Metro American 16 Central won the Silver Bracket this weekend at the MVSA 16 Invitational.  The team struggled early, losing a few disappointing close matches in pool play, before coming out strong for a decisive victory in the first round of the silver bracket playoffs.  In the finals they faced the strong and athletic E-PAN Sudden death team.  Metro played a great match with contributions from all members of the team to grab the win.  It was a wonderful display of teamwork and determination; 16-Central has continued to improve and compete at a higher level each and every week!

14 North-Magic took second place in the bronze bracket of the CHRVA Regional tournament.  The team battled for second place to get off their net, 4-2.  After beating the first place team from the other pool, they faced Columbia in the finals.  Although they fought hard, Magic was unable to beat Columbia.  However, the team is very excited to receive their first trophies of the year!

For the second tournament is as many weeks, Metro Intensity (17 South Red) came away with a Silver Medal at the NVVA 17s Tournament.  Intensity played tough all day to amass a 5-1 record in pool play to take first on their net. In semi-finals, the team quickly defeated SAYC in 2 games (25-11, 25-12). The team faced the Carroll County Vipers team in the finals.  Intensity started very slowly, committing 11 unforced errors, losing 15-25.  In game 2, the team cleaned up their play and turned things around to win 25-15. Game 3 was played very well, trading points the entire way but eventually fell 15-17 to take second place overall. As the season is winding down, the team is looking good as it gets ready for the South Atlantic Championships in Richmond at the end of May.

Congratulations to Metro American 18 Third Degree team for receiving an American bid to the Junior Olympic National Championships in Dallas at the Chesapeake Region 18 Open Regional tournament Sunday, April 20th.

MAVBC 17 South White Crush won the Silver bracket of the MVSA 17's Invitational on April 20th.  The day began with a fiercly competitive pool in which the Crush lost only to the two teams that played in the Gold bracket final (MAVBC 17 South Red and NOVA Phoenix), with the Crush showing poise and mental toughness in a hard-fought three-game match against the eventual tournament champions, NOVA Phoenix (25-16, 28-30, 14-16).  The playoffs featured consistent, determined play as the Crush refused to lose and rolled through the bracket with an undefeated record, starting off with a decisive 25-9, 25-19 victory over Spiders 17's and finishing with a solid effort against NVVA FX 17 Black (25-23, 25-22) for the Crush's first gold medal of the season.  It was a rewarding experience for everyone and the Crush look to continue elevating their level of play as the season progresses.

After a few disappointing tournaments, Metro Intensity (17 South Red) got back on track taking home the Silver Medal in the Gold bracket at the MVSA 17s Invitational.  Playing short-handed, the team went 3-0 in match play (only losing one game in pool play) to take first in their pool and overall.  In the play-offs, Intensity won game one 25-16 against Favor Phantoms but then fell behind 20-12 in the second game only to come back with a gritty performance to win 27-25.  In the finals, the team played tough but could not pull it out eventually falling to a strong NOVA Phoenix team.  The team was excited to get back into the medal round and now has it's expectations high as they prepare for the next few weeks and the South Atlantic Championships.

15 Travel had an impressive showing at the final Power League Tournament of the year. Going undefeated in pool play the girls won a long tough semi final against their biggest rival MVSA. In the championship match the team played well but ended up with a silver medal. All and all it was a long day in the gym but well worth the time spent. The girls are looking forward to having a good showing at Regionals next weekend.

Neve Margaret O'Connell, daughter of 17-1 Travel assistant coach Jessica O'Connell, arrived Friday, April 11th at 4:49 am, weighing in at 8 lbs 13 oz and measuring 21" long.  Looks like she'll be competing at the middle blocker position in no time!  She can't wait till mom takes her to her first tournament.

