Uncommitted 2024's Leading the Playoff Chase

There are a number of 2024s who have yet to commit that are leading their teams to a State championship appearance. Sometimes I wonder why they are still not committed. They certainly have the talent on their side to play at least at Division III ball. Perhaps I missed a commitment alert. Or maybe they have just gone unnoticed. Finally, some players prefer not to pursue volleyball in college and focus on their education.   [player_tooltip player_id='233010' first='Mickhaila' last='Murray'] (Flint Hill) - She has had the misfortune to play for a club with some strong outsides. For Metro 16 she played behind Macaria Spears (Texas commit) and [player_tooltip player_id='180288' first='Emerson' last='Sellman'] (Ohio State commit). For Metro 17 she played behind [player_tooltip player_id='180288' first='Emerson' last='Sellman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='181297' first='Lameen' last='Mambu'] (strong Division I interest). Colleges play at the same time as high schools so the scouting does not exist at the same level as club ball. Her 5'11" height may also be discouraging for many strong Division I schools. But for the state champion Huskies she hopes to make it two in a row with her hitting outside. This year she is the main force in the Flint Hill offense, leading the team in kills and aces. She also plays a strong back row, second in digs.    [player_tooltip player_id='180284' first='Chloe' last='Hokenson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='180292' first='Riley' last='Buddie'] (Langley) - The Saxons only two losses this season have been to Madison. With Chloe they have a 6'0" setter that can put the ball away from the right side. Last year she earned a place on the 2022 Class 6 All State team as an opposite. Riley stands a little taller at 6'1". She can hit both left and right side. They both play for Virginia Elite, who play in the open Qualifiers but usually fall to the second division by the second day. Currently Langley sits atop the Liberty Region, having beaten the second place team George Marshall twice. Chloe and Riley are a key part of that offense to get them to the state championship. Last year they lost to the eventual state champion Alexandria City in the first round.    [player_tooltip player_id='192587' first='Adriana' last='Perodin'] (Riverside) - For Adriana her 5'8" height may cause many coaches to turn away. She also plays one year under her high school age for her club Paramount. Hitting outside her 9'4" approach jump led Paramount to a National bid. She swings hard and the ball flies with good velocity. Not a lot of players can bring it with her velocity. Her back row play is also stout as she hustles after every ball. Riverside has yet to lose a match this year. Credit that with Adriana's six rotation play. Perhaps if she played libero there would be more interest, but the teams she plays for value her for her hitting.   [player_tooltip player_id='233482' first='Lauren' last='Whitaker'] (Hidden Valley) - Last year the only game they lost was in the Class 3 State championship. This year the only game they have lost is against Flint Hill. They win because of the passing created by [player_tooltip player_id='233482' first='Lauren' last='Whitaker'] that allows the pins to get their kills. Hidden Valley is located in Roanoke, not a hot bed to attract college scouts. Lauren checks all the boxes, passes well, plays great defense and sets a nice out of system set. She also possesses a strong serve.   [player_tooltip player_id='237668' first='Shannon' last='Callaghan'] (Briar Woods) - Last year she earned a spot on the All Potomac Region second team as a middle blocker. At 5'11" she falls short of the height ideal for a middle blocker. Despite that, she gets her hands high over the net, creating enough blocking opportunities to lead her team in blocking. She also hits the middles well, second on her team in kill percentage. Because of that Briar Woods has jumped off to an 18-3 start. Two of those losses have come against Riverside, their rival in the Potomac Region and a team that has yet to find a loss.    [player_tooltip player_id='180282' first='Paige' last='Ahakuelo'], [player_tooltip player_id='242037' first='Ashlynn' last='Spence'] and [player_tooltip player_id='180286' first='Hannah' last='McCullough'] (James Wood) - Last year James Wood won their first Class 4 State championship. They hope to repeat that performance this year. Despite her 5'7 height Paige stands third on the team in kills. She also leads the team in aces and from her setting position gets her share of digs. Her quickness on the court allows her to cover a lot of ground when setting. Ashlynn stands just 5'8" but blocks middle for the Colonels. She sits second on the team in both blocks and kills. Hannah is a 5'2" setter used only in the back row. She also brings quickness to the court. When the team begins their offense Hannah usually starts the team off setting. Hannah and Ashlynn played club ball for Blue Ridge, while Paige suited up for Paramount.    [player_tooltip player_id='233000' first='Maura' last='Fay'] (Woodson) - Woodson has jumped out to a quick 14-1 start. Their only loss came at the hands of the undefeated Riverside Rams. At 6'1" [player_tooltip player_id='233000' first='Maura' last='Fay'] leads the team in hitting, creating juice from the right or left side. In their last win against Lake Braddock Maura led the team with 22 kills in a three game sweep. Last year Maura played for East Coast Power Marble, which qualified for Nationals in the Freedom bracket.    [player_tooltip player_id='209790' first='Aubrey' last='Hatch'] and [player_tooltip player_id='207594' first='Paula' last='Sigurani'] (Colgan) - Last year Colgan powered their way into the Class 6 State finals but ultimately lost to Alexandria City. Both Aubrey and Paula earned All State first team selections. This year not a lot was expected from the Sharks, but they have raced out to a 14-1 record and first place in the Cardinal Region. Their only loss has been against Madison High Scholl. Aubrey is a 6'0" left side that leads the team in kills. She also plays six rotations. Paula is a solid libero whose passing and defense allow the team to stay in system. Both have put in solid performances to keep Colgan in the playoff run, despite losing some critical players from last year's team. Last club season Aubrey played for Virginia Jrs and Paula for Paramount, both helping their teams qualify for Nationals.    [player_tooltip player_id='190541' first='Hannah' last='Ball'] (Midlothian) - Midlothian won the 2022 Class 5 State championship. [player_tooltip player_id='190541' first='Hannah' last='Ball'] was one of their principal outside hitters, earning a spot on the Class 5 All State first team. This year Midlothian has jumped out to a 13-1 start, losing only to St. Catherines in a match that went five sets. Last year Hannah shared the spotlight with Tatum Evans. Tatum is now at Virginia Tech so this year the team relies on Hannah doing the damage from the outside. For club last year Hannah played for River City.   [player_tooltip player_id='233008' first='Greta' last='Barvick'] (Chelsea Academy) - This 5'10" hitter/setter may have the best vision for the court of any player on this list. She always seems to find the open spot. This has allowed her to lead her team in kills, stringing together a .460 hitting percentage. While she plays in a weaker conference her kills do not always come against weaker teams. She put together a 31 kill performance against Paul VI last year. She also tops the team in aces and digs. Hitting is not her only skill. She also set for Blue Ridge, staying on the right side for her offense. Greta stands as my highest ranked class of 2024 who has yet to commit. She plays left side, right side, sets and even found herself blocking middle against Bishop O'Connell. If you want a player with diversity Greta is that get.   [player_tooltip player_id='209789' first='Seliz' last='Aktuglu'] and [player_tooltip player_id='209792' first='Jocelyn' last='Shortle'] (Oakton) - Oakton is absent in the DMV Top 20 but in the first round of Regional play they upset both Chantilly and Madison to stand atop the Concorde Region. They lost three of their first five but ran up a 12 match winning streak until their recent loss last night to Chantilly. The two 5'9" left sides carry the offense on this team. They generate kills from the middle, outside and back row. Seliz also brings a tough serve that accumulates points. It would not surprise me that she leads the team in aces. Last year the duo played for Vienna Elite. Both are six rotation players.    [player_tooltip player_id='352786' first='Cassandra' last='Bradley'] (Richard Montgomery) - In my opinion one of the more underrated liberos in the Chesapeake area. Her accuracy in passing prevents her from receiving serves and she plays phenomenal defense. More importantly, she brings a passion to the game on the court. The Rockets hold the top spot in their conference thanks to her efficiency in the back row. Last year Casey played for MVSA Starz.   Chesapeake Chirps: Virginia Academy had a big win over Chelsea Academy yesterday, beating them in four...Sherando also took down Millbrook in four...Madison pulled off another upset with a sweep of Chantilly. The next day Chantilly swept Oakton to avenge an earlier loss. This makes the Oakton versus Madison game this Tuesday critical in the three team Concorde Region race. If Madison wins we could have a three way tie...North Stafford pulled off a big upset against Colonial Forge, beating them in five...In Maryland play Arundel pulled off a sweep against Urbana...Lastly, Bishop O'Connell swept St. Johns in WCAC action. [player_tooltip player_id='238341' first='Teodora' last='Stamenkovic'] was a perfect 7 for 7 in kills with four blocks. This sets up a battle for number one with Holy Cross on Friday. For the WCAC and the DMV.

There are a number of 2024s who have yet to commit that are leading their teams to a State championship appearance. Sometimes I wonder why they are still not committed. They certainly have the talent on their side to play at least at Division III ball. Perhaps I missed a commitment alert. Or maybe they have just gone unnoticed. Finally, some players prefer not to pursue volleyball in college and focus on their education.