Setters Dominate New Additions to the Class of 2027

There were 24 new additions to the class of 2027. Half of them were setters. Normally, as setters gain more experience their consistency improves. Once that happens they become easier to watch. When coaching 13s I have run through a number of setters that have developed well. A couple are now setting for Division I schools. However, when you first work with them you worry if they made the right choice. Below are a dozen setters who made their debut in our rankings. It appears they have made the right choice.   34. [player_tooltip player_id='698761' first='Imagine' last='Peltier'] (Howard/Columbia) - Imagine impressed me with how smooth she moves when on the court. She set a 5/1 for Howard and led them to the semi-finals of the Class 4 Maryland state championship. A coach is showing a lot of confidence in his sophomore setter when he turns to her to run the offense. For club she sets for Columbia. They seem to do a good job developing setters. Columbia has won the last two tournaments they have played, jumping them to number one in the Chesapeake Region rankings according to Advance Event Systems (AES). At 5'11" Imagine brings height to the setting position. She ranked third on her team in blocks, just behind the two middle blockers. Columbia will play in the Charm City Challenge in Baltimore.    Ava set for Flint Hill this year, running a 6'2" with Purdue commit [player_tooltip player_id='181303' first='Isabelle' last='Bardin']. Because Isabelle was one of their top offensive performers there were times she would stay in the front row to set Isabelle in the back row to generate more offense.   At 5'9" Ava has decent height for a setter but there appears to be more growth in her. She runs the quick tempo sets well while also working on slides. Because Flint Hill relied on a setter and a middle ([player_tooltip player_id='437441' first='Hunter' last='Ross']) for most of their offense they needed to be deceptive with their sets, moving the hitters to various locations along the net to afford them more opportunities to create an offense. A little over 87 percent of the sets were directed to three hitters which accounted for close to 93 percent of their kills.   This club season Ava will set for Virginia Jrs. She won a top performer award at our Prep Dig 250 Expo this year. They will next play in the National Harbor Showdown.     Nothing like being tasked with taking over the setting responsibilities from two veteran setters who graduated after leading the Colonels to two state championships. Not only was she tasked with the setting responsibilities, but she was also trusted with running a 5/1.   She seemed to do a pretty good job as James Wood won their third straight championship. Standing only 5'5" might appear small for many teams but when your second best hitter is the same height it becomes all about perspective. In the state championship game Kylee finished with 50 assists and 15 digs.   Kylee will play for [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] this club season. They recently finished fourth in Volley by the James. Their next competition will be at the Charm City Challenge in Baltimore.       At 6'0" Maya brings good length to the setting position. She also has the ability to carry the offensive load on the right side. Her defensive acumen to read the tips also prevents her from getting caught flat footed as a ball lands in front of her.   St. Andrews was able to get into the finals in the Independent School League (ISL) championship against Holton Arms. Unfortunately, they lost in five.   This coming club season Maya will play for Metro North. They will next play in the Charm City Challenge in Baltimore.     Ali won a top performer award at our Prep Dig 250 Expo. That led to a selection to the Prep Dig 250 Expo all showcase team. What impressed most about Ali is her ability to communicate on the court to run an offense with players she has never played with before. She also brings the soft hands that find a consistent location across the net. Work still needs to be done on the quick tempo sets but that comes with time, experience and repetition.   Last year Ali was one of three setters for Paul VI. For club she will play for [program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] Josi. They finished fifth out of eight teams in the Maryland Open. Their next tournament is the National Harbor.   Ali has an interest in the Naval Academy as well as Ivy League schools to pursue her education as well as her volleyball opportunities. Someone at these schools might want to check her out.    127. [player_tooltip player_id='643814' first='Emma' last='Irving'] (Kellam/757 volleyball) - At 5'5" Emma is a smaller girl. She normally sets when she plays in the back row, finishing second to Riley Ervin in assists with 457. Kellam reached the finals of the Class 5 state championship before losing to Riverside. This coming season Emma will set for 757 Volleyball Black, which has merged with what used to be Beach Elite. 757 will play next in the Mid Atlantic Power Leage (MAPL) after finishing second in the Virginia Beach Brawl and fifth in the City Oaks Challenge.    For Westfield Josephine sets and stays in the front row to hit right side. With a little more experience, she could run a 5/1 offense. She struggled a bit with the quick tempo sets, which take time and constant repetition to master.   Next year Josephine will play with [program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] Tony. This past weekend they played in the Volley by the James and finished 16th out of 24 teams. They won five out of their last six matches to finish 5-3.   Next, they will play at the National Harbor tournament.     Don't know too much about Senah. At 6'0" she brings good height to the setter position. Playing for Jamestown she finished second in assists. Despite her height she did not get a lot of front row time with only 10 kills and 12 errors in the 61 sets she played. Improving that front row play would certainly enhance her status.   For club Senah will play for [program_tooltip program_id='498498' first='Virginia' last='Wave'] Elite. They list her as a middle/right side. Senah brings a block touch at 9'1" with an approach jump at 9'6".   [program_tooltip program_id='498498' first='Virginia' last='Wave'] will next play in the Mid Atlantic Power League (MAPL) in Hampton and after that the Charm City Challenge in Baltimore. Lots of potential in her game.    145. [player_tooltip player_id='735315' first='Zaire' last='Hewlett'] (Northwest/[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last='']) - Zaire plays down a year for the [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Maureen 15 team. They recently took first place in the Volley by the James. At 5'9" she has the height to stay in the front row, but with five six footers on the team she rotates out in a 6/2. She does have the strong hands and ability to set the quick tempo sets to run a fast paced offense. Her lefthanded swing would be ideal for setting a 5/1. [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] will next compete with Metro at the MAPL in Hampton    Classify Gabrielle as the multi tool athlete who can play about any position. Unfortunately, her 5'8" height makes her undersized for an outside. She hits the ball hard but her blocking could be a liability. Playing as a libero could also be another possibility, but she still needs more consistency with her passing. Currently, she is working as a setter.   Because she just started working on the setting this past year she still needs a lot of repetition to gain consistency, especially with the quick tempo sets. She works hard and communicates well with her teammates, which is an attribute most great setters carry. This past season she transferred to Bishop O'Connell but arrived too late in the season to make the roster. She stayed on the team as a practice player getting an opportunity to practice with the team and work on her setting.   Gaby will play for Saint James this year. Expect them to play in the Shamrock Showdown in March.    148. [player_tooltip player_id='643810' first='Jasmine' last='Belle Carrasco'] (Colgan/[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last='']) - Obviously, at 5'2" Jasmine is a smaller setter. For her a 6/2 offense is her destiny. One attribute she brings to the court is her strong and soft hands to push the ball outside with consistent location. For Colgan she led the team in assists as they made a run for the state championship, eventually losing in the semi-finals. This club season she will set for the [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Allorie 16 team, which is a second team. [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] will next play in the MAPL in Hampton.

There were 24 new additions to the class of 2027. Half of them were setters. Normally, as setters gain more experience their consistency improves. Once that happens they become easier to watch. When coaching 13s I have run through a number of setters that have developed well. A couple are now setting for Division I schools. However, when you first work with them you worry if they made the right choice. Below are a dozen setters who made their debut in our rankings. It appears they have made the right choice.