Stand Outs at the Atlantic Coast Grand Prix

This weekend I was in Virginia Beach at the Atlantic Coast Grand Prix tournament. Unfortunately, because I was coaching my own group of 13 year olds I could only catch the PM wave on Saturday. That included the 14s and 16s Open play. Below are some of the players who stood out in their play on Saturday. A lot of new faces.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">14 U - East Coast VBC Pink, St. James, 757 Black, Etc</h2>   [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] Pink   [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] Pink swept through their opposition on the first day, defeating St. James Navy in the final set 25-23, 25-19 to take first place in their pool. On the second day of pool play they won a tough three set match against East Carolina Junior Volleyball Club 25-22, 20-25 16-14. They were able to defeat an undefeated American Red 25-18, 25-22 to advance to the gold medal final match.   In the gold medal match Top Caliber Nicole from North Carolina swept past East Coast 25-19, 25-21. Top Caliber Nicole finished perfect 6-0, 12-0.   Unfortunately, I did not get to see East Coast VBC Pink play in a match.   American Red   On the first day they swept past their opponents. They did battle Sandhills Monique in the third match 26-24, 25-22. Another tight two set sweep over East Carolina 25-16, 33-31. A loss to East Coas Pink on the last match of the second day dropped them to third place, despite experiencing just one loss.   Players who impressed start with their left side [player_tooltip player_id='962047' first='Sydney' last='Smith'], who appeared to be their top offensive weapon. She served a couple aces against 757 Black in their 25-23 first set win while also driving balls to the floor from the left side. [player_tooltip player_id='932482' first='Ava' last='Rinne'] set but also played a strong right side. She rejected a 757 Black player's spike and also directed a tip to the floor for a 22-21 lead. Adding to her accolades Ava played a solid defense in the setter position, digging up a couple driven shots down the line.   Libero [player_tooltip player_id='894704' first='Katherine' last='Lee'] served up a couple aces while also providing scrappy defense from the back row. She also delivered some out of system sets that her hitters could attack. [player_tooltip player_id='968551' first='Emree' last='Parent'] was another left side attacker that put some mustard on the ball when she tagged the ball. For the set I watched she only played three rotations. Finally, right side [player_tooltip player_id='968562' first='Clarissa' last='Thompson'] mis hit a ball from the left side that somehow found the floor like a wounded duck to win the first set 25-23. Sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you hit the ball, as long as it finds the floor.   757 Black   Their first day of play saw only one loss against American Red. Despite that loss they advanced to the gold division based on their second place finish. They were put in the same pool as the eventual winner Top Caliber who beat them 25-14, 25-17. A 27-25, 25-20 win over St. James placed them in third place.   For 757 Black I came away impressed with the libero play of Reagan Bothof. I'm assuming she is the sister of one of my favorite liberos [player_tooltip player_id='471714' first='Ryann' last='Bothof'], who is ranked number 24 in our class of 2027. Ryann has already committed to Ole Miss. Reagan covers the court well, making a number of tough digs. Perhaps not as vocal as her sister, but each player comes with their own style. Besides, Reagan still belongs to the class of 2031. On the offensive end Marcella Lindsey brings some height to the middle position. She put a ball away against American Red that pulled 757 Black to within one in the first set 23-24. That is the set they lost on a wounded duck hit by [player_tooltip player_id='968562' first='Clarissa' last='Thompson'].   At 6'0" [player_tooltip player_id='968576' first='Hannah' last='Hardison'] brings some height to the left side and will be an interesting player to watch. Madison Baker is a setter to keep an eye on.   St. James Navy   On the first day St. James Navy took their one loss against [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] Pink 25-23, 25-19. On the second day they drew a tough pool, first getting swept by 757 Black 27-25, 25-20 and then losing to eventual champion Top Caliber 25-19, 25-23. This put them in third place in their pool, knocking them down to fifth place overall.   Two players who especially stood out were left side [player_tooltip player_id='957188' first='Ximena' last='Miranda'] as well as the lefthanded swinging right side [player_tooltip player_id='968620' first='Itziar' last='Aguilar-Roa']. Ximena hits the ball hard and deep from both the right and left side. She also strung together a couple aces with her serve. Her defense could bring a little more quickness in the back row, however she passes well. Itziar has a good lefthanded swing from the right side. She also brings some height to the position that will make her dangerous.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">15 U [program_tooltip program_id='511606' first='Vienna' last='Elite'] and Rappahannock River Volleyball Club</h2>   [program_tooltip program_id='511606' first='Vienna' last='Elite'] Travel   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/02/IMG_3004.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-945431" style="aspect-ratio:1.3333406218568242;width:521px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: [program_tooltip program_id='511606' first='Vienna' last='Elite'] 15</figcaption></figure>   [program_tooltip program_id='511606' first='Vienna' last='Elite'] Travel put together another strong tournament. They finished undefeated on the first day, upsetting 757 Black in the third set of the first day 25-23, 13-25, 16-14. A loss to East Carolina Junior Volleyball Club on the second day 25-19, 25-20 in the second round of the gold bracket playoffs gave them a third place finish.   