Metro 17-1 were champions of the Maryland Jrs Invitational 17-18's at Atholton HS on April 13, 2008.  They proved unbeatable throughout the day never dropping a game.  Metro 17-1s finished first in their pool, winning matches against NVVA Fairfax 18 Black, CDJVC 18-1 and TCA Baltimore 17.  They went on to beat Liberty Belle 17 Blue in semifinals and MVSA 17-1 in finals and captured the Gold.

Metro 18-1 played in the MVSA 18’s Invitational at Victory on April 13, 2008.  United as a team they stayed undefeated throughout the day.  Third Degree finished first in their pool, winning matches against MVSA 18R, EPAN 18-1, and Delaware Juniors Destroyers.  They went on to beat Columbia Comets 18-1 in semifinals and MVSA 18-1 in finals and captured the Gold.

The Metro American 16 South White INSANITY placed second in the Silver bracket of the Chesapeake Region Volleyball Association Club Championships on April 6.  The INSANITY finished pool play 7-1 (only dropping a game after having secured first place).  In the semis, the team got off to a slow start, but regrouped for a convincing win.  The team managed to outplay everyone they faced in their bracket except for the eventual Silver Champions, the very tough Champions of Tomorrow Sparks.  The INSANITY has worked very hard this year and it was particularly rewarding to do well at Regionals--the only Metro team to place from our age group.

The 14 travel team took first place at the Spring Madness Tournament in Alexandria , VA on March 29. Despite missing four players and getting off to a slow start, the team forged ahead winning all their matches. Freedom finished the day by defeating the number one seeded team 25-22 and 25-15.

With everyone contributing, Metro 15-1 had a terrific showing in Anaheim, CA, coming in 25th out of 84 teams competing in the Club division.  Noteworthy are the 5 wins over ‘California teams’ and a finish that places them ahead of 45 teams from the Golden State.  The strong finish comes as the team was rejoined by Darian Dozier, who had spent the last 3 weeks on the disabled list.  At the pre-tournament press conference, Dozier said that she hoped to be able to contribute, but was unsure how the change in humidity would affect her recovering ankle.  Dozier was more than effective, recording 22 kills and a gold bracket-saving dig versus Riptides.

Read the whole story...this is very funny.

Metro 16 South Red won for the second time this season at the BAVA Invitational held at St Mary's College in Southern Maryland.  The ladies overcame the effects of a long trip and the fact that they had to play the first match in the early morning, posting strong individual and team performances to eliminate their opponents.  16 Red faced tough competition in pool play from Hub City, a very good team from Hagerstown, last faced in the playoffs at the Kinetic Invitational. 16 Red won in 3, eventually making it to the finals where it came from behind in two games to take gold over a tough Charles County Team.  It was an exciting tournament and worth the long trip!

Metro's 18 Third Degree team competed in the NorthEast Qualifier in Baltimore on March 21-23. They finished 1st in their Friday pool and 2nd in their Saturday pool. They advanced to the Gold bracket by beating Ultimate 18 Gold in the challenge match. Sixteen teams advanced to the Gold bracket. Third Degree went against the number one seed, Alamo, in the first round. Metro beat Alamo and Revolution to advance to the final four. In a heartbreaking match, Metro fell to PVA in the deciding game.  Although the team was disappointed they pulled themselves together for a final victory over TAV. Metro finished 3rd out of 80 teams.

Our 18 Third Degree team traveled to Denver for the Colorado Crossroads Qualifier on March 14-16.  They played 8 matches against teams from Oklahoma, Colorado, Oregon, Texas, and Nebraska.  Third Degree won all their matches on Day 1 and Day 2, finishing first in both pools.  They also won the challenge match on Saturday evening to qualify for the Gold bracket.  Sunday morning the team played South Shore 18 Mizuno in the first round of the Gold bracket.  They won the first game but lost the match.  Overall, it was a successful weekend – the team hung out with Danny Kinda and his gang and tied for 9th out of 110 teams.

