Paramount Dominates at Volley by the James

[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] dominated at the 15-17 age groups this past weekend at Volley by the James. Below is a summary of the Open play. Despite the cold weather and the freezing rain, the games were played. I did not watch as much of the event as I hoped since I was coaching in the morning wave and the bad weather on Saturday discouraged me from taking the trip to the convention center.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/01/IMG_2771-1.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-744476" style="width:776px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Virginia Elite 18</figcaption></figure>   18 Open   Virginia Elite - In their first tournament this year they lost to Metro Travel in the finals at the Maryland Juniors Open. They were the big winners in this age group. They did get beat by Vally Juniors in their second match of the tournament. That seemed a wake up call. They did not lose a set after that loss, sweeping Liberty Elite in the finals.   This is a tough team to beat with [player_tooltip player_id='181243' first='Evelyn' last='Jurden'] attacking right side while also creating offense hitting from the back row and [player_tooltip player_id='181298' first='Ana' last='Toumazatos'] generating offense from the left side. Their back row combo of [player_tooltip player_id='181279' first='Kadi' last='Pynchon'] and [player_tooltip player_id='235291' first='Sadee' last='Gedse'] show range on the defensive end with their quickness. For the most part their passing keeps them in system. Both [player_tooltip player_id='501551' first='Skylar' last='Giuliani'] and [player_tooltip player_id='235306' first='Brianna' last='Washington'] surprise me with how well they play the middle.   Liberty Elite - Liberty Elite went undefeated for the tournament until their match with Virginia Elite. In the semi-finals Maryland Jrs gave them a scare winning the first set 28-26. Liberty Elite battled back to win the next two 25-18 and 15-10. Perhaps exhausted after that win they were swept by Virginia Elite 25-20 and 25-17.   Liberty Elite carries some talent with [player_tooltip player_id='481964' first='Nevaeh' last='Ware'] shoring up the middle. She helped North Hagerstown to the Maryland class 3 state championship. Another state champion from Boonsboro is their outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='569805' first='Larissa' last='Blair']. She recently appeared in our highest climbers for the class of 2025 rankings. [player_tooltip player_id='325602' first='Alexa' last='Smith'] returned from playing at Paramount last year to fill the libero role while setter [player_tooltip player_id='346737' first='Chloe' last='Fisher'] helps run the offense with [player_tooltip player_id='749342' first='Amanda' last='Ingrassia']. Providing the offense from the pins is right side [player_tooltip player_id='346735' first='Emily' last='Ryder'] and class of 2027 left side [player_tooltip player_id='438086' first='Emmeri' last='Bishop'], who is playing up two years. The 6'2" Emmeri can certainly provide the pop, while Emily with her left handed swing from the right side is their go to player when they need a point.   Heart of Virginia (HOV) - One of the surprise teams in this tournament was HOV. After losing their opener to Virginia Elite they went on to win their next four before losing a cross over battle with Liberty Elite. They were swept again by Virginia Elite in the first round of the playoffs but beat Maryland Juniors in three to take third place. They lost the opener but won the next two.   Libero [player_tooltip player_id='305793' first='Meagan' last='Johnson'] slots number 134 in our rankings. Hannah Kim orchestrated the offense. Never got to see HOV play so the remaining players still remain somewhat of a mystery.   Maryland Juniors - They lost their last two matches in the playoffs to slide down to fourth. Middles [player_tooltip player_id='434859' first='Gabriella' last='Prather'] and [player_tooltip player_id='520352' first='Daja' last='Warren'], who both list 6'3" bring length to the middle. The pins with left sides [player_tooltip player_id='520368' first='Tatum' last='Hall'] and [player_tooltip player_id='393939' first='Gabrielle' last='Washington'] and right side [player_tooltip player_id='399508' first='Leana' last='Gould'] bring the offensive fire power. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='520372' first='Olivia' last='McDonough'] can cover the court with her quickness.   17 Open   [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] - [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] upset Metro in the Maryland Juniors Open tournament a couple weeks ago. [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] dropped them down a notch with a three set win over [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] in the championship bracket. They lost the first set 25-18 but came back to win the last two 25-18 and 15-12. The one set [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] won was the only set Parmount lost in the tournament. They swept Jersey Juniors in the other championship bracket match.   [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] is led by setters [player_tooltip player_id='235322' first='Avery' last='Prendergast'], who led Bishop O'Connell to two championships and [player_tooltip player_id='438046' first='Anna' last='Dierks']. [player_tooltip player_id='249330' first='Charlotte' last='Arrington'], [player_tooltip player_id='238356' first='Morgan' last='Reeves'] and [player_tooltip player_id='333650' first='Louise' last='Neuhart'] share the pins. [player_tooltip player_id='498420' first='Meisha' last='Sykes'], [player_tooltip player_id='325599' first='Raegan' last='Lentz'] and [player_tooltip player_id='325603' first='Parker' last='Sutherland'] share the middle, though any of them can also play the right side where the left handed swinging [player_tooltip player_id='325601' first='Sydnee' last='Peters'] also plays. Parker led Hedgesville to the West Viginia state championship. [player_tooltip player_id='493358' first='Kennedy' last='Cummins'] and [player_tooltip player_id='412055' first='Lilly' last='Kennedy'] patrol the back row.   [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] - [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] came into the tournament as the number one ranked team in the Chesapeake Region and number 22 ranked nationally per the Advanced Event System (AES). They justified that ranking by sweeping through all their opponents and then winning the first set against [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last='']. They then stumbled to lose the last two sets.   left side [player_tooltip player_id='181302' first='Kennedy' last='Spaid'] and [player_tooltip player_id='181280' first='Brenna' last='Corbin'] lead [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge']. They will bounce back.   Jersey Juniors took third. They were swept by both [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] and [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] in the bracket play for the gold, knocking them down to third place.   16 Open   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/113-Alyssa-Kumah.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-589253" style="width:383px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">alyssa Kumah</figcaption></figure>   [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] - No question on who the dominant team was in this tournament. They just crushed everyone with an average point ratio of 2.25. Only one team got more than 20 points against them. That was Raleigh United Volleyball Club. Raleigh finished in ninth place. In seven of their 16 sets they limited their opponents to less than 10 points. The second place team [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] lost 25-10 and 25-11 in the championship bracket. They also roasted MVSA Sparks 25-12 and 25-17 in the other championship bracket match.   This team carries gobs of talent on their roster. Playing time issues could be a concern. Four of our top ten players from the class of 2027 play for Paramount. Division I talents to watch for the middles are [player_tooltip player_id='296486' first='Taylor' last='Harrington'] and [player_tooltip player_id='435745' first='Alyssa' last='Kumah']. The 6'3" Taylor crushed an overset so hard the ball bounced over the chairs sitting behind the service line. Alyssa brings a lot of athleticism to the court. Last year she played left side, filling all six rotations for club 540. However she loves playing middle. [player_tooltip player_id='506629' first='Dylann' last='Loggins'] can also dominate in the middle. She played for Maryland Juniors last year. If Paramount chooses to put Alyssa outside or rest either Taylor or Alyssa Dylann still provides solid depth.   On the pins they bring the 6'0" [player_tooltip player_id='528707' first='Annika' last='Dandridge'] to the left side. After watching her play that number six ranking assigned to her in the class of 2026 needs to be upgraded. She plays a strong six rotations and can really bury the ball when hitting down the line. She also came from Maryland Juniors. [player_tooltip player_id='435748' first='Aaliyah' last='Green'] ranks just outside the top ten at 12. Last year she played for [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge']. She showed off a number of impressive defensive plays while playing the back row. [player_tooltip player_id='455102' first='Erin' last='Green'] was not available for this tournament but she can play both pins. [player_tooltip player_id='238595' first='Sofia' last='Delarosa'] from the class of 2026 can do the same as well. [player_tooltip player_id='279856' first='Kayla' last='Luther'] is a smaller outside who hit for them last year. For the most part she will see most of her time at either libero or as a defensive specialist.   