Unranked ACPL Standouts Deserving of a Ranking

There were a number of talented players at the ACPL tournament not yet ranked who appear deserving of a ranking. Makes you realize how many players exist out there that go unnoticed. Or perhaps watched at the wrong time. This is what makes each tournament so exciting. Below is one standout player from eight teams who I feel performed well enough to deserve an appearance in the next updated rankings.    American failed to make the gold pool but they did win the silver. They were upset in three by Coast VA - c 51 during the first day of pool play, dropping them to second in their pool. This placed them in the silver pool where they won it all, beating [program_tooltip program_id='511606' first='Vienna' last='Elite'] in the finals. All three of their matches in the silver division went three with all three of their third sets resulting in 15-11 wins.   One of the big reasons for their success was the outside hitting of [player_tooltip player_id='907774' first='Devin' last='Heholt']. She played six rotations with the ability to put the ball away from either the left side or middle. Currently listed at 5'7", Devin has a tremendous jump. If she captures a little bit of growth she could bolt up the charts.   Devin fell short of making the Colonial Forge varsity roster as a frosh this past season. My prediction is next year should not be a problem. Of course, she still needs to work hard to achieve that goal.     Maliyah plays up for [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club']. For the most part she played middle but on occasion she swung to hit an outside set. Her ultimate position may be as a left side.   In the playoffs she had two kills at the end of the set that helped RVC defeat Charlottsville. The last kill was a nice role shot showing she can mix finesse with power. She also carries good timing with her jump that allows her to successfully block her opponent's hits.   At the Atlantic Coast Grand Prix tournament held a couple weeks ago she finished off a set with back to back kills from the middle to give RVC a 26-24 win. She also finished off a set with a block and an ace. That shows you her ability to come through in the clutch.   As far as I can see Maliyah has yet to play high school. She is ripe enough to make varsity.     Another class of 2030 playing up. Still a little small in stature with a touch of inconsistency in her game. She swings hard with a good jump. When the timing is there the ball carries good velocity when it hits the floor or ricochets off a defender.   She also occasionally mixes in a top spin serve that carries decent velocity as it flies over the net. In the playoffs that seemed to be her predominate serve, but during pool play she did not break it out as much.   She mixes on and off playing six rotations or coming out for a defensive specialist after her serve. Perhaps this is done to keep her fresh. At 5'8" she still has time to grow.   Another player yet to play high school but her skills are ripe enough to play varsity.     At 6'1" she already has some good height to play middle. Her hands also get good reach over the net when blocking. In the third set against [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] in the semi-finals she got a late kill and block to help close out a 14-11 deficit to tie it 14-14. They eventually lost the set and match 16-14 after another player on this list, [player_tooltip player_id='961907' first='Maliyah' last='Ingram'] finished the set off with two kills.   Virginia made her high school team Charlottesville High, as a frosh. On the roster they list her as a middle/outside. She appears to have the athleticism and fluid movements to make the transition to outside. As a frosh she led the team in kills.     At 5'7" Kinsley is not incredibly tall. That may change as the years pass. She also does not bring a big jump to the floor. What she does possess is a hard swing that sends players on the other side of the net ducking for safety. With her left handed swing on the right side, when she goes line she is tough to stop.   Playing for Middlesex she earned a spot on the Class 1 all state second team. She is a class of 2028 playing down.     Miyah only stands 5'5". Perhaps a little growth has occurred during the season. For Columbia she hits left side. She brings a good jump to the court with a smooth follow through in her swing. She also is floor captain for the team. If she fails to see growth to remain as an outside she has the acumen to play the libero/ds position. She just seems to have a good grasp of the game.   Miyah goes to Glenelg, which recently won the Virginia Class 2 state championship. Their roster was a little rich for her to make varsity. Next year should be different.     Kella played a year up on the [program_tooltip program_id='504434' first='CAVC' last=''] 17 team that beat HOV 16 in the 17 U championship match. At 5'10" she has good height for the left side position, participating in a number of key blocks as well as key hits to lead [program_tooltip program_id='504434' first='CAVC' last=''] to the championship. Her two combo blocks pushed [program_tooltip program_id='504434' first='CAVC' last=''] to an early 7-2 lead, but more importantly her kill off a block gave [program_tooltip program_id='504434' first='CAVC' last=''] a 14-13 lead in the third set they eventually won 15-13.   Kella plays for Covenant High where she led her team in kills and serve receptions. When the summer hits she also appears to play a little beach volleyball. Outside the volleyball season a little basketball fills her time. Definitely a player to watch.     Early in the year I saw her play at St. James and thought she was deserving of a ranking. She has great command of the court and the team. Then I saw where she was a 2027 playing down. That made me hesitate. Watching her this time she deserves a spot. She is a leader of a 16 team that played in a 17 tournament and made it to the finals, losing 15-13 in the third set.   She sets a 5/1 with a good grasp of the game to distribute her sets well. At 5'7" she is a bit undersized for the front row, but she controls the game well. You sacrifice a little bit of height for the extra volleyball IQ you get playing on the court. At one point in a set when HOV was accumulating points she sensed [program_tooltip program_id='504434' first='CAVC' last=''] was going to call a timeou. She rushed back to serve but fell short of stopping the [program_tooltip program_id='504434' first='CAVC' last=''] timeout. Just give her the weapons and she will use them wisely.   Kynslee swings lefthanded , which is ideal for a right side. She has an uncanny sense for when to make the two handed setter dump that seemed to always find the floor. I did not see any attempts to spike a second ball or use her left hand to dump the ball over the net but I'm sure she is capable. Video seems to confirm she will sneak in a spike.

There were a number of talented players at the ACPL tournament not yet ranked who appear deserving of a ranking. Makes you realize how many players exist out there that go unnoticed. Or perhaps watched at the wrong time. This is what makes each tournament so exciting. Below is one standout player from eight teams who I feel performed well enough to deserve an appearance in the next updated rankings.