State Brackets Determined for Maryland

For Maryland the final eight for the States has been decided. The only surprise is in Class 1A where defending champion Boonsboro was eliminated. Below is a breakdown of the final eight in States.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class 4A</h2>   <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:266px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='766895' first='Neely' last='Olish']</figcaption></figure>   Urbana (12-4) swept past Clarksburg and now face Flowers in the first round of the State playoffs. They are one of the two teams to beat Richard Montgomery this year with middle [player_tooltip player_id='321679' first='Simone' last='Assasie'] and setter [player_tooltip player_id='321677' first='Charis' last='Burge'] providing the leadership. If both teams win out they will face each other in the finals. Their four losses have been against Holy Cross, Churchill and North Hagerstown twice. Churchill will be playing Richard Montgomery, so they will see Churchill in the finals if they can get past Richard Montgomery.   Flowers (12-4) swept past Parkdale to qualify for the final eight. This was a revenge win for Flowers as they had lost to Parkdale in five earlier in the season. They have also lost twice to Bowie and to Eleanor Roosevelt. Both those teams have been eliminated from the playoffs. Their two big hitters appear to be middles [player_tooltip player_id='529246' first='Jordyn' last='Allen'] and Horayn Gibson. Victoria Ogunnyi sets but can also hit effectively from the right side.   Richard Montgomery (19-3) is the two time defending champion. They swept past Kennedy to get into the playoffs, [player_tooltip player_id='536719' first='Katherine' last='Mitchell'] banging out 18 kills. She and her older sister [player_tooltip player_id='412056' first='Elizabeth' last='Mitchell'] are players to watch on the Rockets. They are the top two bangers on the team. Their only three losses have been to Urbana, Holy Cross and Wootton. They could face Urbana in the finals if they win out. The Rockets are ranked number 13 in our DMV top 25. They will face Churchill, a team they have already beaten twice this season in the first round.   Churchill (13-9) beat Whitman in four with frosh [player_tooltip player_id='762829' first='Angela' last='Zhang'] leading the team with 16 kills. [player_tooltip player_id='465322' first='Siyena' last='Fitsum'] is a force in the middle. She proved that with her five blocks. [player_tooltip player_id='346818' first='Charlotte' last='Deraleau'] set a 5/1 dishing out 33 assists with 11 digs. Her younger sister [player_tooltip player_id='438053' first='Lucille' last='Deraleau'] hits outside. She actually leads the team in kills, contributing 11 in their win against Whitman. Churchill has already lost to Richard Montgomery twice this season, however, they have beaten Urbana who they would face in the finals if both teams win out.   Dulaney (16-2) swept past Perry Hall. This was the third time they had played Perry Hall, all resulting in sweeps. They have lost two matches this season, one against Garrison Forest and the other to Hereford.. No MaxPrep roster information available for them.   Blair (9-7) swept past Eleanor Roosevelt and will face Dulaney in the first round. The Blazers have lost to Richard Montgomery during the regular season. If Blair wins out they could face Richard Montgomery in the finals. The 6'4" middle [player_tooltip player_id='849619' first='Kiya' last='Boggan'] leads the team in kills and blocks.   Broadneck (16-3) swept past Leonardtown. They only have three losses this season, one against Annapolis Area Christian, another against West Virginia powerhouse Musselman and a third to Howard. Neither of these teams play in Class 4. The Bruins are led by left side [player_tooltip player_id='721753' first='Kennedy' last='Smith'] and setters [player_tooltip player_id='478903' first='Barrett' last='Bolter'] and [player_tooltip player_id='721762' first='Sydney' last='Lawrence']. They have a trio of talented frosh in [player_tooltip player_id='747047' first='Ella' last='Luscomb'], [player_tooltip player_id='750053' first='Alexis' last='Luscomb'] and middle [player_tooltip player_id='766895' first='Neely' last='Olish']. Broadneck ranks number 21 in our DMV top 25.   Ultimately, it should be Richard Montgomery going against Broadneck. However, if these two teams continue to win they will play in the semi-finals. In the long run, that would make it Urbana versus Richard Montgomery in the finals (for me) while Jeremy would have Urbana vs Broadneck in the finals. The winner would not be Urbana. if either Jeremy or my preseason pick loses to Urbana in the finals   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class 3A</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/06/IMG_4214-rotated.