Metro 16 South White "Insanity" took the silver medal at the Seahawk Invitational at St. Mary's College on March 9.  With 5 players missing, the team was grateful to borrow a player from their sister Red team.  The Insanity made an impressive showing, finishing 8-1 in pool play.  They prevailed over Metro 16 Central in the semi-finals, and took the first game in the finals before running out of steam and losing to the very solid Charles County Raptors.  Although it wasn't the gold they wanted, silver was a nice consolation for a team that has been steadily working its way up this season.  The Insanity started the season tying for 2nd in their pool and losing in a play-in game, moved up to finish 2nd in their pool and lose in the semi-finals, and now finished 1st in their pool and lost in the finals.  Next stop:  Gold!

With two big hitters out for injury and a player and a coach fighting the flu, Metro 18-1 struggled to find their confidence at the FAVOR 17-18 Invitational on March 9th. The team was forced to work a new line-up and readjust for their weaknesses.  Although several matches were close calls, Metro was able to finish first on their net and win the semi and final matches to take home the Gold.

MAVBC Intensity (17 South Red) took home their first gold medal of the season at the SMJ 17's Invitational.  The team went 7-1 in pool play to come off their net in first place.  This included a very tough match against a SYA 17s team that saw the Intensity win the first game and then grit it out for a 32-30 win in the second to hold onto first place.  In the semi-finals, Intensity faced off against the familiar foe of Franconia VBC Gators and came away with a 2-1 victory (25-17, 20-25, 15-7).  In the finals, Intensity took the first game, struggled in the second, and then dug deep to pull out the third game (25-17, 18-25, 15-9).  It was a very long day but well worth it as the team really came together.

After a long day spent in the Volleyball House 15 Travel came away with a gold medal! Despite injuries and sickness everyone played well. Great job girls!!!

The Metro American 16-1 Travel team won their second gold medal of the season by defeating the Shenandoah Heat in the Finals at the FAVOR Invitational on Sunday February 24, 2008.  With a balanced attack, strong defense and consistent serving, Metro went undefeated the entire tournament. In the semi-finals, Metro overpowered a strong NVVA Black team and then continued their winning ways by shutting down the Shenandoah Heat in the Finals, subsequently capturing the Championship. The girls look forward to Power League play next weekend in Richmond.  Thank you to all the parents who supported the team and helped to made the tournament a success.

Metro's 18-1 Third Degree team joined Metro 17-1, 17 Central and 17 South Red in the BAVA tournament on February 24th.  Matches started at 8:30 am and were played under the yellow lights at Severna Park High School.  Three of our four Metro teams played in the semi-final matches and two advanced to the finals.  Metro 18-1 played Metro 17-1 in the final game with Third Degree taking home the gold.

Metro American 16-2 competed this weekend at the NVVA 15/16 tournament at Centreville High School.  Behind a solid team effort in pool play and exceptional parent support, the Lady Barracudas were the only team to reach bracket play with an undefeated record.  With a balanced attack in the first semi-final, the girls defeated NVVA FX 16 Red in two games to reach the final against Ichiban's 16-1 Daito team.  In a highly contested and competitive final, 16-2 won gold in two games accomplishing a 5-0 record on the day.  "Credit to the girls today," said their assistant coach, Elbert Ortiz.  "They truly exemplified what it means to compete with teamwork and tenacity while aggressively pursuing success.  They've set their goals high for this season and this team will be one to keep an eye on."  The Lady Barracudas compete next at the PLT Power League Second Round on March 9th.

Metro American 18-2 Travel played in the Charles County 17-18's Tournament at the Capitol Clubhouse on February 23rd.  In pool play, Metro came off the net in second place. In the semifinals, Metro lost the first game to host CCJ 18 Thunder.  In the second game, Metro won 25-17 behind a balanced attack, with 5 different players getting kills.  In the tiebreaker, CCJ jumped out to quick leads of 1-7 and 2-8 before Metro won 16-14. In the final, Metro met Ichiban 18-1, who defeated Metro twice previously. Metro lost to them again, taking silver for the day.

