Three Clubs Three Age Groups High Expectations

The club season is about to start. Teams are practicing two to three times per week to get used to each other as teammates. Rosters are still sparse but below are three clubs at the 18U, 17U and 16U age groups that have high expectations. An alternate team has also been named.   18U Virginia Elite    At 5'9" Ava may be a bit undersized for a middle or a right side. Her athleticism allows her to do many things a taller middle or right side fail to achieve. For the Colonials she led the team in kills and blocks. She also ranked third in aces.   Ava is just one of three uncommitted players for Virginia Elite. [player_tooltip player_id='478765' first='Amy' last='Ye'], a 6'0" setter and libero [player_tooltip player_id='235291' first='Sadee' last='Gedse'] are the other two. Sadee ranks as the top player in the class of 2025 that has yet to commit.   Ava brings a block jump of 9'2". Her approach jump reaches 9'8". Her volleyball IQ will identify the empty areas of the court.    When you look at this team you see a roster of winners at the high school level. You begin with their two left sides [player_tooltip player_id='475116' first='Jocelyn' last='Pye'] (John Hopkins) and [player_tooltip player_id='181298' first='Ana' last='Toumazatos'] (James Madison) who each led their team to state championships. Jocelyn won a spot on the first team all state for the VISAA while Ana won a spot for the VISL. The other outside [player_tooltip player_id='235289' first='Adalene' last='Rodgers'] (Williams College) made first team in the ISL and second team state in the VISAA. Adalene also set and hit for the Potomac School.   On the right side they also have a first team All State player in [player_tooltip player_id='181243' first='Evelyn' last='Jurden'] (New Hampshire). Her six rotation play carried West Springfield to the semi-finals of the Class 6 state championship where they ultimately lost to eventual state champion Langley. She hit back row and front row, finishing third in the state of Virginia with 601 kills. Her swings were quite effective carrying a .407 hitting percentage.   Another first team all state (VISAA) selection was middle [player_tooltip player_id='501551' first='Skylar' last='Giuliani'] (Emory), who combined with Adalena to provide the offense for Potomac. They reached the semi-finals in the VISAA. before eventually losing in five to Flint Hill, falling 15-13 in the fifth set. Sharing the middle with Skylar is [player_tooltip player_id='235306' first='Brianna' last='Washington'] (Memphis) and [player_tooltip player_id='181310' first='Ava' last='Stewart'] (Uncommitted). Brianna brings some height at 5'11" with an approach jump that slides just over 10 feet. At 5'9" Ava is undersized but relies on timing and hops to record her blocks.   The two setters [player_tooltip player_id='181242' first='Shylah' last='Swope'] (William and Mary) and [player_tooltip player_id='478765' first='Amy' last='Ye'] (uncommitted) could combine in a number of ways. They could set a 6/2 or modified 5/1 with Shylah setting in the front row and Amy in the back. At 6'0" Amy has the height to block the front row. She finished fourth on the team in blocks but more importantly her setting helped Richard Montgomery win a second Maryland state championship. That gives Virginia Elite three state champions. Shylah chose not to play her senior season in high school but last year set for the 17 team that finished 13th playing in the National Division of Junior Nationals. She carries an impressive 9'9" approach jump, one of the highest on the team.   For the libero position Virginia Elite has the two top ranked liberos in the DMV area for the class of 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='181279' first='Kadi' last='Pynchon'] (Lafayette) and [player_tooltip player_id='235291' first='Sadee' last='Gedse'] (Uncommitted). If they play to expectations the passing should stay consistently in system while their defensive play will keep rallies alive. [player_tooltip player_id='698132' first='Carolina' last='Parkhurst'] is the multi tool player who can fit either right side or middle. At 6'0" she can bring some height to the front row.   Alternative 18U Metro   Metro can also respond with three state champions in right side [player_tooltip player_id='181763' first='Jada' last='Aksu'] (Lafayette), middle [player_tooltip player_id='181309' first='Brianna' last='Holladay'] (Virginia Tech) and back row player [player_tooltip player_id='249341' first='Baylee' last='Doolan'] (Navy), although Baylee missed her high school season because of a knee injury. What separates Metro from other teams is their athleticism. They have two players with an approach jump of 10'7" and 10 rostered players belonging to the 10 feet or above club. Virginia Elite only has one player who can reach 10 feet.   Metro picked up a new player in setter [player_tooltip player_id='727892' first='Alexis' last='Badu'] (George Washington) who stands 6'0" but carries an approach jump of 10'7". That is pretty good for a setter. The other Alexis, left side [player_tooltip player_id='181300' first='Alexis' last='Ewing'] (Penn State) also carries an approach jump of 10'7". The other setter [player_tooltip player_id='181303' first='Isabelle' last='Bardin'] (Purdue) brings an approach jump of 10'4". For Flint Hill she played left side and set, registering triple doubles in almost half her matches.   Last year at Junior Nationals Virginia Elite finished 13th in the National Division while Metro finished 33rd. They did not get an opportunity to play each other in Las Vegas.   17U Metro    Claire knows how to run an offense. She has been the setter for Langley the last two years when they won the state championship. Last year she ran a 5/1.   