Forest Park Squeaks Past Independence in Regional Match

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Only in volleyball can two teammates square off against each other. Frosh <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1001180' first='Liana' last='Lipscomb']</strong> in a Forest Park uniform squared off against frosh <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='849196' first='Leyla' last='Landry']</strong> wearing an Independence uniform. Last year during the club season they both wore [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] uniforms leading the 14 team to a gold medal championship in the Junior Nationals National Division. Both were named to the All tournament team. It appears they will again be teammates again this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even though they were frosh Liana and Leyla were important pieces leading their team to their playoff appearance. Leyla was one of two frosh to earn a spot on the Cedar Run District all tournament first team while Liana was named to the Cardinal District second team. Liana was the only frosh named to the first and second team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["934826"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aeb65cabaf45"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Victoria was a force in the middle for Independence but they came up short in the Regional matchup. I had her for at least 17 kills and four blocks in the five set match. Five of the kills were two hand sets to the "5" area corner that Forest Park left empty. For whatever reason Forest Park left that area empty no matter how much success Victoria had shown shooting balls in that corner.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">During the club season Victoria was a force in getting Libero into the Junior Nationals. She also earned a spot on the Cedar Run District first team with [player_tooltip player_id='849196' first='Leyla' last='Landry'] and [player_tooltip player_id='471485' first='Kaelyn' last='Wharton'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Victoria stands about 6 foot with long arms that can extend to hit over blocks. For Independence she was hitting higher sets in the middle and powering them past the blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The match did not start well for Forest Park. [player_tooltip player_id='849196' first='Leyla' last='Landry'] and [player_tooltip player_id='934826' first='Victoria' last='Liakos'] powered Independence to a 25-12 first set victory. Libero <strong>Arianna Melendez-Morales</strong> delivered two aces early to put Independence up 5-3. They would not look back after that. Victoria and Leyla combined for three consecutive kills to extend the lead to 11-6, while <strong>Genevieve Carter</strong> went back to back with kills from the right side to extend it to 14-7. The score raced to 20-9 after back to back blocks by [player_tooltip player_id='934826' first='Victoria' last='Liakos']. A sweep appeared in the making.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1001180"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aeb65cabaf8b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Liana brings good height to the middle. When blocking she gets her hands high over the net to put up a good wall to stop the hitter. Against Independence she rejected six hits with blocks making hitters aware of her presence. As the match progressed full swings turned to tips to avoid her block.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">This past club season Liana led [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] to a gold medal finish in the National Division 14 at Junior Nationals. As a result she was voted to the All tournament team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Now that success extends to high school as her efforts landed her a spot on the All Cardinal District second team, the only frosh listed on the first and second team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">As she gains more experience she will be a major player in volleyball. Currently ranked number 4 in the class of 2030..</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1001180' first='Liana' last='Lipscomb']</strong> made her presence felt in the second set. At the start of the game she and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='849196' first='Leyla' last='Landry'] </strong>traded off kills resulting in dueling "She's a freshman" chants from both sides of the bench. The chants got louder as each hitter completed their second kills. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='963139' first='Journi' last='Carter']</strong> also made her presence felt in the second set with four kills, the last two giving Forest Park the 25-22 win. Down 19-24 Independence attempted to make a comeback with two aces from <strong>Natalie Phillips</strong> and a slam dunk kill from [player_tooltip player_id='934826' first='Victoria' last='Liakos'] to make it 22-24. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='963139' first='Journi' last='Carter']</strong> finished it off with a left side bullet to the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["849196"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aeb65cabafb4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Leyla had at least 17 kills in the match against Forest Park. She fired shots from the back row, left side and middle to find the floor. A few less kill attempts from the middle could have made her more effective. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">As the match progressed Forest park became more prepared to watch her movement towards the middle, where she ended up hitting against her club teammate middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1001180' first='Liana' last='Lipscomb'].</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leyla earned a spot on the Cedar District first team, one of two frosh voted to the team. She also was named to the All tournament team in Junior Nationals for leading her Paramount 14 team to the gold medal in the 14 National Division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leyla ranks number 12 in our class of 2030. She has sprouted to 5'10" and appears to have a little more growth left in her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Independence recovered in the third set, showing their dominance by leading 16-10 and 19-14. [player_tooltip player_id='849196' first='Leyla' last='Landry'] served up an ace and three points to put Independence up 6-1 early in the set. Leyla and Victoria combined for 8 kills to send them to victory. Forest Park inched closer as the game came to a close, getting to 22-24 but a net serve ended the comeback.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["530368"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aeb65cabafd7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Sadie was one of three liberos who made it to the All Cardinal District first team. Her libero play with one handed digs kept rallies alive while her precision passing allowed the Bruins to feed<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1001180' first='Liana' last='Lipscomb']</strong> with more sets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Sadie has certainly grown as a libero since I first noticed her at a Prep Dig showcase. She won a top performer award for her hustle on the court. As her career has progressed her exemplary back row play allowed [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy'] to earn a bid at Junior Nationals. The one unique aspect about her is that she always wears two different colored shoes to the court. That is the first thing I look for when determining if Sadie is playing libero.