Breaking Down the Regions

For this post I will break down four of the 11 Regions in Virginia. With the Prep Dig Showcases and rankings coming in August that could get tough to break down the remaining. The first four will be the Cardinal, Catoctin, Cedar Run and Commonwealth Regions. The high schools will be broken out into Contenders, Sleeper and the Others. Try outs do not occur for public schools until next week so the players returning are those from last year.   Cardinal Region    Lots of potential here. As I have stated she grew from 6'0" to 6'3" from her frosh year. Normally, the growth period for girls coming into high school slows quite a bit. The growing may not be complete. Since her father was a 7'1" basketball player she may have a few more inches of growth in her.   She played right side for [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy']. Colgan may use her in the middle. Wherever she plays her effort should now focus on getting stronger and quicker. The height and skills will take care of themselves.    Contenders - It seems to come down to two teams every year. Colgan (12-0) and Forest Park (10-2) usually finish one/two in this Region. Colgan won the State championship three years ago and finished runner up two years ago. Last year they lost to Battlefield in a Regional which knocked them out of the state.   The top players returning for Colgan include middle/right side [player_tooltip player_id='333653' first='Elizabeth' last='York'], who at 6'3" brings some height to the team. Two returning pins [player_tooltip player_id='223581' first='Skylar' last='Johnson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='238593' first='Tehillah' last='Garrison'] lack height at 5'9" but hit hard. [player_tooltip player_id='464563' first='Elizabeth' last='Robinson'] returns as one of the setters. This should provide enough talent for them to repeat.   The only matches Forest Park lost in the Region were to Colgan. The Bruins have [player_tooltip player_id='235293' first='Destini' last='Pickett'] returning and that should be enough to finish second. She plays six rotations, providing offense in the front and back row. Love their back row play with [player_tooltip player_id='535062' first='Alysia' last='Diaz'] and [player_tooltip player_id='530368' first='Sadie' last='Barrera'].   Sleeper - Hylton (4-8) will rely on [player_tooltip player_id='395523' first='Kylee' last='Cookson'] on the outside. Gaining a few more pieces from the junior varsity could make them a surprise in the conference.   Others - Freedom (0-12), Gar-field (2-10), Potomac Senior (6-6), Woodbridge (8-4). Libero [player_tooltip player_id='245602' first='Bridgette' last='Templeton'] from Potomac Senior is the only ranked player from these four teams.   Catoctin Region    While Kayla may only be 5'8" she is a dangerous 5'8". She plays with intensity and does not feel her size is a handicap. At the Junior Nationals in the Open Division she did not appear to be phased by the bigger blocks.   If you feel she is too small for the front row watch her play the back row. Her intensity is just as strong there. She reminds me a bit of West Virginia Gatorade player of the year Hannah Howard, who is now playing libero for UMBC. Hannah led the West Virginia powerhouse Musselman to a couple state titles as an outside hitter. Now, Kayla may get a shot at gaining some state titles as an outside hitter for Loudoun County.    Contenders - Don't see any team competing with Loudoun County (8-0). The Captains big strength lies with their pins [player_tooltip player_id='249330' first='Charlotte' last='Arrington'], [player_tooltip player_id='523337' first='Ana' last='Smithson'], [player_tooltip player_id='279856' first='Kayla' last='Luther'] and [player_tooltip player_id='377334' first='Josephine' last='Seekford']. Last year Charlotte did not play so her return will create more offense and depth for the team. That will prove critical considering they were swept in the first round of the Class 4 playoffs last year by eventual champion James Wood. Their two setters [player_tooltip player_id='591686' first='Clara' last='Jolly'] and Grace Galas also return, as does libero [player_tooltip player_id='377327' first='Isabella' last='DeWan']. Expect them to return to that competitive spirit in the past when they won ten straight class 4 state titles from 2013 to 2021.   Sleeper - Broad Run (5-3) returns their captain, setter and pin hitter [player_tooltip player_id='181244' first='Ryan' last='Hicks']. Last year they split with Woodgrove, but eventually lost to them in the Regional playoffs.   Others - John Champe (2-6), Park View (0-8), Woodgrove (5-3). Woodgrove carries outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='246316' first='Jackie' last='Colucci'] to spark the offense. They should battle Broad Run for that second spot. Last year the Wolverines lost to Rock Ridge in the Regionals.   