2027s Climbing the Rankings Ladder

My rankings tend to fall into five groupings.   <ol class="wp-block-list"> <li>The top group are your superstars who tend to fill only the first 4-6 spots in the rankings. Those are the players who could possibly fill Power 4 Division I college slots. The top four picks in class of 2025 committed to Purdue, Georgia Tech, Penn State and Kansas State. 2) The next group are the difference makers who contribute to a team competing for a high school championship, or perhaps an Open level bid. They fill the next slots up to 20. They are lower Division I possibilities. Class of 2025 5-20 ranks show a mixture of Division I through Division III. 3) Up through 50 are perhaps your starters for Open club teams or high school championship teams. Mostly Division III with the first appearance of players not making college commitments. 4) Those in the 50-100 rankings are perhaps difference makers for high schools not quite at the championship level or who lead clubs into Bids that are lower than Open. A scattering of Division I but mostly Division IIIs. Those making commitments still greater than those not committing. 5) Finally, players ranked between 100 to 200 start for high school playoff teams or club teams playing for less than Open bids. Those not committing (59) outnumber those committing (41). Mostly smaller Division III colleges with one Navy commitment.</li> </ol>   Obviously, these are just parameters and there will be exceptions or outliers who break the rule. When you consider that over 1500 girls play club ball just in the 17 age group alone in the Chesapeake and Old Dominion Regions and then add up the high school players who do not play club you are talking about a large population. However, the rankings are based on college potential meaning athleticism and height generate a great influence in the rankings.   With that explanation complete now to the climbers in the rankings. Below are the 14 players who moved up in our class of 2027 rankings.    Jumping up one spot in the top five from 4 to 3 is a considerable leap. However, when you consider Laila won a Virginia Gatorade player of the year award, that is a pretty nice accolade to add to a trophy case. She also won player of the year for Class 6 All State.   Also, you have to consider what the Metro 17 team has done this year compared to what they accomplished last year. This year they have already earned an Open bid in one of their first tournaments. Last year they could only earn a National Bid, however they took second place in Junior Nationals. This year, they have already beaten [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] twice. Last year they could not accomplish that.   Talking to a couple coaches they uniformly agreed the biggest difference in that team is the addition of [player_tooltip player_id='265167' first='Laila' last='Chadwick']. Not only does she provide a solid presence in the back row with her libero play, but she also provides a leadership role. Last year Laila played a year up on the 17s. This year she is playing her grade. It might be tough to repeat the third place finish in Open that she helped accomplish last year but don't sell her short. She knows the road to get there. The team just needs to follow.   Laila has committed to Oklahoma.     Chloe jumped from 42-38. It seemed she succumbed to that back row offensive 3 rotation player for Virginia Juniors, as well as James Madison. This past season the Warhawks used her on the right side and because they set a 5/1 continued to use her in the back row. She finished second on the team in kills, even second in blocks despite her 5'9" height. Madison reached the semi-finals of the playoffs until they lost to Colgan. Chloe earned a spot on the second team All state for Class 6.   This year Chloe will play for Virginia Elite. Her ability to create offense on the right side proved critical in them earning a Freedom bid for Junior Nationals.     Shannon plays for the same club as [player_tooltip player_id='359401' first='Chloe' last='Barth']. She also reunites with her setter from Heritage [player_tooltip player_id='325403' first='Annabelle' last='Kim']. This is her second big jump in the rankings, this time rising from 72 to 41.   At 6'2" she has good height for a middle. She also has the highest jump approach on the teqm at 9'10'. A coach I spoke to called her perhaps the best blocker on the team, high praise considering I just sent out a post praising the blocking ability of her teammate [player_tooltip player_id='720348' first='Milena' last='Kibret'], who just committed to New York University.   Not only does Shannon block well, but her serving in the third set against MVSA Blaze proved crucial in their 15-13 win to earn them a Freedom Bid.     It was a tale of two Kennedys. [player_tooltip player_id='412055' first='Lilly' last='Kennedy'] hit and set while [player_tooltip player_id='438098' first='Kennedy' last='Williams'] hit National Cathedral to one of their best seasons in the ISL. Williams led the team in kills leading National Cathedral to a third place finish as well as a first ever win against Flint Hill. Williams led the way to that victory with 26 kills.   Metro took note of her accomplishments and convinced her to play for their newly formed Metro National team. That team fell just short of qualifying for Junior Nationals at the Chesapeake Regional Bid Championship. Now they have the remainder of the Qualifier season to accomplish that task.   Kennedy rose from 59-52 in the rankings     Despite her 5'8" height Lacey remains an offensive force. She stood out as the offensive leader for a Potomac Falls team that fell just short of making the state playoff bracket. Her efforts earned her a spot on the Class 5 second team all State.   While playing for [program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] Lacey was the offensive force that earned the club a Freedom bid to Junior Nationals. Last year she led one of the two [program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] teams to their first ever bid to Junior Nationals. This year she has repeated that task.   While her 5'8" height may limit her ability to play at a high Division I program there are always exceptions to the rule. Lacey continues to rise in the rankings, moving from 67 to 58. She could be that outlier.     Last year [player_tooltip player_id='534058' first='Alexa' last='Bracey'] played for [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''], but I rarely saw her on the court. This year she seems to be a regular, at least at the Capitol Hill Classic. Her left handed swing with a 10'3" approach jump appears perfect for a right side hitter. This past weekend [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] earned a National Division bid for Junior Nationals.   