18s Bring a Different Vibe This Year

There was a time when the 18 teams were guided by the top coaches at their club. There was a sense of pride to finish off your club season with a national championship by your most senior team. The club had spent four or more years on a player's development and finished it off with a championship. As pressure mounted for the 18s to report early to college club seasons got shorter to accommodate that need. The participation continued to disappoint forcing clubs to add talented 17s to replace them. However, the departures continued like water escaping from a crack in a dam.   Now, many of those top club coaches who ran the 18s teams have dropped to 17s. Filling the 18s team has been a challenge. Some promote a number of 17s to play with 18s. However, the difficulty with that is the 18s are not as closely watched by colleges as the younger age groups. Almost all of the power fives have reached their fill of recruits for that final year and are more focused on the younger ages. With college oversight minimal at the 18 division the 17s are becoming more reluctant to play at that age group. In prior years it was a badge of honor to play 18s. Now, you may be limiting your opportunities. Of course, there are always exceptions.   On the college side, especially for the Power 4s taking a Moneyball approach to recruiting can help you steal some pretty solid talent. There are still some very impressive 18s who have yet to commit playing at this age level. And while you are at it you may run across a 17 or two who has been missed by a power five. Below I look at some of the local clubs that are playing at Maryland Juniors 18 Open this weekend to see what is available. The menu is pretty full but is the food really that good. Come out to Maryland Juniors facility this weekend and have a taste.   For informational purposes 9 of the top ten ranked players in the class of 2026 are off the menu. They will not be playing 18s this club season, but they were all committed anyways. New, uncommitted players have filled their shoes. Time to whet your appetite with the new dishes.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Metro</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/Skyler-Riley.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-732556" style="aspect-ratio:1.501502019107653;width:471px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='716365' first='Skyler' last='Riley']</figcaption></figure>   The team that finished third last year in the 17 open junior nationals has lost an All Star team of talent with the departures of [player_tooltip player_id='303701' first='Caydence' last='Doolan'], [player_tooltip player_id='227251' first='Morgan' last='Williams'], [player_tooltip player_id='301696' first='Nadiya' last='Johnson'], [player_tooltip player_id='555602' first='Bryah' last='Breaux'], [player_tooltip player_id='321677' first='Charis' last='Burge'], [player_tooltip player_id='238341' first='Teodora' last='Stamenkovic'] and others I may have missed. All have committed to college. [player_tooltip player_id='265167' first='Laila' last='Chadwick'], who had always been playing a year up will now play her age at 17s. Even she is committed to Oklahoma.   To replace those players, they had to find them at other clubs or promote from their regional teams. In normal years Metro 18 would play with a minimal number of uncommitted athletes. This year it appears that at least eight of the players on their roster lack a commitment. An early watch could gain some sleepers, especially at the Division III level.   [player_tooltip player_id='716365' first='Skyler' last='Riley'] outside - One of two players from the class of 2027 on their roster. She replaced Lameen Mambu as the top outside hitter at Chantilly. If you compare the numbers from Mimi with Skyler as juniors they are similar. Skyler can terminate. She led the Chargers in kills averaging 3.8 per set but still needs to work on her consistency. At 5'10 she has an approach jump of 10 feet. She ranks at number 30 in our class of 2027 but there exist loads of potential in her game.   [player_tooltip player_id='220923' first='Soleil' last='Rancourt'] outside - One of the few returning players who had yet to commit. Her playing time was always sparse with so many talented players ahead of her. Lots of colleges missed out on her talent. This high school season she won player of the year for the Cedar District and Region 6B playing for the Patriots. She also earned Class 6 first team all state honors. Now, she should finally stand out as one of the starting outsides this club season. Soleil stands 6'2" with an approach jump of 9'10'. In my top 25 ranked players of 2026 she is my second highest ranked player yet to commit.   [player_tooltip player_id='412055' first='Lilly' last='Kennedy'] libero - The last couple seasons she has played libero for [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last='']. Every year a new libero candidate would come in to compete for the position, but Lilly always came out on top. For National Cathedral she showed her versatility by taking over the setting position as well as hitting outside. She only stands 5'5" but she ranked second on the team in kills and first in assists. Lilly let her younger sister handle the libero role. Clearly, a very underappreciated player for what she has accomplished.   Other uncommitted players to watch - [player_tooltip player_id='493358' first='Kennedy' last='Cummins'] Libero, [player_tooltip player_id='809679' first='Jewel' last='Moore'] pin, [player_tooltip player_id='325601' first='Sydnee' last='Peters'] right side, [player_tooltip player_id='321678' first='Elaina' last='Murphy'] pin/defensive specialist, [player_tooltip player_id='325599' first='Raegan' last='Lentz'] pin - I show Raegan committed to Amherst. Metro has her uncommitted.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last='']</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/06/76-Joelle-Vassor.jpg?w=837" alt="" class="wp-image-781899" style="width:293px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='753439' first='Joelle' last='Vassor']</figcaption></figure>   They lost a number of players to Metro but they have picked up a number of talented players from other clubs, especially from the Maryland Juniors pipeline. Two of their most talented players belong to the class of 2027.   [player_tooltip player_id='849619' first='Kiya' last='Boggan'] middle/right side - At 6'3" this class of 2027 can bring a dominating presence to the net. The fluidity in her swing still brings some inconsistency but their still exists loads of potential. For Montgomery Blair she led her team in kills with an impressive .564 hitting percentage while also leading her team in blocks. She made my Maryland all tournament team for this past high school season.   [player_tooltip player_id='753439' first='Joelle' last='Vassor'] defensive specialist - This class of 2027 defensive specialist had a pretty special season playing for the number one ranked team in the area Howard. She made some pretty incredible digs from the lightning bolts fired at her by [player_tooltip player_id='303701' first='Caydence' last='Doolan'] on the other side of the net. In the end, Howard finished undefeated while winning a Maryland state championship.   [player_tooltip player_id='346815' first='Isard' last='Bernades'] defensive specialist/pin - She hit outside for her high school Glenelg, leading the team in kills. At 5'9" she switches to the libero/defensive specialist position when playing club. Just a pure volleyball player who will give you tons of hustle.   Other uncommitted players to watch - [player_tooltip player_id='367784' first='Alexis' last='Steinmetz'] setter, [player_tooltip player_id='702631' first='McKenna' last='Brown'] pin, [player_tooltip player_id='621440' first='Kylee' last='Plumb'] setter, [player_tooltip player_id='734791' first='Sophia' last='Jenkins'] right side,[player_tooltip player_id='779810' first='Julianna' last='Larocco'] setter/defensive specialist   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge']</h2>   The two big losses for [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] are [player_tooltip player_id='181302' first='Kennedy' last='Spaid'] and [player_tooltip player_id='181280' first='Brenna' last='Corbin']. The duo brought [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] into the elite category. This year's team is reliant on players all from the 2026 class. While it may lack superstars this year's team will rely on steady talent strong in the fundamentals. Those kinds of players attract winners.   [player_tooltip player_id='739911' first='Colette' last='Mercker'] middle/right side - She only recently started playing volleyball. One of those players limited by expenses however, loaded with immense talent who just keeps improving every year. At 6'0" she has the height and the versatility to play middle or right side. Her serve is also difficult to pass. A real diamond in the rough. After the club season ended last year, she was named my most surprising player.   [player_tooltip player_id='320814' first='Alycia' last='Miller'] libero/defensive specialist - At this time of year there always seem to be a number of uncommitted liberos available. Alycia plays libero for Musselman, one of the top high schools in West Virginia. She led the team in digs, scooping up a little over six digs per set. Last year she won the best server award at Capitol Hill Classic. Unfortunately for her, the last two years she was restricted to defensive specialist while [player_tooltip player_id='181280' first='Brenna' last='Corbin'] played libero. With [player_tooltip player_id='181280' first='Brenna' last='Corbin'] sitting the year out the libero position is hers. Might be a wise decision to check her out.   