Standouts at the Colgan Jamboree and Other Scrimmage Action

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The nice thing about the Colgan Jamboree is the girls get a lot of volleyball and the coaches can play anyone without worrying about winning. A great opportunity to work different lineups to see what works best. The Colgan Jamboree offered teams four matches each with two sets to 25. Below are some of the players who stood out in their attempt to earn a starting spot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Langley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They are the defending Class 6 champions. They will also be without <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181307' first='Leni' last='Stanton-Parker']</strong>, who has transferred to IMG Academy in Florida. So that leaves at least one opening on the left side. After watching Langley my favorite to take over the slot would be frosh <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='554770' first='Rujuta' last='Singh']</strong>, one of our top performers at the Prep Dig frosh showcase. She does a number of things well, most important of which are passing, hitting from behind the 3 meter line and playing defense. Currently she is a little undersized at 5'7" but she hits the ball hard. Other options include <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='377330' first='Chloe' last='Lin']</strong> or <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='608978' first='Francise' last='Ramirez']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='239322' first='Hailey' last='Park'] looked very smooth with her setting. She stands just 5'2" so any role would be in a 6/2. Most of the Langley starters were not available early because of SATs or nursing minor injuries. One starter, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='476364' first='Amber' last='Smith']</strong> looked good in the libero role. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='470565' first='Gabriela' last='Cid']</strong> also played some libero, but she also broke out the hands to set a little.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First Colonial</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They are the defending Class 5 champions. They looked strong with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='249294' first='Teagan' last='Emdadi'],</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='485079' first='Grace' last='Davies-Hackenberg']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='481962' first='Gabby' last='Taylor']</strong> all strong outside possibilities. Gabby was listed as a middle and played a little bit there, but she also looked strong when playing defense in the back row. Setters <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='643807' first='Alayna' last='Cole'] </strong>showed good hands and played solid defense, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='643829' first='Jordan' last='Baker']</strong> played six rotations, showing a strong arm when hitting from the right side.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>First Colonial still did not have completed rosters so it was difficult to identify all of the players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Flint Hill</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Huskies are the defending VISAA champions, but it may be a long season for them. They were using their 6'3" setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181303' first='Isabelle' last='Bardin']</strong> on the outside because of a lack of firepower in their offense. They have <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='437441' first='Hunter' last='Ross']</strong> in the middle but there were still some tempo issues connecting with her setter in the middle. While this was just a scrimmage, the Huskies look very vulnerable relying on their top setter Isabelle to be their primary offensive weapon. Granted, she also was probably the hardest hitter in the gym.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defense and passing was going to be one of their strengths as well, but one of their top back row players<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='238358' first='Evie' last='Huang']</strong> will miss the season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181279' first='Kadi' last='Pynchon']</strong> plays an excellent back row. They also have <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='520868' first='Caroline' last='Semko']</strong> and frosh <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='587878' first='Delaney' last='Malloy']</strong> in the back row. It appeared they were using one of their DS/L players at the setter position, but Flint Hill does not have completed rosters yet with numbers associated with the players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Colgan</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Colgan won a state championship three years ago and lost in the finals two years ago. They have lost quite a bit of talent from those teams, but they appear to have a stream of new talent on the rise. A number of frosh looked good, especially <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='550688' first='Sienna' last='Mitchell']</strong> from the outside. Sienna was one of the top performers at our frosh showcase. She also played a little middle. Another frosh <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='587027' first='Courtney' last='Miller'] </strong>showed a good jump from the outside. Two frosh back row players <strong>Brooklyn Rothwell </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='602392' first='Elise' last='Nair']</strong> could see a lot of playing time as the season progresses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The main person at libero appears to be senior <strong>Allison Cibrian-Martinez</strong>. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='333653' first='Elizabeth' last='York']</strong> played mostly right side for Club 540 Academy but looks to be the primary middle for the Sharks this year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='464563' first='Elizabeth' last='Robinson'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='643810' first='Jasmine' last='Belle Carrasco'] </strong>will be the primary setters. <strong> Madeline Dumais</strong> put some balls down from the right side. Perhaps not a championship season this year but the future looks bright.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>North Stafford</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> The Wolverines may lack championships, but they have <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='221415' first='Lindsey' last='Canty'] </strong>hitting missles from the left side and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='471627' first='Allison' last='Spittal']</strong> patrolling the back row. Allison brings out a wicked jump spin serve that piles up aces. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='294589' first='Maya' last='Tillman']</strong> can hit some balls down from the right side. North Stafford also lacked updated roster information.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kellam</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kellam lacks a frosh and junior varsity team so they bring a big roster to a tournament. The players lineup from the scoreboard to the end of the wall. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='484970' first='Sofia' last='Barnes']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='608979' first='Mia' last='Schmidt']</strong> appear to be a strong presence from the pins. Mia is a smaller pin at 5'6"while Sofia stands at 6'0". <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='484751' first='Riley' last='Erwin']</strong> sets, but also can bring some offense to the right side. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='643814' first='Emma' last='Irving']</strong> is the other setter but gets rotated out once she enters the front row. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='643843' first='Audrianna' last='Neil']</strong> also hits left side, using a strong wrist snap to hit the ball down. She normally comes out in the back row. Libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='434856' first='Sydney' last='Stone']</strong> takes care of the back row responsibilities.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Colonial Forge</strong> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='608994' first='Emma' last='Sofis']</strong> is a player I have appeared to miss in my rankings. Don't know how you can overlook a 6'3" middle but she stood out. She also plays for [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy']. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='609500' first='Naomie' last='Fennewald']</strong> brings some height to the right side at 6'0" and also swings left handed. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='397397' first='Jasmine' last='Williams']</strong> may not bring the size of Emma to the middle but she shows better tempo for hitting the quick sets. She is athletic and quick with the ability to play defense in the back row. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='465297' first='Grace' last='Ostvig']</strong> is a smaller left side but plays six rotations. She arrived late to the tournament but once she arrived she got most of the playing time. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Colonial Forge also lacked completed rosters, so it was difficult to identify the players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Forest Park</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235293' first='Destini' last='Pickett']</strong> was one of the stronger hitters at the scrimmage. She plays excellent back row and has the ability to spray her hits through or over the blocks, despite her smaller stature. The American commit lists anywhere from 5'8" to 5'10". <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='535062' first='Alysia' last='Diaz']</strong> played a strong libero and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='530368' first='Sadie' last='Barrera']</strong> showed some hustle when given the opportunity to play the back row. Frosh setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='627365' first='Alexa' last='Eggleton']</strong> showed some good hands and ran a couple of quick sets in the middle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Other Scrimmages</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watched some scrimmages from the three teams below:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Georgetown Day</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With a down year from Flint Hill the Mighty Hoppers are poised to win their first Independent School League (ISL) championship. They have won the ISL in the "A" Division but not in "AA". One team they will need to overcome is Bullis. The double Zs <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='248705' first='Zoe' last='Ryu']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='437985' first='Zora' last='Dimbo']</strong> provide the offense from the left side while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181763' first='Jada' last='Aksu'] </strong>brings her heat from the right side. Jada is one of those cerebral players that knows where to find the empty court or tool the block. Middles are solid with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='472234' first='Tessa' last='Fergusson']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='355124' first='Fiona' last='McDermott'].</strong> Fiona also showed a strong serve.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='292644' first='Caycee' last='Chhum']</strong> is a new addition who will take over tbe primary setting responsibilities. She may work a 5/1 but she could also share setting with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='434853' first='Elizabeth' last='Higday'] </strong>in a 6/2. The libero spot was played by<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='326533' first='Shiraz' last='Benyoucef']</strong>. Lots of depth on this team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bullis </strong> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldogs also have their sight set on the ISL. They can counter the Hoppers outsides with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181300' first='Alexis' last='Ewing'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='183589' first='Angelique' last='Desamours']</strong>. Zoe and Angelique were teammates at [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''], but Angelique made the All tournament team after [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] fifth place finish in junior nationals. With the transfer of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='321677' first='Charis' last='Burge']</strong> the setting responsibilities belong to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='206729' first='Megan' last='Phan']</strong> to run a 5/1. She keeps blockers guessing with her jump sets and dumps.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='184604' first='Nia' last='Thomas']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='238860' first='Mia' last='Fornasiero'] </strong>cover the back row. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='377396' first='Alexa' last='Telly']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='248712' first='Kyla' last='Harris']</strong> will plug up the middle while<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='181235' first='Sydney' last='Mayfield']</strong> will play right side. Another team that that brings no weaknesses to the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Alexandria City</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It appears the Titans are poised to take another Cacoctin title. Last year they finished undefeated. This year they carry two strong left sides in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='464589' first='Julia' last='Kelly']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='664133' first='Josephine' last='Damico-Lassman']</strong>. <strong>Kalina Janevski </strong>does the damage from the right side. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='374419' first='Alicia' last='Randall']</strong> will set a 5/1. She dumped a number of untouched balls in the middle of the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alexandria City did not have completed rosters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Yorktown</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Patriots have experienced some down years, but improvement is on the horizon. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='377337' first='Gabrielle' last='Tindall']</strong> brings some length to the middle at 6'2". <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='664139' first='Bianca' last='Pellim']</strong> provided power to the left side. Libero <strong>Addie Hans </strong>played scrappy defense. The setting looks strong with [player_tooltip player_id='238852' first='Casey' last='Yuh'] and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='664161' first='Heidi' last='Velikonja'] </strong>sharing the position. They have a tough task in the Liberty Division to overtake Langley but they should be in the hunt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->