They have a number of players who made our class of 2029 rankings, including setters [player_tooltip player_id='775737' first='Hadley' last='Chang'] and [player_tooltip player_id='888520' first='Rachel' last='Bauer'] as well as left side [player_tooltip player_id='945610' first='Hannah' last='Wiggins'] and middle [player_tooltip player_id='945614' first='Rachel' last='Balle']. They also carry two strong back row players in [player_tooltip player_id='939972' first='Elly' last='Benavides-Rivas'] and libero class of 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='755851' first='Sophia' last='Bordener'] who made our watch list.   Rappahannock River Volleyball Club   RRVC finished second in pool play, losing to East Carolina Junior Volleyball Club in their first match 25-17, 25-13. They went on a four match winning streak after that, including two three set wins and a tightly fought 27-25, 26-24 victory in a first round gold bracket set against American Red. They eventually lost in the finals to East Carolina Junior Volleyball Club 25-19, 25-18.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">16 U - 757 Black Takes the Top Spot</h2>   757 Black   757 Black swept their first two opponents on the first day, but against [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] National they lost a three setter, 20-25, 25-20, 9-15. This dropped them to second place in their pool but still made them eligible for the gold bracket playoffs. They first had to take care of a strong Columbia team that swept all three of their opponents on the first day. 757 Black were able to sweep Columbia 25-21, 25-22.   Their next opponent came against [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] Pink, who had just upset an undefeated American Red in the first round. 757 lost the first set 25-17 but bounced back to win the next two 26-24, 18-16. That put them into the finals against East Carolina Junior Volleyball Club. It took three but they managed to pull it out 25-21, 21-25, 15-11.   [player_tooltip player_id='968652' first='Isabella' last='Shepard'] dominated at middle for 757. In the match against [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] she finished off the second set with two kills to give 757 a 24-19 lead. At 5'9" she is not tall for a middle, but she plays with a fire in the gut. She also plays for Catholic High school where she led her team in kills. Isabella shows off her versatility by hitting at both pins as well as playing middle.   At 5'10" [player_tooltip player_id='968662' first='Emma' last='Kesler'] hit the quick tempo sets in the middle. As a sophomore for Cox last year she did not get a lot of playing time. This coming year could prove different. [player_tooltip player_id='968681' first='Shekinah' last='Anderson'] provided the offense from the left side. At 5'6" she is undersized for a front row player but she plays six rotations. She also plays for Norfolk Christian where she finished second on the team in kills. On defense she led the team in digs.   [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] Pink   This is normally the second team for [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'], however they were still talented enough to finish third in this tournament. They had a tough three set loss against Go Volley on the first day to finish second in their pool. A big upset against a previously undefeated American Red advanced them to the quarter finals of the gold bracket where they lost to 757 Black.   [player_tooltip player_id='746329' first='Emma' last='Piccola'] and [player_tooltip player_id='968716' first='Paige' last='Whitworth'] provided the offense from the left side. Emma ranks at number 93 in our class of 2028. She also plays for Cox, getting enough playing time to finish fourth on the team in kills. Paige plays for First Colonial.   [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] Zonal   Considering they are not the travel team they did well in this tournament, finishing tied for third. They hammered a strong Go Volley team in the first round of the playoffs 25-12, 25-12. They lost in the next round to the eventual second place team, East Carolina Junior Volleyball Club. Unfortunately, I did not get so see them play.   [program_tooltip program_id='477082' first='American' last='Volleyball Club']   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/Mackenzie-Gregory.jpg?w=683" alt="" class="wp-image-589322" style="width:315px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='587034' first='Mackenzie' last='Gregory']</figcaption></figure>   American went undefeated the first day, however an opening round loss in the gold bracket to [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] Pink knocked them out of the playoffs.   [player_tooltip player_id='968735' first='Anessa' last='Tucker'] impressed from the middle and also served well. [player_tooltip player_id='587034' first='Mackenzie' last='Gregory'] played the libero position well, especially staying low for the short serves. [player_tooltip player_id='968744' first='Bellasimone' last='Blake'] blocked a couple balls in the middle in the second set of a match and then provided critical offense in a three set win against Top Calibur. At 5'7"she classifies as undersized for a middle however she brings good timing to her blocks. [player_tooltip player_id='938519' first='Arielle' last='Genevieve Aziz'] showed good athleticism when playing the left side. Of those four only [player_tooltip player_id='587034' first='Mackenzie' last='Gregory'] appears in our 2028 rankings at 177. Arielle appears on our watch list.   Columbia Black   Columbia dominated the first day of play sweeping all their opponents. Unfortunately, in the first round of the playoffs the next day they were upset by 757 Black.   