Top DMV Teams to Watch at Capitol Hill Classic

The Capitol Hill Classic is one of the largest and perhaps the most prestigious tournaments in the Chesapeake area. They take up over 100 courts at the DC convention center with close to a thousand teams participating in the event. Over 50 of these teams travel from a second country, many of them from Canada. The first tournament was initiated by Barry Goldberg back in 2007. For 15 years Barry was the Director of the Metro Volleyball Club. He also coached for many years at American University leading the Eagles to 16 Patriot League championships. After his death in 2003 this tournament is now dedicated to him. It is one of the reasons Metro does not play in the Triple Crown, which is held on the same weekend.   Metro usually dominates this tournament. Last year they won every age group in the 14-18 division. This year could be more of the same. Below are some of the local teams to watch at the Capitol Hill Classic. Obviously, Metro is included in each age group. Our next post will identify some of the players to watch who do not play for one of the teams named below.   18 Open   Metro - In two qualifiers they have fallen short of an open bid by just one win, finishing fifth in both the Windy City and Ohio qualifiers. Most of their players have committed to Division I colleges.   Committed Players - [player_tooltip player_id='181303' first='Isabelle' last='Bardin'] setter (Purdue), [player_tooltip player_id='181300' first='Alexis' last='Ewing'] left side (Penn State), [player_tooltip player_id='181309' first='Brianna' last='Holladay'] middle (Virginia Tech), [player_tooltip player_id='181763' first='Jada' last='Aksu'] right side (Lafayette), [player_tooltip player_id='235293' first='Destini' last='Pickett'] left side (American), [player_tooltip player_id='235284' first='Caitlin' last='Johnson'] Middle (Santa Clara)   The players named above are all ranked in the top 20 in the Virginia rankings class of 2025. Isabelle normally runs a 5/1 but at 6'3" she also can be used as an offensive weapon in the front row. It would not surprise if she did not lead all high school players in triple doubles last year (kills, assists and digs). Jada earned the Gatorade player of the year award for D,C. leading Georgetown Day to the DC state championship, their third consecutive win. Alexis led Bullis to the Independent School League (ISL) championship while Brianna led Riverside to the Class 5 Virginia State championship.   Uncommitted Players - [player_tooltip player_id='248712' first='Kyla' last='Harris'] middle and [player_tooltip player_id='181313' first='Alexandra' last='Moore'] middle.   Kyla is a 6'1" middle that teamed with Alexis to lead Bullis to their first ever ISL championship. Alexandra is a 6'2" middle. Her twin sister [player_tooltip player_id='181764' first='Kristen' last='Moore'] committed to Florida A&M University.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/02/IMG_6945.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-747826" style="width:396px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: MVSA Chaos</figcaption></figure>   MVSA Chaos - This group of players have been playing with each other for a number of years. They recently won the National Harbor championship. A number of talented uncommitted players available, though at this late stage they may already developed college plans.   Committed Players [player_tooltip player_id='235748' first='Ema' last='Djordjevic'] right side/setter (UMBC), [player_tooltip player_id='309030' first='Corinne' last='Howard'] left side/middle (Howard)   Ema earned the Gatorade player of the year award for Maryland. Corinne falls just outside the top 20 at 21. Corinne focused more on basketball until about her junior year. She did not start volleyball competitively until high school. Both played for Richard Montgomery and led the Rockets to a second straight Class 4 Maryland State championship.   Uncommitted Players - [player_tooltip player_id='235749' first='Kareena' last='Rathnam'] libero/ds, [player_tooltip player_id='306543' first='Sherry' last='Ye'] libero/ds, [player_tooltip player_id='320821' first='Jordyn' last='Palazzo'] left side, [player_tooltip player_id='696412' first='Stella' last='Lichter'] left side   Kareena may be one of my favorite liberos because of her intensity and effort she puts into every play. Sherry impressed me with her ability to use a dolphin dive when making an incredible dig. Both Kareena and Sherry have been teammates at Winston Churchill and MVSA since they were 15 swapping between libero and defensive specialist. Both play the position well. Stella is a strong six rotation player that only came to my attention this year. She dominated at her high school leading the team in kills.