Predicting the Old Dominion Regional Bid Winners

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Many of the teams in the Old Dominion Region prefer to play in the AAU championships in Orlando, Florida rather than the USAV Junior Nationals. Normally, the only teams to represent Old Dominion in the Junior Nationals were East Coast and Beach Elite. Beach Elite has now merged with 757 Volleyball Academy. 757 is not competing in this event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the most part [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] Black and Pink should earn the majority of the bids. Some of the stronger Old Dominion clubs like 540 and [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] National prefer to compete in AAUs in Orlando. 540 is actually competing in the Big South Qualifier the same weekend as the Old Dominion local qualifier, while the [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] regional team is competing in the Old Dominion Regional Bids.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Further down this post is some Chesapeake Region news. <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] 17 Marissa</strong> earned a bid to Junior Nationals. Nothing spectacular about that, except it is the first national bid earned by [program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] since the club was formed. The hope is that many more will follow.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>17s</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>National - [program_tooltip program_id='498498' first='Virginia' last='Wave'], American -<strong> [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club']</strong> Black, Freedom - [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] Zonal</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='498498' first='Virginia' last='Wave'] Elite</strong> - This is one of two [program_tooltip program_id='498498' first='Virginia' last='Wave'] teams competing in the Old Dominion Regionals. They are ranked at 381 nationally by Advanced Event Systems (AES). At the Charm City Challenge they played in the Premier Division and finished an impressive second. A third place finish in the Virginia Beach Brawl included a loss to East Coast Black. Later in the club season they came back and beat [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] Black in the MAPL Raleigh, where they finished eighth out of 45 teams in the 15-18 Division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top Three Ranked Players - class of 2027 middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='465315' first='Ana' last='Breckons'] </strong>(45), libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='238858' first='Allyson' last='Burke']</strong> (61), left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='746353' first='Caroline' last='Clements']</strong> (watch list)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] Black</strong> - East Coast played in the USA Division of the Sunshine Classic finishing 71 out of 86 teams. They lost to Virginia Juniors from the Chesapeake Region. Except for a fifth place finish in the Virginia Beach Brawl, they have not placed well. While they did beat [program_tooltip program_id='498498' first='Virginia' last='Wave'], their only win of the tournament, they subsequently lost to them in the MAPL Raleigh later in the club season. They rank 1,296 nationally according to AES.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top Three Ranked Players - middle/right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='707593' first='Kenzie' last='Smith'] </strong>(49), right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='519180' first='Marian' last='Ratchford'] </strong>(149), setter/right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='643807' first='Alayna' last='Cole']</strong> (152) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] Zona</strong>l - This is their regional team. [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] National is their travel team. In AES the Zonal team carries a higher regional ranking than the National team, however they normally play at the club level in local tournaments. Their 1,155 national ranking falls far behind the travel team (391). This could be a bid that gets reallocated if RVC prefers to play in AAUs in Florida or chooses not to travel at all.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Ranked Players </strong>- setter <strong>Cassidy Zalinsky</strong> (191), libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='734925' first='Elliott' last='Moreno'] </strong>(watch list)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16s</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>National -<strong> [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] Black,</strong> American - <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] Pink,</strong> Freedom - <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'] Zonal </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] Black</strong> - Black has played in a number of tournaments, usually finishing at the lower end of the pack. At the Sunshine Classic they finished 58th out of 88 teams while at the Mideast Qualifier they finished 97th out of 128. In both cases they played in the USA Division. AES ranks them at 1,167 nationally.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Ranked Players</strong> - right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='577517' first='Mia' last='Lynch']</strong> (113), left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='608979' first='Mia' last='Schmidt'] </strong>(133), middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='720452' first='Brianna' last='Douglas']</strong> (watch list)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] Pink</strong> - AES ranks Pink at 1,933 nationally. They played in the Liberty Division of the Sunshine Classic slotting in at 73 out of 128 teams. Their best finish to date was a third place finish out of 19 teams in their most recent tournament, the Carolina Cup,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Ranked Players</strong> - left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='578497' first='Jo' last='Taylor']</strong> (125)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Outbreak Black</strong> - Outbreak did win one of their first tournaments, the Commonwealth Series, in which they beat <strong>Coastal Hampton Roads State</strong>. They do not play in any National Qualifiers during the season. AES ranks them at 1,206 nationally, higher than [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] pink, however their schedule has been very local.