Players to Watch in AAU Open

Last week I broke down the DMV teams playing in the Freedom Division in USAV Junior Nationals. At the end of the week we will break out the American Division. Starting this week I'll take a look at a couple of the AAU Divisions. In AAU teams do not earn a bid. They apply to play in a Division and as long as an opening exists the club qualifies. The order of excellence for these Divisions in AAU is 1) Open, 2) Premier, 3) Elite, 4) Select, 5) Club, 6) Aspire, 7) Spirit, 8) Classic. I'll take a look at the clubs playing in the Open and Premier Divisions and possibly Elite if time permits.   The AAU runs in waves with the 14 and 15 Open held during the second wave on June 20-23. The 16 and 17 Open compete during the third wave June 24-27. The AAU fails to show a regional breakout for clubs so finding location is difficult.   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">14 Open</h1>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Go Volley N</h2>   They rank number 73 regionally and 1713 nationally according to AES. Not the kind of rankings you would expect to see in a USAV Junior National Open. I watched them a little at the East Coast Championships in Pittsburgh. They finished 21st out of 24 teams. When they play in qualifiers or other big tournaments they normally play in Open. In the Northeast Qualifiers they were 21st out of 24 teams in the Open Division and in the Show Me Qualifier they finished 25th out of 31 in the USA Division.   Right side [player_tooltip player_id='991046' first='Callie' last='Keefer'] stood out hitting from the right side with her powerful left handed swing. She also carried some length. Lillyana Robinson looked good running a quick set in the middle. Setter Jayleigh Allen showed some soft hands, while the second setter Emma Kenney displayed good defense from the setting position. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='880137' first='Elizabeth' last='Horton'] also showed an ability to play solid defense.   Overall, I will need to see more of their play to really make an accurate assessment of where they rank. While they tend to play in the Open Division in tournaments, they lack the depth to do well at that level. Sometimes coaches put teams in Open Division for the exposure, other times playing against better teams can improve your skill level.   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">15 Open</h1>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Virginia Elite 15</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/02/virginia-Elite-15-Maryland-Juniors-gold.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-944047" style="aspect-ratio:1.3333406218568242;width:569px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Virginia Elite 15</figcaption></figure>   For whatever reason Virginia Elite did not qualify to play in the Chesapeake Regional Bid Championships. They finished first and third (twice) in two local Open tournaments. Only 12 teams earn a selection to play in the Bid Championships. Virginia Elite missed the grade. Currently, they rank 10th regionally and 531 nationally based on AES data. It appears they would qualify if selections were made now.   The top prospect on the team is their 5'8" high flying left side [player_tooltip player_id='935939' first='Maya' last='Peery']. When she jumps her head appears far above the net. Her approach jump lists at 9'7" but it appears more lift exists in her flight since those measurements. Her back row play needs to improve to become a consistent six rotation player and take that offense to the back row. Their other potent left side is the 6'1" [player_tooltip player_id='903896' first='Nicole' last='McDermott']. She might not be the high flyer as Maya but she still reaches 9'7" with her approach jump.   The setter is the 5'10" [player_tooltip player_id='763132' first='Raegan' last='Giuliani'], who attends the same high school as Maya, The Potomac School. Her older sister was a middle blocker at the school but Raegan has taken a different route as a setter. She can set a 5/1 or stay in the front row to hit right side with a 6/2. If Raegan is not setting a 5/1 [player_tooltip player_id='942025' first='Caroline' last='Milder'] acts as the second setter. The 5'10 [player_tooltip player_id='937474' first='Sydney' last='Lee'] is one of those interesting players who smokes balls from the back row, but I rarely see her play the front row. She normally comes in for Nicole in the back row. A skinny frame that carries a powerful arm. A player to keep an eye on as she gets older. [player_tooltip player_id='922366' first='Natasha' last='Fisher'] at 5'10" can also make an impact on the right side with her blocking.   [player_tooltip player_id='765187' first='Chelsea' last='Kolas'] is following the lead of her older sister filling the libero role. She made her varsity team as a frosh. [player_tooltip player_id='961880' first='Riley' last='Coleman'] lists as a middle but she can also play right side. At 5'11" she has decent height, making a couple clutch stuffs from the right side. [player_tooltip player_id='994374' first='Eldhana' last='Kibret'] is the younger sister of the 6'3" [player_tooltip player_id='720348' first='Milena' last='Kibret'], who recently committed to New York University after leading West Springfield to the Class 6 Virgini State championship. Eldhana currently stands 6'0" but there is room for growth. She should join her sister on the varsity roster next year at West Springfield.   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">16 Open </h1>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Go Volley</h2>   Another Go Volley team who will have their hands full competing. They rank at 56 locally and 1519 nationally. Needless to say, they did not qualify to compete in the Chesapeake Regional Bid Championship. They played in the Northeast Qualifier Open Division finishing 41st out of 45 teams. They failed to win a match.   