Cedar Run Region    Soleil plays right side for Metro. The same team that saw five of their outsides commit to Tennesse, Kentucky, Baylor, Long Beach State and Marquette. If you watch her play she carries the same type of potential tools. She just lacks the exposure. Now, the high school season will give her a chance to show off her skills. Soleil may not get a lot of playing time for Metro, but for Patriot she has an opportunity to be a starter. They are one of the favorites to get into the State championship. Expect Soleil to lead them there. A sleeper player if there ever was one.    Contenders - Battlefield (9-1) worked their way into the playoffs by downing West Springfield and Madison before losing to Langley in four in the Class 6 state finals. While they lost some quality players in Brianna Clay and Taelin Connolly there still remain quality players on the roster. [player_tooltip player_id='181311' first='Skyler' last='Tennant'] and [player_tooltip player_id='484960' first='Kinsley' last='Zebatto'] played right side, but with the loss of their two left sides they may shift over. Middle [player_tooltip player_id='437452' first='Jolie' last='Vignier'] returns and [player_tooltip player_id='530394' first='Christine' last='Baybayan'] can fill one of the left side spots. They have two quality teams in their Region that also seek a spot in the states.   Freedom (7-3) and Patriot (8-2) will have a say in whether or not Battlefield repeats as the Regional champion. Freedom brings back middle [player_tooltip player_id='235284' first='Caitlin' last='Johnson'], who at 6'4" can dominate a game. They also have a good back row tandem in libero [player_tooltip player_id='428533' first='Isabel' last='Morales'] and defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id='377328' first='Madison' last='Phan']. [player_tooltip player_id='352832' first='Kiley' last='Robinette'] returns to left side. After losing two seniors the athletic [player_tooltip player_id='444617' first='Kamilla' last='Hendrix'] may be tasked with taking over the setting responsibilities.   Patriot handed Battlefield their only regional loss last year, but Colgan eliminated them from the state championship by defeating them in Regional play. The 6'2" [player_tooltip player_id='220923' first='Soleil' last='Rancourt'] will occupy one of the pins with [player_tooltip player_id='394612' first='Natalie' last='Carlton'] and [player_tooltip player_id='500510' first='Violet' last='Masiello'], a rising frosh also filling in. Another rising frosh from last year [player_tooltip player_id='448705' first='Danika' last='Swanson'] ranks as one of the top setters in the class of 2027. She will share the setting spotlight with [player_tooltip player_id='181245' first='Anisa' last='Flowers']. The middles will be filled by [player_tooltip player_id='238850' first='Sydney' last='Bennett'] and [player_tooltip player_id='464562' first='Elizabeth' last='Gordon'].   Sleeper - Gainsville (3-7) brings four players to the Prep Dig showcase, frosh MacKenzie Gregory, libero [player_tooltip player_id='525344' first='Riley' last='Stever'], and left sides [player_tooltip player_id='490247' first='Leilani' last='Fongyen'] and [player_tooltip player_id='496044' first='Cat' last='Batcheler']. They bring a thirst for excellence. [player_tooltip player_id='186445' first='Alexis' last='Dietterick'] also appeared at the Prep Dig showcase in Las Vegas. Also returning are two young setters in Emily Dougherty and [player_tooltip player_id='805970' first='Kaia' last='Brooks'].   Others - Osbourn (0-10) and, Osbourne Park (3-7). Osbourn should win some games with [player_tooltip player_id='367784' first='Alexis' last='Steinmetz'] setting and [player_tooltip player_id='438075' first='Riley' last='Patterson'] hitting left side. They are in a tough Region.   Commonwealth Region    For [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy']'s last two tournaments Alyssa hit left side. At the East Coast championship she led her team to a first place finish. At the Junior Nationals it was a bit of a struggle. Though she fits in the class of 2027 she plays up with the 16s.   It may have been the team's first exposure to Junior Nationals. At that level as mentioned above, the players are quicker and stronger than the local teams they play at the Old Dominion Region. The serves come faster, the blocks are higher and the game is quicker.   Alyssa brings the athleticism to play at that level. Now, she will take that experience to Mountain View, historically, not a powerhouse in volleyball. I got them as a sleeper for the Commonwealth Region. If Alyssa hits on the left side and the setters can get the ball to her they will win some matches. Even setting her twos in the middle will get them victories.    Contenders - Last year Colonial Forge (9-3) lost an epic five match battle to Langley in the semi-finals (26-24, 31-33, 24-26, 25-18, 17-15). That is the third time they have lost in the semi-finals of a state championship. They have yet to play in a final. The talent on the roster still exists to make a championship run. It starts with middle [player_tooltip player_id='397397' first='Jasmine' last='Williams'] and carries to left side [player_tooltip player_id='465297' first='Grace' last='Ostvig'], the younger sister of last year's team MVP Isabel Ostvig, who now plays for UMBC. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='397192' first='Kadie' last='Cardozo'] returns to handle back row responsibilities. The biggest need clearly lies with replacing Isabel at setter. Senors Carly Ford and Karlei Gibson stand out as the favorites. [player_tooltip player_id='443570' first='Lexiana' last='Everetts'] is also a strong favorite to earn the other middle position.   Riverbend (12-0) won the Region last year but lost to Riverside in the Class 5 semi-final state playoffs. Of their three losses last year two came to Riverside and one came to defending Class 3 champion Hidden Valley. They are led by their 6'3" James Madison commit, middle [player_tooltip player_id='309022' first='Peri' last='Linterman']. She ranks as the top middle in the DMV area for the class of 2025. Setter [player_tooltip player_id='397536' first='Aubrey' last='Parker'] (Edit: Aubrey appears to have transferred to Courtland) returns as well. She ranks as the fourth best setter in the class of 2026. The Bears lost six seniors so they will rely on newcomers like right side [player_tooltip player_id='483591' first='Willa' last='Voto'] to carry the mantle if they hope to repeat as Commonwealth Regional champions.   North Stafford (8-4) returns some talent with left sides [player_tooltip player_id='221415' first='Lindsey' last='Canty'] and [player_tooltip player_id='436122' first='Arianna' last='Mancari']. [player_tooltip player_id='294589' first='Maya' last='Tillman'] will return as a force in the middle and [player_tooltip player_id='290419' first='Sanai' last='Jones'] will show her versatility, setting or playing back row. [player_tooltip player_id='471627' first='Allison' last='Spittal'] returns from the junior national beach championships where she finished fourth in the 18 Open. She will fill the libero role. [player_tooltip player_id='643769' first='Sascha' last='Cotton'] could fill a spot on the right side.   Sleeper - Teams should not sleep on the talent present with the Mountain View (5-7) roster. It begins with middle/left side [player_tooltip player_id='435745' first='Alyssa' last='Kumah']. She seems to be transitioning to outside, but she ranks as the number three prospect in our class of 2027. They return [player_tooltip player_id='523343' first='Elsie' last='Afful'] to the middle and have the left handed swinging [player_tooltip player_id='390169' first='Katherine' last='Russell'] for the right side. [player_tooltip player_id='397414' first='Isabella' last='Park'] could win the libero role. Finding roster information for the Wildcats is difficult but what they have is impressive.   Others - Brooke Point (0-12), Massaponax (6-6), Stafford (2-10). Massaponax lost their biggest hitter in left side Carley Coghill but have the back row covered with [player_tooltip player_id='434856' first='Sydney' last='Stone'], [player_tooltip player_id='235323' first='Cameron' last='Cox'] and [player_tooltip player_id='484405' first='Brenna' last='Raymond']. They need to find some offense if they hope to contend.   High School Tournament Schedule   Below are the high school tournaments you may find me wandering about.   August 17 - Massaponax tournament or North Stafford   On August 24 - Colgan Jamboree   August 30/31 - [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] or Henrico Sports and Events Center tournament   September 7 - Albemarle   On September 14 - Endless Summer in Virginia Beach   September 21 - Flint Hill tournament   October 5 - Kennedy High tournament   October 12 - Jackson -Reed tournament.   Know of any others let me know.

For this post I will break down four of the 11 Regions in Virginia. With the Prep Dig Showcases and rankings coming in August that could get tough to break down the remaining. The first four will be the Cardinal, Catoctin, Cedar Run and Commonwealth Regions. The high schools will be broken out into Contenders, Sleeper and the Others. Try outs do not occur for public schools until next week so the players returning are those from last year.