Four Schools Relying on Frosh for Success

Many high schools try to keep one frosh on their team, but only if they can give her serious playing time. Below are four teams who can bring out a full lineup of frosh to take over the court. All four of these teams finished with winning records last year. They also feel like they can compete this year, even with a group of talented frosh on their roster.   With the large number of frosh making varsity rosters it confirms what many believe - the class of 2029 is one of the top classes for talent in the last ten years.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Broadneck Bruins</h2>   Last year Broadneck reached the finals of the Class 4 Maryland state championship. They eventually were swept by defending champion Richard Montgomery in three. The hope now is to get another chance to appear in the finals, despite having five frosh on their roster.   The Bruis have a strong base with returning setters [player_tooltip player_id='478903' first='Barrett' last='Bolter'] and [player_tooltip player_id='721762' first='Sydney' last='Lawrence']. They also return one of the top outside hitters in the 6'0" [player_tooltip player_id='834131' first='Kennedy' last='Smith']. While one middle Addison Britton returns another graduated leaving an opening there. Libero Cloe Ritchie is also back to stabilize the back row.    A middle spot has opened in the Bruins roster and Neely definitely brings the height and skills to grab it. The only thing she lacks is the experience. When playing club 14Us normally play against other 14Us. When you reach high school frosh have to play against others three years older than them. The experience of a senior can still outmatch a more skilled frosh.   Neely's skills certainly stood out in our Prep Dig Frosh showcase. She earned a top performer award. While playing for Bay Area Volleyball Academy (BAVA) she showed the ability to hit the quick tempo sets. Her back row play also stood out for a middle something a coach may take into consideration when choosing who to serve among their two middles.   As the season wears on and she gains more experience it would not surprise me to see her as one of the two main middles in the lineup. She will have to compete with the 6'1" Molly Robinson, but that opens up a right side opportunity.    In addition to [player_tooltip player_id='766895' first='Neely' last='Olish'] as a middle/right side you also have the 5'9" [player_tooltip player_id='747047' first='Ella' last='Luscomb'] to compete for playing time. Ella spent much of her time with Metro hitting left side. However, she could move back and forth between the two pins depending on need. At 5'9" she lacks the height of Neely but playing for Metro she brings the experience of playing against Open level competition.   While Broadneck carries three setters in Barrett, Sydney and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='850662' first='Lexi' last='Britton'], [player_tooltip player_id='750053' first='Alexis' last='Luscomb'] still made the roster. She is the twin sister of [player_tooltip player_id='747047' first='Ella' last='Luscomb']. While Ella spends most of her time at the pins Alexis takes on the responsibility of setting the ball to the pins. For the Bruins she may also see some defensive specialist opportunities. This should add to her versatility as a player. Just like Ella playing for Metro gave her the opportunity to compete against the top players in her age group.   Two other frosh made the roster, pin hitter [player_tooltip player_id='787925' first='Camryn' last='Bedell'] and defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id='878991' first='Julie' last='Wagner']. Camryn is a bit raw with her game but she has tremendous athleticism. That trait can achieve quick growth when challenged with tougher competition. While she played six rotations for BAVA it was only because of her offensive potential in the back row. She still needs some work with her passing and defense. [player_tooltip player_id='878991' first='Julie' last='Wagner'] I have yet to see play. She appears on the watch list.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Annapolis Area Christian Eagles</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/06/13-Brie-Mouton.jpg?w=745" alt="" class="wp-image-781843" style="width:334px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='762823' first='Brie' last='Mouton']</figcaption></figure>   Annapolis Area Christian plays in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM). In 2023 the Eagles reached the finals of the A Division before losing in five to Maryvale Prep. Last year they fell short of making the playoff bracket as Maryvale Prep repeated as champions. It appears after a disappointing 7-7 season Annapolis decided to stack up their roster with talented frosh.   The Eagles two big girls return in [player_tooltip player_id='809584' first='Charlotte' last='Dittmar'] and [player_tooltip player_id='809470' first='Abisola' last='Adeyemo']. Charlotte led the team in kills as a frosh last season while Abisola finished second. An injury prevented Charlotte from playing club this past season. Both players seemed to be the primary passers in their rotations, even though they are both listed as middles. They also bring back Emma Reed who finished third in kills.   