The First DMV Top 25

Below is our first assessment of our top 25 high schools in the DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia) area for the 2025 season. Ironic that the number one team is Georgetown Day out of Washington D.C. They exist as the only DC school represented in the top 25. St. Johns just missed. Won-loss record is based on last game of the previous weekend.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/fergusson.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-489516" style="width:346px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='472234' first='Tessa' last='Fergusson']</figcaption></figure>   1) Georgetown Day (0-0) - Last year's final ranking number 5. They dominated two very strong teams Bishop O'Connell and Urbana in scrimmages. They have one of the best setters [player_tooltip player_id='292644' first='Caycee' last='Chhum'] in the DMV area controlling the offense. The three middles [player_tooltip player_id='472234' first='Tessa' last='Fergusson'], [player_tooltip player_id='355124' first='Fiona' last='McDermott'] and [player_tooltip player_id='321676' first='Gabrielle' last='Wigglesworth'] can mix and match to play right side as well. Lots of quality depth to choose from. They play their first two matches against Sidwell Friends and Seton before setting off for Virginia Beach for the Endless Summer tournament.   2) Colgan (5-1) - Last year's final ranking number 15. They won the Virginia Volleyball Showcase, knocking off two quality opponents in Langley and Courtland. The Sharks also devoured Flint Hill in four. Their one loss in the season is to Massaponax. Left side [player_tooltip player_id='238593' first='Tehillah' last='Garrison'] is an offensive machine between her top spin serve and her front and back row attacks. [player_tooltip player_id='550688' first='Sienna' last='Mitchell'] represents a second potent hitter from the left side. The back row is solid with [player_tooltip player_id='747458' first='Angelie' last='Rose Carrasco'], [player_tooltip player_id='609504' first='Brooklyn' last='Rothwell'] and [player_tooltip player_id='602392' first='Elise' last='Nair'].   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/10-Rujuta-Singh.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-589165" style="width:357px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='554770' first='Rujuta' last='Singh'] </figcaption></figure>   3) Langley (6-2) - Last year's final ranking number 3. They lost two matches in the Virginia Volleyball Showcase to Colgan and Courtland. Not a team that carries a lot of height but they play scrappy. Good passing and tight defense wins for them. [player_tooltip player_id='554770' first='Rujuta' last='Singh'] defines the team with her all around play. She is their top hitter but also plays an excellent six rotation game. [player_tooltip player_id='238357' first='Claire' last='Mo'] is the best setter in the area to run a precision offense. She set Metro to a third place finish in the junior national open division. She has transitioned from 6'4" outsides at Metro to 5'9" outsides at Langley.   4) Bishop O'Connell (1-0) - Last year's final ranking number 6. They handled Archbishop Spalding pretty easily in their opener, even with two of their starters injured or sick. They may carry the two most potent offensive players in the area with left side [player_tooltip player_id='385968' first='Macie' last='Murray'] and frosh setter/right side [player_tooltip player_id='746506' first='Carolyn' last='Maria']. The one area of concern is the inexperience at one of the middles as well as a right side.   5) James Wood (7-0) - Last year's final ranking number 14. They have started the season on fire defeating last year's Class 5 state champion Riverside, as well as West Virginia powerhouse Musselman. In their first seven matches they have yet to lose a set. Their two outsides [player_tooltip player_id='181302' first='Kennedy' last='Spaid'] and [player_tooltip player_id='181280' first='Brenna' last='Corbin'] brought James Wood their first championship as frosh and they have now won three straight. This year the duo need to finish the four year sweep.   <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:356px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='829469' first='Ana' last='Woods']</figcaption></figure>   6) Holy Cross (2-0) - Last year's final ranking number 13. Holy Cross has reached the finals of the WCAC since 2011. During that time they have won seven championships. Last year they started two frosh in right side [player_tooltip player_id='829469' first='Ana' last='Woods'] and left side [player_tooltip player_id='622282' first='Emerson' last='Wolfe'] and still made it to the finals. The two will bring one more year of experience to assist them in securing another WCAC championship.   