Metro 15 Travel was a tough match up this past week.  However, it was a grind to get to the gold bracket.  They went 3-2 in pool play, 1-1 in gold pools, but then knocked off a high powered Dallas Skyline 15 Royal Ryan team which I don’t think many people saw coming.  Carolyn Maria just makes things run as the team’s setter. She receives the ball high, she is tough to read for the defense the way she remains neutral with location and tempo, and if you sleep on her in the front row shes going to throw it down in the middle of the court.  I really liked her connection with right side Scarlett Netherton.  I see Maria has done camps at Pitt, Penn State, and Kentucky – she’s in good company. 

This is the first time I have seen Carolyn Maria Carolyn Maria 6'1" | S/RS Bishop O'Connell | 2029 State VA run a 5/1 for Metro. She normally is so good at hitting that Metro runs a 6/2 while using her offense on the right side. Running a 5/1 gives right side Scarlett Netherton Scarlett Netherton 5'11" | OH/RS Annapolis Area Christian School | 2029 State VA an opportunity to stay in the back row and become more of an offensive weapon there.

Where Carolyn’s strength sits in a 5/1 is her ability to put balls away when the pass rises close to the top of the net while she plays in the front row. Teams were not ready for her to put the ball away on the second contact. Where she needs more work is finding the open spot when she tries to use the setter dump. She also needs to use the back row attack more frequently.

However, she connected with the hitters enough to generate a second place finish, which is where they were seeded. Now comes the hard part as they face more advanced teams.

The top prospect in the Class of 2029. Carolyn is a regular with the NTDP as a setter. However, if they allow her to mix with the hitters she may also shine as one of the top right side hitters in the country. Recently, she and her teammate Caroline Conroy Caroline Conroy 6'3" | MB Walt Whitman | 2029 State VA were named to the 2026 JVA Girls Class of 2028 All National Team.

She also earned a spot on the WCAC first team, one of two frosh to be named to the team. Sierra Thomas Sierra Thomas 6'0" | OH Bishop McNamara | 2029 State VA was the other. If a college does not have her on their radar they are either not paying attention or feel they have no chance of convincing her to attend their school.

Poor Carolyn. It almost seems like there is a media conspiracy against her. She wins the Capitol Hill Classic MVP award but the website still erroneously lists Jaylin Park Jaylin Park 5'6" | DS/L Reservoir | 2028 State VA as the MVP. And recently I received a list of local players who participated in the UA Next event down in Louisville to write a piece about them, but Carolyn’s name was not included on that list. I received a few emails letting me know about her attendance there. It turns out Cairo Turner Cairo Turner 6'2" | MB St. Paul VI Catholic | 2028 State VA was not mentioned either so the photo above a proof of their attendance.

However, Carolyn carries on. After winning the MVP at the Capitol Hill Classic she goes on to help her team win the Sunshine Classic, going undefeated in the process. That secured Metro Travel an open bid. They had to beat the second and third place teams from the Triple Crown to win the gold. First Qualifier and already an Open bid secured. Pretty sweet.

She also received an invite to the NTPD, where she got thrown in with the setters. Not that there is a problem with that but they did not give any of the setters an opportunity to hit. If they did Carolyn would have stood out as one of the top right side hitters of the group as well.

Carolyn is a sure bet to draw interest from a number of power four colleges.

Yeah, this is odd for me too. I generally don’t write about the very top prospects because they don’t need my help. They know how good they are and are out there proving it every day. I could honestly pick 5 girls from that Metro Travel 15s team and be done with this post, but I told myself I’m only going to pick one at a time and spread it out. Today, I’m going with Carolyn, but not for her outstanding play ON the court, what most impressed me about her this weekend was her behavior and work ethic OFF the court. I was around checking out some courts, because times are off by an hour or two all the time and it messes up my rough schedule, and while I was browsing, Metro was in between games, and Carolyn was off on her own, just bouncing a ball off the wall getting touches, refining her touch, building that muscle memory. Just pure work ethic of a girl that just can’t get enough. It wasn’t for the coaches, or the media, it was just to stay sharp and keep getting better when no one was watching. THAT is what separates the great from the good players and the superstars from the great players. Carolyn is absolutely going to be a superstar and I can’t wait to see her journey.