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Ranked Players</strong> - No players ranked from this team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>15s</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>National - <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] </strong>Black, American - <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club']</strong> Pink, Freedom - <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='498498' first='Virginia' last='Wave'] Elite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club']</strong> Black - Last year the 14 team got my attention at Junior Nationals finishing 19th in the National Division. They started off the tournament 4-1 but as the competition became stronger they faltered a bit, dropping down to the bronze division. This year they hope to build on that success, starting off the season right with a first place finish in the Virginia Beach Brawl and a ninth place finish at the MAPL Hampton Blue Division. They have recently played in two qualifiers at the USA Division, finishing 53rd at Sunshine Classic and 51st in the Mid East Qualifiers. AES ranks them 276 nationally, the second highest ranking of any Old Dominion Region club playing in this tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Three Prospects</strong> - right side<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='617089' first='India' last='Starr']</strong> (7), left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='746323' first='Isabella' last='Decker']</strong> (51), right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='617092' first='Summer' last='Hillman']</strong> (57) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club']</strong> Pink - The Pink are the number one ranked team in the Old Dominion Region at the 15 age group. They sit at 507 nationally. As a second team they normally play at the club division level instead of open. They won the Club Division at the Virginia Beach Brawl, while also finishing in the top three at two other local tournaments. Pink put up a respectable 37th place in the American Division at the Mideast Qualifier.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Three Prospects</strong> - No ranked players on roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='498498' first='Virginia' last='Wave']</strong> - AES ranks them at 1,935. They took a loss to [program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] Black in their fifth place finish playing in the Virginia Beach Brawl. A recent third place run at the Grand Prix Maryland sets them up well for the local qualifier. The only National Qualifier they have scheduled is the Northeast Qualifier in April.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Three Prospects</strong> - no ranked players. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>14s</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>National - <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club']</strong> Black, American - <strong>SERV Select</strong>, Freedom - <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club']</strong> Pink</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club'] </strong>Black - They rank number 172 nationally with a couple top two finishes in local tournaments. That is the highest national ranking of any team in this tournament. In two Qualifiers they took 23rd in the Sunshine Classic playing in the USA Division, while finishing 29th when they moved up to the Open Division at the Mideast Qualifier.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Ranked Players</strong> - class of 2028 left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='746523' first='Isabella' last='Smith']</strong> (80) and class of 2029 potential ranked prospects right side<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='752412' first='Alexa' last='Whitfield']</strong> and middle/right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='752416' first='Mallory' last='Beeson']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SERV Select </strong>- A 577 AES National ranking based on four top three finishes in regional tournaments. They have no national qualifiers on their schedule.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Ranked Players</strong> - No ranked players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='450416' first='East' last='Coast Volleyball Club']</strong> Pink - Their 354 AES national ranking sits higher than SERV. They finished an impressive 9th place in the American Division at the Sunshine Classic qualifier. A third place finish in the MAPL Hampton 13-14 age group behind the two Chesapeake powerhouses Metro and [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Ranked Players</strong> - No ranked players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>More Chesapeake Regional Bid News</strong> - <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] Earns their First National Bid</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":763457,"width":"455px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/03/amara-2.jpg?w=683" alt="" class="wp-image-763457" style="width:455px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: [player_tooltip player_id='734897' first='Amara' last='Pope'] </figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite']</strong> Marissa 17 earned the first National Bid for the club since they were formed. Last year a couple teams played in the Patriot Division., but that spot is not earned. This year the [program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] Marissa team earned a bid by winning the Reallocation bracket at the Chesapeake Regionals. They won two one set matches, first beating <strong>Maryland Juniors</strong> 25-16 and then taking down <strong>Virginia Elite</strong> 25-13.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] is led by setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='535101' first='Kamora' last='Mack']</strong>. For the most part she set a 5/1 dishing out sets to the high flying middle<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='734897' first='Amara' last='Pope']</strong> and left sides <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='475397' first='Amaya' last='Bowles']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='354086' first='Nina' last='Schweigert']</strong>. Libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='754929' first='Keira' last='McManus']</strong> was one of many who kept the team in system with their back row play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They opened the tournament against number one seed <strong>Metro</strong>. After getting swept in that match they were able to pull out a 17-15 three set victory over <strong>East Coast Power</strong>. Their only loss for the rest of the tournament was against Paramount in the quarter-finals. Their success moved them up to sixth in the Region and 356 nationally.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->