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Sadie has committed to play volleyball for Life University in Georgia.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Forest Park bounced back in the fourth set with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1001180' first='Liana' last='Lipscomb']</strong> showing her presence at the net. She collected three kills and three blocks with one ace serve to lead the Bruins to a 25-23 win. [player_tooltip player_id='530368' first='Sadie' last='Barrera'] fired up the last two serves for the win. <strong>Denum Baker </strong>used her left handed swing from the right side with a tip to the deep "1" corner to tie the set 23-23.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["963139"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aeb65cabaffb"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Journi turned it on in the fifth set. In the two sets the Bruins lost Journi was very quiet with only one kill. In the three sets that they won Journi was active from the left side. She had the game winning kill in the second set to win it 25-22. She struck for three late kills in their 25-22 win in set four. And in game five she fired off three kills, including a deep kill that gave the Bruins a 16-15 lead.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A bit undersized for an outside she has the versatility to also play the back row as a libero or defensive specialist who can provide offense with a back row attack. She may not have the hardest hit as a left side but she seems to know where to find the open court. For [program_tooltip program_id='489547' first='540' last='Volleyball Academy'] she showed the ability to hit from the back row.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Only a sophomore, Journi made an impression in this match with some clutch hits. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The fifth set was closely contested with no team getting more than a two point lead. Middle <strong>Chloe Achieng</strong> went high over the net for a monster block to give the Bruins a 15-14 lead. [player_tooltip player_id='934826' first='Victoria' last='Liakos'] responded with a kill to tie it 15-15. [player_tooltip player_id='963139' first='Journi' last='Carter'] powered a spike deep in the corner to give the Bruins a 16-15 lead. A hitting error by Forest Park tied it once again at 16-16, however Independence followed with two hitting errors of their own ending the match with an 18-16 5th set loss.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even though<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='471485' first='Kaelyn' last='Wharton']</strong> was player of the year in the Cedar Run District I got her down for just 10 kills, five of them coming on tips. For the most part she hit right side.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Forest Park now advances in Region 6B to the semifinals where they will play the winner of the Mountain View versus Woodbridge match. One more win will get them to the finals where they will make it to the state bracket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cedar Run First Team</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":781888,"width":"261px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/06/63-Madalyn-Norgart.jpg?w=836" alt="" class="wp-image-781888" style="width:261px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='568220' first='Madalyn' last='Norgart']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='471485' first='Kaelyn' last='Wharton']</strong> outside Independence, 65th ranked class of 2027 - Player of the Year</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='448705' first='Danika' last='Swanson']</strong> setter Patriot, 20th ranked class of 2027, committed to Virginia Wesleyan</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='840509' first='Keila' last='Rich']</strong>, outside hitter Osbourn, not ranked class of 2027, committed to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='568220' first='Madalyn' last='Norgart']</strong>, Libero Gainesville, 121st ranked in class of 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='934826' first='Victoria' last='Liakos']</strong>, middle Independence, 65th ranked in class of 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='763150' first='Samantha' last='Napiwocki'],</strong> outside Battlefield, 76th ranked class of 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='762226' first='Makayla' last='Simms']</strong>, outside Gainesville, 100th ranked class of 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1001242' first='Kylie' last='Thompson']</strong>, right side, Battlefield, 55th ranked class of 2030</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='849196' first='Leyla' last='Landry']</strong>, outside, Independence, 12th ranked class of 2030</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cardinal First Team</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":935677,"width":"273px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/01/103-Angelie-Rose-Carrasco.jpg?w=684" alt="" class="wp-image-935677" style="width:273px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='747458' first='Angelie' last='Rose Carrasco']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='530368' first='Sadie' last='Barrera']</strong> libero, Forest Park, 45th ranked class of 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='643810' first='Jasmine' last='Belle Carrasco']</strong> setter Colgan, 165th ranked class of 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='833164' first='Jayne' last='Clark'] </strong>left side Woodbridge, not ranked in class of 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='968735' first='Anessa' last='Tucker']</strong>, outside Colgan, not ranked in class of 2027 </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='609590' first='Leah' last='Eggleton']</strong>, outside Forest Park, 81st ranked in class of 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='960051' first='Caroline' last='Freeman']</strong>, libero, Woodbridge, 135th in class of 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='550688' first='Sienna' last='Mitchell']</strong>, outside, Colgan, 22nd ranked in class of 2028, player of the year</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='747031' first='Braylin' last='Coacher']</strong>, setter, Woodbridge, 21st ranked class of 2029 </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='747560' first='Elliot' last='Dorgan']</strong> outside, Woodbridge, 7th ranked class of 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='747458' first='Angelie' last='Rose Carrasco']</strong> libero, Colgan, 10th ranked class of 2029 - Libero of the year</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->