Loudoun County, Va. — LCPS volleyball teams finished up regular season play as well as the Potomac District and Cedar Run District tournaments over the last couple weeks, and many teams are still alive in the postseason. As the VHSL Region 4C and 5D tournaments begin this week, teams hope to be performing at the peak of their game as only the top two teams in each region will move on to the VHSL Class 4 and Class 5 state tournaments. Positions 1-3 held steady since the last edition of the LoCo Top 5, but the No. 4 and No. 5 spots flipped after the results of the last few weeks.
Of course, if you’d like to see where teams stack up in each district, you can check out the full district standings here.
1. Riverside –
The Rams continued their dominance by sweeping all their opponents during the month of October. Victories against Briar Woods and No. 2 Potomac Falls helped Riverside secure their fourth straight Potomac District tournament title and the top seed—as well as a bye through the quarterfinal round—in the VHSL Region 5D tournament. With weapons everywhere on the court, the Rams are a threat on offense even when they are out-of-system. The block of senior middle hitter Gabbie Vizek and senior outside hitter Nadiya Johnson provides the first line of defense, with junior libero Camryn Coulther anchoring the back court. As no stranger to the postseason, the Rams will look to ride the wave of success when they face the winner of Riverbend and Briar Woods on November 6. As their most recent set losses came to the Falcons in a 3-2 win on September 30, another rematch with Briar Woods could be interesting with a state playoff berth on the line.
2. Potomac Falls –
The Panthers are having their best season in 10 years, as they earned sweeps against Rock Ridge and John Champe to close out the regular season and also took down No. 5 Lightridge in straight sets to make it to their first Potomac District championship match. Despite a hard-fought loss to No. 1 Riverside—who have handed Potomac Falls three of their five losses all season—the Panthers are locked in and are hoping to make it to the state tournament. Senior setter Camille Ciambruschini surpassed the single-season assist record during the district semifinal, and her connection with junior outside hitter Lacey Bogues and senior right side hitter Jordyn Ranaudo is undeniable. The Panthers bring strong service pressure in attempts to get their opponents out-of-system, and this is likely to continue in their rematch with Lightridge in their VHSL Region 5D quarterfinal on November 4.
3. Loudoun County –
The Captains earned the top seed in the VHSL Region 4C tournament after going undefeated in the Catoctin District and surviving a regular season 5-set match against Dulles District champ No. 4 Dominion. Loudoun County has had some close matches this year with Region 4C opponents, but they have managed to come away with victories on all occasions, including a 4-set win over Woodgrove on October 27. Dominant senior outside hitter Charlotte Arrington provides constant reliability when the Captains need to score, and senior libero Isa DeWan is versatile on defense, behind the service line, and with assists when the setter takes the first ball. The Captains made the deepest run in the Class 4 state tournament last year, and will be looking to make another run this season. First they will have to make it out of the region tournament where they will host Rock Ridge in a quarterfinal match on November 4.
4. Dominion +1
The Titans closed out the regular season with sweeps of Dulles District opponents Tuscarora, Rock Ridge, and Loudoun Valley to earn the No. 2 seed in the VHSL Region 4C tournament. Junior setter Ingrid Smith relies heavily on senior outside hitters Megan Hiltner and Amaya Bowles—who utilize a number of different shots—to score points, but incorporating senior middle/right side hitter Mila Antonov has also created more offensive opportunities for the Titans. After a loss to eventual state champion James Wood in the first round of the 2024 Class 4 state tournament, Dominion will be looking to improve their state tournament chances during the Region 4C tournament, where they will face Tuscarora in a quarterfinal match on November 4.
5. Lightridge -1
After dropping a set to both Loudoun Valley and John Champe in 3-1 wins to finish the regular season, the Lightning then fell in three to No. 2 Potomac Falls in a Potomac District tournament semifinal, which moves them down a spot to No. 5 in the LoCo Top 5. The offense is primarily run out of the middle with sophomore middle hitter Giuliana Mastrangelo and senior middle hitter Amara Pope, but when the team is forced out-of-system and can’t get the ball to the middle, they need to find other options or rely on the defense of sophomore libero Sofia Gelston to create additional opportunities. Lightridge will need to fight to keep their season alive when they meet with Potomac Falls for the fourth time this season in a VHSL Region 5D quarterfinal on November 4 in a lose-or-go-home match.