7) Howard (0-0) - Last year's final ranking number 11. Last year the team won their first 23 matches until inexplicably getting swept by Wootten in the state semi-finals. They carry one of the top setters in Maryland [player_tooltip player_id='698761' first='Imagine' last='Peltier'], who has some height to play the front row. [player_tooltip player_id='702631' first='McKenna' last='Brown'] will carry the offensive load. There first match comes against River Hill.   8) Riverside (5-2) - Last year's final ranking number 1. Riverside lost two matches in a tournament at James Wood. That equals the number of losses they stumbled across the last two years. The Rams have lost two key pieces to their offense, a left side and middle. They do return right side [player_tooltip player_id='301696' first='Nadiya' last='Johnson'] and setter [player_tooltip player_id='333651' first='Sydney' last='Ray'], two important pieces that makes this offense jell.   9) Richard Montgomery (1-0) - Last year's final ranking number 2. This is certainly a different team than last year. Gone are two 6'0" right side/setters that led the team to two state championships. Replacing them [player_tooltip player_id='749346' first='Ellyn' last='Kim'] a 5'4" setter who ran a 5/1 in their opener. From a technical standpoint she is a superior setter. Just don't expect a lot of offense from her. The Mitchell sisters, [player_tooltip player_id='833815' first='Katherine' last='Mitchell'] and [player_tooltip player_id='412056' first='Elizabeth' last='Mitchell'] combined for 35 kills in their opening match victory against Churchill. They have the ability to provide the offense.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/williams.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-489518" style="width:338px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='397397' first='Jasmine' last='Williams']</figcaption></figure>   10) Colonial Forge (4-0) - Did not rank last year. Last year was a vanilla kind of year for the Eagles. With the return of [player_tooltip player_id='443570' first='Lexiana' last='Everetts'] they bring strength to the middle and right side with [player_tooltip player_id='397397' first='Jasmine' last='Williams'] and [player_tooltip player_id='581553' first='Karinne' last='Goodrum'] also contributing. Early this season they won their first four matches without losing a set.   11) Paul VI (2-0) - Did not rank last year. This is a team that carried some quality setters but lacked firepower from the pins. With the transfers of [player_tooltip player_id='357402' first='Coco' last='Lewis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='333650' first='Louise' last='Neuhart'] that offense has returned. They won their first two matches with [player_tooltip player_id='357402' first='Coco' last='Lewis'] providing the bulk of the offense with 20 kills.   12) Kellam (3-0) - Last year's final ranking number 16. They reached the finals last year in the Class 5 Virginia state championship but were no match for Riverside. This year their team looks stronger after a year of club experience. [player_tooltip player_id='484970' first='Sofia' last='Barnes'] brings the offense from the left side while [player_tooltip player_id='484751' first='Riley' last='Erwin'] sets in the back row, but her 6'1" height allows her to dominate from the right side. Kellam won their first three matches, including a five setter over rival Ocean Lakes.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/06/5-Neely-Olish.jpg?w=962" alt="" class="wp-image-781835" style="width:241px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='766895' first='Neely' last='Olish']</figcaption></figure>   13) Broadneck (0-0) - Did not rank last year. Perhaps they should have been. They reached the Class 4 finals before losing to Richard Montgomery. Their offense is led by the 6'0" left side [player_tooltip player_id='721753' first='Kennedy' last='Smith']. They also carry two quality setters in [player_tooltip player_id='478903' first='Barrett' last='Bolter'] and [player_tooltip player_id='721762' first='Sydney' last='Lawrence']. The key to their season may be how the three frosh fit in, middle [player_tooltip player_id='766895' first='Neely' last='Olish'] and the twins setter [player_tooltip player_id='750053' first='Alexis' last='Luscomb'] and outside [player_tooltip player_id='747047' first='Ella' last='Luscomb'].   14) North Hagerstown (0-0) - Last year's final ranking number 7. They still have left side [player_tooltip player_id='303701' first='Caydence' last='Doolan'], who is one of the top offensive players in this area. She plays six rotations. A little help from 6'0" frosh [player_tooltip player_id='787919' first='Charlotte' last='Booth'] is needed for them to secure a fourth straight class 3 state championship.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/07/123-Scarlett-Netherton.jpg?w=952" alt="" class="wp-image-790456" style="width:290px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='748513' first='Scarlett' last='Netherton']</figcaption></figure>   15) Annapolis Area Christian (3-0) Did not rank last year. Their two star frosh players from last year were middles [player_tooltip player_id='809584' first='Charlotte' last='Dittmar'] and [player_tooltip player_id='545725' first='Abisola' last='Adeyemo']. Charlotte appeared injured for all of the club season so her contribution for this season remains unknown. They brought in a number of quality frosh for this coming season, including right side [player_tooltip player_id='748513' first='Scarlett' last='Netherton'], setter [player_tooltip player_id='762823' first='Brie' last='Mouton'] and left side [player_tooltip player_id='749642' first='Sophia' last='Groshek']. Those three frosh rank in the top ten of our class of 2029. They have already started the season with three match wins without losing a set. An Endless Summer tournament with Georgetown Day and other quality opponents this weekend may define their season.   