With her improved game Alexa should also contribute more to Bishop McNamara. They find themselves stuck in that fourth to sixth place finish in the WCAC. Last year Alexa mashed her way to third on the team in kills, but her hitting consistency was still off (.157 hitting percentage). For [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] she seems to be finding the court more.   This has led to a rise from 95 to 78. Alexa has committed to Delaware.     Last year Brianna played middle for [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club']. This year she will play left side for [program_tooltip program_id='854553' first='South' last='East Region Volleyball']. Prior to the club season she won a top performer award at the Exposure Tour in Richmond.   The club season has started off well. The team ranked first in the Old Dominion Region. They recently played in the Northeast Qualifier where they finished 9th out of 83 teams. This weekend they competed in the Old Dominion Regional Qualifier, earning a spot in the Freedom Division. SERV lost to East Coast in the semi-finals then beat [program_tooltip program_id='498498' first='Virginia' last='Wave'] in the third place match.   Brianna appears to have no trouble adjusting to the outside. She moved from 92 to 85 in the ranking. She did not play high school last year to focus on her studies and physical conditioning.     Dakota teamed with [player_tooltip player_id='762823' first='Brie' last='Mouton'] to set Annapolis Area Christian to the IAAM championship. She set back row while Brie set front in a modified 5/1. Dakota provided the steady leadership for the group since as a junior she stood out as the oldest starter on a team composed of eight frosh. She led the team in assists falling 35 shy of 500.   This club season Dakota is setting for Maryland Juniors 16. She has not quite achieved the same success with them. They missed qualifying for a bid in the Chesapeake Regional Bid Championships finishing 9th out of 12 teams.   The biggest upside with Dakota is the consistency in the location of her sets. She can execute the quick tempo sets in the middle as well as spread the sets accurately to various locations. The down side is her height of 5'6" will restrict her to the back row. She can handle her position on defense.     Jenna only appeared in our rankings last year. She made an appearance in a Prep Dig showcase. As happens with many prospects I didn't get to see her play for awhile until I saw her perform at the Charm City Classic in Baltimore. She was one of the top performers there leading [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy'] to an impressive 5th place finish. Jenna led the offense with her kills from the left side.   This weekend 540 won the Old Dominion Regional Bid Championships earning a spot in the National Division..   Jenna jumped from 146 to 131 in the rankings.     She has shown some progress in her skill level to jump from 165 to 146 in the rankings. Her left handed swing is geared towards the right side. She also had a two inch growth spurt since our last ranking update. At 5'9 those couple inches of growth creates a more dynamic right side hitter, especially when you combine her 10 foot approach jump with her athleticism.   I first wrote about her back in January of 2024 when she played for South River. It took more than a year and a half for Jeremy to write about her exploits to remind me about her talents. She debuted in our rankings in December of 2025.   Northern reached the Maryland Class 3 state quarter finals before a sweep by Reservoir ended their season. Maryland Juniors 17 fell short of capturing a junior national bid, finishing seventh in the Chesapeake Regional Bid Championships. She needs a big event to highlight her skills.     Ellie jumped from 175 to 150 in the rankings. When you look at the success certain teams have you find a commonality. George Marshal had their best season ever, finally reaching the Class 6 Virginia State championship playoffs, however they lost to Grassfield in the first round. A lot of that success can be credited to their setter [player_tooltip player_id='778213' first='Ellie' last='Nguyen'].   For club she also set under a 6/2 for [program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] Quintin. They qualified for the Freedom Division in the Chesapeake Regional Bid championships, losing only one match.   The one common thread in the success for these two teams is [player_tooltip player_id='778213' first='Ellie' last='Nguyen'] setting a 6/2. I like her attitude toward setting, preferring making smart decisions rather than firing off the pretty set. Those are the kind of setters you need to win matches.   Her 5'5' height will restrict her to a 6/2 type of offense. The upside is you are acquiring a setter who makes the right choices.     She moved from our watch list to 161 in the ranking. This is based on Jeremy's analysis. She shows the versatility to set or play libero. As a lefthander she could be effective as a 5/1 setter.   Watching her video she has soft, strong hands, which allows her to flick off back sets with the same motion she uses for her front sets. She also distributes her sets to all areas of the court, using the three meter set to her advantage.   Definitely a player to put on the radar. Also, four players on this team are ranked in our top 100, middle [player_tooltip player_id='618590' first='Lyla' last='Shannon'] (#31), libero Ryann Bothoff (Ole Miss Commit, #24), left side [player_tooltip player_id='545710' first='Avery' last='Osler'] (#29), and left side [player_tooltip player_id='734796' first='Benisa' last='Moore'] (#71). She definitely has the talent to achieve success.     Sometimes the video you put in your profile speaks a thousand words. I have yet to see her physically play but her video certainly shows a very quiet platform for passing while also showing a propensity to hit the floor when playing defense. She plays for SERV Impact 18, which will play in AAUs.   Sophia moves from the watch list to a 183 ranking in our class of 2027.     Jeremy identified her as one of the stand out liberos at our Exposure tour in Richmond. The event carried a number of liberos, so doing a deep dive is a challenge.   Alexandra plays for the [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy'] 18 Navy team, which is the second team for 540. Their first team, 540 Elite is the number one 18 team in the Old Dominion Region.   Interesting that when she played for the junior varsity as a sophomore she played middle/outside. She is playing a year up for the 540 second team. When watching her video she shows the skills needed to play the position. This past season she was not listed on their high school varsity roster.

My rankings tend to fall into five groupings.