Highlighting Results from Capitol Hill Classic

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below are the highlights from the Capitol Hill Classic. The team I coached went down to Orlando for a tournament so I could not watch any of the performances at Capitol Hill. However, some of the results were quite interesting. Metro took away three championships in the 14-18 age groups, not quite the success as last year when they won every age group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>18 Open</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":721593,"width":"159px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <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:159px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: [player_tooltip player_id='309030' first='Corinne' last='Howard'] and [player_tooltip player_id='235748' first='Ema' last='Djordjevic'] MVSA Chaos</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Phoenix Legacy, a team from Toronto won the 18 Division without losing a match. They battled through a trio of three set matches in the gold bracket to win the event. All three third sets were won by scores of 15-12 or 15-13. In the semifinals against Metro they lost the first set 25-16, won the second 26-24 and escaped the third set 15-12. Ultimately, they beat the second place Synergy Kryptonite (Pennsylvania) 25-15, 20-25 and 15-13.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>By contrast Metro had not lost a set until they played Phoenix Legacy in the semi-finals. They were the first seed in the gold bracket while Phoenix earned a fourth seed. Even after losing to Phoenix in the quarter finals to drop to third Metro still ended the tournament with the highest point differential in this age group. Coming into this tournament Metro played two qualifiers, falling one win short in both from earning a bid. Purdue commit and setter/right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181303' first='Isabelle' last='Bardin'] </strong>and Penn State commit and left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181300' first='Alexis' last='Ewing']</strong> highlight a quality roster for Metro.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Virginia Elite finished tied with Metro for third place. They were seeded second in gold bracket play despite a loss to South Carolina Elite during day two of pool play. In gold bracket play they swept past Maryland Juniors. Synergy swept them in the semi-finals 25-21. 25-23. Give credit to their third place finish to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181279' first='Kadi' last='Pynchon']</strong> who earned the top receiver award.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The third team identified as one to watch MVSA Chaos finished a disappointing 29th in the tournament. Despite their overall 4-3 record two of those three losses occurred on the first day to Liberty Elite and Phoenix Legacy. This dropped them into the second division. Maryland Gatorade player of the year <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='235748' first='Ema' last='Djordjevic']</strong> leads MVSA Chaos along with middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='309030' first='Corinne' last='Howard']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maryland Juniors stood out as the surprise team in the tournament, finishing fifth. In the first two days of bracket play they managed just one loss to advance to the gold bracket. They swept [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] in the first round but were then swept by Virginia Elite in the quarter finals. Hampton commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='434859' first='Gabriella' last='Prather']</strong> and North Carolina A and T State commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='520352' first='Daja' last='Warren']</strong> lead Maryland Juniors. Both are 6'3" middles who rank in our top 50 in the class of 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] and Columbia Black finished ninth, both losing in the first round of the gold bracket playoffs. [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] carries West Virginia Gatorade player of the year and Sheperd commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181299' first='Ada' last='McCoy']</strong> on their roster. Columbia clearly fits the underrepresented category in our top 200 rankings. Only outside Navy commit [player_tooltip player_id='581666' first='Nicole' last='Neal'] finds a spot on the 2025 rankings at number 158.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>17 Open </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In their first four tournaments Metro reached the finals but lost, settling for four second place finishes. They were able to rise above second place at Capitol Hill by winning four straight gold bracket matches. Two of those matches went three sets with the final against EliteVBTC a 25-17, 25-17 sweep. Metro only had one other three set match against Alliance Ren in the first two days of pool play. Baylor commit right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='301696' first='Nadiya' last='Johnson']</strong> and Marquette commit left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='303701' first='Caydence' last='Doolan'] </strong>high light the Metro offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second team identified to watch [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] finished in third place. The only match they lost in the tournament was against Elite VBTC in the semi-final match of the gold bracket. [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] lost the third set 15-12. [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] had actually upset Metro in the first tournament of the year for their lone first place finish. They now have three consecutive third place finishes (MAPL Hampton, Charm City and Capitol Hill Classic). [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] is led by Arizona State beach commit and left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181302' first='Kennedy' last='Spaid']</strong> as well as James Madison commit and libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='181280' first='Brenna' last='Corbin']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>540 Volleyball Elite, Virginia Elite and Virginia Juniors each finished ninth after losing in the first round in the gold bracket. 540 is led by setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='397536' first='Aubrey' last='Parker']</strong>, my second ranked setter in the class of 2026. Virginia Elite is led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='204152' first='Sofie' last='Ferrell']</strong>, the third ranked setter in the class of 2026. Left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='322107' first='Eden' last='Tardy']</strong> leads the way for Virginia Juniors. All three players were identified as players to watch in our preview of the Capitol Hill Classic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16 Open</strong> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":589321,"width":"252px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/Lora-Totcheva.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-589321" style="width:252px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='530280' first='Lora' last='Totcheva']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>East Coast Power KOP won the 16 open, sweeping past Chicago Elite in the finals of the gold bracket match 25-20, 25-19. East Coast upset the previously undefeated Metro in the first round of the gold bracket match 20-25, 25-22 and 15-9. They then swept past [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] in the second round. Chicago Elite eliminated a surprising MOJO Elite in the first round of the gold bracket, then sent both Virginia Elite and 757 Black home.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a tournament one match can significantly change your fate. Metro experienced that when their first loss of the tournament occurred at the hands of East Coast Power Kop in the opening round of the gold medal bracket match. This year the early history shows Metro sitting pretty good at winning tournaments. Prior to their first round loss to East Coast Power at Capitol Hill Metro finished first in three straight tournaments. Next on their agenda is the Sunshine Qualifier. Expect a bounce back from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='385968' first='Macie' last='Murray'] </strong>and crew.