The setting duties are shared by [player_tooltip player_id='298857' first='Ingrid' last='Smith'] and [player_tooltip player_id='529251' first='Jessica' last='Li']. Jessica also came from Maryland Juniors. [player_tooltip player_id='536716' first='Diane' last='Nzoupet'] ranks number four in the class of 2028. She may be one of the best liberos in the area with tremendous instincts in the back row. Another talented right side [player_tooltip player_id='534058' first='Alexa' last='Bracey'] got some big hits with her left handed swing against MVSA Sparks. She stands 6'0" and brings an approach jump over 10 feet. While Aaliyah, Annika and Taylor can also soar past the 10 foot mark, only Taylor can exceed Alexa. A talented libero or defensive specialist is [player_tooltip player_id='437980' first='Katherine' last='Madden'] who came from [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge']. It will be interesting to see how this team performs in the Triple Crown.   [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] - While they may have gotten crushed against [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] this team also brings oodles of talent to the court. They were the number one ranked team in the Old Dominion Region with a National Ranking just outside the top 100. They swept through all their other opponents except for Maryland Juniors in the Volley by the James.   Class of 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='536717' first='London' last='Jones'] may be the star of this team. She can fly on the outside. Her defense and passing still need some work but her offensive capabilities are impressive. While [player_tooltip player_id='464573' first='Blake' last='Crawford'] swings left handed she primarily hits left side but can move easily to the right side to give opponents another look. She was voted the Fredericksburg Regional player of the year for this past high school season. She ranks just inside our top 20 for the class of 2027. [player_tooltip player_id='720080' first='Miller' last='Grimes'] played right side but for Covenant her middle play led them to a Division II state championship. She also made the all state for Division II of the VISAA.   At 5'11" [player_tooltip player_id='528727' first='Avery' last='Hurley'] stands tall for a setter. The 85th ranked player in the class of 2026 really impressed with how she ran the offense. [player_tooltip player_id='517814' first='Ashley' last='Grace Johnstone'] was a taller libero at 5'11" who starred as a left side hitter in high school for Collegiate. She shows good communication skills while playing the back row. It appears for this team the libero position is the best spot to fit in this lineup.   MVSA Sparks - The Sparks brought impressive wins against [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] 16 and the [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Allorie to earn a spot in the championship bracket. The third set against [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] they won 15-13 while against [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Allorie they won 15-12. Unfortunately, they were swept once they got to the championship bracket by [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] and the top [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Nick.   [player_tooltip player_id='438097' first='Haile' last='Ma'] also left Maryland Juniors but her destination was to MVSA. She is a strong left side hitter that ranks number 32 in our class of 2027. [player_tooltip player_id='491007' first='Ana' last='Djordjevic'] is the second ranked libero in the class of 2027. She brings all the skills to her game with a tough serve, accurate passing and quick defense. At 6'3" [player_tooltip player_id='465322' first='Siyena' last='Fitsum'] brings height to the middle. She put up a nice block against [player_tooltip player_id='296486' first='Taylor' last='Harrington'], which led to a massive celebration. This is a feat few can accomplish. If her hitting can improve she could be one of the top middles in the area. [player_tooltip player_id='752045' first='Maya' last='Dorsam'] set a 5/1 in the match against [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''].   15 Open   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/Eireni-Scott1.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-732499" style="width:282px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='569865' first='Eireni' last='Scott']</figcaption></figure>   [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Maureen - Another Paramount team that did not lose a set as they rolled over their competition. Their point differential of 1.96 fell short of the [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Nick team but it is still impressive. They also bring some scary height to the floor. Five players stand over 6 foot with middle [player_tooltip player_id='744453' first='Megan' last='Elder'] being the only player to bring an approach jump of over 10 feet. The only team that reached 20 points against them was [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'], who finished third in the tournament.   