She will not overwhelm you with any hard driven balls. She knows her role as a setter. That is to find the most effective hitter. She not only was voted to the first team for her District, Region and State, but she was also voted the player of the year in all three of those categories.   This will be her first year with Metro. The last two years she set for Paramount, always playing a year up. This will be the first time she plays at her class level.    Last year Metro 16 was my pick as a team with high expectations. They did well by winning an Open bid but in the Junior Nationals they were knocked out of the gold bracket in the first round. Once eliminated from the gold bracket they appeared to play for next year rather than winning the silver bracket. They hope for different results this year with almost the same cast of characters.   The pins will define the success of this team. Emma Gardner moved to Oklahoma so that lessoned the number of pins competing for playing time. The most complete player in this group is [player_tooltip player_id='303701' first='Caydence' last='Doolan'] (Marquette) who led North Hagerstown to a state championship. She plays a strong back row passing and playing defense while also providing offense there. The other pins are borderline six rotation players when playing at the higher levels.   [player_tooltip player_id='301696' first='Nadiya' last='Johnson'] (Baylor) also won a state championship with Riverside. Her approach jump reaches an amazing 10'8". Last summer she made the roster of the Junior National team. With Nadiya hitting right side bombs Riverside won the state championship. [player_tooltip player_id='227251' first='Morgan' last='Williams'] (Tennessee), [player_tooltip player_id='555602' first='Bryah' last='Breaux'] (Kentucky) and [player_tooltip player_id='220923' first='Soleil' last='Rancourt'] (uncommitted) are their other pins. Morgan and Bryah each stand 6'4" while Soleil stands 6'2". Not many teams can match the Metro pins for height.   Metro picked up the top setter in the DMV area in [player_tooltip player_id='238357' first='Claire' last='Mo'] (Uncommitted). She set Langley to their second straight championship, earning a spot on the first team Class 6 state roster, but also being voted player of the year. Last year [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] used her in a 5/1 as did Langley this year. With a plethora of pins Metro will probably run a 6/2 and use [player_tooltip player_id='325600' first='Taryn' last='Su'] (Uncommitted) or [player_tooltip player_id='321677' first='Charis' last='Burge'] (Syracuse) as the second setter. Taryn set Wootten to the finals of the Maryland State championship, before losing to Richard Montgomery.   The libero position is solid with [player_tooltip player_id='265167' first='Laila' last='Chadwick'] (Uncommitted) holding the spot. She hit left side for Madison at the start of the season but moved to libero for the playoffs. Laila also won Class 6 first team All State honors, the only sophomore to do so. [player_tooltip player_id='238358' first='Evie' last='Huang'] (George Washington) repeats at the 17U age group. Prior to that she had always played a year up but a knee injury sidelined her for her high school season. At 5'9" [player_tooltip player_id='377326' first='Elly' last='Vanlandingham'] stands tall for a libero. While it would be ideal to have a pin hitting bics in the back row if the passing struggles the offense stalls. Those three give the team balance.   There could be a lot of mixing and matching with middles.[player_tooltip player_id='238341' first='Teodora' last='Stamenkovic'] (Uncommitted) and [player_tooltip player_id='333652' first='Gabriella' last='Vizek'] (Uncommitted) will see the majority of playing time. Teo led Bishop O'Connell to a VISAA state championship and a WCAC championship, a first for the school. She also earned a spot on the first team for VISAA states. Gabbie led Riverside to their first ever VISL state championship and also received first team recognition.   Other middles include [player_tooltip player_id='321676' first='Gabrielle' last='Wigglesworth'] (Uncommitted), who missed much of the high school season with injury, but helped Georgetown Day win their third consecutive DC state championship. Another is [player_tooltip player_id='321679' first='Simone' last='Assasie'] (Uncommitted), who like Gabrielle stands just 5'9". Simone though brings a nice vertical to get her approach jump to 10'2". She also has a long wing span to get her hands high over the net.   If you lost count, they carry six state champions on their roster.   Alternative 17U [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge']   [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] carries the top three players from three time state champion James Wood, with left side turned libero [player_tooltip player_id='181280' first='Brenna' last='Corbin'] (James Madison), left side [player_tooltip player_id='181302' first='Kennedy' last='Spaid'] (Arizona State/Beach) and middle [player_tooltip player_id='320815' first='Tenley' last='Mattison'] Uncommitted). They also have [player_tooltip player_id='520349' first='Lauren' last='Hobbs'] (Christopher Newport) who set a 5/1 for North Hagerstown, leading them to a Maryland State championship. The wild card could be class of 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='511457' first='Breeze' last='Johnson']. Breeze is listed as a practice player, which indicates possibly a focus on beach this year. She stands 6'0" and can both set and hit. She is the number one ranked prospect in the class of 2028.   16U Paramount    Taylor ranks as the top prospect for Virginia in the class of 2027. At 6'2" with an extended reach she is a difficult hitter to block, even when the sets are a little higher in the middle. At the Junior Nationals it was not uncommon for two blockers to come up with her. Despite that, she rarely gets blocked.   