Preview of the Inaugural Maryland Prep Dig Top 250 Expo

This will be a smaller gathering than other Prep Dig events held in the DMV area. The advantage with that comes the opportunity to see the skills of all the players in attendance. At the larger events it is difficult to assess the true skills of all the players in the small window of competition. Many find themselves lost in the crowd. The advantage to these smaller events is it provides an opportunity for greater player exposure.   Technically, this will be the first Maryland Prep Dig Top 250 Expo. Last year we ran our first Virginia Prep Dig Top 250 Expo in Springfield. That event sold out quickly. Perhaps Baltimore was not the best area to run our first major Prep Dig Maryland event. The stronger volleyball clubs and high schools tend to reside in southern Maryland, like Rockville and Bethesda. Our DMV event held in Rockville Maryland last week attracted 87 players.   The challenge with the DC, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area is their nearness to each other. Many players who reside in Maryland play club ball in Virginia and vice versa. Metro, a DC club attracts players from both Maryland and Virginia. Even players from West Virginia and Pennsylvania play for clubs in Virginia or Maryland and find themselves placed in our Virginia rankings. So, player location is pretty fluid in this area.   Another advantage about this event is that it will be the first Prep Dig event without a returning top performer or player ranked in the top ten in one of our classes. While it is fun and exciting to compete against players highly ranked these events are geared towards those who lack the opportunity to gain exposure. Whether you play for a smaller school or reside in an area not near the local scout these events provide an opportunity to be seen. For this event it will be the first Prep Dig appearance for many of these players.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/Caroline-Apergis.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-589294" style="width:291px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">caroline apergis</figcaption></figure>   Of the retuning players [player_tooltip player_id='290419' first='Sanai' last='Jones'], a 5'4" setter from North Stafford, [player_tooltip player_id='731633' first='Catherine' last='Martinez'] a libero from Manchester Valley and [player_tooltip player_id='530364' first='Caroline' last='Apergis'] a libero from Holton Arms, stand out.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/1-Catherine-Martinez.jpg?w=830" alt="" class="wp-image-729609" style="width:163px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='731633' first='Catherine' last='Martinez']</figcaption></figure>   Holton Arms won the Independent School League (ISL) Division A championships this year. This will bump them up to Division AA next year. Caroline used that strong libero play for Holton Arms to earn a spot on the Metro 16 travel team. She also shined with Mojo last year at the Spooky Nook tournament. [player_tooltip player_id='290419' first='Sanai' last='Jones'] set for North Stafford. The Wolverines fell just short of making the state playoff bracket. They advanced to Regionals where they lost in the first round to Battlefield. Catherine plays for Manchester Valley. If not for the Prep Dig event last year the talented libero would not be ranked.   Other players who stand out for their play are [player_tooltip player_id='721145' first='Claire' last='Tepper'], who played a strong middle for Bethesda Chevy Chase at the Battle of Bethesda. Although only a frosh, her play at middle was critical in handing Class 4 state champion Richard Montgomery their only loss of the season. You also have [player_tooltip player_id='321680' first='Talia' last='DoCarmo'] who plays for a strong Urbana team. My first exposure to Talia came when she played for a Metro regional team. Although undersized at 5'8" she provided a strong offensive presence on the left side. She ranks at number 88 in our class of 2026.   Ava Wang and [player_tooltip player_id='377331' first='Sofia' last='Sossa'] both play for Wootton high school, which reached the finals of the Class 4 Maryland state championships this year before losing to Richard Montgomery. Sofia ranks number 148 in our class of 2026. She can set or play the libero position depending on need.   For the remaining players this should be my first exposure to them. Looking forward to a fun afternoon of volleyball.

This will be a smaller gathering than other Prep Dig events held in the DMV area. The advantage with that comes the opportunity to see the skills of all the players in attendance. At the larger events it is difficult to assess the true skills of all the players in the small window of competition. Many find themselves lost in the crowd. The advantage to these smaller events is it provides an opportunity for greater player exposure.