Seven to Watch in the Class of 2026
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Below are two teams to watch as well as five players to target for the 2024 club season. It originally began as ten players to watch but a number of players were from the same two teams. The 2026 season…
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Continue ReadingBelow are two teams to watch as well as five players to target for the 2024 club season. It originally began as ten players to watch but a number of players were from the same two teams. The 2026 season is shaping up to be an exciting one. It begins this weekend. For the class of 2026 nine of the ten players in the top ten are composed of players from Metro and Paramount . This will be a rivalry to watch all year. They can only make each other better.
Highlights
( Raegan Lentz Raegan Lentz 6'0" | MB Whitman | 2026 State VA , Eden Tardy Eden Tardy 5'10" | OH Quince Orchard | 2026 State VA , Parker Sutherland Parker Sutherland 6'3" | MB Hedgesville | 2026 State VA , Alexa Smith Alexa Smith 5'7" | DS/L Hedgesville | 2026 State VA ) – Last year these four players were affiliated with other clubs. Raegan and Eden played for MVSA and Parker and Alexa played for Liberty Elite. Three of the four finished the 2023 season in the top ten for the class of 2026. Alexa ranked as the third best libero in the class of 2026, slotting in the top twenty. For 2024 all four will play for Paramount in what should be an explosive rivalry with Metro.
Teodora Stamenkovic Teodora Stamenkovic 6'2" | MB Bishop O'Connell | 2026 State VA played middle and right side for Paramount last year. She took her number four ranking and moved to Metro. To replace her Paramount picked up middles/right sides Raegan Lentz Raegan Lentz 6'0" | MB Whitman | 2026 State VA and Parker Sutherland Parker Sutherland 6'3" | MB Hedgesville | 2026 State VA , who rank seven and ten in the class of 2026. Though they may have lost one middle/right side ranked in the top ten they gained two in return.
Eden Tardy Eden Tardy 5'10" | OH Quince Orchard | 2026 State VA ranks number eight in our class of 2026. Last year she was the top hitter for MVSA. The previous year she played for Metro. In addition to Eden Paramount added two other new faces to the outside position. Morgan Reeves Morgan Reeves 5'10" | OH St. Johns | 2026 State VA , who played for the now defunct EC Power club last year and Aniah Bass, who played high school at Oxon Hill in Maryland and St. James and MVSA for club ball. That counts as five new players to the Paramount lineup.
Alexa Smith Alexa Smith 5'7" | DS/L Hedgesville | 2026 State VA – The sixth newbie is libero Alexa Smith Alexa Smith 5'7" | DS/L Hedgesville | 2026 State VA who played for Liberty Elite last year, as did Parker Sutherland Parker Sutherland 6'3" | MB Hedgesville | 2026 State VA . Both Parker and Alexa also play for Hedgesville high school in West Virginia. Hedgesville lost to Musselman in the semi-finals of the West Virginia Class AAA playoffs last season. Alexa ranks as the number three libero in the class of 2026. That now gives a possibility of six new players to the Paramount 16 lineup.
Charlotte Arrington Charlotte Arrington 5'10" | OH Loudoun County | 2026 State VA – Charlotte played for Paramount 15 last year, but this year she will skip a beat and will suit up for Paramount 17. This is interesting since Charlotte sat out her high school season last year. Now she will be playing a year up.
Sydnee Peters Sydnee Peters 5'10" | RS Atholton | 2026 State VA – Sydnee is a third MVSA player who has moved to Paramount . She has a nice left handed swing that is ideal for the right side.
Mackenzie Davis Mackenzie Davis 5'11" | S Riverside | 2026 State VA – Another new addition to the team will be Mackenzie Davis Mackenzie Davis 5'11" | S Riverside | 2026 State VA , She will be one of the two setters on the team. She played for Virginia Elite last year but also set for a talented Riverside High, who lost in the semi-finals of the Virginia state championship. The count of new faces entering the roster now jumps to eight.
With all the new faces on the roster the trickle of returnees is small. One is setter Avery Prendergast Avery Prendergast 5'9" | S St. Johns | 2025 State VA , who will be setting her St. Johns teammate Morgan Reeves Morgan Reeves 5'10" | OH St. Johns | 2026 State VA . Madison Phan Madison Phan 5'7" | DS/L Freedom | 2026 State VA and Lilly Kennedy Lilly Kennedy 5'5" | DS/L National Cathedral | 2026 State VA are two defensive specialist who return. Piper Xeller Piper Xeller 5'11" | RS Herndon | 2026 State VA returns as a strong candidate for a right side position. Isabella Moore Isabella Moore 5'11" | MB Stone Bridge | 2026 VA and Imani Thomas Imani Thomas 5'11" | RS Elizabeth Seton | 2026 State VA provide depth for the middle/right side.
Time will tell whether these new faces can congeal as one to make Paramount a competitive team. Their first tournament is scheduled for this Saturday at Maryland Jrs.
