Laila Chadwick understands that in camp environments like UA Next, liberos do not always get dozens of touches to make an impression.

Sometimes it takes one read.

One dig.

One voice that instantly organizes six athletes who have never played together before.

That is exactly why her game feels built for this environment.

Defense and communication are the two areas she is most excited to showcase, and both have become even stronger this season as her eye work and ability to cut balls off early have continued to evolve. That growth is translating directly into more digs, better first contact, and a libero who is reading the game earlier than ever before.

What may serve her most in a roster-selection environment, though, is how well she manages herself between points. Her ability to stay mentally steady, reset quickly, and focus only on what she can control gives her the kind of emotional consistency coaches trust.

Already verbally committed to the University of Oklahoma, Laila is not arriving to prove she belongs.

She is arriving to compete for something bigger.

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247

Jumping up one spot in the top five from 4 to 3 is a considerable leap. However, when you consider Laila won a Virginia Gatorade player of the year award, that is a pretty nice accolade to add to a trophy case. She also won player of the year for Class 6 All State.

Also, you have to consider what the Metro 17 team has done this year compared to what they accomplished last year. This year they have already earned an Open bid in one of their first tournaments. Last year they could only earn a National Bid, however they took second place in Junior Nationals. This year, they have already beaten Paramount twice. Last year they could not accomplish that.

Talking to a couple coaches they uniformly agreed the biggest difference in that team is the addition of Laila Chadwick Laila Chadwick 5'8" | DS/L/OH James Madison | 2027 State #46 Nation VA . Not only does she provide a solid presence in the back row with her libero play, but she also provides a leadership role. Last year Laila played a year up on the 17s. This year she is playing her grade. It might be tough to repeat the third place finish in Open that she helped accomplish last year but don’t sell her short. She knows the road to get there. The team just needs to follow.

Laila has committed to Oklahoma.