Nine Class of 2029 Prospects Climbing the Top 50 Ladder

Seven of those climbers were already in the top 50. Two more made their debuts. And a couple fall just outside the border. With a young class like this there is bound to be change. In addition to the climbers five newcomers have debuted in the top 50 with 33 new names entering the class of 2029 rankings for the first time. They will be discussed in another post.   In my opinion this is the strongest class of players I have ranked since writing for Prep Dig. When you consider possibly eight teams from the 15U group have already earned a bid that is a testament to their talent.    She can play both right and left side. At 6'1" with the power she shows in her attacks she would be wasted as a libero. While she hits from both pins she appears better utilized on the left side where she can also provide offense in the back row. Her approach jump hits 9'6".   While at Woodbridge her passing showed a bit of inconsistency, but that is true for many players at this age. She recently expressed an interest in beach this summer. That will certainly improve the passing game, though the passing for beach tends to encourage a bit of a lower arc than the indoor game.   This weekend [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] earned an Open Bid in the Show Me Qualifier. Elliot moves from # 7 to # 5 in the class of 2029 ranking.     She received her first invite to the National Team Development Program (NTDP) at the end of last year. Her 6'3" height impresses but if you compare her game this year to what she showed last year there exists major improvement.   Many with her height usually take some time to assimilate with their growth. Their movements are normally slow while also lacking athletic ability. That is not the case with Caroline. She reaches 10 feet with her approach jump while showing fluid movement on the court. Last summer she actually earned a bid to the USAV beach nationals. Perhaps that can explain the improvement in her game.   Metro will play Open in the Junior Nationals this year. Caroline jumped from # 14 to # 7 in the class of 2029 rankings.     It is not unusual for a frosh to earn a spot on the first team for her District. However, getting selected as the MVP is rare. Kiera stood out as the offensive presence for her Annandale high school team that finished second in their division. She clearly stood out as the most dominate player in their District.   It appears she has grown a couple inches since last year to reach 6'1. Her approach jump hits 9'10". For Annandale she hit mostly left side. For Metro she bangs the ball from the right side. Either side she strikes the ball with the kind of velocity you expect from an MVP.   Kierra bumped up two spots in our 2029 rankings, from #10 to #8. Her Metro team will play in the Open in Junior Nationals.     Avery is one of the many talented offensive performers on the [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] team. At 5'10" she ranks as the tallest. Her game varies in the middle from the quick tempo sets to some at the higher level, when the team really needs a point. She tends to be the go to player for [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'].   For Sherando she earned a spot on the Northwestern District first team, just one of two frosh to make the team. [player_tooltip player_id='878688' first='Mckenna' last='Homans'], the other frosh selected to the first team sets for [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'].   [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] will play in the National Division at Junior Nationals. Avery moved from 20 to 16 in the class of 2029 ranking.     That Metro 15 team is loaded with talented pins. It is unclear what kind of consistent playing time Timea gets. All I can say is that when I watch them and she is on the court she puts the ball away. She stands 6'0" with an approach jump of 9'10".   She attends Rochambeau French International School. Don't know if they support a volleyball team. When given an opportunity to play back row she shows the skills to pass and the quickness to play defense.   Metro will play at the Open level in Junior Nationals. Timea moved up from # 37 to # 25 in our class of 2029 ranking.     Perhaps one of the more athletic players on this list. She recently appeared at our Exposure tour in Richmond winning a top performer award. She absolutely flies when she plays the front row.   A'vielle led her high school in kills, hitting at an impressive .385 clip. She carries the skill set where she can play six rotations, but BAVA has some superior defensive specialists that occasionally come in to play back row for her. At her high school she plays six rotations.   BAVA currently is scheduled to play in the Freedom Division at Junior Nationals, however with [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] recently earning an Open bid this weekend they could get bumped up to American. A'vielle jumps from # 38 to # 32 in our class of 2029 ranking.     A little conundrum with Jenevieve. She debuted in our rankings at # 76. Her teammate at Virginia Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='756342' first='Olivia' last='Baick'] ranks at # 28. Both are superior defensive players. Jenevieve normally plays the libero position in the sets that I have watched while Olivia plays as the defensive specialist. They both play a strong back row.   This created a big jump for Jenevieve from # 76 to # 35. Still not ahead of Olivia in the rankings but in the same neighborhood. A very intense player who passes well while also covering her defensive position.   Virginia Juniors recently qualified for the Liberty Division. They had previously earned a Freedom Bid and prior to that fell one win short of taking an American bid.     The best fit for Zari may eventually be as a pin hitter. She currently plays middle, dominating at that position because of her superior athletic skills. At 5'8" as she begins to play against older competition, she may find it more challenging to succeed at middle playing against much taller players. Unless she sprouts a few more inches as well.   Currently at the 15 U level she can dominate at the middle, hitting the quick tempo sets as well as the higher sets. She clearly stands out as the difference maker for this [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy'] team.   [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy'] will play in the American Division in Junior Nationals. Zari moved from # 47 to # 36 in our class of 2029 ranking.     Last year Mila played right side for Flint Hill as a frosh. Flint Hill won the VISAA state championship after struggling through the early season. Mila finished second on the team in kills, hitting mainly from the right side. While she may have been second in kills her .055 showed some struggles. That should improve with more experience. She also finished first in aces.   Mila currently plays a grade down for the Metro 14 team. Her hitting appears to have gotten more consistent. She has a number of athletic players to compete with at the pins so finding consistent playing time could be a challenge. Definitely a player who oozes talent.   Metro 14 has qualified for the Open Division in Junior Nationals. Mila has moved from # 63 to # 46 in our class of 2029 ranking.

Seven of those climbers were already in the top 50. Two more made their debuts. And a couple fall just outside the border. With a young class like this there is bound to be change. In addition to the climbers five newcomers have debuted in the top 50 with 33 new names entering the class of 2029 rankings for the first time. They will be discussed in another post.