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-787823" style="width:339px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: [player_tooltip player_id='612399' first='Riley' last='Ko'], MVP [player_tooltip player_id='536719' first='Katherine' last='Mitchell'] and [player_tooltip player_id='787533' first='Chika' last='Onukwugha']</figcaption></figure>   North Hagerstown (17-0) swept past Tuscarora behind the 24 kills from [player_tooltip player_id='303701' first='Caydence' last='Doolan']. She is difficult to stop. While she is the primary hitter the Hubs can also turn to frosh [player_tooltip player_id='787919' first='Charlotte' last='Booth']. She contributed 7 kills and three blocks in the match. Another frosh [player_tooltip player_id='895591' first='Aleah' last='Merrbaugh'] controls the back row while senior Lauren Ly and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='889251' first='Mia' last='Johnson'] share setting duties. Their 17-0 record includes wins over James Wood, Urbana, Clear Spring, Boonsboro, Williamsport and Smithsburg. The Hubs rank number 5 in our DMV top 25 rankings.   Edgewood (8-8) also earned a sweep, coming against Towson. At 8-8 you would not give them much of a chance, but there are some unreported scores in that schedule. No rosters are provided on Maxpreps.   Wootten (16-2) earned their sweep over Rockville. Last year they handed Howard their first loss of the season in the semifinals. This scenario could repeat itself if both should win in the first round. Wootton's only two losses have come against class 4 powers Urbana and Richard Montgomery. They have also gotten a win against Richard Montgomery. Wootten carries some talented outsides in [player_tooltip player_id='438097' first='Haile' last='Ma'] and [player_tooltip player_id='837817' first='Sara' last='Foster']. [player_tooltip player_id='377331' first='Sofia' last='Sossa'] can also provide offense. [player_tooltip player_id='325600' first='Taryn' last='Su'] is one of the top setters in the state of Maryland. Wootten is on the bubble in our top 25 rankings. A good showing could move them into the rankings.   Arundel (12-4) swept Severna Park to climb into states. Their four losses are to quality opponents in Annapolis Area Christian, Broadneck twice and Howard. They have beaten Glenelg. Arundel lacks rosters on MaxPreps, however libero [player_tooltip player_id='434861' first='Bailey' last='Swinton'] and outside [player_tooltip player_id='525343' first='Terry' last='Spring'] appear in our rankings.   Northern (14-3) won in a five set battle over Oxon Hill. The three losses for Northern have come against quality opponents Calvert, Leonardtown and Urbana. No rosters for Northern on MaxPreps.   Reservoir (14-3) needed five sets to take down Sherwood. The Gators three losses have come against River Hill, Broadneck and Howard. Another team with no roster on MaxPreps but with [player_tooltip player_id='612399' first='Riley' last='Ko'] and [player_tooltip player_id='755672' first='Jaylin' last='Park'] playing back row they should win the long rallies. They also have [player_tooltip player_id='625574' first='Ashley' last='Nguyen'] in our rankings.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/117-Mariska-Ordonez.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-589257" style="width:423px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='577516' first='Mariska' last='Ordonez']</figcaption></figure>   Howard (22-0) swept past a usually strong Centennial team in the playoffs. [player_tooltip player_id='702631' first='McKenna' last='Brown'] led the team in kills with 12 but the Lions carry lots of weapons. [player_tooltip player_id='577516' first='Mariska' last='Ordonez'] and [player_tooltip player_id='506629' first='Dylann' last='Loggins'] recorded 9 kills each. Dylann also came up big with three solo blocks. One of the best liberos in Maryland [player_tooltip player_id='374421' first='Miranda' last='Ball'] picked up 15 digs with McKenna also reaching double digits with 10. [player_tooltip player_id='698761' first='Imagine' last='Peltier'] is one of the top setters in the area, setting a 5/1 and dishing out 33 assists. If Howard wins they will get another opportunity to play Wootten in a semi-final match. This could result in a very entertaining Howard versus North Hagerstown final. Howard has beaten class 4 favorite Broadneck and Arundel. Howard ranks number 6 in our DMV top 25 rankings.   