They have three impressive pins in [player_tooltip player_id='550688' first='Sienna' last='Mitchell'], [player_tooltip player_id='554770' first='Rujuta' last='Singh'] and [player_tooltip player_id='569865' first='Eireni' last='Scott'] who all earned top performer awards at the frosh Prep Dig showcase in August. Rujuta started for Langley and powered the kill through the block to capture the third set of the championship game 15-13. Sienna played middle and right side for Colgan in their state championship run while Eireni was one of two frosh to make the ISL A Division All-Leage team. Sienna played right side in the game I watched. The other right side is the 6'1' left hander [player_tooltip player_id='744456' first='Savannah' last='Parker'], who can really put some mustard on the ball. As a frosh she played part time for West Virginia state champion Hedgesville.   [player_tooltip player_id='744453' first='Megan' last='Elder'] is a middle with a nice swing who already carries an approach jump of over 10 feet. The 6'2" [player_tooltip player_id='720348' first='Milena' last='Kibret'] did not play in the match that I watched but she helped West Springfield reach the state playoffs. She finished second on the team in blocks and third in kills as a sophomore. The two middles who played were [player_tooltip player_id='545727' first='Giuliana' last='Mastrangelo'] and [player_tooltip player_id='744458' first='Arielle' last='Stopak']. Giuliana measures 6'3" while Arielle is "only" 6'1".   [player_tooltip player_id='722541' first='Lily' last='Gurney'] impresses with her libero play. She also gets a good jump when showing off her float serve. Lily brings some flashy athleticism to the libero role. [player_tooltip player_id='749346' first='Ellyn' last='Kim'] and [player_tooltip player_id='735315' first='Zaire' last='Hewlett'] shared the setting responsibilities.   [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Cruz - They took second place with their surprise win over [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] in the championship bracket. During regular bracket play they lost two matches, one against MVSA Charge and the other to Valley Juniors. They were also no match against [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Maureen, losing 25-13 and 25-9 in the championship bracket. Reaching second place was still quite the accomplishment for them.   Setters [player_tooltip player_id='722900' first='Amanda' last='Dadio'] and [player_tooltip player_id='630678' first='Iris' last='Jin'] led the offense. Iris set a 5/1 for Thomas Jefferson this past high school season. While Amanda did not start for the Paul VI varsity last year, she works extremely hard to improve her game. She usually shows up 30 minutes to an hour before practice to work on her setting or defense. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='744471' first='Olivia' last='Harris'] played good defense. She stood her ground against the powerful hits from [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Maureen. [player_tooltip player_id='693144' first='Layla' last='Babiker'] played a strong left side. Despite being a second team they were ranked higher in AES than Paramount Maureen coming into this tournament.   [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] - [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] lost a three set match to the Libero Huskies in their only loss in bracket play. Their biggest loss came against [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Cruz in the championship bracket. After losing the opener 25-23 they lost the second set 25-17.   [player_tooltip player_id='536736' first='Alexis' last='Stephens'] is a 6'2" middle who can dominate a game. She plays with her sister Samantha for Spring Mills in West Virginia. [player_tooltip player_id='536738' first='Avery' last='Fauver'] and [player_tooltip player_id='610473' first='Catherine' last='Warren'] impressed from the left side. [player_tooltip player_id='730594' first='Gianna' last='Molfino'] plays right side. [player_tooltip player_id='536737' first='Sophia' last='Zimmerman'] shared setting duties with [player_tooltip player_id='752047' first='Teagan' last='Braun-Duin']. [player_tooltip player_id='744473' first='Sophie' last='Weir'] put away a couple good spikes against the Libero Huskies.   14 Open   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/Emerson-Wolfe.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-732503" style="width:441px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='622282' first='Emerson' last='Wolfe']</figcaption></figure>   Maryland Juniors - I did not get a chance to see the Maryland Juniors team play at the Volley by the James but I saw enough of them at a Maryland Juniors tournament to know they had talent. They breezed through their opponents with a 1.83 point ratio. They swept every team in the eight matches they played. Just like they did at the Maryland Juniors Open tournament, they swept past [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] in the championship bracket 25-13 and 25-15 to win the Volley by the James. The only team they gave up 20 points to was against MVSA Force in the other championship bracket match. Last year this team won a bronze medal at Junior Nationals in the National Division at the 13U age group.   