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/01/IMG_2771-1.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-744476" style="width:457px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Virginia Elite 18</figcaption></figure>   Virginia Elite - This was one of my top 18 teams to watch at the beginning of the club season. Losing [player_tooltip player_id='181243' first='Evelyn' last='Jurden'] for the rest of the season drops them down a notch but they still remain competitive.   Committed Players - [player_tooltip player_id='181298' first='Ana' last='Toumazatos'] left side (James Madison), [player_tooltip player_id='181243' first='Evelyn' last='Jurden'] right side (New Hampshire), [player_tooltip player_id='181242' first='Shylah' last='Swope'] setter (William & Mary) [player_tooltip player_id='181279' first='Kadi' last='Pynchon'] libero/ds (Lafayette), [player_tooltip player_id='475116' first='Jocelyn' last='Pye'] left side (John Hopkins)   Four players ranked in the top 15, with Ana leading Langley to the Virginia Class 6 state championship. Jocelyn ranks at 33 but her left side play led Bishop O'Connell to a WCAC championship and a VISAA state championship.   Uncommitted Players - [player_tooltip player_id='235291' first='Sadee' last='Gedse'] libero/ds, [player_tooltip player_id='478765' first='Amy' last='Ye'] setter   Sadee is the only player in the top 20 rankings from the class of 2025 that has yet to commit. Her specialty is her quickness on defense. Amy is a 6'0" setter/right side who is another player who helped Richard Montgomery win back to back playoffs.   17 Open   Metro - This is one of the more athletic teams. They already have a number of players committed to top Division I schools. As they run through the club season they have been falling a bit short, finishing second in four consecutive tournaments. Now is the time to take a deep breath and see what they need to do to win. It certainly is not a lack of talent.   Committed Players - [player_tooltip player_id='301696' first='Nadiya' last='Johnson'] right side (Baylor), [player_tooltip player_id='303701' first='Caydence' last='Doolan'] left side (Marquette), [player_tooltip player_id='227251' first='Morgan' last='Williams'] left side (Tennessee), [player_tooltip player_id='555602' first='Bryah' last='Breaux'] pin (Kentucky), [player_tooltip player_id='321677' first='Charis' last='Burge'] setter (Syracuse), [player_tooltip player_id='238358' first='Evie' last='Huang'] libero (George Washington), [player_tooltip player_id='333652' first='Gabriella' last='Vizek'] middle (American)   All the players are ranked within the top 25 for Virginia in the class of 2026. Nadiya and Gaby led Riverside to the Virginia class 5 state championship while Caydence took charge to lead North Hagerstown to the Maryland Class 3 state championship.   Uncommitted players - [player_tooltip player_id='238357' first='Claire' last='Mo'] setter, [player_tooltip player_id='238341' first='Teodora' last='Stamenkovic'] middle, [player_tooltip player_id='325600' first='Taryn' last='Su'] setter, [player_tooltip player_id='220923' first='Soleil' last='Rancourt'] pin, [player_tooltip player_id='265167' first='Laila' last='Chadwick'] libero   [player_tooltip player_id='238357' first='Claire' last='Mo'] ranks as one of the top setters in the DMV area. This is her first season at Metro after playing a couple years for [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last='']. She set Langley to the Class 6 Virginia state championship setting a 5/1. Teodora led Bishop O'Connell to the WCAC and VISAA state championships with her presence in the middle. Taryn set Wootten to the finals of the Maryland class 4 state championships where they lost to Richard Montgomery. Soleil is the last of the 6'2" pins that have yet to commit. Laila belongs to the class of 2027. Ranked number four in that class, she is one of the top liberos in this area.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/01/IMG_8360.jpg?w=624" alt="" class="wp-image-739632" style="width:333px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] 17</figcaption></figure>   [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] - They upset Metro in the finals of the first tournament of the year to win the Maryland Jrs Open. Metro got some revenge by beating them in the Mid Atlantic Power League (MAPL). Wherever they play this team usually finishes in the top five. After Capitol Hill many start preparing for beach play. The indoor season is over for most of them once the temperatures rise above 60 degrees. [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] is noted for their beach players.   