Metro 16 and Paramount 15 Take Gold at MAPL
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In my top ten uncommitted players to watch at MAPL post I mentioned two teams to watch. Metro 16 and Paramount 16 were those two teams. Little did I suspect that one of them would win the 16-18 Black division.…
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Continue ReadingIn my top ten uncommitted players to watch at MAPL post I mentioned two teams to watch. Metro 16 and Paramount 16 were those two teams. Little did I suspect that one of them would win the 16-18 Black division. Metro 16 surprised me by taking it all.
It should not have been that big a surprise. Last year the 15 team won the 14-16 blue division. They took it just one step further by winning the 16-18 division, making it back to back Mid Atlantic Power League championships. Don’t know if that has ever been done. The last 16 team to win MAPL was Metro 16 in 2022. That team had two outsides named Emerson Sellman Emerson Sellman 6'4" | OH Academy of Holy Cross | 2024 State #5 Nation VA and Macari Spears. This year’s 16 team could reach that level.
Another team with big time talent that is Paramount 15. Last year as 14’s they finished 13th in the Blue Division that the Metro 15 team won. Metro 15 went 8-0 losing only three sets that year. Paramount 14 was one of those teams that took a set off them. This year Paramount 15 took it one step further by not losing a set in their MAPL win. It has been pointed out to me that this win was the first ever win for a Paramount team at MAPL.
Below is a brief summary of the Metro and Paramount journeys to the championship.
Black Division 16-18
On the first day Metro 16 lost to Paramount 17 25-18, 25-19. And while Metro swept Beach Elite 17, Paramount went three with them, taking the third set 15-13. Beach Elite 17 would go on to finish fifth in MAPL, showing how tough that Opening pool was. After losing those first two matches Beach Elite swept through the rest of their games until they faced Paramount 17 again in a gold medal match game. Beach Elite won the first 29-27 but Paramount 17 would win the next two 25-23 and 15-13.
In a second pool bracket Metro 16 found themselves doing battle with their older sisters Metro 17. After sweeping Renaissance 17 they smoked their older sisters in the first set 25-14 but failed to finish the job losing the next two sets 26-24, 15-10. Metro 17 was undefeated up to that point. A later loss to East Carolina 16 would drop them down to the silver bracket, perhaps opening the door to a Metro 16 championship.
Metro 16 was able to earn a date in the gold bracket by beating the older sisters of East Carolina, their 17 team. They won 25-21, 25-17.
The first team Metro 16 played in the gold was Paramount 16, the other time I highlighted as a team to watch in MAPL. Up until that point their only loss was to Chapel Hill 16 29-27, 26-24. Metro 16 plowed through Paramount 16 in the first set 25-19 then battled them to a 26-24 win in the second set to complete the sweep.
Next on their agenda was East Carolina 16, the team that had knocked their older sisters Metro 17 to the silver division. This was an opportunity to take revenge. They won 25-22 and 25-21. That put them in the finals against Paramount 17, a team that had beaten them the first day in pool play. Paramount 17 had won in three sets playing their first two matches in the gold bracket, so they had played two sets more than Metro 16.
Don’t know if the extra sets had any bearing but Metro 16 soared past Paramount 17 in the finals 25-13, 25-19. Based on reports coming out of Hampton Emma Gardner Emma Gardner 6'3" | OH WT Woodson | 2026 State VA had a stellar tournament, especially in the semis and finals. She played outside and covered all six rotations (check out the twitter highlights). At 6’3″ that sounds like something a Emerson Sellman Emerson Sellman 6'4" | OH Academy of Holy Cross | 2024 State #5 Nation VA would do.
Metro 16 does have some crazy talent with a 5’9″ middle Simone Assasie Simone Assasie 5'9" | MB Urbana | 2026 State VA who can reach 10 feet with her approach jump. Last year she played on the 15 North team, but this year her game has excelled enough to appear on the Metro 16 roster. Another new player is the 6’4″ Bryah Breaux Bryah Breaux 6'4" | OH Garrison Forest | 2026 State VA , who can fill the outside position. She reminds me a lot of Alexis Ewing Alexis Ewing 6'3" | OH Bullis | 2025 State VA , with the long arms and the height that she brings tremendous length to her game. Another new addition is the 6’2″ Teodora Stamenkovic Teodora Stamenkovic 6'2" | MB Bishop O'Connell | 2026 State VA who last year played for Paramount . What is special about her game is her tremendous wrist snap that can bring the ball to the floor quickly. They also have a new setter Taryn Su Taryn Su 5'7" | S Wootton | 2026 State VA and a 5’11” defensive specialist Elly Vanlandingham Elly Vanlandingham 5'9" | DS/L Quince Orchard | 2026 State VA to add to the mix.