Chesapeake (11-4) has swept through three opponents to get to this match against Howard. Against Poly Gillian Price led the way with her 16 kills. Corinne Brandts ran the offense with 22 assists but she also contributed two blocks and five ace serves. They also have frosh Saige Klohr who can also hit left side. She is second to Gillian on the team in kills. The Cougars experienced a three game losing streak to Meade, Arundel and Severna Park early in the season. However, they were able to recover and went 8-1 the remainder of their season to date.   The final that see Howard play North Hagerstown. Howard has depth in offense while North Hagerstown relies on [player_tooltip player_id='303701' first='Caydence' last='Doolan']. I have North Hagerstown while Jeremy goes with Howard. It may be the most entertaining match to watch.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class 2A</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/03/Bella-Chen2.jpg?w=683" alt="" class="wp-image-520926" style="width:321px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='588468' first='Bella' last='Chen']</figcaption></figure>   Bel Air (13-2) swept past both of their opponents in the Regionals Their only two losses came in a tournament where they lost to both Howard and Atholton. Their win over C. Milton Wright was the third time they have swept them this season. Unfortunately, no rosters for Bel Air on MaxPreps.   Eastern Tech (8-5) won three matches to qualify for the States, the last coming against Fallston. Their schedule does not report all their results, however it does show two losses against Hereford, who also appears in this state bracket. No rosters on MaxPreps, however [player_tooltip player_id='764655' first='Shawna' last='Dyer'] appears in our rankings.   Kent Island (12-3) had a tough five set win over Queen Anne's County, winning the fifth set 15-13. They also won the third set 25-23. These two teams had played against each other twice during the season with Queen Anne's winning the first and Kent Island taking the second. That win also went five. Kent Island also provides no roster on MaxPreps.   Glenelg, (12-4) not to be confused with Glenelg County, who won Division II in the IAAM. They beat a strong River Hill team in five, taking the fifth set 15-12 to earn their spot in the State Playoffs. [player_tooltip player_id='346815' first='Isard' last='Bernades'] led the way with 18 kills but [player_tooltip player_id='346816' first='Avery' last='Hubbard'] was not too far behind with 17. For her travel team, Isard normally plays libero. Little sister Aran Bernades also contributed 12 kills. Setter [player_tooltip player_id='529251' first='Jessica' last='Li'] delivered 42 assists and kept rallies alive with 23 digs. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='588468' first='Bella' last='Chen'] led the team with 25 digs and Isard also scooped up 17. The one time Glenelg played River Hill during the season River Hill won in a sweep,   The defending champion Williamsport (14-3) has swept past their two opponents in the Regionals to earn their place in the State bracket. Two of the three losses for Williamsport have been against powerhouses James Wood and North Hagerstown. The offensive force on this team is outside [player_tooltip player_id='309027' first='Skylar' last='Norris'], who averages over four kills per set. [player_tooltip player_id='830996' first='Catherine' last='Warren'] also is a force to watch on the outside. Both are six rotation players who also play defense and pass. Elliana Schwartz and Paulsen Abigail plug up the middle. McKenna Murphy is the primary setter with libero [player_tooltip player_id='800474' first='Leigha' last='Harsh'] taking over the back row.   Douglas (12-3) has swept through their opponents in Regionals, the last being Gwynn Park. The Eagles lost to Flowers and Oxon Hill, two teams going to states at higher levels. Brook Thompson and Whren Sutton share the offensive responsibilities from the left side. Libero Jadyn Witt takes care of the back row. Lauren Thomas and Nasira Jah share the setting duties.   Calvert (15-2) swept past Huntington to qualify for States. They grab a tough first round match in Hereford. The only two losses for the Cavaliers are to Broadneck and Leonardtown. In an earlier match Calvert beat Leonardtown. Calvert provides a three person roster in MaxPreps. Calvert is another team on the bubble in our top 25 rankings, Jeremy placed [player_tooltip player_id='888589' first='Raegan' last='Oursler'] on his all tournament team, which is one of the three players on the MaxPrep roster.   