Those Whose Stock Climbed in the Class of 2026
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Below are players whose stock rose since our last ranking. One of the things I look at for rankings are teams that are having success, i.e. winning tournaments. After that you look at the players who are responsible for that…
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Continue ReadingBelow are players whose stock rose since our last ranking. One of the things I look at for rankings are teams that are having success, i.e. winning tournaments. After that you look at the players who are responsible for that success. This year the top three clubs in the Chesapeake Region in the 16U age group are Metro (18), Blue Ridge (38) and Paramount (155), with their national ranking in parenthesis. The top clubs in the Old Dominion Region in the 16U age group are 540 Volleyball Academy (89) and Richmond Volleyball Club (110). The one disclaimer for Richmond Volleyball Club is they have five players from that 16 U team who belong in the class of 2025.
Parker jumped up only three spots but when you are already in the top 10 the ceiling sits pretty low. In my opinion she may be one of the better blockers in the DMV at this age group. She covers a lot of net with her blocks and now lists at 6’3″. Her jump could use some improvement (9’1″ block jump) but she brings to the net wide shoulders that cover a lot of area. She also brings a good attitude to the court, a openness to improve her game. That is one of the reasons she commutes from West Virginia to Manassas, Virginia to play for Paramount . She wants to play against the best. She also brings a strong offensive game to the middle with a kill percentage approaching 30 percent. Parker climbed from 10 to 7 in our class of 2026 rankings. Only Teodora Stamenkovic Teodora Stamenkovic 6’2″ | MB Bishop O’Connell | 2026 State VA of Metro ranks higher than Parker among middle hitters.
Highlights
Sydney Bennett Sydney Bennett 6'2" | MB Patriot | 2026 State VA middle (Patriot/Virginia Jrs) – Another middle who only climbed up three rankings, from number 15 to 12. She earned a spot on the first team in the Cedar Run District and second team class 6b all region. Sydney is another player that covers a lot of area with her blocks. She also can dominate the middle with her offense as well. Her middle play helped Juniors earn a Freedom bid at the Junior Nationals in Las Vegas.
Charlotte Arrington Charlotte Arrington 5'10" | OH Loudoun County | 2026 State VA left side (Loudoun County/ Paramount ) – Not playing a high school season last year certainly has not hurt Charlotte. She went from playing with Paramount 15U to skipping a level and playing at 17U this year. She has become the primary outside hitter for Paramount 17. Standing 5’10” Charlotte brings an approach jump of 9’8″. She also strikes the ball pretty hard allowing her to move up in the class of 2026 rankings from 17 to 13.
Morgan is another hard swinger at 5’10. Last year she was the primary source of power for East Coast Power, but after their disappearance from the Chesapeake area she found a home at Paramount . She brings an approach jump at 9’8″ providing offense from the front row and back row. Her back row passing could use some more consistency, but it has improved a lot from last year. Morgan climbed from 24 to 14 in our class of 2026.
Highlights
At 5’7″ Taryn knows her role. She sets her much taller teammates to do the damage then rotates out once she gets into the front row. That was her role for MVSA last her and continues to be her role playing for Metro this year. On the up side playing for Metro this year has increased her exposure. She shares setting duties with Charis Burge Charis Burge 5’10” | S Bullis | 2026 State VA . Taryn was voted to the first team Montgomery County, one of two setters in the group. While setting for Metro Taryn got them a spot in at least the National Division in Las Vegas. Now it is time to play in the qualifiers to earn a spot in the Open Division. Taryn moved up from 36 to 27 in our class of 2026 rankings.
Lilly Kennedy Lilly Kennedy 5'5" | DS/L National Cathedral | 2026 State VA libero/ds (National Catherdral/ Paramount ) – Lilly is one of the biggest movers in the class of 2026 group, jumping from 106 to 29. Last year Paramount used a number of different players at the libero position but finally settled on Lilly to take on that position at Junior Nationals. That position remains hers for the 2024 season, despite the arrival of Alexa Smith Alexa Smith 5'7" | DS/L Hedgesville | 2026 State VA a strong libero for Liberty Elite last year. Lilly plays a steady back row, finding the right spot to play defense. While you will see her hit the floor it will not be as frequently as other liberos who do not anticipate as well. Nothing flashing about her game, but always steady enabling her to find herself in the right spot to make a dig. She made my top ten libero list for 2026 which perhaps foreshadowed her rise in the rankings.
Gabriella Vizek Gabriella Vizek 6'0" | RS Riverside | 2026 State VA middle (Riverside/Metro) – At 6’0 she plays a strong middle, with an approach jump that reaches 10 feet. For Riverside she led them to an undefeated season until the finals of the State championship. She contributed 9 kills in the finals, but it was not enough to take down First Colonial in the Class 5 Virginia state championship. This is her first year suiting up for Metro. While their strength lies in the pins you can’t ignore the middles, especially when Gabriella is filling that role. She rises from 35 to 32 in our class of 2026.
Not only has Elizabeth climbed in the rankings, moving from 37 to 34, but she has also climbed in height going from 6’0″ to 6’3″. This growth may continue with a father who stands over 7 feet. Elizabeth provides some offense on the right side for both Colgan and 540 Volleyball Academy . Her height puts up a good block to neutralize the opponent’s left side hitter. Last year she led Colgan in blocks rotating between middle and right side.
Highlights
Sydnee Peters Sydnee Peters 5'10" | RS Atholton | 2026 State VA right side (Atholton/Paramount) – A perfect left handed swing to play right side. She stands 5’10” but with good arm extension that consistently puts balls to the floor. Her approach jump reaches 9’10’. Last year Sydnee played for MVSA, but she is one of three players from that team who moved to Paramount. The ability to play against some of the best in the Triple Crown was a big attraction. Sydnee climbed from 40 to 36 in our 2026 class rankings.
Sofia Delarosa Sofia Delarosa 5'10" | OH Bishop McNamara | 2026 State VA right side (Bishop McNamara/Paramount) – She hits left side for Bishop McNamara while switching to the right side for Paramount. At 5’10 she gets an approach jump that reaches 9’9″. She does play a year down with the 15 team. Sofia climbed from 43 to 37 in our class of 2026 rankings.
540 Volleyball Academy sits at the top of the 16U division in the Old Dominion Region based on their balance. They have strong players at each of the positions. Jasmine takes care of the middle with a block jump that reaches 9 feet. She hopes to suit up to play middle for Colonial Forge next season and lead them to a Class 6 state championship. Last year the Eagles reached the semi-finals in the Class 6 state playoffs before losing to eventual champion Langley. Jasmine rises from number 49 to 38 in our class of 2026 state rankings.
Highlights
Eliza was originally ranked at number 88 in our class of 2026 but mysteriously dropped out of the rankings through no act of my own. Her 6’2″ height and ability to play a strong middle for MVSA bumped her up two fold to number 44. While I have only seen her play middle she lists right side as an alternative position. With middle she hits quicks and shoots showing good tempo for running a fast offense. Eliza was one of our biggest movers, climbing from 88 to 44.
Highlights
Charlotte set a 6/2 but rotated out when she reached the front row. She impressed me with the way she ran the offense, always finding the right tempo with her hitters. Her enthusiasm and leadership ability are also qualities you look for in a setter. Charlotte brings a tough serve to the court, which coaches like to see from their setters. Standing just 5’8″ she will need to improve her jump if she wants to expand her abilities to the front row. Charlotte jumped from 95 to 39 in our class of 2026 rankings.
Highlights
She commutes to North Carolina to play for VB Academy there. Last year when I watched her play her blocking was good but her swings to hit the ball were not complete, usually lacking follow through. This year she appears to be making harder contact when hitting the ball in the middle. Normally, she plays for the 16 Diamond team that plyed in the Triple Crown this year. At the Big South Qualifier she bumped up to play with the 17s. Unfortunately for her that tournament saw the 16 team earn a bid for the Open in the Big South by winning the tournament. She does bring an approach jump that falls just short of 10 feet. Diamond has also been using her a bit on the right side as well. Evie climbed from 50 to 45 in our class of 2026 rankings.
Highlights
In order to be the top club in your region you need a good libero. 540 has that with Kadie handling the back row. She made my top ten liberos list for the class of 2026. What separates her from other liberos is her strong hands that she uses to make two handed digs on hard hit balls. She also scores points with her serve. Kadie jumped from 65 to 49 in our class of 2026 rankings.
Highlights
While she played down setting for the American 15 team she received experience setting a 5/1. The team also experienced success in their local tournaments. They played in the Mideast qualifier rather than the Chesapeake Regionals, though at the 15 level it would have been tough to earn a bid at the local tournament. Alexis ran the offense well and at 5’9″ does provide a presence at the net with a block jump just short of 9 feet. Alexis did earn second team honors for the Cedar Run District, an impressive feat for a sophomore. That earned her a jump from 75 to 61 in our class of 2026 rankings.