Overall, the team has worked very well and competed at high levels in the last few tournaments and is looking forward to the next tournament, as well as the next time they play Ichiban! Thanks very much to the parents for staying there to support the team all day, as well as for the delicious team food table!

The Metro American 16-1 Travel team participated in the FCA/Mizuno 16s February Freedom Tournament on Saturday February 9, 2008.  After defeating FAVOR Eclipse 16s and the Frostburg Miners 16s, Metro was given an opportunity of redemption.  Tri-State FCA Revelation 16, the host of the tournament, had defeated Metro three weeks earlier in 3 games during the Mid-Atlantic Power League.  Metro was able to defeat FCA as well as MVSA 16 Starz, thereby capturing the pool.  In the semi-finals, Metro went up against a hard-working and scrappy Columbia Lightning team.  The Lightning took game 1 and had a 23-16 lead in game 2 before Metro was able to rally and win 25-23 and 15-11 in games 2 and 3 respectively.  Metro was able to defeat MVSA 16 Hott Shots in the Finals and subsequently captured the championship.  A great big thanks goes out to all of the parents who made the tournament success possible.

16-2 Travel is a unique union. Five players came from the Takoma Devils, an independent team for five years before merging with MAVBC. Add three players from last year's 15-1 and four six footers from other teams and no one could be sure how they would fit together. They started slowly losing two of three matches before going on a streak by winning 11 of 13 matches. Along the way they won silver at St. Mary's College and placed third in the first Open Power League, which featured 5 of last year's top 8 CHRVA teams. Their only loses in the last 12 matches were to last year's 2nd, 4th and 7th ranked CHRVA teams. They fought hard in winning set one in one of those matches and in leading 20-15 in set one of both of the others. They have now proven they can compete, just wait until they gel.

After a long day in the Volleyball House, Metro's 15 Travel won a silver medal in the first  Power League. Outside hitters Natalie Bonturi and Zahra Ahmed did a great job setting a 4-2 while setter Kelly Rosenberg was out due to a sprained ankle. The team played well and are looking forward to competing in The Capitol Classic. Over Martin Luther King weekend 15T went down to Richmond for the Monument City Classic and had a nice showcase while ending up taking 3rd overall. Great job girls!!!

The 14 Travel team, Freedom, is off to a stellar start. On Martin Luther King weekend, the team traveled to Richmond for the RVC Monument City Classic. Freedom rose to the occasion by placing sixth (out of 21 teams) in the 14 Club division.

Then, 6 days later, 14 Travel came up with a second place silver medal in the NVVA Snow Days tournament in Vienna, VA. When asked about her team, Coach Fran Duvall said that her players were steady, not easily freaked out, and focused on the goal. The team has proven many times that they can come from behind to win.

The 17 Central team is off to a great start after taking the 2^nd place silver medal in the NOVA Invitational on 1/27/08. This was the first tournament of the season and the first real playing time for the Hammerheads. After shaking off the first game loss to the eventual tournament winners, 17 Central proceeded to win their next 9 games! This included the win of the semi-final match against the tough tournament host, NOVA. Even with 2 players out and a Coach with the flu (great job Hanna!), this team rallied together for a satisfying day.

This weekend at the PVA tournament at Villanova 17's Travel won the Bronze division championship.  They started the tournament off slowly with consecutive losses to Volley FX (Rochester, NY), and Digs (NJ).  Then the games started to improve.  The 17s lost a close match to Island Volleyball Academy (Long Island, NY), but finished the first day with an exciting win versus the previously undefeated Valley forge team.
 
The second day their confidence and level of play rose to new levels and swept the bronze bracket with three wins over, Liberty Belles (Philadelphia, PA), Volley FX, and another DIGS team.  Everyone contributed to the team's success with hard work, good attitudes, and teamwork.  "The coaches are very excited about the potential for this team, especially when we get everyone healthy again," said Coach Petock.

No updates at this time.