A Dynasty Rising In The IAAM Conference

A dynasty is a big word in sports. It's something that has to be anointed in hindsight; you can't just declare a dynasty by looking at them. They have to earn it, and when the results line up, that's when you can get that label. There are always some big hitters in the IAAM from the DMV area, St. Johns. Maryvale. Garrison Forest. But the new kids on the block, AACS have the potential to get there. There's going to be some great volleyball in this conference this year, and some big-time prospects to keep an eye on. The WCAC gets it's share of attention and often has big time players from Metro and [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] among others, but this year a lot of national open bracket level players are invading the IAAM, and is going to be something to watch. Here are a few to remember:   Annapolis Area Christian School   I know quite a few of the HS head coaches in the area, and in conversations in the offseason, sometimes we will talk about job openings, and who is going to interview where. Last year when I saw AACS had a position open, most of my closer friends were happy and recently into positions, so I didn't know anyone applying. Jen Groshek got the job, and from what I've seen, AACS got an absolute GEM. With some outstanding recruiting, and some fantastic tactics and work, she is building a program that is going to get a lot of attention this year. I knew of a couple of their standout young players in [player_tooltip player_id='809470' first='Abisola' last='Adeyemo'] and Charlotte Dittmer already, and heard that a good setter we knew was transferring there in [player_tooltip player_id='749757' first='Dakota' last='Pentorn']. That's the foundation of a really good young team. But when I worked the PrepDig Freshman showcase this year is when I saw it all coming together. My MVP of the showcase, [player_tooltip player_id='749642' first='Sophia' last='Groshek'] is the coaches daughter, and in hindsight I'm not surprised, she's got a huge talent package and the IQ to go with it, so her mom being a coach makes a lot of sense. As I read through my roster of sign ups I kept seeing AACS under high school and thought, man that's a crazy freshmen class, she just got that job last year but is killing it on players added. In addition to her returning veterans, and these two added, she also picked up one of the top Liberos in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='748518' first='Harper' last='Walker'], and two DS in [player_tooltip player_id='783298' first='Olivia' last='Wheeler'] and [player_tooltip player_id='781700' first='Gianna' last='Bonnett']. Then you add in a big time MB in [player_tooltip player_id='748492' first='Paetyn' last='Brown'], and some huge hitters in Sophia, [player_tooltip player_id='748513' first='Scarlett' last='Netherton'] and [player_tooltip player_id='753070' first='Avery' last='Lettinga'], and just for fun, another young setter in [player_tooltip player_id='762823' first='Brie' last='Mouton'].   It's not just the talent this team added, they are loaded with PrepDig highly ranked players, which is amazing, but there's built in cohesion and chemistry as Avery, Scarlett, Harper and Paetyn all play together on MDJRS Elite Black 14 which finished 3rd in the country the year before last. Then Abisola, Charlotte, Sophia and Dakota all play together on MDJRS Elite Black 15 who is a very improved team and was also at Nationals this year. Then Olivia, Brie and Gianna all come from the BAVA 14s team that went to Nationals as well. Having a team with so many girls familiar with each other, and have played at a National level is almost unheard of at the HS level around here. Add in support and existing pieces such as Maya Elliott and Mckenzie Cook who play for teams at MDJRS, and some returning experienced seniors such as Emma Reed and Sydney Anderson, and this team is going to be tough for anyone to beat. It's early to be throwing the term dynasty around, but with such a young team, built so well and a great coach at the helm, we may be looking at one in the making.    Scarlett has been playing on a very talented MDJRS 14s team and has quietly been becoming one of the best players in the region. She and Emme Wolfe have been the big powers on that team for a while, but seeing Scarlett play up close recently, there's almost nothing she can't do. She's played a lot of RS, forming that 1-2 punch of hitters that carried that team to a 3rd place finish at Nationals two years ago, but this year has also been mixing in playing setter, and seeing her play all the way around, she is going to be a star. Her hitting is loud and powerful, and while I only got to see her go line once or twice, both great balls, her cross court shots were killers all night. During club season when setting she showed good hands, and her RS play means she plays tough at the net. This week when I saw her, her defense in the back was also fantastic. The top server on the opposing team, who had a good 5 point run against them, said this about Scarlett: "I knew Scarlett was on that side, and if I got more than a couple inches away from middle, she would slide over and take the ball, so I knew I had to stick to the other side of middle to have a chance."    