DMV Clubs Thrive in East Coast Championships 14/15s

<p>We will start with the 14s because Virginia Juniors won the championship at that age group in the East Coast Championship Beast of the East. A total of 10 DMV teams out of the 16 slots qualified for the gold bracket. Lots of success for the younger clubs.</p>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">14s East Coast Championship Gold Bracket Participants</h1>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Virginia Juniors</h2>   <p>Not really too sure where this came from. In the Chesapeake Regional Bid Championships Juniors failed to win a match. They also could not earn a bid in the qualifiers as well. However, they certainly found their stride in the East Coast Championship. Further evidence to show how young players can improve quickly during the season. A lot of credit needs to go to the coaches for that.</p>   <p>Juniors lost their first match of the tournament to CJVA Black in three sets. CJVA Black would go on to finish fifth in the tournament. Fortunately, they were able to bounce back to win their next set but still taking a loss to MVSA Force in three sets to end the day. The third set ended 16-14. After that second loss the team rode a wave of victories.</p>   <p>They came into the tournament as the 16th seed out of 24 teams. They won their last two matches of the second day to finish in third place in their pool. Beating the number two seed in their pool Yorktowne put them in a tie for third place at 3-2 but Juniors won the tie breaker.</p>   <p>The next hurdle would be the challenge match where they would face American Red. American Red beat Juniors in the Chesapeake Regional Bid Championship and will play in the USA Division in Junior Nationals. Virginia Juniors lost the first set 25-21 but won the next two 25-16, 15-7 to earn an appearance in the gold bracket.</p>   <p>Moving Into the playoffs on the third day they swept past both MVSA Dynamite and Force. Finally, in the championship match they beat [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy'] in three 25-18, 17-25, 15-9. That certainly was unexpected, however AES has them ranked 6th locally in the Chesapeake Region.</p>   <p>The player who impressed the most for Virginia Juniors was their left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990788' first='Laylah' last='Hampton']</strong>. She brings good size to the pin position and she can put the ball to the floor. Middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990342' first='Genevieve' last='Carter']</strong> also brought good size but her game still appeared a bit raw. Right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990790' first='Kinley' last='Rhoton']</strong> hits the ball hard. If that last name sounds familiar it should. She is the younger sister of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='290176' first='Kieran' last='Rhoton']</strong>. Kieran recently committed to William and Mary and is ranked number 11 in our class of 2027. It will be interesting how these players develop.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy']</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/02/98-Jaleesa-Barnes-rotated.jpg?w=683" alt="" class="wp-image-950224" style="aspect-ratio:0.6670097786927431;width:309px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='949661' first='Jaleesa' last='Barnes']</figcaption></figure>   <p>They dominated throughout the tournment, finishing 5-0 in pool play, sweeping all their opponents except Synergy Blaze. They won the third set against Synergy 15-12. The challenge match as well as the first two gold bracket matches also resulted in sweeps. Virginia Juniors was the first team to take them down, in the championship match 18-25, 25-17, 9-15. 540 came into the tournament as the fifth seed.</p>   <p>The two players who stood out in the one set I watched were left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='956375' first='Mackenzie' last='Corum']</strong> and right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990791' first='Maiyah' last='Gates']</strong>. Mackenzie served well and played six rotations. Maiyah was a smaller girl but showed a strong left handed swing that fits well for the right side. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='949661' first='Jaleesa' last='Barnes']</strong> showed nice hands for a setter while running a 6/2. She had no problem dishing it to the outside. Middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='795967' first='Zoey' last='Ullrich']</strong> pounded the quick tempo sets.</p>   <p>540 will play in the National Division in Junior Nationals.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">MVSA Force</h2>   <p>MVSA Force came in as the first seed in the tournament. Despite having one loss they were the only first seed in the Beast of the East 14 age group to come out as the top team. In their final pool match MVSA Force lost to the second seeded Yorktowne. However, when they played them they had already clinched first in their pool since Yorktowne had already lost two matches.</p>   <p>Force swept MOCO Magic in the challenge match to advance to the gold bracket as the top seed. After sweeping past Synergy Blaze in the first round they were swept by Virginia Juniors in the semi-finals to finish in third place.</p>   <p>This team carries some height in their pins with<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='990792' first='Ella' last='Liu']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990793' first='Gianna' last='Thomas']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990794' first='Skylar' last='Beckwitt']</strong>. Ella powered a strong back row attack and delivers a bullet serve. Middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='957102' first='Carlin' last='Sarlis']</strong> also brings some good height to the floor. Impressed with the back row play of libero<strong> Sherilyn Lai</strong>.</p>   <p>MVSA Force will play in the National Division at Junior Nationals.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">MOCO Magic</h2>   <p>MOCO came into their pool as the fourth seed but shocked everyone with a first place finish. Their only loss was to NVA Black in three sets in their first match of the day. MOCO lost their challenge match to the top seed MVSA Force 25-21, 25-16. They also lost in the first round of the playoff to Five 1 Black 24-26, 25-17, 14-16.</p>   <p>MOCO Magic was a team I missed. They fell short of qualifying for Junior Nationals so they still have the opportunity to play in AAUs.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">MVSA Dynamite</h2>   <p>They were the second seed in their pool, despite being a second team. MVSA dominated the first day sweeping all three of their opponents. On the second day they won their last two matches, but both went three sets. By the time they played Synergy Hurricane they had already clinched the pool. They were swept in their challenge match by [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy'] and again in the first round of the playoffs by Virginia Juniors.</p>   <p>Dynamite plays scrappy as a second team, but the one player who stood out most was middle <strong>Ava Jones.</strong> She played very aggressive with an impressive redirect kill and another kill on a ball set over the net. Ava also got credit for a couple of blocks. Based on her play it would not surprise me to see her on the first team next year.</p>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">15s East Coast Championship Gold Bracket Participants</h1>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy']</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/01/72-Zari-Northam.jpg?w=684" alt="" class="wp-image-935651" style="aspect-ratio:0.6669987355837388;width:360px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='778444' first='Zari' last='Northam']</figcaption></figure>   <p>540 finished second in their pool, sweeping every team but the eventual 15 East Coast Champion Synergy Titanium, who came into the tournament as the 4th seed. 540 won their challenge match against Pittsburgh Elite. Once in the playoffs they swept past MOCO Menace. They battled Revelstoke to three sets, all decided by two points. However, unlike their 17 counterparts they lost two of those sets, 27-25, 24-26, 13-15.</p>   <p>In a match against MVSA Charge left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='778444' first='Zari' last='Northam']</strong> had a couple big kills. At the last tournament I saw her play in she competed at middle. In my opinion her athleticism is geared more for an outside. Zari produced a kill to tie the score 23-23, gave 540 a one point lead 24-23 with another kill and finally used the block to give 540 a 25-24 lead. A net ended the match at 26-24. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='541319' first='Gabrielle' last='Rodrigo']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='779114' first='Lacie' last='Rayford']</strong> played strong middles.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">MVSA Charge</h2>   <p>MVSA was the fourth seed in their pool. Their first two matches of the tournament they went three sets with MVSA winning the third set in both. They were swept by the number one seed in their pool Synergy Titanium. The second day they lost to the second seed [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy'] but won the final match to finish third in the pool. That gave them a challenge match with [program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] Tony. They won in three taking the third set 15-13. </p>   <p>This advanced them to the gold bracket where they played Yorktowne Blue in the first round. They won in three 22-25, 25-22, 15-6. Unfortunately, this put them up against Synergy Titanium again. They were more competitive this time around but were still swept 25-19, 25-21. Synergy would go on to win the tournament.</p>   <p>Players who impressed included libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990796' first='Valerie' last='Saavedra']</strong>. She hits the floor frequently with smoothness and grace, passes well and covers the blocked hits nicely. Setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='937539' first='Cydney' last='Tanseco'] </strong>spots her serves well keeping a good hitting team restricted to putting away out of system sets. She hits her deep area "1" serves well. Her older sister Chloe ranks at number 160 in the class of 2027. Finally, left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='937536' first='Cameron' last='Smith']</strong> is a baller, showing good hustle while reading offenses well. She is a solid six rotation player who will try to find a spot on the Holy Cross roster. No doubt in my mind she belongs. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='880139' first='Milena' last='Gjoni']</strong> hits well from the right side. She had the match winning kill against [program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] Tony after a long rally to give them a 15-13 win. Cameron smashed a ball through a block to make it 14-13.</p>   <p>In somewhat of a surprise MVSA Charge did not qualify for Junior Nationals.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">MOCO Menace</h2>   <p>MOCO was the second seed in their pool but finished undefeated to win it. They beat the number one seed Club Integrity 21-25, 25-22, 15-13. Unfortunately, Yorktowne beat them in the challenge match 25-14, 25-17. The next day they were eliminated in the first round by [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy'] 25-22, 25-15. When they came in second in the Shamrock Showdown they had beaten 540. After their hot start they had to be disappointed with the finish.</p>   <p>MOCO carries a lot of talent with middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='956007' first='Eliose' last='Smith']</strong> putting up a good wall. More follow through as well as a quicker arm swing would make her spikes more potent. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='754667' first='Katja' last='Nagy'] </strong>impressed me with her defense even though she was the defensive specialist. The lefthander strung together a five point serving run, finishing the set off with an ace in their opener against Synergy Flare. Libero<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='754674' first='Clarke' last='Rodney']</strong> is top notch at her position. She will be difficult to replace. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990800' first='Katerina' last='Haag']</strong> can put the ball away from the left side. At the Shamrock Showdown <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='956005' first='Zenia' last='Shaikh']</strong> set a 5/1. For this tournament MOCO ran a 6/2 with Zenia remaining on the right side to hit.</p>   <p>MOCO did not qualify for Junior Nationals and appear to have AAUs on their schedule.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Virginia Elite</h2>   <p>Virginia Elite pulled off a big upset against Virginia Juniors on the second day of pool play. They were dominated in the first set 25-11, but then bounced back to win the next two sets 26-24, 15-11. With a three way tie for first at 4-1 Virginia Elite still fell to third place. Winning the challenge match against Club Integrity put them in the gold bracket. Unfortunately, they lost in the first round to Synergy Titanium who would go on to win the tournament.</p>   <p>The only time I watched Virginia Elite is when they lost to Virginia Juniors, but I've watched them at a number of tournaments. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='935939' first='Maya' last='Peery']</strong> is a left side who seems to fly to the net. While she is undersized at 5'7" her 9'7" approach jump is impressive. It equals that of the other left side the 6'1" <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='903896' first='Nicole' last='McDermott']</strong>.</p>   <p>Virginia Elite also did not qualify for Junior Nationals. A slow start to the year prevented them from even getting invited to the Chesapeake Regional Bid Championship. They have AAU on their schedule. They seem to be picking up the pace now.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Virginia Juniors</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/01/80-Olivia-Baick.jpg?w=684" alt="" class="wp-image-935656" style="width:287px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='756342' first='Olivia' last='Baick']</figcaption></figure>   <p>It is always tough to stand out as the first seed. That was Juniors plight. A loss to Virginia Elite put them in a three way tie for first where a tie breaker put them in second place. They won a challenge match against Synergy Flare but were eliminated in the first round of the tournament by Revelstoke from Canada 24-26, 25-14, 13-15.</p>   <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='756342' first='Olivia' last='Baick']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='887998' first='Jenevieve' last='Crowder']</strong> may be about as good a duo you can have in the back row. They rotated between a two libero system as well as one playing libero and the other taking the defensive specialist role. No matter how you mix and match them they smother the back row. Their middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='947948' first='Ava' last='Ibiezugbe']</strong> has a good jump. The way she flies, combined with her athleticism an outside could be in her future. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='754650' first='Madison' last='Meiring'] </strong>has one of the outside positions locked up. She is a six rotation player that provides offense with her firepower from the back row. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='762226' first='Makayla' last='Simms']</strong> swings well from the right side. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='947249' first='Eileen' last='Kim']</strong> impressed with a phenomenal one handed quick tempo set to the middle.</p>   <p>Virginia Juniors will play in the National Division in Junior Nationals.</p>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">Miscellaneous</h1>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Synergy Titanium 15</h2>   <p>Normally, I try to focus on the local teams. Occasionally, an out of state player impresses me with their play. In the Beast of the East that player was <strong>Kailey Pyszczymuka</strong>, who got my vote for the MVP of the 15s. A 5'11" left side with a pretty good jump which seems to exceed her listed approach jump of 9'5". She is very meticulous on the court, always moving to her spot on defense. Even when playing in the back row she is ready to attack the back row set, taking a couple steps to begin the approach after each pass has been made. A true six rotation player whose future looks bright. She plays on the JV team of West Chester Ruston High School in Pennsylvania. No doubt varsity is next.</p>   <p>One Chesapeake Region coach I talked to was also quite familiar with her. He said the team tries its best to cheat their blocks her way and serve her when she is in the back row passing. Anything to disrupt her approach. The only down side for Kailey is trying to spell her last name. You need to add another vowel or two.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">CJVA Black 14</h2>   <p><strong>McKenzie Arnold</strong> reminded me a little bit of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='748513' first='Scarlett' last='Netherton']</strong> with her right side hits, especially when she powered the ball down the line. She belongs to the class of 2029 and plays for Hunterdon Central in New Jersey.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Braddock Road Volleyball Club 15</h2>   <p>I watched a little bit of their play at the DC Capitol Classic. I played softball with the assistant coach and one of the players was my neighbor, but they moved out when she was two. Not a lot of opportunity to take credit for her volleyball skills. The team has certainly improved since last time I watched them at Capitol Hill.</p>   <p>They played in the Select Division and finished in fifth place. They won their first seven matches but finally lost to Monsters Elite Black 25-10, 25-20 in the quarter finals. Monsters Elite would go on to win the tournament without losing a set, finishing 10-0 (20-0).</p>   <p>Braddock impressed with their two middles <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='886395' first='Avery' last='Bartos']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990801' first='Georgia' last='Grana']</strong>. Both have height with strong swings. Both need to transition better in the middle, but that comes with experience. Libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990802' first='Lillian' last='Lawson']</strong> clearly controlled the court with her constant communication. She went on a long serving run in the set I watched. Their two left sides <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990804' first='Anna' last='Wright']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990803' first='Sofia' last='Amoros']</strong> also powered the ball.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">River City Volleyball Academy 15</h2>   <p>They had a nice run winning their first five matches in the Select Division. They lost the third set in the first round of the Gold Bracket to Club One Black 15-11. One of the players who stood out was setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990806' first='Ally' last='Muhlencamp']</strong>. The class of 2028 setter stays on the right side to hit. While she is team captain she needs to push herself more on the court.</p>   <p>Left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990809' first='Lauren' last='Myers']</strong> stands 6'0", a good height for an outside hitter. Her best hit is when she goes down the line but she sometimes pulls it too much and the ball fades out. She belongs to the class of 2030. It appears she will go to Midlothian. My guess is she will make varsity.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">St James 14</h2>   <p>They finished in third place in the Select Division. Eventually they moved to the semi-finals before losing to Ignite Blue. Ignite Blue would go on to win the tournament. Right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='968620' first='Itziar' last='Aguilar-Roa']</strong> has already appeared on my future frosh poised to make an impact in high school list. Class of 2029 setter <strong>Melina Derrick</strong> set for me as a frosh at Bishop O'Connell. Her setting skills have improved quite a bit while playing for Saint James. O'Connell already has two Metro travel setters on their roster so Melina will probably be forced to play one more year at junior varsity.</p>   <p></p>

We will start with the 14s because Virginia Juniors won the championship at that age group in the East Coast Championship Beast of the East. A total of 10 DMV teams out of the 16 slots qualified for the gold bracket. Lots of success for the younger clubs.