The key for this team is in their outsides [player_tooltip player_id='622282' first='Emerson' last='Wolfe'] and [player_tooltip player_id='748487' first='Sierra' last='Thomas']. Emerson belongs to the class of 2028, earned a top performer award at our Frosh Prep Dig showcase and started for Holy Cross as a left side. The two middles [player_tooltip player_id='748492' first='Paetyn' last='Brown'] and [player_tooltip player_id='748496' first='Azana' last='Saheed'] are already proficient at running quick sets in the middle. When I watched them at the Maryland Juniors tournament they ran an offense with [player_tooltip player_id='749358' first='Eva' last='Bujanauskas'] setting from the front row while [player_tooltip player_id='748500' first='Katherine' last='Liu'] set in the back row. [player_tooltip player_id='748513' first='Scarlett' last='Netherton'] provides offense from the right side.   [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] - In bracket play [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] swept through all their opponents except for [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] Cozad where they won the third set 15-7 to remain undefeated. They went three against MVSA Force in their first championship bracket match, winning the third set 15-13. They were swept by Maryland Juniors in their second championship bracket match.   The two players who impressed from [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] were [player_tooltip player_id='749349' first='Avery' last='Curtis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='749353' first='Brielle' last='Wolf']. Avery put up a good block, which for a 14 is impressive. Brielle brings a good swing from the left side. [player_tooltip player_id='749362' first='Jersi' last='Blundell'] stood out for her libero play while Lauren Barnhart did a nice job setting. She is actually shown as being from the class of 2030. [player_tooltip player_id='752052' first='Ellie' last='Palmer'] also plays brings a good swing to the left side.   MVSA Force - Just like at the Maryland Juniors Open tournament a couple weeks ago MVSA finished as the third place team in Volley by the James. They impressively swept through their matches in bracket play. In the championship bracket they lost to both Maryland Juniors and [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'].   We have not really watched this team to comment on any of their players.   Prospect Impresses on the Officials Stand   Normally, when I go to these events I find prospects who play on the court. This is one time I identified a prospect who was wearing an officials uniform. Her name is [player_tooltip player_id='749364' first='Kaiya' last='Lian'] and she was the head official for many of the 13U matches. She did a much better job on the stand working our game than we played. We got swept battling for the top spot in the second division.   Kaiya plays for Alleghany High. She belongs to the class of 2025. Alleghany reached the class three Virginia state championships but lost in the first round to Christiansburg. She stands 5'10 and earned a second team all state selection in Class 3. She led her team in kills, digs and service aces. Quite the impressive player and a very good official. From what I understand she is not playing club ball, but she is considering some college offers from smaller schools. Good luck to her.   Results from First 18 National Qualifiers   Three team played in the Windy City Qualifier in Chicago. They all played in the Open Division. None of them earned a bid, although Metro earned a spot in the gold bracket.   Metro finished in fifth place at 5-4. In the gold bracket matches they went 1-2. First Alliance and AVC Gold played for the championship. In the third place match OT Tony won a third set over MIElite Mizuno 16-14 for the third and last bid. Metro is led by [player_tooltip player_id='181303' first='Isabelle' last='Bardin'], [player_tooltip player_id='181763' first='Jada' last='Aksu'] and [player_tooltip player_id='181300' first='Alexis' last='Ewing'].   [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] finished in 19th place out of 28 teams. They lost their first two matches which immediately eliminated them from a bid. They did win three of their last four matches to finish 4-5 overall. [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] is led by [player_tooltip player_id='235283' first='Racquel' last='Frazier'], [player_tooltip player_id='702631' first='McKenna' last='Brown'] and [player_tooltip player_id='326533' first='Shiraz' last='Benyoucef'].

Paramount dominated at the 15-17 age groups this past weekend at Volley by the James. Below is a summary of the Open play. Despite the cold weather and the freezing rain, the games were played. I did not watch as much of the event as I hoped since I was coaching in the morning wave and the bad weather on Saturday discouraged me from taking the trip to the convention center.