Archbishop Spalding   I got to see them play up close this week in a tournament at St. Johns (DC), and they had a couple players stand out to me in the game or two I saw them. [player_tooltip player_id='753062' first='Madelyn' last='Mauro'], a recent add to the PrepDig Rankings Sheet, looked strong, playing all the way around and making a lot of noise with her strong shots. They also had an intriguing MB in Ashlee Overley, a senior this year that had some big defensive stops against one of the top hitters in the DMV. Veteran SRVC setter Mila Danek should help keep things running smoothly, she showed good chemistry with Mauro and this team should be in the mix against most of the league.   Maryvale Prep   Coming to see this team was all about [player_tooltip player_id='547072' first='Victoria' last='Small'] to start the day. I know her very well from club season, and was telling some of the parents of DS/L from our team to watch her, as she will show you what you want your player to look like as a Libero. She didn't disappoint, making tough dig after dig against some very strong hitters throughout the day, and making it look easy. I had heard from her that she had a teammate for HS that I needed to see, and she was spot on there. OH Sophia Harrari was a monster player all day. Big hits, good range on defense, she played all around and was a massive part of their offense all day. Playing all around on Baltimore Elite 16 Navy, she's no slouch, and I wish that I had crossed paths with her during club season, sometimes the schedules just work that way however, but I know I'll be hunting for their team this season to continue to watch the show she was putting on.    Easily the best Libero in the IAAM Conference, she does everything right and smooth. Solid platform. Accurate passing. Hustle. Communication. Leadership. This is what you want when you are looking for a leader and Libero. She easily has the tools to succeed at the next level, and from the number of coaches watching her this past season, that's a when, not an if. Looking forward to what 2026 brings for her.    Indian Creek   Jordyn Beans is in the second year of her transformation at Indian Creek. Each year she continues to add some new players to the mix and some talent to get into the conference title mix. London Faust is a big time player for them at OH. Big power, lots of raw athleticism, and the defense was improving when I saw her during club season playing for Beans' club, Empire Volleyball Academy. Also, Senior OH Mariah Smith is another Empire product who plays all around, has good agility and footwork, and does a good job of keeping the ball on the court, hitting for a high percentage and not being afraid of taking the roll over the big shot if she needs to. Another player to keep an eye on for this season for IC would be setter Summer Rivers, and if Beans tells you to watch a setter, you should pay attention, as she was a standout college setter herself.    London is a strong OH playing for Empire, and Indian Creek. She had a growth spurt a few years ago and those couple inches gave her the angle to get down on the ball and put a lot more balls in play. She was a leader in hitting percentage her freshman year and has a lot of power both in her arm and in her blocking. As she grows and fine tunes some other parts of her game, she's going to end up one of the best OH in the IAAM.    Garrison Forest   This is another school that tends to do some damage in the IAAM. Led by senior [player_tooltip player_id='555602' first='Bryah' last='Breaux'], the monster RS from Metro who is already committed to Kentucky, she by herself is enough to win a lot of games in this conference, one of the top players in the DMV period. Obviously, she comes with teammates however, and the team as a whole should be in the mix for the title when it's all said and done. The question is do they have the depth to compete with AACS or Maryvale?   This will be a fun conference to watch this year. There's a lot of young talent on display, and future NCAA superstars to say we saw way back before they were in Final Four games. While the WCAC conference still has a lot of talent and big name schools, the IAAM is gradually picking up steam the more popular Volleyball gets, and they are closing the gap for those of us in Central to Eastern Maryland.

A dynasty is a big word in sports. It's something that has to be anointed in hindsight; you can't just declare a dynasty by looking at them. They have to earn it, and when the results line up, that's when you can get that label. There are always some big hitters in the IAAM from the DMV area, St. Johns. Maryvale. Garrison Forest. But the new kids on the block, AACS have the potential to get there. There's going to be some great volleyball in this conference this year, and some big-time prospects to keep an eye on. The WCAC gets it's share of attention and often has big time players from Metro and Paramount among others, but this year a lot of national open bracket level players are invading the IAAM, and is going to be something to watch. Here are a few to remember: