How did Maryland State champion predictions hold up?

Well with that, the Maryland High School Volleyball season officially comes to a close. Bob gave a pretty thorough run down of the games, but I thought I'd look back at my picks and see how I did.   IAAM A:   Prediction: AACS   Champ: AACS   This one felt like as much of a lock as I could pick. I managed to get both teams in the finals right, with Maryvale putting up a good fight, but AACS was just too deep and [player_tooltip player_id='749642' first='Sophia' last='Groshek'] and crew pulled it out.   IAAM B:   Prediction: Glenelg Country   Champ: Glenelg Country   This was much harder for me to call, not as familiar with their team, but I liked some of the talent on the roster, Kyla Wooten came from my neck of the woods before she transferred to Glenelg, and [player_tooltip player_id='493358' first='Kennedy' last='Cummins'] plays for one of the best club teams in the area. Another player jumped out watching them, one I've seen a little more in depth since, [player_tooltip player_id='896386' first='Kristina' last='Melton'], and another coach in the conference was very complimentary of. I'll have more on her later in club previews, but short story, she's the truth. In the end, Glenelg pulled it out.   IAAM C:   Prediction: Indian Creek   Champ: Severn   In fairness, in my miss, I DID call Severn to be in the championship game, just didn't call them to win because it was their first year as a competitive VB program. Severn has had Volleyball as a club sport for a while, but this year was the first in the IAAM, and in their first run they pulled out a title.   Maryland Class 1A:   Prediction: Boonsboro   Champ: Clear Spring   Yet again, I missed, but my runner up choice actually won. Clear Spring pulled out a tough match in 5 sets.   Maryland Class 2A:   Prediction: Glenelg   Champ: Glenelg   Back on the winning track, I picked Glenelg to win, based on familiarity with a lot of their team, and their coaching, and Centennial moving up to 3A, eliminating one of their biggest headaches. Glenelg had a great season, and marched through the playoffs, with [player_tooltip player_id='529251' first='Jessica' last='Li'] putting up super human numbers in a tough 5 set match at setter.   Maryland 3A:   Prediction: Howard   Champ: Howard   This one makes me happy. I thought they'd win it all last year, and lost before they made it to the finals, which shocked me as loaded as their team was. This year they ran the table undefeated, and had only dropped one set all season. They had to really earn it, [player_tooltip player_id='303701' first='Caydence' last='Doolan'] is a super star and she made them work for it much more than I thought she could without as deep of a team as Howard has. A couple clutch digs by [player_tooltip player_id='753439' first='Joelle' last='Vassor'] let Howard seal the deal and take home their first title since 1980.   Maryland 4A:   Prediction: Broadneck   Champ: Broadneck   Nailed another one, a team I'm very familiar with. As Bob talked about in his last couple articles, I told him how Broadneck had been adapting to their needs and holes, by moving some people around to fill needs, in interesting ways. I really respect coaching that sees things not working, or sees holes that need fills and comes up with creative ways to solve the problem. The coaches that run the same answer out over and over again, especially when it's not working are not the ones that make it to state title games. The Metro Travel twins, Lexi Luscomb and [player_tooltip player_id='747047' first='Ella' last='Luscomb'] had roles on varsity all season, with Lexi filling the need at Libero and doing a very solid job (she's recently been a setter for Metro) and Ella who usually plays pin hitter, spent some time at middle to try to fill that second hole they had. At some point mid season, the senior half of their fantastic setter combo, [player_tooltip player_id='721762' first='Sydney' last='Lawrence'] was tasked with filling time at middle when she wasn't setting, kind of how setters will sometimes hit RS in front and set from the back. It worked, and Broadneck took home the title in a tough fought battle, going to extra points in multiple sets.    Sydney is a great setter. She's been running a 6-2 at Broadneck for a few years now, and is always playing good solid defense, while keeping the offense running like a machine. She's a senior this year, and while I'm not sure what her college plans are or if she wants to play at the next level, she's a player schools should be fighting each other to sign this late. She will be a difference maker for some program if they could scoop her up this late in the game.    Overall I went 5-2 with my picks, but I claim partial credit on the misses since I had the eventual champs in the final game in both cases. That concludes the 2025 High School Volleyball season here in Maryland. We hope you enjoyed your stay.   Come back soon to read about the 2025-2026 Club Volleyball Season. Drama. Intrigue. New Teams. Record movement in high school aged groups. Club Volleyball in Maryland took on a very different look for this season, and once I get ahold of one last roster I'm waiting for, I'll dig into who moved where in the upper tier and how it changes where Nationals Bids are expected to fall, and who if anyone can compete for the National Title.

Well with that, the Maryland High School Volleyball season officially comes to a close. Bob gave a pretty thorough run down of the games, but I thought I'd look back at my picks and see how I did.

IAAM A:

Prediction: AACS

Champ: AACS

This one felt like as much of a lock as I could pick. I managed to get both teams in the finals right, with Maryvale putting up a good fight, but AACS was just too deep and Sophia Groshek Sophia Groshek 6'0" | RS/OH Annapolis Area Christian | 2029 State VA and crew pulled it out.

IAAM B:

Prediction: Glenelg Country

Champ: Glenelg Country

This was much harder for me to call, not as familiar with their team, but I liked some of the talent on the roster, Kyla Wooten came from my neck of the woods before she transferred to Glenelg, and Kennedy Cummins Kennedy Cummins 5'3" | DS/L Glenelg Country School | 2026 State VA plays for one of the best club teams in the area. Another player jumped out watching them, one I've seen a little more in depth since, Kristina Melton Kristina Melton 5'8" | OH/MB Glenelg Country School | 2027 State VA , and another coach in the conference was very complimentary of. I'll have more on her later in club previews, but short story, she's the truth. In the end, Glenelg pulled it out.

IAAM C:

Prediction: Indian Creek

Champ: Severn

In fairness, in my miss, I DID call Severn to be in the championship game, just didn't call them to win because it was their first year as a competitive VB program. Severn has had Volleyball as a club sport for a while, but this year was the first in the IAAM, and in their first run they pulled out a title.

Maryland Class 1A:

Prediction: Boonsboro

Champ: Clear Spring

Yet again, I missed, but my runner up choice actually won. Clear Spring pulled out a tough match in 5 sets.

Maryland Class 2A:

Prediction: Glenelg

Champ: Glenelg

Back on the winning track, I picked Glenelg to win, based on familiarity with a lot of their team, and their coaching, and Centennial moving up to 3A, eliminating one of their biggest headaches. Glenelg had a great season, and marched through the playoffs, with Jessica Li Jessica Li 5'8" | S/DS/L Glenelg | 2027 State VA putting up super human numbers in a tough 5 set match at setter.

Maryland 3A:

Prediction: Howard

Champ: Howard

This one makes me happy. I thought they'd win it all last year, and lost before they made it to the finals, which shocked me as loaded as their team was. This year they ran the table undefeated, and had only dropped one set all season. They had to really earn it, Caydence Doolan Caydence Doolan 5'11" | OH North Hagerstown | 2026 State #49 Nation VA is a super star and she made them work for it much more than I thought she could without as deep of a team as Howard has. A couple clutch digs by Joelle Vassor Joelle Vassor 5'2" | DS/L Howard | 2027 State VA let Howard seal the deal and take home their first title since 1980.

Maryland 4A:

Prediction: Broadneck

Champ: Broadneck

Nailed another one, a team I'm very familiar with. As Bob talked about in his last couple articles, I told him how Broadneck had been adapting to their needs and holes, by moving some people around to fill needs, in interesting ways. I really respect coaching that sees things not working, or sees holes that need fills and comes up with creative ways to solve the problem. The coaches that run the same answer out over and over again, especially when it's not working are not the ones that make it to state title games. The Metro Travel twins, Lexi Luscomb and Ella Luscomb Ella Luscomb 5'9" | OH Broadneck | 2029 State VA had roles on varsity all season, with Lexi filling the need at Libero and doing a very solid job (she's recently been a setter for Metro) and Ella who usually plays pin hitter, spent some time at middle to try to fill that second hole they had. At some point mid season, the senior half of their fantastic setter combo, Sydney Lawrence Sydney Lawrence 5'9" | S Broadneck | 2026 State VA was tasked with filling time at middle when she wasn't setting, kind of how setters will sometimes hit RS in front and set from the back. It worked, and Broadneck took home the title in a tough fought battle, going to extra points in multiple sets.

Sydney Lawrence

HEIGHT 5'9"

POS S

CLASS 2026

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Sydney Lawrence

State: Virginia

School: Broadneck

Club: Bay Area Volleyball Academy Of Md

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Highlights

Overall I went 5-2 with my picks, but I claim partial credit on the misses since I had the eventual champs in the final game in both cases. That concludes the 2025 High School Volleyball season here in Maryland. We hope you enjoyed your stay.

Come back soon to read about the 2025-2026 Club Volleyball Season. Drama. Intrigue. New Teams. Record movement in high school aged groups. Club Volleyball in Maryland took on a very different look for this season, and once I get ahold of one last roster I'm waiting for, I'll dig into who moved where in the upper tier and how it changes where Nationals Bids are expected to fall, and who if anyone can compete for the National Title.