Top Five DMV 15 U Club Teams

Before the Junior Nationals grabbed the spotlight Prep Dig named the top five DMV teams for 17 U and 16 U. Below are the top five DMV teams for 15 U. [player_tooltip player_id='746506' first='Carolyn' last='Maria'], pictured above was named to the All Tournament team in 15 Open at Junior Nationals for Metro.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Metro Travel</h2>    Aniston should be ranked number 11 in our class of 2029. It appears she dropped out of the rankings, which happens when plyers try to consolidate their Virginia and Maryland posts into their Maryland profile. If that happens contact me and we will fix it. To stay in the rankings you need to keep a Virginia state profile.   Aniston had a monster game against Skyline to get Metro into the gold bracket. Her blocking shifted the momentum to give Metro a huge upset over Skyline in three sets. In the third set her two kills and two blocks led Metro to a 15-13 win.   One of three players Metro plucked off the Maryland Juniors 14 team that has made a huge difference in the success of the Metro 15 team. She also started for Holy Cross as a frosh finishing first on the team in blocking and second in hitting percentage at .313.    One of the toughest team accomplishments in youth volleyball is getting to the gold in the Open Division of Junior Nationals. Metro accomplished that feat with a stunning 15-13 third set upset over Dallas Skyline Royal Ryan in a crossover to determine who advanced to gold. Skyline came into the event as the third seed in the tournament. Metro accomplished that feat with [player_tooltip player_id='746506' first='Carolyn' last='Maria'] setting a 5/1. She was the lone Chesapeake Region player to earn a spot on the All Tournament team in the 15 Open Division.   Metro was also able to sweep past [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Nick to keep the title of the number one 15 U team in the DMV Region. Metro finished as the number one team in AES locally but number 15 nationally. In addition to Dallas Skyline they also almost upset the number two seed Madfrog, taking them to three before losing the third set 15-12.   The addition of three Maryland Juniors 14 players molded this team into one of the top 15 teams in the country. [player_tooltip player_id='622282' first='Emerson' last='Wolfe'] solidified their left side pins. [player_tooltip player_id='748513' first='Scarlett' last='Netherton'] can also play left side but with [player_tooltip player_id='746506' first='Carolyn' last='Maria'] setting a 5/1 she played right side as well as provided offense in the back row. [player_tooltip player_id='1004682' first='Aniston' last='Williams'] added strength to the middle.   [player_tooltip player_id='750050' first='Raquel' last='Telly'] is a returning left side with [player_tooltip player_id='762240' first='Timea' last='Ioana Vladoianu'] coming in for her to serve as well as play back row. She also has the ability to hit either pin. [player_tooltip player_id='750056' first='Kiera' last='Jordan'] is another player who can hit at either pin. Last year playing for Annandale she won the player of the year for her conference as a frosh. [player_tooltip player_id='747047' first='Ella' last='Luscomb'] can also hit the pins.   [player_tooltip player_id='750047' first='Caroline' last='Conroy'] covers a lot of middle with her 6'3" frame. Her and [player_tooltip player_id='746506' first='Carolyn' last='Maria'] are frequent attendees to the National Team Development Program (NTDP) sessions. [player_tooltip player_id='746330' first='Hannah' last='Keating'] is another player who can fill the middle.   The main libero is [player_tooltip player_id='755672' first='Jaylin' last='Park'] with [player_tooltip player_id='755675' first='Charlotte' last='Nelson'] also wearing the libero jersey. Charlotte played some terrific defense with her quick reactions moving to the ball. [player_tooltip player_id='892024' first='Claire' last='Kennedy'] is also an accomplished libero/defensive specialist. She played that position for her high school National Cathedral.   When Metro does not run a 5/1 with [player_tooltip player_id='746506' first='Carolyn' last='Maria'] they will run a 6/2 with [player_tooltip player_id='750053' first='Alexis' last='Luscomb'] as a setter. Last year Broadneck carried two accomplished setters so Alexis played libero. It would not surprise me that she could hit outside as well.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Nick</h2>    As a frosh for North Hagerstown Charlotte played middle. She also lists right side as a position. At Junior Nationals for Paramount she played some left side. At 6'1" she has the height to be dominant at the position. What she lacks now is the experience. Passing was a bit of a challenge for her. Normally, left sides are critical to a three person passing rotation.   With Caydence Doolan graduated North Hagerstown will need an outside to replace her. While using Charlotte as a left side could be an answer that would create a need to find a middle to replace Charlotte. As a middle last year for North Hagerstown Charlotte ranked second on the team in kills and third in blocks. She also ranked second in aces.    [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] sneaked into the Open with a seventh place finish in the Big South Qualifier. They were fortunate that the first six teams already qualified for Open bids. During pool play in Junior Nationals [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] came into the tournament as the sixth seed in their six team pool. In their fist match they pulled a big upset over Arizona Storm. This proved critical when both teams tied for third with 2-3 records. [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] won the head to head tie breaker to advance into the first division.   They found themselves in the same pool as Metro and Legacy. They were swept by both teams without reaching 20 points. This dropped them into a crossover to advance to either a bronze or flight 1. They lost to Houston Skyline then came up short in their first match in the Flight 1 Division, falling to Rockwood Thunder in the third set 15-9.   [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] carries a strong left side in the 6'1" [player_tooltip player_id='747560' first='Elliot' last='Dorgan']. They also used [player_tooltip player_id='787919' first='Charlotte' last='Booth'] and [player_tooltip player_id='756340' first='Erin' last='Moir'] on the left side. Charlotte played middle for her high school North Hagerstown and at the start of the season for [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last='']. Her move to the left side was an attempt to provide a little more thunder to the offense. [player_tooltip player_id='779106' first='Isabella' last='Jeantel'] was the big right side hitter. She brings a lot of upside to her game. [player_tooltip player_id='755132' first='Abigail' last='Battcock'] played the other right side.   The main middle is the 6'1" [player_tooltip player_id='893947' first='Annika' last='Warren']. She is one of the two [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] players who reaches 10 feet with their approach jump. Right side Isabella reaches 10'3". With [player_tooltip player_id='787919' first='Charlotte' last='Booth'] playing the pins this gave [player_tooltip player_id='755129' first='Lillian' last='Battcock'] the opportunity to play middle. Lillian and Abigail are 6'2" twins that still have a lot of upside if they can improve their offensive game. [player_tooltip player_id='763151' first='Sydney' last='Lewis'] was also used at middle.   [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] uses [player_tooltip player_id='747031' first='Braylin' last='Coacher'] and [player_tooltip player_id='752431' first='Kayla' last='Chang'] as setters. They run a 6/2. [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] carries two quality back row players in [player_tooltip player_id='747458' first='Angelie' last='Rose Carrasco'] and [player_tooltip player_id='895591' first='Aleah' last='Merrbaugh']. For this tournament Aleah seemed to get the most libero time in the sets that I watched. In the class of 2029 I have [player_tooltip player_id='747458' first='Angelie' last='Rose Carrasco'] as the top ranked libero. [player_tooltip player_id='763157' first='Olivia' last='Li'] also plays a quality back row.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge']</h2>    Kennedi often gets overlooked in the [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] offense. [player_tooltip player_id='749353' first='Brielle' last='Wolf'] and [player_tooltip player_id='749349' first='Avery' last='Curtis'] bring most of the attention with their offense. However Kennedi should not be overlooked. Even at 5'8" she can hammer the ball, relying on her beach IQ to generate many flavors of shots.   Next year at James Wood will be a big year for her. The Colonels will require replacements for Kennedy Spaid and Brenna Corbin at left side who led the team for four years and four championships. Kennedi saw some time at middle and right side. She might be one of the ideal replacements for the left side.   At the end of the month Kennedi will be competing in the Junior National Beach championships in Hermosa Beach, California.    It was tough deciding between [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] and Virginia Juniors. Ultimately, I let the results of the Junior Nationals decide their fate. Both played in the National Division. Even though Virginia Juniors ended play with the better won/loss record [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] finished higher than Virginia Juniors in the final result standings. [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] also upset [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Nick in the Chesapeake Regional Bid Championships in the finals to qualify for the National Division.   [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] is loaded at left side with [player_tooltip player_id='749353' first='Brielle' last='Wolf'] and [player_tooltip player_id='877850' first='Kennedi' last='Bower']. Kennedi recently finished first in the Chesapeake Regional Beach Bid Championship and will compete in late July in Hermosa Beach for the National Championship. That is two National Championships in one month. [player_tooltip player_id='749357' first='Ellie' last='Palmer'] impressed with her back row play at Junior Nationals while also hitting left side. At 5'7" she lists herself as an outside/libero/defensive specialist bringing versatility to the court. She could take on the role of the defensive specialist with the ability to provide offense in the back row.   [player_tooltip player_id='749349' first='Avery' last='Curtis'] plays a strong middle. She was one of two frosh voted to the Northwestern District team. The other frosh voted to the team was setter/right side [player_tooltip player_id='878688' first='Mckenna' last='Homans']. Mckenna sometimes stays in the front row to hit right side. [player_tooltip player_id='878689' first='Madisyn' last='Carter'] handles the back row responsibilities.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Virginia Juniors</h2>    Ava blew me away with the strength of her hitting in the middle. At 5'10' she has decent height for a middle, but she also has great athleticism to go along with a good vertical to put the ball away.   It does appear that her athleticism also applies to basketball. She has highlights from her play with the Riverside basketball team.   Ava certainly put herself on the radar with her performance at the Junior Nationals. Now she will need to make the varsity roster at Riverside. Last year Riverside won the Virginia Class 5 state championship. They will have a couple openings in middle as well as right side due to graduation.    Virginia Juniors ended the season with four total first place finishes, including a Salt Lake Qualifier first place finish in the American Division. They also collected second place finishes in the Sunshine Qualifier American Division and third place in the Northeast Qualifier Liberty Division.   