Rising Stars in the 2028 Class

The players below showed a significant uptick with their ranking. Thiis is difficult to do for the class of 2028 since so many new players get added to the ranking. Four pin hitters, four middles and one setter climbed the class of 2028 rankings based on their performance since the first ranking.   3 to 2. [player_tooltip player_id='536719' first='Katherine' last='Mitchell'] outside (Richard Montgomery/Metro) - Not a big move up but significant. As a frosh Katherine proved instrumental in leading the Rockets to their second straight Class 4 Maryland State championship. She rotated between middle and right side, finishing second on the team in kills and hitting percentage. Despite her 6'1" height she did not get credit for a lot of blocks so that may be something she needs to work on. With [player_tooltip player_id='536727' first='Chika' last='Onukwugha'] out for the early part of the season Katherine moved ahead of her. With the number one prospect [player_tooltip player_id='511457' first='Breeze' last='Johnson'] focusing on beach this year at some point Katie may take over that top spot.   Early in the club season Katie earned the Prep Dig MVP award for leading Metro to the Blue Division championship (14-16) at the Mid Atlantic Power League. With her length and power, she is a tough player to contain when she gets in a zone.   34 to 8. [player_tooltip player_id='536717' first='London' last='Jones'] outside (Thomas Dale/[program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club']) - My first exposure to London was at Volley by the James when she played a year up on the 15 U team and dominated in the front row. She played just three rotations then because her passing was a little suspect. My next glimpse of her was again at the Volley by the James. Physically she has gotten stronger, which allows her to climb high over the net when she jumps to strike the ball. This year she continues to play one year up with the 16s team. Her passing and defense still need work, but she stays in the back row to provide an additional offensive weapon. Video of her high school play shows she can play middle as well.    Last year her Maryland Juniors team won the bronze medal in the 13 National Division. Despite playing a year down Emerson was able to make the varsity roster for Holy Cross as a starting left side. She finished second on the team in kills, becoming a key player in Holy Cross getting to the finals in the WCAC before losing to Bishop O'Connell. For the most part she is the replacement for Emerson Sellman, one of the top players to ever play for the Tartans.   This year Emerson will play for Maryland Juniors 14. Imagine a player who dominated against high school players now gets to power her way through players who are still a year away from high school.    28 to 21. [player_tooltip player_id='536736' first='Alexis' last='Stephens'] middle (Spring Mills/[program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge']) - At 6'2" she brings some height to the court. At the Endless Summer tournament she earned a spot as one of the three middles on the Prep Dig all tournament team. She plays for Spring Mills in West Virginia. For club she plays for [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge']. In the past [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] has relied on smaller, athletic players to fill the middle position. Alexis fills the athletic profile but her height can also dominate a game.   50 to 40 [player_tooltip player_id='536737' first='Sophia' last='Zimmerman'] setter (Sherando/[program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge']) - Another [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] player rising in the class of 2028. She shares setting duties for [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] running a 6/2. This past season she set for the Sherando junior varsity. Gaining a little more experience with [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] will prepare her for the varsity next year. She has the hands, but her height comes up short to play the front row.   WL to 28. [player_tooltip player_id='625593' first='Cairo' last='Turner'] middle (St. Johns/Virginia Elite) - One of many watch list players to make our rankings. Her 6'1" height won her a starting opportunity for St. Johns in the middle as a frosh. Her blocking game is a little more advanced than her hitting game at this point. For the Cadets she led the team in blocks but was fifth in kills. For club she will play for Metro. She brings an approach jump of 10'1". Her athleticism will lead to vast improvement as she gains experience.   