Most importantly, they bring back a number of regulars from last year. The Metro 16 veterans are the 6’3″ Morgan Williams Morgan Williams 6'4" | OH Lake Braddock | 2026 State VA , the 6’3″ Emma Gardner Emma Gardner 6'3" | OH WT Woodson | 2026 State VA , the 6’2″ Soleil Rancourt Soleil Rancourt 6'2" | OH Patriot | 2026 State VA and the 6’2″ Nadiya Johnson Nadiya Johnson 6'2" | RS North Point | 2026 State VA that can dominate the pins. But their best pin hitter who can play a stellar back row could be the 5’11” Caydence Doolan Caydence Doolan 5'11" | OH North Hagerstown | 2026 State VA , whose outside hitting earned North Hagerstown a state championship. Five pins for four positions. A coach’s nightmare.
Laila Chadwick Laila Chadwick 5'8" | DS/L James Madison | 2027 State VA may also be one of their best hitters on the team. If she was playing for any other club she would be their top left side. For Metro 16 the 5’8″ class of 2027 is playing libero. When she was 14 she won the MVP award at the Capitol Hill Classic while hitting outside. Giselle Norris Giselle Norris 5'6" | DS/L Millbrook | 2026 State VA is a defensive specialist who like Elly Vanlandingham Elly Vanlandingham 5'9" | DS/L Quince Orchard | 2026 State VA could play libero for most other teams.
Somehow the coaches have to squeeze in all that talent and fit them into seven spots in the rotation, or 9-11 spots if you include right sides for setters and defensive specialist for left sides. At some point though your substitutions run out.
Blue Division 14-16
Paramount 15 had an easier roll through their competition than Metro 16. They did not lose a set. The only team to reach 20 points against them in their first six matches was East Carolina 15, a team they faced first in the tournament. The second time they played East Carolina in the first round of the gold medal match Paramount won 25-16, 25-15.
It got a little tougher after that. In the second round of the gold medal match they had to beat a Metro 15 team who had also not lost a set, but a team that had also not allowed any team to reach 20 points against them. The first set was a battle but Paramount 15 prevailed, winning 26-24. They took that momentum to the second set winning 25-19.
The finals would be a match against their younger sisters Metro 14, a team they could have easily taken lightly. This would be the first 14 team they would play in the tournament. This was also a 14 team that had not lost a match yet, had conquered two 16 teams and beaten a talented Blue Ridge 15 team twice. While it took three sets in both matches to beat the Blue Ridge 15 team, Paramount had swept Blue Ridge when they played them the first day.
Paramount 15 rose to the occasion sweeping the match 25-22, 25-17. This team carries perhaps the top prospect in the class of 2027. That would be the 6’2″ middle Taylor Harrington Taylor Harrington 6'2" | MB Wakefield | 2027 State VA . She may be one of the more athletic middles you see playing the position. She easily reaches 10 feet and has the quickness that many tall middles lack.
The outsides are loaded with explosive hitters starting with Louise Neuhart Louise Neuhart 6'0" | OH Independence | 2027 State VA , Kayla Luther Kayla Luther 5'8" | OH Loudoun County | 2027 State VA and Eva Collingham Eva Collingham 6'0" | OH South Lakes Reston | 2027 State VA on the left side and finishing with Erin Green Erin Green 5'11" | RS Chantilly | 2027 State VA and Sofia Delarosa Sofia Delarosa 5'10" | OH Bishop McNamara | 2026 State VA on the right side. They may not have the height of Metro 15 but they have tremendous volleyball IQ and know where to find the empty areas of the court. Their two setters Anna Dierks Anna Dierks 5'9" | S West Springfield | 2027 State VA and Ingrid Smith Ingrid Smith 5'8" | S Dominion | 2027 State VA both started as frosh for their high school teams, with Ingrid winning a spot on the Dulles District second team. It will be fun to watch this team grow. They are ranked number one in the region and 56th nationally. That national ranking should change after beating number 28 Blue Ridge .
Florida Fest Qualifier
Metro 18 almost won a bid at the Florida Fest qualifier. They earned a spot in the gold bracket but were swept in all three pool bracket matches. Two of the teams Metro lost to (OT 18 Roberto and Rockwood Thunder) had already received bids. Metro did get an opportunity to play Paramount to determine seeding play for who would qualify for the gold bracket. Paramount won the first set 27-25. Metro took the last two sets 25-23 and 15-12.
Paramount finished 10th. The loss to Metro hurt but a loss to OT Tony in a crossover dropped them to the silver bracket.
East Coast Volleyball Club black played in the USA Division. Three losses in the second round of pool play knocked them down to silver. They finished 11th out of 30 teams.