Ten Top Performers at Volley by the James
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Below are some of the players who stood out in the Volley by the James. Only players from the 15 and 16 open are listed. Parker Sutherland VA #7 MB #2 HEIGHT 6'3" POS MB CLASS 2026 View Profile Parker…
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Continue ReadingBelow are some of the players who stood out in the Volley by the James. Only players from the 15 and 16 open are listed.
While Paramount struggled against Blue Ridge in a three set loss Parker (pictured above) stood out for her middle play. Her game has clearly improved from last year. She appears to have gotten stronger and taller. On the offensive end she proved difficult to stop. On the defensive front she moved well from pin to pin. She may need to work on her quickness moving for the ball on defense after the serve, but that would be quibbling. Overall, her game looks strong.
Highlights
Charlotte Deraleau Charlotte Deraleau 5'8" | S Churchill | 2026 State VA setter (MVSA Sparks) – Charlotte shared the setting duties with Anasofia Zanellato Anasofia Zanellato 6'0" | S Academy Of The Holy Cross | 2026 State VA . She brings good hands to the setting position, putting up a good ball for the hitters to track. More impressive was her serve. She put together four aces against 540 Academy. MVSA Sparks finished sixth in the 16 Open, a good finish for the tournament. Charlotte will be a 2026 setter to watch.
Blake Crawford Blake Crawford 5'7" | OH Atlee | 2027 State VA left side ( Richmond Volleyball Club ) – Blake is a battler on the court. Richmond Volleyball Club was a bit overmatched playing against eventual champion Paramount in the 15 open division. With her left handed swing Blake creates offense from the back row as well as the front row. RVC started strong winning their first four matches. After the Paramount loss they were swept in their final two matches, settling for a sixth place finish in the 15 Open. If Blake can gain a little more growth on her 5’7″ frame she will be a tough hitter to stop.
Against Richmond Volleyball Club she completed kills from both the right side and left side. While she plays right side she certainly shows the ability to hit from either pin. Erin swings hard and gets results. The frosh finished fourth on her high school team in kills and third in blocks. Certainly, a promising start to her high school career. Time for the club season to enhance her game.
Highlights
She teamed with Ingrid Smith Ingrid Smith 5’8″ | S Dominion | 2027 State VA to set Paramount to the 15 open championship. While her setting shined it was her serve that stood out. She blistered the back court to mount a number of aces against Richmond Volleyball Club . For West Springfield she set a 5/1 as did Ingrid Smith Ingrid Smith 5’8″ | S Dominion | 2027 State VA for Dominion so Paramount has options with their two setters.
When you watch her warm up on the volleyball court she does not look like your typical middle. She reminds me a lot of Leni Stanton-Parker Leni Stanton-Parker 6’0″ | OH Langley | 2025 State #116 Nation VA and Simone Schaefer Simone Schaefer 5’11” | OH Riverside | 2025 State VA , middles who eventually moved to the pins. Alyssa creates incredible hang time with her jump. This hang time allows her to excel at terminating the quick sets. A beach player during the summer Alyssa should have the ability to play six rotations if given the opportunity. Currently, the way 540 Academy 16 is formulated middle appears to be her best position this club season.
Highlights
Lindsey works hard to enhance her game. When she goes up against a single block the odds are likely that the ball will hit the floor hard. Last year she played for Paramount. This year she moved to 540 academy. Her ability to hit left side almost gave them a championship, falling just two points short. A 16-14 loss to Blue Ridge put them in second place. They did not get the opportunity to play Paramount in this tournament.
Highlights
Elizabeth York Elizabeth York 6'3" | MB Colgan | 2026 State VA right side (540 academy) – Elizabeth looked impressive from the right side against MVSA Sparks, crushing balls down the line as well as cross court. At 6’0″ she also put up an impressive block against the left side attack. She provides 540 academy with diversity as she can also play middle.
Louise Neuhart Louise Neuhart 6'0" | OH Independence | 2027 State VA left side ( Paramount ) – Louise was difficult to stop against Richmond Volleyball Club , having a field day as she tallied up the kills. At that point it was a battle between two undefeated teams. The win over RVC was the first step Paramount took towards their path to the 15 Open gold.
Gracelyn Brown Gracelyn Brown 5'9" | OH Hedgesville | 2026 State VA left side ( Blue Ridge – Gracelyn plays both basketball and softball for her Hedgesville high school team. She was not going to play club volleyball this year, but Kennedy Spaid Kennedy Spaid 5'11" | OH James Wood | 2026 State VA had a beach tournament over the weekend and Blue Ridge needed someone to hit outside until Kennedy was available on the third day.
Gracie had the game of her life against Paramount, digging balls in the back row and achieving kill after kill in the front row by hitting balls high off the hands of the Paramount block. She also contributed a couple key blocks on the left side. Her efforts allowed Blue Ridge to take home the gold medal in the 16 open division. Perhaps her play may also convince her to make herself more available to the volleyball world. Prep Dig ranks her 30th in the class of 2026. That could easily rise if she continues to play like she did at the James. While she stands just 5’9″ she has a sense of knowing where to attack.