WL to 41. [player_tooltip player_id='545726' first='Miley' last='Keyes'] outside (Crofton/Maryland Juniors) - Miley impressed at the National Harbor tournament with her left side play. Her offensive performance led them to a third place finish. They were a bit overshadowed by Maryland Juniors 14 which won the 15 open age group. The two teams never got an opportunity to face off since the 15 team lost to Virginia Juniors in the semi-finals. Miley serves tough and brings good velocity to her spikes. She still has some physical growth left that should make her stronger. This weekend she led Maryland Juniors to a first place finish in a Maryland Juniors open tournament, sweeping Virginia Elite to take the tournament.   WL to 42. [player_tooltip player_id='545727' first='Giuliana' last='Mastrangelo'] middle (Lightridge/[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last='']) - At 6'3" she brings some impressive height to the court. Her approach jump still falls short of 10 feet (9'9"). Paramount won the Volley by the James but finished second at MAPL. Giuliana still has some work to do to enhance her game, but the potential exists to dominate the middle.   WL to 52. [player_tooltip player_id='545719' first='Julia' last='Heinzelmann'] middle (Georgetown Day/Virginia Juniors) - Julia has the versatility to play the pins or middle. She lists at 5'11". She made the varsity for Georgetown Day as a frosh but with a talented roster was limited in her playing time. For Virginia Juniors 15 she rosters as an outside, but again has a lot of talent to compete with for playing time. Definitely a player who can make a difference when she is on the court.   Maryland Juniors Wins Maryland Open on Super Bowl Sunday   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/4-Abisola-Adeyemo.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-589159" style="width:360px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='545725' first='Abisola' last='Adeyemo']</figcaption></figure>   Watched a little volleyball on Superbowl Sunday at Maryland Juniors. In a limited field Maryland Juniors won the 15 open by finishing undefeated in pool play. Because there were only five teams they all played each other in two set matches. Maryland Juniors finished undefeated, defeating Virginia Elite at the end 25-15 and 25-17 to win the tournament.   [player_tooltip player_id='545726' first='Miley' last='Keyes'] continued to impress with her outside hitting and [player_tooltip player_id='545725' first='Abisola' last='Adeyemo'] was a force in the middle. [player_tooltip player_id='588468' first='Bella' last='Chen'] played a consistent libero and showed off a tough left handed serve. Those were players who already appear in our class of 2028 rankings.   Some newer players who impressed were setter [player_tooltip player_id='749642' first='Sophia' last='Groshek'] who stands tall for a setter. When she is not setting she stays in the game to play right side. She actually belongs to the class of 2029 where she attends Annapolis Area Christian, which is the same school that Abisola and [player_tooltip player_id='587884' first='Charlotte' last='Dittmar'] attend. The coach there also has the same last name as Sophia so it could be her mother. [player_tooltip player_id='749637' first='Alexis' last='Beasley'] played middle and hit the quick tempo sets well. At 6'0" she brings some height for the position. [player_tooltip player_id='749757' first='Dakota' last='Pentorn'] is the other setter and belongs to the class of 2027. She is the younger sister of [player_tooltip player_id='284195' first='Daisy' last='Pentorn'] who made our rankings for the class of 2025.   For Virginia Elite [player_tooltip player_id='749639' first='Elise' last='Silvey'] shows a nice swing from the left side. At 5'10 she also brings height to the position. Elise is a future Loudoun County addition. [player_tooltip player_id='749640' first='Kiara' last='Oguno'] blocked well at the middle position. Her 6'0" frame gets high over the net. [player_tooltip player_id='612396' first='Natalie' last='Hobson'] already appears in our rankings as a setter but she showed an ability to put the ball away playing right side. While not a tall player at 5'7" she does bring a good swing at the ball.   Two teams who appeared in the 15 mixed probably could have played in the Open. MOJO Black and American Red met each other in the finals. American beat MOJO 25-23 and 25-19. American failed to lose a match in the entire tournament.   The 17 Open had only four teams compete. Premier Edge dominated the tournament. They crushed Liberty Elite in the finals 25-16, 25-7. [player_tooltip player_id='749643' first='Joy' last='Lukama'] blocked well in the middle for Liberty Elite.

The players below showed a significant uptick with their ranking. Thiis is difficult to do for the class of 2028 since so many new players get added to the ranking. Four pin hitters, four middles and one setter climbed the class of 2028 rankings based on their performance since the first ranking.