Capitol Hill, Triple Crown and Prez Day Tournament Info

It was a Triple Crown weekend for me. I spent President's weekend down in Orlando for the Prez Day Invitational. A number of good teams competed in that tournament. A summary of the tournament results is below. Also happening this past weekend that impacted teams from the DMV area was the participation of [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] in the Triple Crown tournament. They are the first Chesapeake club to get an invite to this event, though Metro would get an invite if not for the Capitol Hill Classic. Which finally brings up one of the more prestigious tournaments in the DC area, the Capitol Hill Classic.   It seems like a common occurrence for snow to fall during the Capitol Hill Classic. And snow it did. So while everyone in DC battled another snowy Capitol Hill Classic I battled the rain in Orlando. If push came to shove I think I would prefer the snow.   Metro Virtually Sweeps Classic   The Metro 14-18 age groups won gold at the Capitol Hill Classic this past weekend. Their combined match record was 46-1 and their set record 93-6. Even though the tournament featured a number of new out of town teams Metro still dominated the weekend. It appears difficult to dethrone the queens of Capitol Hill.   The Metro 18 team competed after returning from qualifying at the Ohio Valley Qualifiers. They swept through their competition at Capitol Hill. In the gold bracket they beat Alliance Ren 25-12, 25-18. Next Metro took care of the Cinderella team Columbia 25-7, 25-10 and finally toppled Beach Elite in the finals 25-14, 25-17.   Metro seems to be connecting on all cylinders with newcomers [player_tooltip player_id='181300' first='Alexis' last='Ewing'] taking over the left side and [player_tooltip player_id='309024' first='Caroline' last='Lang'] covering the middle. They may not bring the same level of talent as [player_tooltip player_id='180288' first='Emerson' last='Sellman'] or [player_tooltip player_id='180295' first='Ryla' last='Jones'] but the group seems to coalesce as a team. Setters [player_tooltip player_id='180281' first='Erin' last='Debiec'] and [player_tooltip player_id='180283' first='Natalie' last='Nguyen'] connect well with the hitters. Three consecutive gold bracket appearances in qualifiers shows how consistent they have played. They appear to be ready to contend at the Nationals in Baltimore come April.   Columbia surprised with their third place showing, led by the setting of [player_tooltip player_id='235746' first='MacKenzie' last='Calhoun'] and the defensive play of [player_tooltip player_id='235747' first='Natalia' last='PeBenito']. Beach Elite took second place, remaining undefeated until their championship match against Metro. Outsides [player_tooltip player_id='343017' first='Victoria' last='Tupy'] and [player_tooltip player_id='246935' first='Avery' last='Hanly'] are difficult to silence. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='248630' first='Kayla' last='Foley'] is one of the best at her position. They are the top ranked team nationally in the Old Dominion Region according to the Advanced Event Systems (AES), sitting at 157.   The Metro 17 team also took gold. Last year the 16 team did not even qualify to play in the gold bracket after losing two matches on the second day. This clearly shows how much they have improved as a team from last year. They lost just one set to Beach Elite on the second day of pool play. Once they made it to the gold bracket on the third day they swept through the competition, escaping with a 28-26 win over Pheonix Legacy to take home the gold. [player_tooltip player_id='181303' first='Isabelle' last='Bardin'] earned the MVP award for the tournament while [player_tooltip player_id='413247' first='Madison' last='Smith'] won best hitter and [player_tooltip player_id='235284' first='Caitlin' last='Johnson'] best blocker.   Virginia Elite took third place led by the setting of [player_tooltip player_id='181242' first='Shylah' last='Swope']. Their loss to Phoenix Legacy in two eliminated them from the finals. Shylah has a number of weapons to choose from with pin hitters [player_tooltip player_id='181298' first='Ana' last='Toumazatos'], [player_tooltip player_id='475116' first='Jocelyn' last='Pye'], [player_tooltip player_id='464589' first='Julia' last='Kelly'] and [player_tooltip player_id='181243' first='Evelyn' last='Jurden'].   Metro 16 showed why they are one of the top 16 teams in the country. They swept through three matches playing teams from out of the region, as well as beating a tough regional team in [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge']. [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] finished third and [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy'] fifth. [player_tooltip player_id='181302' first='Kennedy' last='Spaid'] from [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] sits at number two in our Virginia rankings, the only player ranked in the top ten not from Metro or Paramount in the class of 2026,   Metro 15 lost to Spooky Nook Volleyball Academy on the second day of their first match. They then woke up and swept through their next two opponents Delaware United and Chicago Elite without allowing either team to reach 20 points. In the playoffs they had a rematch against Chicago Elite, losing the second set 25-19, but recovering to win the third 15-8. They beat Alliance Ren in the finals by identical 25-20 scores.   