For Wakefield the roster lists her as a middle/outside. She could have gotten some opportunity to get in some pin work. Paramount does have a lot of options for the pin so Taylor will again fill the middle role for Paramount. The interesting thing to look for is whether she will be swinging at the quick tempo sets this year. This would open up the pins more.    Last year the 15U team was given the high expectation moniker. They qualified for Open in the Junior Nationals finishing 29th out of 36 teams. After getting off to a slow start, winning just one of their first four matches they won four of their next five. With some new additions they have improved their offense this year.   They still have the number one prospect from the class of 2027 in [player_tooltip player_id='296486' first='Taylor' last='Harrington']. Her high school team shot out of the gate fast, winning their first three matches, but then lost their next 13. Last year Taylor played the middle and relied on hitting the higher sets. This led to double and triple blocks on her. It will be interesting to see if they plan on using her more for the quick tempo sets.   The two other middles are new to the team. Last year [player_tooltip player_id='506629' first='Dylann' last='Loggins'] played for Maryland Jrs. She blocks well and hits the quick tempo sets. Her setter from Maryland Jrs [player_tooltip player_id='529251' first='Jessica' last='Li'] has also joined the team so that should help. Dylann played for a strong Howard team that went undefeated until losing to Wootton in the Maryland state semifinals. [player_tooltip player_id='435745' first='Alyssa' last='Kumah'] can hit middle or left side. Last year she played some outside for 540 Academy, playing six rotations. She can dominate a game from either position.   The big addition is left side [player_tooltip player_id='528707' first='Annika' last='Dandridge']. At 6'1"she can dominate a game. She was the main hitter for Maryland Jrs last year. This year she will be joined on the pins by [player_tooltip player_id='435748' first='Aaliyah' last='Green'], who played for [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] last year. Aaliyah also hit left side for Millbrook high school. [player_tooltip player_id='279856' first='Kayla' last='Luther'], who at 5'7" is a bit undersized for a pin can also play here but will probably spend more time in the back row as a defensive specialist.   Paramount will carry three right sides. [player_tooltip player_id='238595' first='Sofia' last='Delarosa'] and [player_tooltip player_id='455102' first='Erin' last='Green'] can hit from both pins. Sofia was named to the WCAC first team as a left side hitter for Bishop McNamara. Erin played mostly right side for Chantilly but was used a lot on the left side. [player_tooltip player_id='534058' first='Alexa' last='Bracey'] brings a left handed swing perfectly suited for the right side. At 6'0" she can also put up a strong block.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/05/IMG_4042.jpeg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-544333" style="width:240px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='529251' first='Jessica' last='Li']</figcaption></figure>   The two setters will be [player_tooltip player_id='298857' first='Ingrid' last='Smith'], who has been setting for Paramount for awhile and newcomer [player_tooltip player_id='529251' first='Jessica' last='Li']. Ingrid set for Dominion and got them to the States but they lost to three time state champ James Wood in the first round. Jessica set for Glenelg. They had a great season but fell short of making the state bracket. Both setters can run a 5/1 and depending on the need to carry strong pin hitters they can run a 6/2.   [player_tooltip player_id='536716' first='Diane' last='Nzoupet'] ranks as the top libero in the class of 2028. She plays a year up. Even as a frosh she earned a spot on the first team all District. [player_tooltip player_id='279856' first='Kayla' last='Luther'] will see some back row play as will [player_tooltip player_id='437980' first='Katherine' last='Madden'], another quality libero from [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge']. Katherine played with [player_tooltip player_id='435748' first='Aaliyah' last='Green'] last year with [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] when they finished ninth in the AAU Premier Division.   No real weaknesses on this team. It will be interesting to see how they compete in the Triple Crown.   Alternative 16U team Virginia Juniors   They do not have rosters up but Virginia Juniors 15U team did well in the Junior Nationals USA Division last year, finishing in 13th place out of 36 teams. If [player_tooltip player_id='357402' first='Coco' last='Lewis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='438068' first='Ayla' last='Sayd'] return to hit left side and 6'2" [player_tooltip player_id='484960' first='Kinsley' last='Zebatto'] returns as the right side they will be tough to beat. [player_tooltip player_id='206729' first='Megan' last='Phan'] ran the offense playing a year down and [player_tooltip player_id='438070' first='Camryn' last='Coulther'] combined with [player_tooltip player_id='472384' first='Kate' last='Bickel'] to smother the back row. It will be interesting to see who they have added to enhance the roster. The good news is these players do not appear on the rosters of Metro or Paramount.

The club season is about to start. Teams are practicing two to three times per week to get used to each other as teammates. Rosters are still sparse but below are three clubs at the 18U, 17U and 16U age groups that have high expectations. An alternate team has also been named.