The Eagles have filtered eight frosh on their still young 16-woman roster. Three of those players, [player_tooltip player_id='748513' first='Scarlett' last='Netherton'], [player_tooltip player_id='749642' first='Sophia' last='Groshek'] and [player_tooltip player_id='762823' first='Brie' last='Mouton'] appear on our top ten rankings for the class of 2029. While their setter from last year graduated [player_tooltip player_id='749757' first='Dakota' last='Pentorn'] is a junior transfer setter with experience. All three of the frosh mentioned have setting skills, however [player_tooltip player_id='762823' first='Brie' last='Mouton'] is clearly the class of the group. All three have the skills to find room on the court with Scarlett as a setter/right side, Sophia as a setter/left side and Brie who would be my favorite to win the second setting position after Dakota.   Other frosh who made the roster include [player_tooltip player_id='748492' first='Paetyn' last='Brown'], [player_tooltip player_id='781700' first='Gianna' last='Bonnett'], [player_tooltip player_id='753070' first='Avery' last='Lettinga'], [player_tooltip player_id='748518' first='Harper' last='Walker'] and [player_tooltip player_id='783298' first='Olivia' last='Wheeler'].   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/06/1-Harper-Walker.jpg?w=961" alt="" class="wp-image-781831" style="width:344px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='748518' first='Harper' last='Walker']</figcaption></figure>   Last year it appears Annapolis did not play with a libero. Now they have two stellar potential liberos in Gianna and Harper. Gianna was named a top performer at our Prep Dig Frosh showcase. She showed good hustle with no fear of hitting the floor to scramble for the ball. BAVA used her extensively in the back row earning her a spot at number 22 in our 2029 rankings. [player_tooltip player_id='748518' first='Harper' last='Walker'] also won a top performer award at our Prep Dig showcase. This earned her an appearance at number 37 in our class of 2029 rankings. She possesses a good platform and shows excellent speed in the back court. While she played the libero position for Maryland Juniors 14 last year [player_tooltip player_id='753070' first='Avery' last='Lettinga'] saw most of the playing time at the libero position at Junior Nationals.   This makes [player_tooltip player_id='753070' first='Avery' last='Lettinga'] another libero candidate although outside hitter is a stronger possibility. As an outside hitter on the Maryland Juniors 14 team she saw limited playing time with [player_tooltip player_id='622282' first='Emerson' last='Wolfe'] and [player_tooltip player_id='748487' first='Sierra' last='Thomas'] the primary hitters. With Emerson under the weather during the first day of National Harbor Avery represented herself well as a left side. She showed she could put good velocity on the ball. At the Junior Nationals she seemed to get most of the libero playing time in the sets I watched. At 5'9" she has the ability to play six rotations as a left side earning a spot in the rankings at 54.   [player_tooltip player_id='783298' first='Olivia' last='Wheeler'] is another back row specialist who played for BAVA. She also performed well at the Prep Dig frosh showcase earning a spot at number 48 in our 2029 rankings. Olivia is that back row specialist who shows good movement on defense, always anticipating where the offense is going to strike. Another BAVA player who competed at Junior Nationals and played a solid back row.   At 5'10 [player_tooltip player_id='748492' first='Paetyn' last='Brown'] plays a solid middle, which could free up Charlotte or Abisola to play more right side. For the Maryland Juniors 14 team she hit the quick tempo sets well while also being quick enough to move pin to pin to cover the block. She debuted at number 50 in our class of 2029 rankings.   All eight frosh on the Annapolis roster are ranked in our class of 2029 rankings. Many were ranked before I knew they would be playing for the Eagles.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Briar Woods Falcons</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/06/12-Marisa-Barreto.jpg?w=833" alt="" class="wp-image-781842" style="width:315px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='772889' first='Marisa' last='Barreto']</figcaption></figure>   Last year Briar Woods was swept in the first round of Regional play by Independence. While they return four senior players they will also debut 6 frosh. This is normally not a recipe for success but the Falcons hope to make this the exception. They did not schedule their first match until late next week so there will be plenty of practice days to tighten up the lineup.   The two top rated frosh on their roster are right side [player_tooltip player_id='772889' first='Marisa' last='Barreto'] and setter [player_tooltip player_id='752431' first='Kayla' last='Chang'] who both played for [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last='']. Marissa played for the second team Anderson while Kayla played for the top team Cozad. Marisa debuted at number 41 in our rankings while Kayla settled in at 47 in our class of 2029. At 5'10 Marissa brings some height to the front row. A little more work on increasing the jump and quickening the arm swing will make her a player to watch. Kayla has soft hands and a good serve. At 5'6" she needs a little more growth to see the front row.   That opens up the second setting option to frosh [player_tooltip player_id='881839' first='Clara' last='Lan']. We have not seen Clara play yet. [player_tooltip player_id='755848' first='Mihika' last='Mamidi'] played right side for the [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Anderson 14 team as well. She appears on our watch list. We have not yet seen [player_tooltip player_id='881831' first='Allison' last='Tan'] play. [player_tooltip player_id='881356' first='Summer' last='Syed'] played right side for Virginia Juniors. She showed some ability to generate offense with her swing.   