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another team to watch Virginia Juniors were swept in two matches in the second round of pool play by Triangle and NVA Black. That knocked them out of the gold bracket into silver. They did bounce back to win the silver bracket. Not the type of consistency you like to see from a team trying to reach elite level status. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='357402' first='Coco' last='Lewis']</strong> and crew will also try to bounce back at the Sunshine Qualifier.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From the Old Dominion Region 757 Black finished an impressive third. They won their first five matches to qualify for the gold bracket. Once in the gold they showed resiliency by bouncing back to win the last two sets in back to back three set match wins. They could not carry that momentum in the semi-finals against Chicago Elite after losing the first set for the third straight match. They bounced back to win the second set 25-18, however the third set they lost 15-8. 757 carries some talented players in libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='471714' first='Ryann' last='Bothof']</strong> and left side<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='545710' first='Avery' last='Osler'].</strong> Both players fall between 50 and 60 in our class of 2027 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] also won their first five games to qualify for the gold bracket. However, a quarterfinal loss to East Coast Power KOP dropped them to a fifth place finish. Like all [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] teams they seem to win with smoke and mirrors. In reality they rely on ball control and shot placement. The highest ranked players for [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] are 5'5"setter<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='621440' first='Kylee' last='Plumb']</strong> at number 60 and right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='530280' first='Lora' last='Totcheva']</strong> at number 66. For [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] the team always seem to play better than the individuals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Virginia Elite managed two second place finishes in the first two days of pool play to qualify for the gold bracket. They also showed resiliency losing the first match on both days, the first to Smash and the second to Metro, but taking the next two matches. They got some revenge by beating Smash in the first round of the gold bracket play but were then swept by Chicago Elite in the quarter finals. Middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='437452' first='Jolie' last='Vignier'] </strong>and left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='437448' first='Eva' last='Collingham']</strong> rank the highest in the class of 2027. Setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='437447' first='Kai' last='Gorman'] </strong>reclassified to the class of 2027 and was inadvertently left off the rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>MOJO Elite earned a surprising ninth place finish. They followed the same script as Virginia Elite, losing the first match of the day in the first two days of pool play but bouncing back to win the last two. This qualified them for gold bracket play. Unfortunately, they played a hot Chicago Elite in the first round and lost 25-16, 25-22. Left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='530363' first='Adelyn' last='Pye'] </strong>at number 62 ranks as MOJOs highest ranked player. Her older sister and John Hopkins commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='475116' first='Jocelyn' last='Pye'] </strong>plays for the Virginia Elite 18 team that finished in third place. It was a good day for the Pye family.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>15 Open </strong> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":589164,"width":"363px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/9-Ariana-White.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-589164" style="width:363px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='587876' first='Ariana' last='White']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The only set Metro lost in the tournament was to BVA Elite Alyssa out of Florida. They played them again in the finals, but this time swept them 25-15, 25-12 to win the tournament. Metro's 1.62 point differential was the highest of any team in the 15 or higher age group. Prior to Capitol Hill Metro finished first in four of five tournaments. A loss to Triangle Black at the Charm City Challenge gave them their only second place finish. They could not get a rematch since Triangle Black played in Triple Crown this weekend, finishing 79th. Metro is led by left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='536719' first='Katherine' last='Mitchell'] </strong>as well as right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='536721' first='Ana' last='Woods']</strong>. Left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='536727' first='Chika' last='Onukwugha']</strong> appeared on the roster for this tournament. She ranks third in our class of 2028.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'], MVSA Charge and Virginia Juniors all finished fifth. [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] earned a bye in the gold bracket but lost to Ultimate G15 in the quarterfinals. They lost the third set 15-13. [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] is led by middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='536736' first='Alexis' last='Stephens']</strong>. MVSA Charge played extremely well in the tournament winning six of their first seven matches but then were destroyed by the Puerto Rican team Borinquen Coqui 25-9, 25-18. Setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='697424' first='Ellie' last='Silberfeld']</strong> is the only MVSA Charge player ranked in the top 50 in our class of 2028. Virginia Juniors managed to pull off two second place finishes in pool play to earn a spot in the gold bracket. Metro swept them in the second round of the gold bracket playoffs 25-21, 25-14. Virginia Juniors is led by left side<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='587876' first='Ariana' last='White']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>14 Open</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":732503,"width":"377px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/Emerson-Wolfe.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-732503" style="width:377px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='622282' first='Emerson' last='Wolfe']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Metro and Maryland Juniors rolled through their opponents in this age group. Metro did lose a first set 29-27 to CHAVC Black on the first day but bounced back to win the next two sets. Maryland swept past all their opponents and led all teams in point differential at 1.64. In the finals Maryland Juniors took the first set 25-23, but Metro bounced back to take the next two 25-23 and 15-11. For Maryland Juniors that was their first loss this season. Metro lost one match to a 16 team in the MAPL tournament. Metro is led by setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='746506' first='Carolyn' last='Maria']</strong> while Maryland Juniors relies on the powerful spikes from their two left sides <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='748487' first='Sierra' last='Thomas'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='622282' first='Emerson' last='Wolfe']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bay Area Volleyball Academy Waves finished a surprising fifth. They lost one match each in the two days of pool play then were trounced in a second round match against Metro 25-11, 25-15. Not yet familiar with any player on their roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->