New Additions to the Class of 2025

We expanded the class of 2025 rankings to 200 players, 14 of whom are on the watch list. This was an opportunity to create more opportunities for new players to receive some exposure. Also, these new additions include nine watch list players from the previous ranking who were moved to the actual rankings.   84. [player_tooltip player_id='569802' first='Milan' last='Curl'] OH (Hickory/[program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club']) - My first exposure to Milan was in the Junior Nationals in Las Vegas. A 6'0" left side is bound to get you some attention. She put some extra juice on the ball whether she hit from the back row or front row. A six rotation player who likes to sneak inside to smack a high set in the middle.   109. [player_tooltip player_id='568893' first='Riley' last='Evans'] MB (Chambersburg/Liberty Elite) - Riley made my all tournament team for the 17s based on her performance with Liberty Elite at the Junior Nationals in Las Vegas. Her middle play led her Liberty Elite team to a gold medal bracket appearance in the Freedom Division. While they lost in the first round they finished in fifth place out of 48 teams. Pretty special when you consider they entered the tournament as the 36th seed.   122. [player_tooltip player_id='545714' first='Kaylie' last='Klemm'] S (Grafton/[program_tooltip program_id='498498' first='Virginia' last='Wave']) - Kaylie ran a solid 5/1 offense for [program_tooltip program_id='498498' first='Virginia' last='Wave'] in the East Coast Championships in Pittsburgh. She also set for Grafton, which finished second in the class 3 state championships last year. Kaylie makes good choices when distributing sets. At 5'6" you have to make good choices for a coach to have the confidence in you to stick in the front row.   124. [player_tooltip player_id='568907' first='Shylah' last='Totten'] MB (Oscar Frommel Smith/[program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club']) - Shylah also played well for [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] at the Junior Nationals in Las Vegas, winning a selection on my all tournament team for the 17s. She brings a hard swing to the middle and displayed some impressive defensive skills in the back row after her serve. Those defensive skills come in handy when she hits outside for her high school team.   133. [player_tooltip player_id='569805' first='Larissa' last='Blair'] OH (Boonesboro/Liberty Elite) - Larissa hit left side for Liberty Elite in their fifth place finish at the Junior Nationals in the Freedom Division at Las Vegas. They entered the tournament seeded 36th and qualified for the gold bracket, unfortunately losing in the first round. At 5'10" Larissa provided a big impact playing left side for Liberty Elite, giving them an opportunity to be one of the surprise teams in the Freedom Division.    She ranks at 151. One of the nice things about the showcases is it provides me an opportunity to see players I would not normally get a chance to see. Catherine impressed at the showcase. She started a little bit nervous but after taking some deep breaths showed she belonged in the back row. She moves her feet well and displays a good platform for passing. Based on her personality on the court she gives out the vibes of being a great team player.     Sierra ranks at 156. She plays a strong middle while running the quick sets. She also gets her hands high above the net when blocking. Still needs a little work on the arm swing to increase the power on her spikes.    157. [player_tooltip player_id='581666' first='Nicole' last='Neal'] OH (Montgomery/Columbia Volleyball Academy) - Nicole is one of those Maryland players who slipped through the cracks. Once she committed to Navy, I watched her videos since I had not physically seen her play. She is an impressive pin that hits the ball down with good velocity. A good jump enhances her 5'11" height. She probably should be ranked higher but I'm hesitant to rely too much on video. But it appears Navy took a big interest in her, which is all that counts.   162. [player_tooltip player_id='582241' first='Diane' last='McCaskill'] OH (Thomas Jefferson) - One of the offensive fire plugs for Thomas Jefferson high school team that finished first in the National Region. Still a little inconsistent with her location but it does not discourage her from swinging hard,   170. [player_tooltip player_id='591686' first='Clara' last='Jolly'] S (Loudoun County/[program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite']) - For the most part her 5'5" height will limit her to back row. She brings experience to the position, having set since the 13 U level. Last year she led her high school team in assists and serving aces.   Players Moved from Watch List to Ranked    Though she plays for [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] the showcase was my first opportunity to see her play. She plays for the Orange team, which I have not seen play. Despite being a second team they carried enough talent to rank in the top 30 in the Chesapeake Region 17U.   Caylee brings a solid platform to the libero position. Her passing is consistently on the mark. She also has set a little for her high school team so there is a bit of versatility in her game.     At 6'0" she puts up a good block at the net. Like [player_tooltip player_id='293633' first='Caylee' last='Walsh'] she also plays for the [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] Orange team. She swings at the higher sets in the middle but can spray them to all areas of the court. Her height and reach allows her to hit the ball high off the block. Playing for a talented Millwood team could out her in the spotlight.     At 5'0" she certainly can get low to the floor to dig the higher velocity hits. She moves quickly to the ball and has quick reactions on balls hit at her. Shows some good enthusiasm on the floor which tells me she loves playing the game. Played well for [program_tooltip program_id='511606' first='Vienna' last='Elite'] which hopefully will translate to a varsity opportunity.     A smaller outside who swings hard to create some excellent velocity on the ball. She plays all six rotations, allowing her to display offense from the back row. With Oakton losing both their left sides this will be her opportunity to get quality varsity time.     Alysia is the libero for Forest Park. Last year she led the team in digs and finished third in service aces. Her play earned her a spot on the Cardinal District first team.   For [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy'] she alternates between libero and defensive specialist. She brings a solid passing platform and cushions the ball well on hard driven balls.     She has sprouted into the 6'0" realm, which many coaches look for in their pins. Her ability to hit from both sides of the pin adds to her allure, though she seems to be used more on the left side. At times she can get underneath the ball on her swings, which impacts the velocity on her hits. In serve receive she shows a good platform.   Virginia Juniors qualified for Junior Nationals in Las Vegas in the Freedom Division. They finished 35th out of 48 teams.     Setter for the [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] 17 team. They finished as the fourth ranked team in the Chesapeake Region. At 5'10" she brings good height to the setter position. For high school she sets for Clarke County, earning a spot on the Bull Run District first team. Her setting helped Clarke Conty reach the playoffs, but ultimately they lost in the Class 2B Regional semifinals.     Melia brings some height to the middle. She runs the quick sets well putting some juice on the ball with her hits. Only watched her videos but will attempt to make it out to Meridian to watch her play.     She tends to play for either a talented high school like Woodson, who made it to the State playoffs but lost in the first round or for a talented club like Virginia Juniors, which made it to the Freedom Division in Junior Nationals. Since both those teams carried top notch liberos her playing time is restricted to playing defensive specialist. She can get low to the floor with some impressive digs but needs a little more exposure to show off her talents.

We expanded the class of 2025 rankings to 200 players, 14 of whom are on the watch list. This was an opportunity to create more opportunities for new players to receive some exposure. Also, these new additions include nine watch list players from the previous ranking who were moved to the actual rankings.