Rockets and Hubs Repeat as State Champs

The Richard Montgomery Rockets and North Hagerstown Hubs have repeated as state champs in the class 4 and class 3 while the Williamsport Wildcats and the Boonesboro Warriors knocked off two time defending champions in the Class 2 and Class 1. All but one of the championship matches ended up in sweeps. Williamsport took four to defeat Centennial. Below are some of the players who stood out.   Richard Montgomery Does Back to Back   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/11/PXL_20241117_010427112.jpg?w=576" alt="" class="wp-image-721593" style="width:273px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: senior captains [player_tooltip player_id='309030' first='Corinne' last='Howard'] and [player_tooltip player_id='235748' first='Ema' last='Djordjevic']</figcaption></figure>   Final score Richard Montgomery over Broadneck 25-19, 25-9, 25-17   Players who stood out for Richard Montgomery:   [player_tooltip player_id='235748' first='Ema' last='Djordjevic'] - She was one assist short of achieving a triple double with 12 kills, 10 blocks and 9 assists. She also served three aces in accumulating a team high 12 points with her serve. Ema also generated no hitting errors and hit at a phenomenal .632. The top players always come up in big games.   [player_tooltip player_id='309030' first='Corinne' last='Howard'] - While she only had nine kills and four blocks many came at critical times that changed the complexion of the game. The combo of Djordjevic and Howard blocking the left side forced Broadneck to move their top hitter [player_tooltip player_id='721753' first='Kennedy' last='Smith'] to the right side where she was not that effective.   [player_tooltip player_id='536719' first='Katherine' last='Mitchell'] - Only a frosh she still produced seven kills. There were some frosh mistakes with placement but those will decrease with more experience.   Players who stood out for Broadneck   They never really found themselves close in any set. A 12-11 deficit was about as close as they got once they climbed into double digits. The setting combo of [player_tooltip player_id='478903' first='Barrett' last='Bolter'] and [player_tooltip player_id='721762' first='Sydney' last='Lawrence'] looks good. I thought they placed their sets a little too tight against Perry Hall in the semi-finals. The same looked true against the Rockets, though the passing forced them to make a number of out of system sets.   Left sides [player_tooltip player_id='721753' first='Kennedy' last='Smith'] and [player_tooltip player_id='721759' first='Anna' last='Graves'] were able to attack against the Perry Hall block on the tight sets. Against Richard Montgomery they were blocked 16 times in three sets. Middle Addison Slusky showed good potential against Perry Hall but out of system passing made her opportunities difficult. This allowed the blockers to key on the left sides. Kennedy, Anna, and Sydney are juniors while Barrett is a sophomore. Next year could be a year to atone for their performance.   Championships:   Richard Montgomery - 2023 and 2024.   Broadneck - 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009   The Hubs Roll for Back to Back Championships   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/04/hobbs-blue-ridge.jpg?w=628" alt="" class="wp-image-529430" style="width:260px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='520349' first='Lauren' last='Hobbs']</figcaption></figure>   Final Score: North Hagerstown over Wooten 25-17, 25-17 and 25-11   Players Who Stood out for North Hagerstown:   [player_tooltip player_id='303701' first='Caydence' last='Doolan'] - The Marquette commit clearly ranks as the top hitter in the State championships. Her warmup hits hit the floor and bounce as well as any college player. She ranks number four in our class of 2026 rankings. During the game she seems impossible to stop. What is most impressive about her play is her ability to hit out of system and three meter sets. The only time she was not successful in her kills is when he hit the ball out. Otherwise, her balls hit inside the court were rarely returned back to the Pubs side of the net.   [player_tooltip player_id='481964' first='Nevaeh' last='Ware'] - Nevaeh has improved quite a bit since I last watched her play middle. She brings greater velocity to the ball with her swing. When she went back to serve she also showed quickness in her ability to play defense in the back row. Nevaeh has committed to Frostburg State.   [player_tooltip player_id='520349' first='Lauren' last='Hobbs'] - Last year Lauren set a 6/2 for the Hubs. This year she sets a 5/1. She did an excellent job feeding her two primary hitters Caydence and Nevaeh but still got other hitters involved. Lauren has committed to Christopher Newport.   [player_tooltip player_id='249341' first='Baylee' last='Doolan'] - A knee injury ended her season before it could get started. She made an appearance as a server on senior night. At the State championship, with the team up 22-10 she got another opportunity to serve. Her first serve resulted in a point. The second serve Wooten was able to return the ball over the net but right at Baylee who made the dig, even though she was probably told not to play any defense while on the court. It resulted in a second point. Now serving game point a Wootten spike was blocked and sailed over the head of Baylee, playing deep in area six. She did not offer much of a jump to try to retrieve it and the side out went to Wootten behind 24-11. Baylee exited the game and Wootten served the ball out for the pileon.   Players who Stood out for Wootten   [player_tooltip player_id='438097' first='Haile' last='Ma'] - Haila certainly tried to keep her team in the game. She strung together a number of kills to turn a seven point deficit to three. Unfortunately for the sophomore the effort fell short.   [player_tooltip player_id='325600' first='Taryn' last='Su'] - She set a 5/1. Her ability to set was shackled by poor passing.   Championships   North Hagerstown - 2011, 2012, 2014, 2022, 2023, 2024   Wootten - Class AA 1983-1987, Class 4 1988, 1989   Williamsport Knocks off Centennial   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/03/skylar-norris.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-352202" style="width:273px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='309027' first='Skylar' last='Norris']</figcaption></figure>   Final Score - Williamsport over Centennial 25-15, 25-17, 10-25 and 25-14   Players Who Stood Out for Williamsport   [player_tooltip player_id='309027' first='Skylar' last='Norris'] - Skylar stood out as the big hitter from the left side. Her three kills in set one were instrumental in allowing the Wildcats to pull ahead 14-8. In set two her kill started a four point run that turned the set from 18-16 to 23-16. Overall, the junior led the team in kills.   [player_tooltip player_id='610473' first='Catherine' last='Warren'] - For a frosh she came up big. Two aces by her sister Elizabeth Warren followed by two kills from Catherine gave the Wildcats a 14-8 lead in set two. By my count she accumulated 10 kills in set four to lead Williamsport to the 25-14 win. Catherine ranks second on the team in kills, but normally plays just three rotations, being taken out when playing the back row.   Elizabeth Warren - While Catherine played outside and left before she could play back row Elizabeth patrolled the back row as a libero. Elizabeth leads the team in digs and aces. She collected four more aces in this match.   Players Who Stood out for Centennial   Natalia Gomez - She strung together five kills in the third set that Centennial won.   Audrey Smallidge - She brings a good swing when she strikes the ball.   Championships   Williamsport - 1981, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2002-2005, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2024   Centennial - 1989, 1991-1994, 1996 -2000, 2004 -2006, 2008 and 2023   Boonsboro Wins Second Championship   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/07/114-Rosslyn-Briggs-e1688409185424.jpg?w=1013" alt="" class="wp-image-412263" style="width:506px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='346697' first='Rosslyn' last='Briggs']</figcaption></figure>   Final Score Boonsboro over Clearspring 25-22, 25-19 and 25-15   Players Who Stood Out for Boonsboro   [player_tooltip player_id='346697' first='Rosslyn' last='Briggs'] - She hit well from the left side. In set two when the team was down 12-13 Rosslyn accumulated three of her 11 kills and one shared block to build a 17-14 lead. She also finished the set off with a kill. In set three she produced a kill and three aces to allow the Warriors to run out to a 7-1 lead. The rout was on. Rosslyn can also play as a libero/defensive specialist.   [player_tooltip player_id='569805' first='Larissa' last='Blair'] - The other left side also stayed active in putting balls away. In the first set her kill broke a 21-21 tie, while she added another to extend the lead to 24-21. She also made a nice swing on an out of system set. In set three she ran up a five point serving run to extend a narrow 11-8 lead to 16-8. Larissa played a solid back row.   Sydney Turner - Sydney was the muscle in the middle. She finished off the first set with a kill to move the score to 24-22.   Aly Phillip - Aly set a 5/1. She brings a left handed swing to the right side and used it often for a kill when the pass was high enough to take a swing. She strung together five kills taking a free swing on the second hit. Clear Spring got wise and began going up to block her in the third set. Aly also set well.   Breann Reed - She covered the back row well, digging a couple hard it balls hit by Addie Ziegler. She also went on a five point run with two aces to escape an 8-3 deficit in set two.   Overall, this roster seemed filled with talented girls who played club for Liberty. One of the reasons they were my pre-season pick to win States in Class 1.   Players Who Stood Out for Clear Spring   [player_tooltip player_id='481961' first='Addison' last='Ziegler'] - She brings a good left handed swing to the ball that sends it to the floor quickly. She uses various locations along the net, sometimes hitting middle and left side, but most of her swings come from the right side. At 5'11" she carries decent height. In the class of 2025 she ranks at 61 out of 181 and that could rise after her performance at State.   [player_tooltip player_id='721737' first='Kaisy' last='Custer'] - The 5'7" Custer hits the ball well for a frosh. She even went over the net to score a block and also get credit for a kill with a redirect. Her mother happens to coach the team.   [player_tooltip player_id='525340' first='Olivia' last='Smith'] - She ranks at number 118 in our rankings for class of 2026. She fires up a jump spin serve that brought enough to produce six early points to give Clear Spring a 6-1 lead. Another 5''7" undersized left side who can still put the ball away.   Championship   Boonsboro - 1984, 2024 - it took only 40 years for that second championship   Clear Spring - 1993, 1994, 2018, 2022, 2023

The Richard Montgomery Rockets and North Hagerstown Hubs have repeated as state champs in the class 4 and class 3 while the Williamsport Wildcats and the Boonesboro Warriors knocked off two time defending champions in the Class 2 and Class 1. All but one of the championship matches ended up in sweeps. Williamsport took four to defeat Centennial. Below are some of the players who stood out.