Metro
Metro does not appear to have remained stagnant either. They added a few impressive names to their roster.
Teodora Stamenkovic Teodora Stamenkovic 6'2" | MB Bishop O'Connell | 2026 State VA , Gabriella Vizek Gabriella Vizek 6'0" | RS Riverside | 2026 State VA – At 6’2″ Teodora gives Metro some length in the middle that they lacked last year. Almost all of their pins stood taller than their middles. Now that will not be the case. Gabriella Vizek Gabriella Vizek 6'0" | RS Riverside | 2026 State VA is another new name that could be added to the middle. She played right side for Riverside last year but Metro remains loaded with their returning pins. The two will probably share middle opportunities with returner Gabrielle Wigglesworth Gabrielle Wigglesworth 5'9" | MB Georgetown Day | 2026 State VA .
Bryah Breaux Bryah Breaux 6'4" | OH Garrison Forest | 2026 State VA – Metro also appears to have picked up a new outside in the 6’4″ Bryah Breaux Bryah Breaux 6'4" | OH Garrison Forest | 2026 State VA . This club always seems to recruit the tall, athletic players and transform them into pin hitters. With the 6’3″ Morgan Williams Morgan Williams 6'4" | OH Lake Braddock | 2026 State VA at the other left side this could be the tallest 16 combo in the country. Visions of Emerson Sellman Emerson Sellman 6'4" | OH Academy of Holy Cross | 2024 State #5 Nation VA and Macaria Spears dance in my head. Also returning to the left side is six rotation player Caydence Doolan Caydence Doolan 5'11" | OH North Hagerstown | 2026 State VA who stands only 5’10” but she ranks number three in the class of 2026. Other pin hitters include the 6’3″ Emma Gardner Emma Gardner 6'3" | OH WT Woodson | 2026 State VA , the 6’2″ Nadiya Johnson Nadiya Johnson 6'2" | RS North Point | 2026 State VA and the 6’2″ Soleil Rancourt Soleil Rancourt 6'2" | OH Patriot | 2026 State VA . It remains to be seen how they will make room for all those pin hitters.
Elly Vanlandingham Elly Vanlandingham 5'9" | DS/L Quince Orchard | 2026 State VA – As if their pins were not tall enough Metro has landed some length in their libero position. While most of the MVSA players may have migrated to Paramount , the 5’10” libero Elly Vanlandingham Elly Vanlandingham 5'9" | DS/L Quince Orchard | 2026 State VA took a different turn. She will be joined in the back row by returnees Laila Chadwick Laila Chadwick 5'8" | DS/L James Madison | 2027 State VA and Giselle Norris Giselle Norris 5'6" | DS/L Millbrook | 2026 State VA . With three back row players this could open up some outside possibilities for Laila, but the pins seem crowded as well. It will be interesting how they accommodate all this talent.
Taryn Su Taryn Su 5'7" | S Wootton | 2026 State VA – A fourth new addition is Taryn Su Taryn Su 5'7" | S Wootton | 2026 State VA , another MVSA player who set for the team last year in a 6/2. She will probably do the same with returnee Sydney Bryant Sydney Bryant 5'8" | S Virginia Academy | 2026 State VA .
The first tournament for Metro 16 is a local one on Sunday in Gambrills. The next weekend they travel to Cleveland, Ohio to play in the Rock N Rumble.
Other Names on my Radar in the Class of 2026
Sydney Bennett Sydney Bennett 6'2" | MB Patriot | 2026 State VA – Not all the rosters for the clubs are complete. Last year Sydney played for American. She is absent from their roster this year. At 6’2″ she can dominate at the middle, leading her high school team in blocks. Curious where her new home will be.
Highlights
Julie Xu Julie Xu 5'11" | RS Oakton | 2026 State VA ( DMV Elite ) – The DMV Elite have her rostered on the 18 team. That means playing two years up. While she has set, her primary position has been right side. At 5’11” she brings some height to the position with good arm extension. Julia ranks number 38 in the class of 2026 but is the fourth ranked right side.
Josephine Seekford Josephine Seekford 6'2" | OH Loudoun County | 2026 State VA (Virginia Elite) – At close to 6’2″ she brings some height to the outside with an approach jump at 9’3″. For Loudoun County she rosters as a middle/right side She did not see a lot of playing time but she did make varsity.
Highlights
Mia Fornasiero Mia Fornasiero 5'9" | DS/L Bullis | 2026 State VA (MVSA) – The last time I saw Mia play she hit left side. At 5’8″ she was a smaller outside hitter, but she played with fire. She has now moved to the libero position. As a six rotation outside she should have no problem adjusting to the position switch.
Highlights
Alexis Steinmetz Alexis Steinmetz 5'9" | S Osbourn | 2026 State VA – She will set for American 15 this year. She first got added to the rankings in May 2023 and was on my list of biggest climbers in the last rankings. Osbourne lists her as their primary setter on the varsity roster.