16) James Madison (6-2) - Did not rank last year. The Warhawks lost to Langley in a regional battle last year when they moved [player_tooltip player_id='265167' first='Laila' last='Chadwick'] from left side to libero. They may have improved themselves on defense but they lost some significant offense with the move. The last two sets were 25-9 losses. A number of new contributors in this lineup including middle [player_tooltip player_id='753047' first='Olivia' last='Schulz'] and left side [player_tooltip player_id='753053' first='Gretchen' last='Gottschalk']. They started the season 6-2 losing to powerhouses Langley and Courtland in the Virginia Volleyball showcase.   17) Courtland (5-1) - Last year's final ranking number 18. They have started the season 5-1 beating both James Madison and Langley at the Virginia Volleyball showcase. Their only loss was to Colgan at the same tournament. Setter and Shepherd commit [player_tooltip player_id='397536' first='Aubrey' last='Parker'] leads this offense with her setting as well as her offensive performance hitting from the right side.   18) Frank Cox (7-3) - Did not rank last year. They lost three matches to James Madison, Courtland and Patriot at the Virginia Volleyball showcase. Their last match against Norfolk Academy resulted in the Bulldogs first loss. The 6'0" [player_tooltip player_id='545710' first='Avery' last='Osler'] generates offense from the left side. Also. right side [player_tooltip player_id='617089' first='India' last='Starr'] reeks of power potential with her 6'3 height and her ability to provide offense from the right side.   19) Ocean Lakes (6-2) - Did not rank last year. Ocean Lakes lost one match at the Virginia Volleyball showcase then lost a 5 setter to Kellam after the showcase. They are led by 6'1" Virginia Tech commit and outside [player_tooltip player_id='333654' first='Santina' last='Martcheva']. Her back row play has improved enough to play all six rotations, though sometimes they hide her when in serve receive. A big match against Cox comes up this week.   20) Millbrook (4-0) - Did not rank last year. All four of their wins have resulted in sweeps. [player_tooltip player_id='435748' first='Aaliyah' last='Green'] provides some powerful offense from the left side. They have also added three frosh to their roster, utility [player_tooltip player_id='878688' first='Mckenna' last='Homans'], libero/ds [player_tooltip player_id='878689' first='Madisyn' last='Carter'] and opposite [player_tooltip player_id='878697' first='Reese' last='Cooke']. Normally, if you add frosh to the varsity roster your intent is to play them.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/03/Isard-Bernades4.jpg?w=683" alt="" class="wp-image-516560" style="width:285px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='346815' first='Isard' last='Bernades']</figcaption></figure>   21) Glenelg (0-0) - Did not rank last year. The Gladiators have [player_tooltip player_id='529251' first='Jessica' last='Li'] to lead the team with her setting. Her primary offensive weapon may be [player_tooltip player_id='346815' first='Isard' last='Bernades'], who normally plays libero at club. Glenelg lost early in a regional matchup in the state playoffs last year. Their first match this year will be Friday against St. Mary's Ryken.   22) Kettle Run (3-0) - Did not rank last year. I did not get to see any of their games last year when they rattled off 14 consecutive wins to start the season. They eventually lost in the first round of the Class 3 Virginia state playoffs to New Kent. Their big hitter is their 6'0" right side [player_tooltip player_id='755134' first='Ava' last='Ewald'] who played as a frosh last season,   23) Midlothian (3-0) - Did not rank last year. They have swept all three of their opponents to start the year. They rely on their two undersized left sides [player_tooltip player_id='519343' first='Dylan' last='Cline'] and [player_tooltip player_id='710426' first='Emerson' last='Combs'] to create offense. The Trojans won the Virginia Class 5 state playoffs in 2022 when both Dylan and Emerson were frosh. Last year they found themselves swept in the first round of the state playoffs by Independence. Now that the two are seniors they hope to end their high school careers as they started it with a state championship.   24) Wootton (0-0) - Last year's final ranking number 17. Last year Wooton surprised Howard with a semifinal sweep in the Class 3 Maryland state playoffs. They then got swept by North Hagerstown in the finals. They do return setter [player_tooltip player_id='325600' first='Taryn' last='Su'], who is one of the top setters in the area. Her targets will mainly be [player_tooltip player_id='837817' first='Sara' last='Foster'] and [player_tooltip player_id='438097' first='Haile' last='Ma'].   25) Grafton (4-0) - Did not rank last year. Last year they lost to Hidden Valley for the second straight year after moving down to Class 3. That is nine consecutive seasons in the finals without scoring a victory and 12 total in their history. This year they hope to change that with middle/right sides [player_tooltip player_id='810003' first='Kenzie' last='Smith'] and [player_tooltip player_id='465315' first='Ana' last='Breckons'] providing the offense. Both stand over 6 foot and can hit missiles into the other court.   Bullis, Hidden Valley, Chantilly, West Springfield, Flint Hill, Loudoun County, The Covenant were all ranked in the top twenty last year but could not find a spot in the top 25 this year. The season is still early.

Below is our first assessment of our top 25 high schools in the DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia) area for the 2025 season. Ironic that the number one team is Georgetown Day out of Washington D.C. They exist as the only DC school represented in the top 25. St. Johns just missed. Won-loss record is based on last game of the previous weekend.