomery | 2025
VA
. Both stay in the game to hit right side. Middle
Caroline Kaye
Caroline
Kaye
6'1" | MB
Richard Montgomery | 2025
State
VA
leads the team in blocks. The back row is solid with libero
Cassandra Bradley
Cassandra
Bradley
5'6" | DS/L
Richard Montgomery | 2024
State
VA
and
Ana Djordjevic
Ana
Djordjevic
5'5" | DS/L
Richard Montgomery | 2027
State
VA
. Frosh
Saesha Dhote
Saesha
Dhote
5'7" | OH
Richard Montgomery | 2027
VA
can also contribute from the pins.
After their two wins over the Rockets Wootten (Edit: been told they have dropped to Class 3) may now be the favorite in Class 4. Besides giving Richard Montgomery two losses they have also beaten last year’s defending champion Urbana. Wootten’s only two losses have come against Georgetown Day and Churchill. They have two strong setters in sophomores
Taryn Su
Taryn
Su
5'7" | S
Wootton | 2026
State
VA
and
Sofia Sossa
Sofia
Sossa
S
Thomas S. Wootton | 2026
State
VA
. Libero Jessica Chen handles the back row duties.
Caitlin Doherty
Caitlin
Doherty
5'9" | RS
Thomas S Wootten | 2025
State
VA
(Edit: appears out for the playoffs) brings a solid presence to the middle. A pair of sisters, sophomore
Sara Foster
Sara
Foster
OH
Thomas S Wootton | 2026
State
VA
hits from the pins while Paige Foster occupies a middle.
A third team to watch is Urbana. They are the defending Class 4 state champions after defeating Arundel last year. They have two talented middles in
Simone Assasie
Simone
Assasie
5'9" | MB
Urbana | 2026
State
VA
and
Ava Hinnant
Ava
Hinnant
6'0" | MB
Urbana | 2025
State
VA
. Simone ranks first in kills and blocks.
Talia DoCarmo
Talia
DoCarmo
OH
Tuscarora | 2026
State
VA
handles the offense from the outside. Libero Natalia Johnson takes responsibility for the back row.
Kaelynn Burge
Kaelynn
Burge
5'8" | S
Urbana | 2024
VA
runs the offense with her setting.
Arundel has dropped down to Class 3A and will probably win this championship, after finishing second to Urbana in class 4 last year. They have yet to lose a match this year.
Payton Swinton
Payton
Swinton
5'10" | RS
Arundel | 2024
State
VA
demolishes balls from the right side, leading the team in kills. Her younger sister
Bailey Swinton
Bailey
Swinton
DS/L
Arundel | 2026
State
VA
handles the libero role. The offense is run by
Daisy Pentorn
Daisy
Pentorn
5'9" | S
Arundel | 2025
State
VA
, who sets a 5/1.
Kiara Harmon
Kiara
Harmon
6'1" | MB
Arundel | 2024
VA
leads the team in blocks and shares the middle blocking responsibilities with Brooke Waters.
Taylor Johnson
Taylor
Johnson
5'6" | OH
Arundel | 2024
VA
and
Deviana Walker
Deviana
Walker
5'11" | OH
Arundel | 2024
State
VA
swing from the left side.
North Hagerstown with
Caydence Doolan
Caydence
Doolan
5'10" | OH
North Hagerstown | 2026
State
VA
and
Baylee Doolan
Baylee
Doolan
5'8" | OH
North Hagerstown | 2025
State
VA
hitting from the outside will be one of their challengers. The Northern Patriots are also undefeated but I have yet to see them play or any of their players on the roster play.
Washington D.C.
Highlights
It will be a repeat of St.Johns and Georgetown Day in the championship match. The Mighty Hoppers will repeat as champions.
Jada Aksu
Jada
Aksu
6'0" | RS
Georgetown Day | 2025
State
VA
leads in kills with her powerful left arm swinging from the right side.
Zoe Ryu
Zoe
Ryu
6'2" | OH
Georgetown Day | 2025
State
VA
and
Aaliyah Howell
Aaliyah
Howell
5'9" | OH
Georgetown Day | 2024
State
VA
take the swings from the left side. Frosh
Zora Dimbo
Zora
Dimbo
5'10" | OH
Georgetown Day | 2027
State
VA
can also take some swings from the pins. Middle
Gabrielle Wigglesworth
Gabrielle
Wigglesworth
5'9" | MB
Georgetown Day | 2026
State
VA
leads the team in blocks while
Tessa Fergusson
Tessa
Fergusson
6'1" | MB
Georgetown Day School | 2026
VA
also shares the middle responsibility.
Clara Yu
Clara
Yu
5'10" | S
Georgetown Day | 2024
State
VA
is the primary setter, operating a 5/1.
Shiraz Benyoucef
Shiraz
Benyoucef
5'8" | DS/L
Georgetown Day | 2025
State
VA
fills the libero role.
St. Johns relies on their two left sides for their offense,
Racquel Frazier
Racquel
Frazier
6'1" | OH
St. Johns | 2025
State
VA
and
Morgan Reeves
Morgan
Reeves
5'10" | OH
St. Johns | 2026
State
VA
. Racquel leads the team in kills and her defense has improved that she also leads the team in digs. Both players play six rotations. Emilie Jabbour leads the team in blocks while handling the middle. The setting duties are shared by
Avery Prendergast
Avery
Prendergast
5'9" | S
St. Johns | 2025
State
VA
and
Wynn Eaton
Wynn
Eaton
5'10" | S
St. John's College | 2026
State
VA
. Erin Carmody fills the libero role.
A sleeper team to watch is Georgetown Visitation. Their two twins (pictured above),
Audrey Monlux
Audrey
Monlux
5'10" | S
Georgetown Visitation | 2024
State
VA
, who is their primary setter and
Julia Monlux
Julia
Monlux
5'10" | MB
Georgetown Visitation | 2024
State
VA
, who plays middle, fuel the offense. Despite being their primary setter Audrey is still third on the team in kills and aces.
Jocelyn Gill
Jocelyn
Gill
MB
Georgetown Visitation | 2027
VA
is one of the team’s more productive hitters from the middle, even though she is only a frosh.
Katelyn Strike
Katelyn
Strike
6'4" | MB
Georgetown Visitation | 2025
State
VA
plays middle or right side.