Final Top 20 High School DMV Ranking

Below is the Prep Dig final ranking for the DC/Maryland/Virginia (DMV) high school area. Next post will be the Prep Dig first and second all DMV team, as well as the sophomore and all frosh team. After that the focus will turn to club volleyball and our rankings.   1 Riverside (28-1) - They were rank number at the start of the season. Their first and only loss to Independence knocked them down a notch. Winning the Class 5 State championship bumped them back up again. They have a solid seven they can throw at you. The middles [player_tooltip player_id='181309' first='Brianna' last='Holladay'] and [player_tooltip player_id='333652' first='Gabriella' last='Vizek'] can neutralize an offense with their blocks as well as provide some offense on the quick tempo sets. Setter [player_tooltip player_id='333651' first='Sydney' last='Ray'] runs a 5/1 offense well as evidence by her earning player of the year for her District.   Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='464556' first='Kennedy' last='Peyton'] is an underrated pin who plays a quality back row, while her counterpart [player_tooltip player_id='225187' first='Simone' last='Schaefer'] will surprise you with a quick tempo hit in the middle. [player_tooltip player_id='301696' first='Nadiya' last='Johnson'] may be one of the best right sides in the country. Finally, [player_tooltip player_id='438070' first='Camryn' last='Coulther'] fills the libero role with quickness and consistency. What is not to like from this group?   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/11/PXL_20241117_0103547652.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-721592" style="width:413px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Richard Montgomery 2024 state champs</figcaption></figure>   2 Richard Montgomery (24-1) They won the Class 4 Maryland State Championship, beating Holy Cross in the process. They rarely substitute for their seven on the court. Two 6 foot setters in [player_tooltip player_id='478765' first='Amy' last='Ye'] and [player_tooltip player_id='235748' first='Ema' last='Djordjevic'] that can also put the ball to the floor. Ema put up 10 blocks against Wootten in the championship match. [player_tooltip player_id='309030' first='Corinne' last='Howard'] can take her athleticism to the middle or outside. The two sisters [player_tooltip player_id='412056' first='Elizabeth' last='Mitchell'] and [player_tooltip player_id='536719' first='Katherine' last='Mitchell'] control the left sides, with frosh Katherine at 6'1" the more dangerous hitter. [player_tooltip player_id='491007' first='Ana' last='Djordjevic'] plays a quality libero.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/09/IMG_3525.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-618911" style="width:570px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Langley class 6 state champs</figcaption></figure>   3. Langley (28-2) - The Saxons lost to Ocean Lakes in the Virginia Volleyball showcase and to Chantilly in the finals of the 6D Regional. They came back to beat Chantilly in the finals of the State championship. Despite losing a lot of talent to graduation or transfer they still won with setter [player_tooltip player_id='238357' first='Claire' last='Mo'] knowing what buttons to push. Their top hitter [player_tooltip player_id='181298' first='Ana' last='Toumazatos'] was injured early in the season but the team still won. Her leadership led them while she played off or on the court.   Frosh [player_tooltip player_id='554770' first='Rujuta' last='Singh'] mashed the match winning spike to win the Class 6 state championship. At 5'7" she is a bit undersized but she plays all six rotations well. [player_tooltip player_id='663202' first='Vivian' last='Nitowski'] surprised with her offensive capability from the right side, especially when you consider she barely sniffed the court last year. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='476364' first='Amber' last='Smith'] is good at keeping rallies alive. [player_tooltip player_id='470555' first='Ava' last='Barnett'] snagged a spot on the class 6D regional second team for her quality middle game.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/11/Bullis-ISL-champion.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-714404" style="width:429px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bullis ISL champions</figcaption></figure>   4. Bullis (24-2) The Bulldogs won the ISL, breaking the more than 20 year run of Flint Hill. One of their two losses came early in the season against the Huskies, when they had a 14-12 lead in the fifth set and lost the match 16-14. Their other loss came against Georgetown Day. The Bulldogs got another opportunity to play the Mighty Hoppers in the championship match and won in four.   [player_tooltip player_id='181300' first='Alexis' last='Ewing'] stands out as the offensive firepower from the left side. Her passing and defense have also improved to allow her to play six rotations. [player_tooltip player_id='183589' first='Angelique' last='Desamours'] handles the other left side. The middles [player_tooltip player_id='377396' first='Alexa' last='Telly'] and [player_tooltip player_id='248712' first='Kyla' last='Harris'] cement the middle while Libero [player_tooltip player_id='184604' first='Nia' last='Thomas'] glides in the back row preventing balls from hitting the floor. [player_tooltip player_id='206729' first='Megan' last='Phan'] runs a 5/1 with the ability to feed any hitter no matter their location. [player_tooltip player_id='181235' first='Sydney' last='Mayfield'] puts up a strong block on the right side and can contribute to the offense as well. She earned first team honors in the ISL along with Alexis, Alexa, Nia and Megan.   5. Georgetown Day (25-1) - Their only loss came against Bullis in the ISL championship match. Seems a shame to drop them this far after one loss. [player_tooltip player_id='181763' first='Jada' last='Aksu'] plays a right side using a combination of intelligence to tool the hands and a strong left arm to hit it through the blocks as well. [player_tooltip player_id='248705' first='Zoe' last='Ryu'] uses her 6'1" height to put the ball away consistently with high hits off or over the blocks. Both Jada and Zoe were ISL first teamers.   [player_tooltip player_id='437985' first='Zora' last='Dimbo'] provides power from the other left side. The middles [player_tooltip player_id='355124' first='Fiona' last='McDermott'] and [player_tooltip player_id='472234' first='Tessa' last='Fergusson'] combine height and athleticism. Both stand 6'2" and make it difficult for hitters to power anything past them. [player_tooltip player_id='292644' first='Caycee' last='Chhum'] runs a quality 5/1. She transferred from Chantilly. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='326533' first='Shiraz' last='Benyoucef'] provides leadership to the back row. Shiraz and Fiona also earned first team honors in the ISL.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/11/share_image_1730742916490.png?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-715630" style="width:407px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">O'Connell WCAC and VISAA state champs.</figcaption></figure>   6. Bishop O'Connell (28-4-2) -The Knights seemed to endure one injury after another at the start of the season. If players were not nursing a sprained ankle, they were on concussion protocol. The one player who stayed healthy all season was left side [player_tooltip player_id='385968' first='Macie' last='Murray']. She clearly stood out as one of the hardest hitters in the area, winning the MVP in the VISAA Division I. [player_tooltip player_id='475116' first='Jocelyn' last='Pye'] plays the other left side. She can find any area of the court with her hard swing, cutting her shots to find a hard angle or going down the line. She has committed to John Hopkins for next year.   [player_tooltip player_id='377397' first='Ellyson' last='Miller'] hit left side last year but shows effective pop from the right side as well. Middles [player_tooltip player_id='488812' first='Olivia' last='Boggs'] and [player_tooltip player_id='238341' first='Teodora' last='Stamenkovic'] built a wall when their timing at the net was spot on. Olivia has some impressive reach over the net. [player_tooltip player_id='235295' first='Hannah' last='Kotb'] has improved her passing game considerably. The same applies to the setting of [player_tooltip player_id='235322' first='Avery' last='Prendergast']. This year is the first time the Knights have won the WCAC and state championship in the same year. They couldn't have done it without her precision setting. She also made first team VISAA along with Jocelyn and [player_tooltip player_id='238341' first='Teodora' last='Stamenkovic'].   7. North Hagerstown (19-2) - [player_tooltip player_id='249341' first='Baylee' last='Doolan'] was out all year but the Hubs still did the job with [player_tooltip player_id='303701' first='Caydence' last='Doolan'] hitting from the left side and providing offense from the back row. The Hubs lost only two early games against Howard and James Wood. After that they won 18 straight, with the final win the Class 3D state championship. [player_tooltip player_id='520349' first='Lauren' last='Hobbs'] worked a 5/1 with precision and middle [player_tooltip player_id='481964' first='Nevaeh' last='Ware'] really improved her offensive game from last year. Next year Lauren will set for Christopher Newport.