Committed Players - [player_tooltip player_id='181302' first='Kennedy' last='Spaid'] left side (Arizona State - beach), [player_tooltip player_id='181280' first='Brenna' last='Corbin'] libero (James Madison), [player_tooltip player_id='520349' first='Lauren' last='Hobbs'] setter (Christopher Newport).   Kennedy and Brenna have won three Virgnia Class 4 state championships for James Wood. They have been teammates since they were 15. Lauren set North Hagerstown to a Maryland Class 3 state championship. She belongs to the class of 2025.   Uncommitted players - [player_tooltip player_id='320815' first='Tenley' last='Mattison'] middle, [player_tooltip player_id='481961' first='Addison' last='Ziegler'] right side, [player_tooltip player_id='739911' first='Colette' last='Mercker'] middle/right side,   Tenley at 5'10" is a smaller middle but has shined there in the last two James Wood state championships. Addison swings left handed from the right side. Her offensive production led Clear Spring to the finals of the Maryland Class 1 state championship. Colette has only been playing volleyball since her frosh season in high school and is already making an impact for the team. If you are looking for a late bloomer she would be a good candidate.   16 Open   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/140_-Hunter-Ross.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-589282" style="width:260px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='437441' first='Hunter' last='Ross']</figcaption></figure>   Metro - It is early in the season and this team has already won three tournaments. They may not have the height of the 17 team but the athleticism of the players is through the roof.   Players to Watch -[player_tooltip player_id='437441' first='Hunter' last='Ross'] middle, [player_tooltip player_id='385968' first='Macie' last='Murray'] left side, [player_tooltip player_id='290176' first='Kieran' last='Rhoton'] right side, [player_tooltip player_id='292644' first='Caycee' last='Chhum'] setter, [player_tooltip player_id='377396' first='Alexa' last='Telly'] left side, [player_tooltip player_id='469197' first='Olivia' last='Garey'] right side, [player_tooltip player_id='437457' first='Jasmin' last='Tucker'] left side   All the players above rank in the top 20 in our class of 2027 for the DMV area. Macie led Bishop O'Connell to a WCAC and VISAA state championship. She made first team WCAC and earned most valuable player in the VISAA. Alexa played middle for Bullis and led them to a ISL conference championship. For Metro she hits from the pins. Caycee took over the setting duties from DC Gatorade Player of the Year Clara Yu and led them to their third consecutive championship.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/49-Kinsley-Zebatto.jpg?w=801" alt="" class="wp-image-729657" style="width:189px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='484960' first='Kinsley' last='Zebatto']</figcaption></figure>   Virginia Juniors - For the most part this is the same cast of characters who won a USA bid last year and almost earned a place in the gold bracket, losing a challenge match to drop into the silver bracket at the junior nationals. They recently won the National Harbor and finished second to Metro in the City of Oaks Challenge, losing the third set 16-14 in the finals.   Players to Watch - [player_tooltip player_id='206729' first='Megan' last='Phan'] setter, [player_tooltip player_id='357402' first='Coco' last='Lewis'] left side, [player_tooltip player_id='484960' first='Kinsley' last='Zebatto'] right side, [player_tooltip player_id='438068' first='Ayla' last='Sayd'] left side, [player_tooltip player_id='438070' first='Camryn' last='Coulther'] libero, [player_tooltip player_id='472384' first='Kate' last='Bickel'] libero/ds, [player_tooltip player_id='359401' first='Chloe' last='Barth'] right side/ds, [player_tooltip player_id='530367' first='Ava' last='Gill'] middle, [player_tooltip player_id='377344' first='Julia' last='Horan'] middle   Megan and Julia fall within the class of 2026. Megan set a 5/1 to lead Bullis to an ISL conference championship. She also sets a 5/1 for Virginia Juniors. All the pin hitters and middles stand over 6 feet. Camryn played libero for state champion Riverside while Kate played Libero for Holy Cross, who got to the finals of the WCAC.   15 Open   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/35-Ana-Woods.