Top Ten Pins from the Class of 2026
In this article:
Half of the top ten pins play for Metro. Not a surprise to see them ranked in the top 25 in the country at the 16U level. If they do not earn an open bid in the Northeast Qualifier it…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingHalf of the top ten pins play for Metro. Not a surprise to see them ranked in the top 25 in the country at the 16U level. If they do not earn an open bid in the Northeast Qualifier it would not surprise me to see them get an at large bid to play in open. The one time they played Blue Ridge , ranked in the top 50 in the country, was at the Capitol Hill Classic. Metro won 28-26, 20-25, 15-13. Perhaps they will meet again in the Northeast Qualifier. Blue Ridge will be playing in AAUs in Orlando, Florida. Kennedy Spaid Kennedy Spaid 5'11" | OH James Wood | 2026 State VA , the only Blue Ridge pin in the top ten is a player who gets very little press.
Morgan ranks number one based on her potential. At 6’4″ she brings an approach jump that hits the 10 foot mark. The one area that will make her game complete is more consistency passing in the back row. She brings some serious velocity to the ball when she rears back and hammers it. The rankings are based on a combination of potential and current ability. In my opinion, her full potential has still not shown itself. During the high school season last year Morgan earned a spot on the first team in the Patriot District. With her skill level she should turn that Lake Braddock program around.
Highlights
Sometimes it does not matter how hard you hit the ball in front of the ten foot line. Or how high a bounce the ball takes when it hits the floor. All that matters is it becomes a kill. Kennedy is the one player on this top ten list of pin hitters not playing for Metro who could probably try out and make the team. She is about as automatic as they come. Her game lacks flash, but it shines in its consistency. Most times when Kennedy makes contact with the ball it will find the court. Last year she finished with a .339 hitting percentage to win player of the year honors in the Winchester area. A six rotation player Kennedy led her team to a state championship as a frosh and sophomore. As a travel ball player she normally played up a year. This year she plays at her age and this has turned her into a dominating player. Beach may be her future in college.
Perhaps the best player on the Metro 16 team. She plays six rotations and pounds the ball from the back and front row. The only pin from Metro that does not stand over 6 foot. Like Kennedy Spaid Kennedy Spaid 5’11” | OH James Wood | 2026 State VA , Caydence is another player who has led her team to a state championship as a frosh and sophomore. As a frosh she finished with a hitting percentage of .343, but as a sophomore that increased to .384. Like Kennedy she also won player of the year honors as a sophomore in her area (Washington County). Her sister Baylee plays for Metro 17 and has already committed to Navy. An extremely dynamic player on the court.
Nadiya can fly when hitting the pins, with an approach jump reaching 10’8″. Not many in the country can reach that height. Perhaps she can play the left side but with Morgan Williams Morgan Williams 6’4″ | OH Lake Braddock | 2026 State VA and Caydence Doolan Caydence Doolan 5’11” | OH North Hagerstown | 2026 State VA performing there she dominates from the right side. This does not give her opportunities to play back row. She does create an excellent right side block with her block jump falling just short of 10 feet. A player who has started receiving national recognition in the volleyball community. Capitol Hill Classic voted her top attacker for the 16 open level.
Highlights
For Woodson High School she plays left side and at times is left in to play all six rotations. She also plays some left side for Metro when giving Caydence or Morgan a breather. For the most part she plays right side for Metro. Like Morgan, her back row play could be more consistent, but that will only come with repetition. She won first team honors in the Patriot District and first team honors for the region. She finished with a hitting percentage of .304 but watching her play she has shown big improvement since her sophomore season in high school. Her arm swing appears much faster and she hits the ball with greater velocity. Her approach jump falls just short of 10 feet at 9’11”.
Highlights
Eden Tardy Eden Tardy 5’10” | OH Quince Orchard | 2026 State VA is a solid six rotation player. She switched from MVSA to Paramount to play a more competitive brand of volleyball. Playing in the Triple Crown this year had to have been an enlightening experience for her. It gave her an idea of how the best can perform. Her approach jump runs between 9’7″ to 9’11”. She does a good job whether hitting from the front row or back row.
Highlights
Charlotte Arrington Charlotte Arrington 5'10" | OH Loudoun County | 2026 State VA (Loudoun County/ Paramount ) – As pointed out in a previous post Charlotte did not play high school ball last year. That did not stop her from improving her game. This year in club ball she skipped the 16 level, bumping all the way up to play in the 17U division. Like Eden, her 5’10 height does not stand tall, but her approach jump reaches 9’8″. She puts some excellent velocity on the ball when she makes contact. She also plays six rotations, providing an attack from the front and back row. A player that can dominate the game with her physical style of play.
A third player who stands 5’10 but provides an offense from all six rotations. Morgan generates serious velocity with her hits and brings an approach jump that reaches 9’8″. At St.Johns she finished second on her team in kills, but her game has improved since then. She also finished first in aces. Her sister played libero in high school. Once Morgan improves her back row play to her sister’s level she will be a monster on the court.
Highlights
With four pins from Metro in our top five Soleil fights for playing opportunities. For Patriot high school she earned first team honors for her district and Region, high praise for a sophomore. She finished first on her team in kills. With a little more exposure she can impress on the volleyball court. If given the opportunity she could be the number one hitter for most clubs in the region.
Highlights
One of the hardest workers off the volleyball court. She moved from Paramount to 540 volleyball academy. With her hard off the court work she has been getting close to reaching the 10 foot club with her approach jump. The hard work has also paid off in improving her back row play as well, allowing her to play all six rotations. 540 club academy is the top club in the Old Dominion Region and will play in the National Division at junior nationals in Las Vegas. That would be a good place to take a look at her play. Strong leadership and high intensity play are all attributes she possesses for the game.