Paramount Holds Their Own at Triple Crown   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/06/Screen-Shot-2023-06-26-at-10.24.54-PM.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-403826" style="width:241px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='196556' first='Caleigh' last='Ponn']</figcaption></figure>   Paramount fell short of any medals at the Triple Crown. However, while competing against the best clubs in the country they held their own. I know many clubs like to compete at the open level because they hope the exposure will do them good. It is hard to showcase your talent when you consistently lose by double digit margins. Paramount competed well. They did not lose by double digit margins and the experience will help their growth.   Overall, the match record for the 15-18 age group was 13-16 and the set record 35-35. Not the kind of results Paramount is used to. The highest finish was accomplished by the 17s team with a tournament ranking of 53rd out of 120 teams. You have to walk before you can run. Paramount appears ready to begin a little jog now as they approach Nationals. Based on their performance at Triple Crown this should give them another invite. You can read about a number of Paramount players at the following link: <a href="https://prepdig.com/2024/02/paramount-age-groups-sweep-the-weekend/">Paramount Age Groups Sweep the Weekend | Prep Dig</a>   Two other players from the Virginia area also played in the Triple Crown. [player_tooltip player_id='196556' first='Caleigh' last='Ponn'], ranked number four in our class of 2025 played libero for Academy North Carolina Diamond 17. They finished 108th place. [player_tooltip player_id='229773' first='Evie' last='Ballengee'] (pictured above) played for Academy North Carolina 16. The younger team finished an impressive 29th place. That bodes well for the future. The Diamond 16 team also beat Paramount in a challenge match 25-21, 25-23 that earned them a spot in the Elite Division Championship Bracket, the highest level you can attain on the third day. Unfortunately for them, the Paramount win would be their last victory, though two of their three matches went three sets. Evie is a 6'1" middle who should get some looks. She ranks at 50 in our class of 2026.   [program_tooltip program_id='494491' first='DMV' last='Elite'] Plays at Prez Day in Orlando   [program_tooltip program_id='511606' first='Vienna' last='Elite'] and [program_tooltip program_id='494491' first='DMV' last='Elite'] travelled to Orlando to play in a Presidential tournament there. The Florida area is known for their very competitive volleyball, but two [program_tooltip program_id='494491' first='DMV' last='Elite'] teams did very well in the tournament.   [program_tooltip program_id='494491' first='DMV' last='Elite'] 17 played in the Premier Division, earning their way to the gold bracket. A big 16-14 win over LuMaDe Black put themselves in that position. Unfortunately, they lost their two pool matches to Titans Havoc and Lake Nona to eliminate them from playing in the gold medal match.   Players who impressed in the tournament were left side [player_tooltip player_id='483590' first='Rania' last='Lahbibi'], who stands tall at 6'0" with a powerful swing. She plays middle for Rock Ridge and also lists right side as an option. Her back row attacks are impactful and she holds her own on defense and passing. She does need to work a little bit on her arm extension to hit on top of the ball to get more consistent with her hits. Right side [player_tooltip player_id='520360' first='Carmen' last='Quinn-Irons'] also impressed with her blocking and right side attacks. She can turn to hit missiles that paint the line. Carmen plays at South Lakes high school.   Defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id='520362' first='Abby' last='Nguyen'] has certainly grown taller. Last time I saw her play she could walk under the net without bending down. She serves well and covers the back row with hustle. Elyssamae Shifflett ran a 5/1. She shares setting duties with [player_tooltip player_id='298857' first='Ingrid' last='Smith'] at Dominion High School. She shows quickness moving to the ball and brings a good serve to the game. Middle [player_tooltip player_id='245601' first='Gabrielle' last='Nelson'] ranks number 145 in our top 150. She brings a strong arm to the court.   [program_tooltip program_id='494491' first='DMV' last='Elite'] 15 also played in the Premiere Division. They just missed earning a spot in the gold bracket, losing their two pool matches on the second day to finish in a tie for third. They lost the tie breaker, otherwise they would have played in the gold bracket. Two players who impress are 6'1" right side [player_tooltip player_id='390169' first='Katherine' last='Russell'], who ranks number 11 in our class of 2027. She has a strong left handed swing that puts the ball to the floor and good enthusiasm on the court. Left side [player_tooltip player_id='464556' first='Kennedy' last='Peyton'] plays six rotations. Continued improvement could earn her a spot on a talented Riverside High volleyball team that made it to the Virginia state finals.   As far as the Open play, EC Power KOP Royal from Pennsylvania won the 18 Open Division. I watched them play at the Charm City Challenge in Baltimore where they also won the gold. This team combines length with quickness. You can read about some of their players at this link: <a href="https://prepdig.com/2024/02/metro-17-takes-charm-city-challenge-gold/">Metro 17 Takes Charm City Challenge Gold | Prep Dig</a>. They have it all with Carly Campbell setting to the outsides 6'1" Jane Nelson and Alexa Monk and the middles 6'2" Breelyn Bender and 6'2" Molly Mishinkash. Libero Elly Painter shines in the back row. Breelyn has committed to Army.   While they did not lose a match at Charm City they did lose two matches at Prez Day. One of those happened to be an opening match loss to DME 25-21, 25-23. They made up for it in the end, avenging the loss with a 25-16, 27-25 victory in the gold medal match. Talk about bookends.   The 17 Open was won by GP Premier out of Florida. They lost only one match, a challenge match to DME Elite. Just like EC Power KOP, GP Premier came back in the finals to beat DME 25-15, 25-20. Loved the back row play of the DME Elites libero [player_tooltip player_id='526066' first='Karina' last='Crespo'] and defensive specialist Miliana Avila-Bauzo. They stand their ground on driven balls and show great hustle on the court.   [program_tooltip program_id='491326' first='IMG' last='Academy'] won the 16 Open with an impressive lineup. They finished undefeated in match play losing only two sets. Left side Gianna Reamer lists at 6'2" and carries a resume with a long list of accomplishments. She hits the ball hard from the left side or right side with good wrist snap. Their 6'5" right side Dahlia Roberts brought a powerful lefthanded attack to the court. Last year she played for Drive Nation.   Their two setters Lucy Wages and Maria Otero-Galan showed good tempo with the middles Ryea Jackson (6'2") and Cecilia Porter. It appears Ryea Jackson also played for Drive Nation last season.   One of the teams that took a set off them was the Bama Elite Spartans out of Birmingham. They played a magical game against [program_tooltip program_id='491326' first='IMG' last='Academy'] in their first set, winning 25-15, but lost the next two sets 25-11 and 15-10. In the third set they were tied 9-9 but a big block by Ryea Jackson shifted the momentum to IMGA. Three consecutive hitting errors followed putting them down 13-9 before a tip kill into the setter's coffin corner by Beatrice Wiggins gave them the serve back at 10-13. Another hitting error and a kill from Dahlia Roberts ended their hopes for an upset.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/02/IMG_2404.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-512476" style="width:704px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Kerstin Kyes , provided by parent</figcaption></figure>   Left side Beatrice Wiggins went toe to toe with the pins from IMGA, attacking from the back row as well as the front row. IMGA could not stop her in their first set loss to Bama. Setters Cailyn Kyes (pictured setting above) and Madelyn Johnson combined to create a spontaneous offense. They lacked the length of IMGA but played with a lot of heart.   The 15 Open was taken by OVA Black from Florida. While they lost three matches, including one in the gold medal bracket play, they won the one that counted, the gold medal match against Top Select 22-25, 29-27 and 15-6. They were able to get into the gold medal match as a result of a tie breaker, since all three teams in their bracket finished 1-1. Eva Woolm impressed from the left side and played all six rotations. Delaney Sloane ran the offense well setting a 5/1. Right side Autumn Westfall produced some critical kills from the right side with her left handed swing.   It was a fun time to be in Orlando, except for the rain. But when you are spending most of your time in the gym the rain doesn't matter.

It was a Triple Crown weekend for me. I spent President's weekend down in Orlando for the Prez Day Invitational. A number of good teams competed in that tournament. A summary of the tournament results is below. Also happening this past weekend that impacted teams from the DMV area was the participation of Paramount in the Triple Crown tournament. They are the first Chesapeake club to get an invite to this event, though Metro would get an invite if not for the Capitol Hill Classic. Which finally brings up one of the more prestigious tournaments in the DC area, the Capitol Hill Classic.