Left side [player_tooltip player_id='829552' first='Anna' last='Fiedler'] was perhaps the best pin hitter at the event. When she turns to go down the line that becomes a tough dig for the setter. Her offense led Howard to an undefeated season last year and a Class 3 Maryland state championship. She only plays three rotations but at 5'11' is a difficult player to block. [player_tooltip player_id='857977' first='Savannah' last='Smith'] is a smaller left side who played tremendous defense in the back row. She takes an explosive swing at the ball creating some good velocity. At 5'8" she relies on her athleticism for success. Savannah attends Severn High. [player_tooltip player_id='787927' first='Gianna' last='LaGuardia'] is a smaller middle at 5'9" who relies on placement for success.   Go Volley   Go Volley is another team to finish undefeated their first day but just collapsed in the first round of the playoff match against [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] Zonal 25-12, 25-12. They also lost to American in a battle for fifth place 25-17, 25-14. Not a good second day for them.   They have some promise on this team with their taller middle [player_tooltip player_id='968754' first='Emmalea' last='McNeely']. She lists 6'3" and plays for Washington High School in West Virginia. Currently, her arm swing for hitting needs some work, but she blocks well. Definitely an interesting player to follow. [player_tooltip player_id='944220' first='Sophia' last='Ray'] provides good velocity to her hits mashing balls from the left side. She only recently entered our rankings at 157. Another West Virginia player who competes for Martinsburg high school. [player_tooltip player_id='968769' first='Emmy' last='Ross'] is a 6'0" right side who brings length.   [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] 15 National   On the first day they played well against the older players, finishing 3-0. They defeated the eventual winner of the tournament 757 Black 25-20, 20-25, 15-9 to finish first in their pool. A loss in the first round of the gold bracket to East Carolina Junior Volleyball Club 22-25, 25-19, 14-16 eliminated them from the tournament.   Middle [player_tooltip player_id='961907' first='Maliyah' last='Ingram'] was their offensive catalyst. She finished off Virginia Volleyball with back to back kills to end their first set of the day 26-24. Against 757 Black Mailiyah ended a rally with a block, then went back to serve for an ace and a 25-20 win. Sofya Zhucava also performed well hitting the middle. She tends to hit the higher sets.   [player_tooltip player_id='888288' first='Lila' last='Cross'] and [player_tooltip player_id='888289' first='Emmerson' last='Croft'] share the setting duties running a 6/2. Lila actually stays right side to hit. They both set for St. Catherines, running a modified 5/1 with Lila setting in the front row while Emerson sets from the back row. [player_tooltip player_id='968779' first='Olivia' last='Perini'] showed good passing from the back row. She and [player_tooltip player_id='768528' first='Leanna' last='Wynns'] set up in a two passing system in their last match against 757 black.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">17 Open - SERV Takes the Top Spot</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/120-Marcy-Stambaugh.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-589261" style="aspect-ratio:1.501502019107653;width:488px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Marci Stambaugh</figcaption></figure>   There were six teams that competed. They were broken out into two three team pools. In pool play SERV finished second, losing to American in three 23-25, 25-21, 12-15. SERV advanced to the gold bracket by beating East Carolina Junior Volleyball Club in a crossover match 22-25, 25-17, 15-11.   This gave them a bye for the playoffs in which all six teams participated. American also got a bye beating Atlas in their crossover match 25-22, 25-21. In the quarterfinals SERV defeated Atlas 25-18, 25-23 while East Carolina Junior Volleyball Club upset American 25-21, 25-18. That set up a rematch for the finals between SERV and East Carolina. SERV won that one as well 25-15, 25-16.   For SERV, this is their second Grand Prix championship. Earlier in the season they won the Virginia Beach Grand Prix Club. They also finished in ninth in the Northeast Qualifier. SERV is led by left side [player_tooltip player_id='720452' first='Brianna' last='Douglas'] and right side [player_tooltip player_id='586828' first='Marcy' last='Stambaugh']. Last year Brianna played middle for [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club']. This year she is using her 6'0" length to hit outside. Marcy also stood out at a Prep Dig showcase. She currently ranks at 109 while Brianna sits at 85.   SERV will compete in the Freedom Division at the Junior Nationals in Indianapolis. Unfortunately, I could not watch them play at this tournament but hopefully I will get to see them play at Indianapolis.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">18 Open - Virginia Juniors Wins</h2>   While Virginia Juniors finished a perfect 5-0 the wins did not come easy. Four of the five wins took three sets. The only team Virginia Juniors did not play was PAEVA Black, which did not win a match. In the gold playoffs Virginia Juniors downed [program_tooltip program_id='498498' first='Virginia' last='Wave'] Tsunami 22-25, 25-14, 15-12, They then took down Fusion Blue 21-25, 25-18, 15-10. In three of their four three set wins Juniors lost the first set.   Virginia Juniors played with only eight players on their roster. Almost all of them have committed, Morgan Reeves (Hampton), Eliza Lowe (Middlebury), Piper Xeller (Eastern), Camille Ciambruschini (Ithaca), Aniah Bass (North Carolina Central) and Bailey Swinton (Morgan State).

This weekend I was in Virginia Beach at the Atlantic Coast Grand Prix tournament. Unfortunately, because I was coaching my own group of 13 year olds I could only catch the PM wave on Saturday. That included the 14s and 16s Open play. Below are some of the players who stood out in their play on Saturday. A lot of new faces.