Hereford (8-4) destroyed Lansdowne in the Regionals, not allowing the Vikings more than eleven points. Hereford has beaten Eastern Tech twice this season. Two of their four losses have come against Dulaney. Hereford does not have a roster on MaxPreps.   Williamsport is my pick to win the class 2A while Jeremy goes with Glenelg. These two teams should see themselves in the finals.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class 1A</h2>   South Carroll (15-1) swept past my pick Smithsburg to win the states in this class. The only consolation is that earlier Smithsburg downed Boonsboro (Jeremy's pick) a couple days earlier. The only loss for the season for the Cavaliers was an opening day sweep by Smithsburg. So, neither of us has a horse in this race. However, South Carroll does have one of the better players in this class with [player_tooltip player_id='321678' first='Elaina' last='Murphy'] hitting left side. Despite her 5'6" height she knows how to put the ball away. She finished with 19 kills to go with two solo blocks. She hits at a .528 kill percentage. Only middle Jenna Todd with her .547 has greater accuracy. Libero Gabi Deyo patrols the back row well.   Colonel Richardson (6-9) swept past Mardela to get to the state championship. They started the season losing seven of their first nine matches, but have recovered nicely since then. They have no roster on MaxPreps.   Patterson Mill ( 15-3-2) swept through the Regionals to earn a spot in the state bracket. The last two matches with Bohemia Manor ended 26-24. The Huskies three losses have been to Bel Air twice and Howard. Patterson Mill lacks rosters in MaxPrep.   Green Street Academy (6-8) downed Lake Clifton in four to advance to State. This appeared to be a bit of an upset since Lake Clifton finished the season above .500. After losing their first three matches of the season the Chargers have been able to play above .500. Another team lacking a roster in MaxPreps.   Clear Spring (13-6) won a big five set match over Northern Garrett. Last year the Blazers lost to Boonsboro in the finals. Losses to Williamsport twice and North Hagerstown twice taints their record, however they have established wins over Boonsboro and Smithsburg. Like South Carroll they also have a smaller outside in [player_tooltip player_id='525340' first='Olivia' last='Smith'] who at 5'7" can find the empty areas of the court. [player_tooltip player_id='721737' first='Kaisy' last='Custer'] sits atop the team leaderboard in kills. Two sophomores Juliet Hodge and Madison Armentrout take up the middle responsibilities. Calle Hose leads the team in digs which tells me she plays a lot of libero even though she is listed as an outside. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='890262' first='Malea' last='Shingleton'] runs the offense setting a 5/1. A younger team that appears to have another shot at a state title.   Patuxent (8-3) earned a bye then swept through their opponents in the Regionals. Calvert is one of their three losses but there are a number of scheduled games that have not been reported into MaxPreps. As expected, they have no roster in MaxPreps.   Chesapeake Math North (14-1) won in five over Pikesville while their South team failed to advance. The North had to win their last two sets 25-19, 15-12 to take the match. Their only loss has been against Oxon Hill early in the season. [player_tooltip player_id='902360' first='A'vielle' last='Lewis'] is a frosh to watch. The 5'10 outside leads the team in kills with an impressive .381 kill percentage. She also is second in digs and service aces. Setter Aniya Gallion takes the responsibility of getting the ball to her.   The Liberty Lions (6-8) have swept past their last three opponents in the Regionals to earn their spot in States. They have a number of unreported scores in MaxPreps but the start of the season shows losses in seven in their first 9 matches. Two of their losses have been sweeps by South Carroll. The Lions have no rosters in MaxPrep.   It does appear the finals should be South Carroll versus Clear Spring but they will play each other in the semi-finals if each win their first round. So that leaves me with a conundrum for a second opponent. The winner of the South Carroll versus Clear Spring match will win the states. My vote goes to Clear Spring.

For Maryland the final eight for the States has been decided. The only surprise is in Class 1A where defending champion Boonsboro was eliminated. Below is a breakdown of the final eight in States.