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/09/IMG_8707.jpeg?w=862" alt="" class="wp-image-627385" style="width:372px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hidden valley class 3 state champs</figcaption></figure>   8. Hidden Valley (29-2) - A couple losses to Christiansburg tarnished their undefeated season. It all turned out roses in the end when they defeated Grafton for the Class 3 state championship. [player_tooltip player_id='196556' first='Caleigh' last='Ponn'] is their star attraction from the left side. She can provide assets on both offense and defense, accumulating over 2,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career. [player_tooltip player_id='235285' first='Calli' last='Anderson'] returned late in the year to set the Titans to their second straight Class 3 state championship. At 6'2" [player_tooltip player_id='464576' first='Sophie' last='Arnold'] can hit a ton from the left side. Really surprised a college has not grabbed on to her yet.   9. Chantilly (24-3-1) It spelled trouble when last year's starting setter [player_tooltip player_id='292644' first='Caycee' last='Chhum'] transferred to Georgetown Day. She set the Hoppers to the DC state championship this year. The Chargers still had [player_tooltip player_id='181297' first='Lameen' last='Mambu']. She can bomb sets from anywhere. Despite the loss of their starting setter the Chargers reached the finals of the Class 6 state championship. Of course, if you have [player_tooltip player_id='181297' first='Lameen' last='Mambu'] on your team she can hit about anything high over the net.   [player_tooltip player_id='455102' first='Erin' last='Green'] provided support from both the right side and left side while their two middles [player_tooltip player_id='377344' first='Julia' last='Horan'] and [player_tooltip player_id='245601' first='Gabrielle' last='Nelson'] were impactful. You also have to give credit to the two setters [player_tooltip player_id='240899' first='Sarah' last='Kim'] and [player_tooltip player_id='664141' first='Hala' last='Younes'] who shared setter responsibilities and got the Chargers to the finals. Finally, player_tooltip player_id='181284' first='Nola' last='Murphy'] dug everything hit at her while playing the libero position. You did not see her in travel ball because she spent last summer playing the beach circuit, a choice many players are making now. She will now play beach next year at North Carolina Wilmington.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/11/west-springfield-regional-champs.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-720951" style="width:428px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: west springfield</figcaption></figure>   10. West Springfield (30-2)- While [player_tooltip player_id='181243' first='Evelyn' last='Jurden'] dominated the matches with her kills, this team has other assets as well. Their only losses all year were to the two Class 6 finalists Chantilly and Langley. [player_tooltip player_id='438046' first='Anna' last='Dierks'] does a good job setting a 5/1. The 6'3 middle [player_tooltip player_id='720348' first='Milena' last='Kibret'] shows impressive potential. It will be interesting to see how she develops. [player_tooltip player_id='354086' first='Nina' last='Schweigert'] produced from the pins while undersized Gracie Swisher did stellar work in the middle despite her 5'8" frame. Sophomore Audry Busch shows great potential as a libero and frosh [player_tooltip player_id='693144' first='Layla' last='Babiker'] could get more opportunities next year at left side.   11. Howard (23-1) - The Lions were one of those teams that just kept winning. Unfortunately, they lost their first and only match in the semifinals of the states against Wootten. [player_tooltip player_id='698761' first='Imagine' last='Peltier'] set a 5/1 showing the skills and leadership you would not expect to see from a sophomore. [player_tooltip player_id='702631' first='McKenna' last='Brown'] and [player_tooltip player_id='577516' first='Mariska' last='Ordonez'] proved they could put balls away from the left side. The middles [player_tooltip player_id='506629' first='Dylann' last='Loggins'] and [player_tooltip player_id='402429' first='Kaleigh' last='Williams'] are strong. They also have a solid libero in [player_tooltip player_id='374421' first='Miranda' last='Ball']. When you look at this group and see they all will return except for Williams they look better for next year.   12. Flint Hill (21-6) - Unlike in previous years the Huskies could not attract students from outside their feeder school to play volleyball. They usually find themselves with a roster full of Metro players. Not this year. Also, a knee injury prevented one of their top defenders [player_tooltip player_id='238358' first='Evie' last='Huang'] from playing. They still carried one of the best players in the area in Purdue commit [player_tooltip player_id='181303' first='Isabelle' last='Bardin'], who probably produced more triple doubles that anyone in the area with her hitting, setting and defense. [player_tooltip player_id='437441' first='Hunter' last='Ross'] produced from the middle but also brought the athleticism to hit outside to add some deception to the offense. [player_tooltip player_id='181279' first='Kadi' last='Pynchon'] stands out as one of the top liberos in the area, but losing [player_tooltip player_id='238358' first='Evie' last='Huang'] to injury hurt the back row.   [player_tooltip player_id='465301' first='Audrey' last='Sealock'] showed tremendous improvement from last season hitting left side while [player_tooltip player_id='699993' first='Ava' last='Zender'] provided setting help. They relied on frosh [player_tooltip player_id='587878' first='Delaney' last='Malloy'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='520868' first='Caroline' last='Semko'] to play back row and they did a good job replacing Evie. Losing 4 of their last eight matches, including the VISAA state championship and the ISL championship knocked them down a notch.   13. Holy Cross (21-6) - The Tartans lost four of their first six matches as they broke in younger players early in the season. One of those losses was a five set match to Bullis. After that they only lost to Richard Montgomery at the Battle of Bethesda and Bishop O'Connell in the WCAC championship. Breaking in two frosh in right side [player_tooltip player_id='536721' first='Ana' last='Woods'] and left side [player_tooltip player_id='622282' first='Emerson' last='Wolfe'] paid off as the season progressed. Middle [player_tooltip player_id='235324' first='Rowan' last='Johnson'] sprouted and became their leader in kills. [player_tooltip player_id='181304' first='Sarah' last='Jeremias'] provided leadership to the younger pin hitters. [player_tooltip player_id='238376' first='Anasofia' last='Zanellato'] showed growth sharing the setter role with [player_tooltip player_id='672039' first='Sibel' last='Ozan']. Anasofia mainly set in the front row and at 6'0" showed the ability to block and become a terror at the net with her dumps. [player_tooltip player_id='472384' first='Kate' last='Bickel'] covers the back row like a magnet, digging every ball within reach. The Tartans are a young team that will be dangerous next year.   14. James Wood (23-3) - When you consider two of their three losses have been to state champions Riverside and Hedgesville (West Virginia) this ranking may be too low. Left sides [player_tooltip player_id='181302' first='Kennedy' last='Spaid'] and [player_tooltip player_id='181280' first='Brenna' last='Corbin'] have been starting for this team as left sides since they were frosh and this is their third championship. They only have one more to go to make it a high school sweep. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='621440' first='Kylee' last='Plumb'] faced the pressure setting a 5/1, her first year taking over the setting role. She got the job done with her setting earning them a championship trophy. [player_tooltip player_id='320815' first='Tenley' last='Mattison'] played a strong middle and negated the need for a libero by playing six rotations, though Kennedy and Brenna were responsible for most of the passing. Although they won the championship, this one went five. The previous two were sweeps.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/09/IMG_5359.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-664773" style="width:432px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Colgan High School</figcaption></figure>   15. Colgan (27-3-2) - It was my belief this would be a rebuilding year for the Sharks. After winning the Flint Hill invitational they went on a 15 match winning streak, only to lose to Langley in the quarterfinals of the state championship. So much for rebuilding. They bypassed the rebuilding phase with their two undersized left pins [player_tooltip player_id='223581' first='Skylar' last='Johnson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='238593' first='Tehillah' last='Garrison'] providing offensive firepower. They also received steady play from libero [player_tooltip player_id='609602' first='Allison' last='Cibrian-Martinez'], who saw little playing time the previous year. Middles [player_tooltip player_id='333653' first='Elizabeth' last='York'] and [player_tooltip player_id='696425' first='Kennedy' last='Buchanan'] plugged up the middle well, while frosh [player_tooltip player_id='550688' first='Sienna' last='Mitchell'] filled the right side pin. [player_tooltip player_id='464563' first='Elizabeth' last='Robinson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='643810' first='Jasmine' last='Belle Carrasco'] shared the setting role. Most of those players return for next season with a new cast of characters coming up to compete next year.   16. Kellam (19-10) - The Knights got hot towards the end of the season, beating favorite Ocean Lakes to advance to State. Unfortunately, they were no match for Riverside in the finals. They had to beat Ocean Lakes and defending Class five start champion First Colonial to make it to the finals. [player_tooltip player_id='484751' first='Riley' last='Erwin'] sets and mashes from the right side. Against Riverside she was the only player to have success against their block. At 6'0" [player_tooltip player_id='484970' first='Sofia' last='Barnes'] is a difficult player to stop from the left side. Audriana Neil provided additional offense from the left side. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='434856' first='Sydney' last='Stone'] and defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id='544609' first='Giulia' last='Allison'] cover the back row well.   17 Wootten (16-4) - While they grabbed a nice upset win over the previously undefeated Howard in the semi-finals of the Class 4 Maryland championship, they were swept by North Hagerstown in the finals. They also lost to two other state champions Georgetown Day and Richard Montgomery. In short, it was a good season despite the loss in the finals. [player_tooltip player_id='325600' first='Taryn' last='Su'] led the offense for the Patriots setting a 5/1. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='438097' first='Haile' last='Ma'] was their most productive hitter from the left side, although [player_tooltip player_id='325604' first='Sara' last='Foster'] also produced playing right side. Emma Li handled the libero chores. This roster is geared to find themselves competing for another championship opportunity next season.   18 Courtland (28-3) - The Cougars marched to the Class 4 championships taking losses only to Langley and Massaponax along the way. James Wood finally ended their championship run by beating them in five in the finals. They made a strong run with [player_tooltip player_id='397536' first='Aubrey' last='Parker'] setting both a 5/1 and 6/2. Kayla Morin also helped out with the setting, allowing Aubrey to hit right side. [player_tooltip player_id='397539' first='Carolina' last='Eastlake'] and [player_tooltip player_id='246318' first='Maddie' last='Smith'] delivered consistently from the left side while [player_tooltip player_id='725446' first='Allison' last='Meyer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='523341' first='Makailah' last='Ford'] played strong middles. [player_tooltip player_id='524421' first='Chelsea' last='Quaye'] used her left handed swing for the right side. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='248660' first='Juliana' last='Velez'] impressed with her strong back row play.   19. Loudoun County (22-3) - Loudoun Valley returned to states for the second straight year. Last year they lost to James Wood in the first round. This year they got one step closer before losing to Courtland in the semi-finals. The pins were their key offensive pieces with [player_tooltip player_id='523337' first='Ana' last='Smithson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='249330' first='Charlotte' last='Arrington'] doing damage on the left side while [player_tooltip player_id='377334' first='Josephine' last='Seekford'] and [player_tooltip player_id='279856' first='Kayla' last='Luther'] did damage on the right side. [player_tooltip player_id='720098' first='Brooklyn' last='Benedicto'] played a quality middle earning first team honors in Region 4C. Setter [player_tooltip player_id='591686' first='Clara' last='Jolly'] earned second team honors while [player_tooltip player_id='377327' first='Isabella' last='DeWan'] covered the back row duties as the libero.   20. The Covenant (27-1) - They won the Division II VISAA championships, sweeping all their opponents along the way. Twenty two of their 27 wins were sweeps. Their only loss came against Hidden Valley in three sets, losing the third set 23-21. [player_tooltip player_id='720073' first='Cara' last='Hamil'] plays a strong left side while [player_tooltip player_id='720080' first='Miller' last='Grimes'] can dominate in the middle. Cara won the player of the year honors for Division II. [player_tooltip player_id='720077' first='Maya' last='Veselinovic'] sets a 5/1 and always seemed to be a threat to hit the ball over in two when in the front row. A fun team to watch and well deserving of their record.   On the bubble were Alexandria City, Atlee, Broadneck, Cox, Dominion, First Colonial, Glenelg, Grafton, Independence, James Madison, Liberty Christian Ocean Lakes and St. Johns.

Below is the Prep Dig final ranking for the DC/Maryland/Virginia (DMV) high school area. Next post will be the Prep Dig first and second all DMV team, as well as the sophomore and all frosh team. After that the focus will turn to club volleyball and our rankings.