Left side [player_tooltip player_id='944220' first='Sophia' last='Ray'] is listed on their roster. She was one of their more dominant players when I watched the 17 team play in a Maryland Juniors tournament. At 5'9" a bit undersized but a dangerous six rotation player. She actually plays for a high school in West Virginia. [player_tooltip player_id='720415' first='Bella' last='Middleton'] is a smaller setter at 5'5" who set [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] to a Class 4 State Championship. This was actually her second state championship, setting for them as a frosh last season.   [player_tooltip player_id='968754' first='Emmalea' last='McNeely'] is a 6'3" middle whose game is still very raw. Once she improves with her transition and arm swing she should start making an impact. She also plays for a high school in West Virginia. Another player who brings length to the court is the 6'0" right side [player_tooltip player_id='968769' first='Emmy' last='Ross']. On the other end of the spectrum is the class of 2029 under sized left side [player_tooltip player_id='878697' first='Reese' last='Cooke'].   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Virginia Elite 16</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/03/5c48084f-3f43-4f61-9ea9-1740827c2692.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-955920" style="aspect-ratio:1.7778134110787172;width:599px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Virginia Elite 16</figcaption></figure>   The 16 team also fell short of qualifying for the Chesapeake Regional Bid Championships. They did come together to win the Shamrock Showdown, beating a strong 540 Volleyball Elite team. Their attempt to win a bid by competing in two Qualifiers fell short of earning a bid. Overall, they rank 34th Regionally and 903 Nationally.   Setter [player_tooltip player_id='630678' first='Iris' last='Jin'] is their highest ranked player at 41. She shares the setting duties with [player_tooltip player_id='933335' first='Sunny' last='Zhu']. Both stand 5'7" running a 6/2 with a taller right side coming in for them in the front row. [player_tooltip player_id='521323' first='Ilana' last='Collingham'] can also set but for Virginia Elite she plays more as a libero/defensive specialist.   [player_tooltip player_id='587036' first='Olivia' last='Black'] and [player_tooltip player_id='545717' first='Ellie' last='Brumback'] are their two big hitters from the left side. The player with probably the most potential is the 6'2" right side [player_tooltip player_id='933331' first='Cate' last='Beyer']. Her game is still a bit raw but she generates the highest approach jump on the team at 9'7".   Despite her 5'10" height [player_tooltip player_id='877859' first='Maria' last='Coronel'] contributes quite a bit in the middle. The 6'0" [player_tooltip player_id='933334' first='Maraki' last='Derege'] can play middle or hit right side.   Like Go Volley, playing Open will be a big test for them.   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">17 Open</h1>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">757 Black</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/01/13-Lyla-Shannon.jpg?w=684" alt="" class="wp-image-935602" style="width:327px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='618590' first='Lyla' last='Shannon']</figcaption></figure>   757 Black finished 10th in the Old Dominion Region while sitting 1409 nationally. If they wanted to compete in the USAV Junior Nationals they would have competed in the Old Dominion Regional Bid Championships. Instead, they competed in four Open Qualifiers finishing well below earning a bid.   The player that stands out on the team is their libero [player_tooltip player_id='471714' first='Ryann' last='Bothof']. She is the fourth ranked libero in the class of 2027 with a commitment to Ole Miss. She also earned a vote as one of the five MVPs at the Under Armor camps (Houston). One of those fun liberos you love watching play defense. Another player ranked in the top 50 of the class of 2027 rankings is the 6'0" [player_tooltip player_id='545710' first='Avery' last='Osler']. She mixes her time between beach and indoor.   The 6'1" middle [player_tooltip player_id='618590' first='Lyla' last='Shannon'] ranks at 31. This makes her the third player ranked in the top 50. She has a lot of success putting away slides with an approach jump of 9'11" putting her over most high school blocks. [player_tooltip player_id='734796' first='Benisa' last='Moore'] may only stand 5'7" but she is a terror when hitting outside. She hits a nice high ball off the blocks. [player_tooltip player_id='643814' first='Emma' last='Irving'] has the versatility to set or play libero. When she is setting she can pop up those hard driven line shots. [player_tooltip player_id='861538' first='Lynnea' last='Schaar'] as well as [player_tooltip player_id='882556' first='Caroline' last='Butkovich'] can also set. Both carry a little more height than Emma.   [player_tooltip player_id='746325' first='Cheyenne' last='Wright'] ranks in the top 50 in the class of 2028. She won a top performer award at our most recent Prep Dig Showcase in Richmond. She lists 5'10" with a good vertical.

Last week I broke down the DMV teams playing in the Freedom Division in USAV Junior Nationals. At the end of the week we will break out the American Division. Starting this week I'll take a look at a couple of the AAU Divisions. In AAU teams do not earn a bid. They apply to play in a Division and as long as an opening exists the club qualifies. The order of excellence for these Divisions in AAU is 1) Open, 2) Premier, 3) Elite, 4) Select, 5) Club, 6) Aspire, 7) Spirit, 8) Classic. I'll take a look at the clubs playing in the Open and Premier Divisions and possibly Elite if time permits.