Highlights
Playing for Virginia Elite was the first time I had a chance to see her play. Last year she did not play for Madison high school as she recuperated from an injury. At 5’11” they could have used her outside hitting in their drive for the Class 6 state championship. Callie played six rotations, showing the ability to play a strong defensive game while also providing solid passing in the back row. Callie can also provide an offense in all six rotations. Great anticipation when playing defense. Her approach jump at 9’5″ could be a little light but it did not slow her down as she climbed from 142 to 62 in our class of 2026 rankings.
Highlights
Livia Lee Livia Lee 5'3" | DS/L Woodson | 2026 State VA libero/ds (Woodson/Rennaissance) – An extremely intense player on the court. She also brings a lot of heart and enthusiasm to her game. It would not surprise me to see her take over the libero role for Woodson next year. She played a strong libero for Renaissance this year. She only stands 5’3″ but she has the athleticism to power a spike over the net if called upon. Livia climbed from 69 to 64 in our class of 2026 rankings.
Always good to see a player on the watch list perform above expectations. She earned a big climb to 62 based on her back row play for MVSA. Love her hustle to the ball and her attitude on the court. She brings a spirit to the court that wills a team to succeed. It would not surprise me to see her to continue to rise from this list.
Highlights
Molly has always brought a strong arm to the court. When she was younger she hit outside despite her small stature. Eventually she settled on playing libero and that has been a good choice, even though a late growth spurt has seen her sprout to 5’8″. She still has a strong arm and you can see it when she gets the occasional back row set and drills the ball over the net. The more she settles and gets comfortable in the back row the better she gets. Earning a spot playing for Virginia Elite certainly increased her exposure. Molly climbed from 76 to 69 in our class of 2026.
Elizabeth Gordon Elizabeth Gordon 5'11" | MB Patriot | 2026 State VA middle (Patriot/American) – I spoke of Alexis Steinmetz Alexis Steinmetz 5'9" | S Osbourn | 2026 State VA above. Elizabeth appeared to be one of her favorite targets in the middle. Their tempo seemed to work for quicks as well as shoot sets. Elizabeth stands just 5’11” but while playing middle for Patriot high school last year she finished with the top hitting percentage at .269. Another watch list player that climbed to 94 in our class of 2026 rankings.
I like her height at 6’1″. Her videos also show an ability to hit a strong right side. She will certainly be a player on my radar. The Bulldogs certainly had a rough year last year at 1-18. On the roster she is listed as a right side/setter. I have yet to see her play but based on what I have seen from her video she moved from the watch list to 97 in our class of 2026 rankings.
Highlights
At 5’10” she stands out when grouped with the other liberos. I first saw her at the DMV 250 Expo in Virginia, which put her on my radar. She hustles well for the ball and is certainly not afraid to get her uniform dirty. A smooth passer with a quiet platform. I liked what I saw from her play. Rachel climbed from 150 to 105 in our class of 2026 rankings.
Highlights
Mackenzie Davis Mackenzie Davis 5'11" | S Riverside | 2026 State VA setter (Riverside/Paramount) – She brings height to the setter position at 5’11”. She also sets for two strong teams Riverside and Paramount. Sydney Ray Sydney Ray 5'7" | S Riverside | 2026 State VA seems to be the prominent setter for Riverside while Avery Prendergast Avery Prendergast 5'9" | S St. Johns | 2025 State VA fills the prominent setter role for Paramount. One of the challenges of watching setters run a 6/2 is that they play for only three rotations. Sometimes, in the short window when you watch them you don’t see them at their best. Mackenzie was named as one of the seven players to watch from the class of 2026. What I’ve seen from her so far deserves a bump from 149 to 136 but she is probably deserving of higher. Definitely a player I will keep my eyes on.
Heidi Engel Heidi Engel 5'4" | DS/L Atlee | 2026 State VA libero/DS (Atlee/River City) – She impressed me with her libero play when I watched her play for Atlee as well as River City. That was enough to move her from the watch list to the ranking at number 142 in the class of 2026. Another player who needs to get on my radar.
Amaya is a smaller outside hitter who plays for the Paramount second team. She also played junior varsity at Dominion. A little growth could make her a player to watch. Amaya moved from the watch list to 144.
Highlights
At 5’5″ Avery is limited to back row play , unless she sees some growth. She also lists defensive specialists as a position. She brings good hands to the setting position, sharing it with Annabelle Kim Annabelle Kim 5’8″ | S Heritage | 2027 State VA at Heritage. Avery moved from the watch list to 145 in our class of 2026 rankings.