Virginia Elite Bring its Charm to Baltimore

The Virginia Elite club is one of the Northern Virginia teams you must watch. The club has a unique philosophy on how they approach their training from their youngest team (13s) to their oldest team (18s). Their curriculum is based on body movement, research, and data provided from high-level coaches and programs around the country and the world. The club uses the same language during training with all coaches and players. This creates consistency from age group to age group and makes it easier for their players when they move up to the next age. During the Charm City Challenge, the 15s and 18s brought their charisma to the city of Baltimore.   The 18s finished the tournament 5 -1 by going undefeated on the first day. The following players brought their best to the tournament and had a high impact on the success of the team.   Alyssa Dozier - 6’0 - MB/OPP - VAE 18s - Christopher Newport University Commit Alyssa is a great new addition to the team for this year. Extremely athletic and with an incredible work ethic, she brings a lot of energy to the team. She has a quick swing with a high vertical. . Alyssa is quick to make changes based on what she sees across the net and has immediately become one of the top attacking middles on the team. [player_tooltip player_id="111453" first="Madison" last="McCartney"] - 6’0 - MB - VAE 18s - Lehigh University Commit Madison knows this program very well. She has been on the team since 14s. She is known for her hard work and is always focused on getting better in all parts of the game. She is skilled as a middle but is very versatile with a great game IQ. As a result, she has no problem doing whatever the team needs at any time. Madison is always finding a way to improve and is also a positive and stabilizing force for the team. Kathryn Kelyman - 5’8 - DS/L - VAE 18s - Berry College Commit Kathryn is the type of player who brings energy to the team. No matter what the score is, she plays with high energy and a good attitude until the end of the game. Kathryn is a butterfly who can be found anywhere on the court. Nothing can stop her from saving the ball, as she is scrappy and hustles on every play. [player_tooltip player_id="111468" first="Kaitlyn" last="Dunnigan"] - 5’5 - DS/L - VAE 18’s - College Of William & Mary Commit Kaitlyn is a stabilizer for the team and does not show any emotion. She puts her head down and gets to work whenever she is on the court. Kaitlyn runs the back row and leads passing strategies, based on the game plan. She is very confident and someone the team looks to for steady assurance. She is consistently one of the top passers.   <img class="size-medium wp-image-179634 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/02/charm-city-rotated-crop-2800x1839-1644623504-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> The VAE 15s finished the tournament in 3rd place (5-1) and they were undefeated on the first day. This team dealt with many adversities during the tournament. Some of their main players were sick or injured, which gave a chance to the following players to shine and help the team take 3rd place. Ava Stewart - 5’8 - MB - VAE 15s Ava is undersized as a middle blocker, but she plays like she is 6’2. She is very athletic and has a high vertical, which allows her to stop many attacks. She is the secret weapon for the team. Many teams try to take advantage of her size, but they get surprised when they see her ability to jump high. Adalena Rodgers - 5’10 - OH/OPP/S - VAE 15s Adalena is a unique player who can play any position on the court. I call these types of players “true volleyball players”. She is a true leader on and off the court and is always ready for her name to be called, either to serve, set or hit. She can do all of these skills with no problem. Her team is lucky to have a teammate like Adelana. Kadi Pynchon - 5’6 - DS/L - VAE 15s Kadi is the main libero. She is very quiet, but she makes a lot of noise with her movement. You can find Kadi everywhere in the court and she is not afraid to get hit. She is a very quick defender and is at the right place at the right time. Her ball control is great and she has a tricky serve system. You never know what type of service she will have. Caroline Kalinowski - 5’6 - DS/L - VAE 15s Caroline enters the game as a DS. She and Kadi are a great duo in the back row. Every time she goes to the service line, she gives her team a chance to get a lead in the game. Her background in beach volleyball allows her to cover a big space in the court and gives her the advantage of moving from side to side easily