Briar Woods has won one state championship back in 2014. Time will tell whether this group of frosh will provide them a second.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Woodbridge Vikings</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/06/9-Braylin-Coacher.jpg?w=838" alt="" class="wp-image-781839" style="width:331px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='747031' first='Braylin' last='Coacher']</figcaption></figure>   Woodbridge has been living around that .500 record for the last couple years. They have yet to make any real run at a state championship. Time to bring in a boatload of frosh and see what they can do.   Left side [player_tooltip player_id='747560' first='Elliot' last='Dorgan'] and setter [player_tooltip player_id='747031' first='Braylin' last='Coacher'] are two quality frosh who appear on our 2029 rankings. Elliot debuts at number 8. She is a 6'0" pin hitter who played for [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last='']. She is a multi sport athlete who can put some velocity on the ball. That athleticism brings surprising quickness on the court for a player her length. Braylin ranks at number 16 in our class of 2029. The two were teammates for [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] so they should click well for the Vikings. Braylin won a top performer award at our Prep Dig frosh showcase.   Both [player_tooltip player_id='746130' first='Madalyn' last='Webster'] and [player_tooltip player_id='877859' first='Maria' last='Coronel'] appear on our watch list. I have yet to see them play.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='484751' first='Riley' last='Erwin'] Falls Short of Triple Double</h2>   In their opener Kellam defeated First Colonial three games to one. [player_tooltip player_id='484751' first='Riley' last='Erwin'] had a good match falling two kills short of hitting for a triple double. She finished the match with 19 assists, 13 digs as well as 8 kills. She also contributed 5 aces   [player_tooltip player_id='838393' first='Sofia' last='Barnes'] led the team with 17 kills and 14 digs. [player_tooltip player_id='544609' first='Giulia' last='Allison'] led the team in digs with 18 while also stringing together 4 aces. Skyla Witte led the team in blocks with 4, two solo and two shared. Stats provided by Maxpreps.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='755134' first='Ava' last='Ewald'] Leads Kettle Run to Opening Day Victory</h2>   Last year Kettle Run won their first 14 matches. That streak was ended by Sherando and then another loss to James Wood during the season. Despite those two losses they marched their way into the state playoffs, ultimately losing in the first round to New Kent in five. The third set ended 15-11.   They opened their season against Meridian sweeping them 25-19, 25-19 and 25-16. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='755134' first='Ava' last='Ewald'] led the Cougars providing offense from both the front row and back row. The 6'0" left side ranks at number 76 in our class of 2028 but after watching her play her skill set deserves better. She played down this past club season on [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] 14 Cozad.   Other players who stood out were setter [player_tooltip player_id='881841' first='Bella' last='Carlson'], libero [player_tooltip player_id='800495' first='Maddie' last='Stubblefield'], right side [player_tooltip player_id='881848' first='Alex' last='Adam'] and middle Brooke DeAtley. Bella set well but also can hammer the ball from the right side. Kellam likes to play their setter in defense short behind the middle. This created a number of defensive opportunities for Bella. She is a taller girl at 5'9" so she could be used in a 5/1. Her back sets were smooth and effortless.   Alex played right side but showed the ability to hit left side as well. She displayed a lot of enthusiasm after her kills. Brooke played middle but also showed the ability to hit left side. Her quick tempo kill in the middle put the Cougars ahead in the first set 24-18. Maddie controls the back row with her smooth libero play. She ranks at 124 in our class of 2027.   Meridian struggled with passing. This made it difficult to set one of their top offensive players middle [player_tooltip player_id='746620' first='Sahana' last='Cushman']. The 6'1" Sahana proved a strong presence at the net with her blocking. [player_tooltip player_id='807825' first='Adelyn' last='Pye'] provided key offense from the left side. Her sister Jocelyn Pye played for Bishop O'Connell and committed to John Hopkins to play volleyball this year. Adelyn focused more on basketball early in her youth but now is devoted to volleyball. This has drastically improved her game.   Right side/middle Gracie Nowlin brings a big windup to her swing. When she makes contact the ball finds the court quickly.   Meridian plays in the Northwestern Conference, which consists of schools primarily in the Winchester area. They are a small school in Falls Church City, which puts them at a Class 3. Because there is a paucity of Class 3 schools in the Fairfax/Loudoun County area they compete with a number of Southern Virginia schools, taking those long bus rides to compete.

Many high schools try to keep one frosh on their team, but only if they can give her serious playing time. Below are four teams who can bring out a full lineup of frosh to take over the court. All four of these teams finished with winning records last year. They also feel like they can compete this year, even with a group of talented frosh on their roster.