Left side [player_tooltip player_id='754650' first='Madison' last='Meiring'] triggers the offense. She ranks number 11 in the class of 2029. They also carry a duo of quality back row players in [player_tooltip player_id='756342' first='Olivia' last='Baick'] and [player_tooltip player_id='887998' first='Jenevieve' last='Crowder']. The three of them combine to carry out most of the passing from the back row. There were occasions when Olivia and Jenevieve lined up in a two person passing system.   Middle [player_tooltip player_id='947948' first='Ava' last='Ibiezugbe'] impressed with her ability to bury quick tempo sets to the floor. She belongs to the class of 2028. [player_tooltip player_id='768482' first='Ella' last='Peay'] occupies the other middle position. [player_tooltip player_id='763150' first='Samantha' last='Napiwocki'] is another alternative to hit the left side.   [player_tooltip player_id='763155' first='Angelina' last='Yan'] and [player_tooltip player_id='947249' first='Eileen' last='Kim'] are the two setters. Both are undersized at 5'5" or less so the right sides who come in for them are usually [player_tooltip player_id='762226' first='Makayla' last='Simms'] and [player_tooltip player_id='881356' first='Summer' last='Syed'].   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] Black</h2>    Avery appeared at our Prep Dig showcase in Richmond. She excelled at the event winning a top performer award. At 6'0" she carries the height to bring dominance to the left side.   I watched East Coast play their first set at Junior Nationals. Avery achieved a critical kill off the hands of a block to tie the set at 23-23. [player_tooltip player_id='745055' first='Cailey' last='Wieck'] followed with a crucial block in the middle. A hitting error won the set 25-23. After that first set win they won the match 25-23, 19-25, 18-16. Unfortunately, East Coast lost their next four matches which knocked them out of any gold.   Avery plays for First Colonial. Last year they fell just short of making it to the state playoffs losing to Ocean Lakes in the first round of the Regional.    East Coast also played in the National Division, falling below [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] and Virginia Juniors with a 31st place finish. At the end of the season they did finish as the top rated team in the Old Dominion Region, winning their Regional Bid championship. They beat [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy'] Elite and [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] in the tournaments they competed in. They fall short of an "Open" level team finishing near the bottom in the Sunshine Classic and Northeast Qualifier when they competed at the Open level.   [player_tooltip player_id='752416' first='Mallory' last='Beeson'] ranks at 21 in our class of 2029. She is listed as a right side/middle. [player_tooltip player_id='752412' first='Alexa' last='Whitfield'] and [player_tooltip player_id='745055' first='Cailey' last='Wieck'] were playing middle in the set I watched at Junior Nationals. All three players list at 6'0" as is left side [player_tooltip player_id='745914' first='Avery' last='Alderks'] and pin [player_tooltip player_id='887067' first='Greta' last='Hausmann']. At 5'8" [player_tooltip player_id='746523' first='Isabella' last='Smith'] is a smaller left side with a powerful right arm. Casey and Isabella both belong to the class of 2028.   [player_tooltip player_id='1004626' first='Preslirose' last='Hanks'] is a 2030 who shares the back row with [player_tooltip player_id='998478' first='Finley' last='Keever']. Both do an excellent job swarming the back row. While they are not ranked it would not surprise me if they make their debuts next ranking.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Surprise Club of the Year</h2>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">MOCO Menace</h2>    A couple years ago Abigail stood out at the Battle of Bethesda tournament. She earned a spot on our all frosh team. In 2025 MOCO almost shocked Virginia Juniors in the 14 Open National Harbor finals. Her effort knocked her off the watch list and into our rankings.   She has grown an inch since that National Harbor tournament. What impresses most is her whip like swing that can generate power in her hits. She plays six rotations, at times lining up in a two person serve receive with libero [player_tooltip player_id='754674' first='Clarke' last='Rodney'].    They played well all year with a number of top five finishes in almost all the tournaments they competed in. The one tournament in which they did not play well was the Chesapeake Regional Bid Championships where their 9th place finish prevented them from playing in Junior Nationals. Knocked out of Nationals they played in AAUs and finished fifth, which is quite impressive.   They have a lot of talent on offense in left side [player_tooltip player_id='956006' first='Katarina' last='Haag'] as well as middles [player_tooltip player_id='956015' first='Anna' last='Raab'], [player_tooltip player_id='956007' first='Eliose' last='Smith'] and [player_tooltip player_id='951346' first='Meredith' last='Krell']. Class of 2028 setter [player_tooltip player_id='956005' first='Zenia' last='Shaikh'] ran a 5/1 to lead MOCO to a second place finish in the Shamrock Showdown. [player_tooltip player_id='884166' first='Beatrice' last='Bradburn'] can also set as well as play right side. [player_tooltip player_id='754662' first='Abigail' last='Rekhtman'] is another class of 2028 who shows an impact hitting from the left side. However, the first player that came to my attention for MOCO was [player_tooltip player_id='754674' first='Clarke' last='Rodney'] when she played as a defensive specialist while also crushing balls from the back row on their 14 team. Now they seem to use her strictly as a libero.

Before the Junior Nationals grabbed the spotlight Prep Dig named the top five DMV teams for 17 U and 16 U. Below are the top five DMV teams for 15 U. Carolyn Maria Carolyn Maria 6'1" | S/RS Bishop O'Connell | 2029 State VA , pictured above was named to the All Tournament team in 15 Open at Junior Nationals for Metro.