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-589189" style="width:306px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='536721' first='Ana' last='Woods']</figcaption></figure>   Metro- Metro 15 also won their first three tournaments they have played, and they finished second in the Charm City Challenge. This gives them a national ranking of 2 in the USAV Advanced Event System.   Players to Watch - [player_tooltip player_id='536719' first='Katherine' last='Mitchell'] left side, [player_tooltip player_id='536727' first='Chika' last='Onukwugha'] left side, [player_tooltip player_id='536721' first='Ana' last='Woods'] right side, [player_tooltip player_id='437443' first='Kaniyah' last='Ball'] libero, [player_tooltip player_id='612397' first='Eliana' last='Koram'] middle, [player_tooltip player_id='721145' first='Claire' last='Tepper'] left side/right side, [player_tooltip player_id='536728' first='Lalah' last='Washington'] right side, [player_tooltip player_id='536724' first='Ariel' last='Callwood'] setter, [player_tooltip player_id='515489' first='Chloe' last='Canetto'] right side   Nine of the players named above fall in the top 20 for the class of 2026. That is almost half the players. As a frosh Katherine helped Richard Montgomery win their second straight Maryland Class 4 state championship, finishing second on the team in kills. Holy Cross battled their way to the finals of the WCAC championship based on the offensive contribution Ana provided from the right side. Eliana recently returned from participating in a National Team Development Program (NTDP).   14 Open   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/01/maryland-juniors.jpg?w=640" alt="" class="wp-image-739637" style="width:413px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Maryland juniors 14</figcaption></figure>   Maryland Jrs - Last year Maryland Juniors won the 13 Open in the Capital Hill Classic. It was the only age group Metro did not win. Maryland Jrs 13 would go on to finish third in the National Division gold bracket for Junior Nationals. They continue to roll this year winning three straight championships, including a 15 open at the National Harbor tournament.   Players to Watch - [player_tooltip player_id='622282' first='Emerson' last='Wolfe'] left side, [player_tooltip player_id='748487' first='Sierra' last='Thomas'] left side, [player_tooltip player_id='748513' first='Scarlet' last='Netherton'] right side, [player_tooltip player_id='748492' first='Paetyn' last='Brown'] middle, [player_tooltip player_id='748500' first='Katherine' last='Liu'] setter, [player_tooltip player_id='748518' first='Harper' last='Walker'] libero, [player_tooltip player_id='748496' first='Azana' last='Saheed'] middle   Emerson belongs to the class of 2025. She showed that she can dominate at left side against high school players. Now imagine what she can do against players a year away from high school. Watch this team warm up and they look better than most high school teams, even though most of them are one year short.   Metro - Metro has also finished first in three tournaments. At MAPL in the Blue Division against a 4-16 age group the only match they lost was to a 16 team. It would not surprise me to see these two play in the finals as they did in the 13 Open last year. Maryland Juniors won the third set of that match 19-17.   Players to Watch - [player_tooltip player_id='746506' first='Carolyn' last='Maria'] setter, [player_tooltip player_id='746330' first='Hannah' last='Keating'] middle, [player_tooltip player_id='750047' first='Caroline' last='Conroy'] middle, [player_tooltip player_id='750050' first='Raquel' last='Telly'] right side, [player_tooltip player_id='750053' first='Alexis' last='Luscomb'] setter, [player_tooltip player_id='747047' first='Ella' last='Luscomb'] left side, [player_tooltip player_id='750056' first='Kiera' last='Jordan'] left side   Carolyn's older sister Grace played for Bishop O'Connell where she led them to a WCAC championship. She now plays for the Connecticut Huskies where her mom played basketball, winning at least one NCAA basketball championship.

The Capitol Hill Classic is one of the largest and perhaps the most prestigious tournaments in the Chesapeake area. They take up over 100 courts at the DC convention center with close to a thousand teams participating in the event. Over 50 of these teams travel from a second country, many of them from Canada. The first tournament was initiated by Barry Goldberg back in 2007. For 15 years Barry was the Director of the Metro Volleyball Club. He also coached for many years at American University leading the Eagles to 16 Patriot League championships. After his death in 2003 this tournament is now dedicated to him. It is one of the reasons Metro does not play in the Triple Crown, which is held on the same weekend.