Other uncommitted players to watch - Calle Hose defensive specialist, [player_tooltip player_id='239323' first='Ava' last='Barvick'] pin   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Maryland Juniors</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/85-Sadie-Fester.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-589227" style="aspect-ratio:1.501502019107653;width:386px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='374420' first='Sadie' last='Fester']</figcaption></figure>   They have lost a number of players to other clubs. That does not prevent them from pulling from their inventory of players competing at lower levels. It also appears they have picked up some talent from other clubs, including Paramount. As far as I can see all players are from the class of 2026. At this time no formal roster appears on their website.   [player_tooltip player_id='238595' first='Sofia' last='Delarosa'] left side/right side - Sofia has moved from [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] where she always played a year down. Now she plays her age. For her high school she played left side and led her team in kills. For [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] she played right side. She needs better consistency with her swings and at 5'10" she is probably best suited for Division III. However, she does have game and is well worth a look.   [player_tooltip player_id='374420' first='Sadie' last='Fester'] setter - Perhaps one of my favorite setters in the group. She did a nice job of setting Georgetown Visitation to a second place finish to Georgetown Day in the Independent School League (ISL). For the Cubs she set a 5/1, plays her position well on defense and serves well. At 5'9" she has decent height, finishing third on her team in blocks. She also earned a spot on the ISL first team.   [player_tooltip player_id='238376' first='Anasofia' last='Zanellato'] setter/right side - Many teams used her as a setter only in the front row because of her 6'0" height. McNamara started using her in a 5/1 but also ran a 6/2 allowing her to hit from the right side. She finished fourth on her team in kills. Maryland Juniors also has another quality setter on the roster in [player_tooltip player_id='754942' first='Xinyuan' last='Cui']. It is unclear how they plan to use the three setters.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">MVSA Chaos</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/84-Mia-Fornasiero.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-589226" style="aspect-ratio:1.501502019107653;width:354px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='238860' first='Mia' last='Fornasiero']</figcaption></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='346818' first='Charlotte' last='Deraleau'] setter - Looking at the roster it appears they will use her in a 5/1. That is what she did for Churchill as she got them to the semi-finals of the Maryland Class 4 state championship, pulling off a stunning upset over two time state champion Richard Montgomery. She finished the season with 490 assists. In the class of 2026 she is the second highest ranked setter yet to commit. She lists at 5'8".   [player_tooltip player_id='753047' first='Olivia' last='Schulz'] middle - One of the surprise players of the high school season leading James Madison to the semi-finals of the state championship. Once there they lost to Colgan in five. Olivia finished third on the team in kills and first in blocks. At 5'10" she is a bit undersized for a middle.   [player_tooltip player_id='238860' first='Mia' last='Fornasiero'] libero/defensive specialist - She has the fire to win. The season before her defensive play helped Bullis win their first ISL championship. They also captured a high DMV and national ranking.   [player_tooltip player_id='754936' first='Carina' last='Sather'] right side/outside - A 6'1" pin who finally made the first team last year. It will be interesting to see how she has improved this year. Another potential diamond on the court.   Other uncommitted players to watch - [player_tooltip player_id='696415' first='Jenna' last='Swale'] libero, [player_tooltip player_id='725756' first='Lana' last='Cvijetinovic'] left side, [player_tooltip player_id='838818' first='Sydney' last='Hudson'] pin, [player_tooltip player_id='369729' first='Fallon' last='Gyapong'] pin   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">No Rosters Available for Liberty Elite and Academy </h2>

There was a time when the 18 teams were guided by the top coaches at their club. There was a sense of pride to finish off your club season with a national championship by your most senior team. The club had spent four or more years on a player's development and finished it off with a championship. As pressure mounted for the 18s to report early to college club seasons got shorter to accommodate that need. The participation continued to disappoint forcing clubs to add talented 17s to replace them. However, the departures continued like water escaping from a crack in a dam.