Double Dippers: Beach and Indoor Nationals Prospects
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There are a number of girls whose team earned a bid in the USAV national championships. There are also a number of girls whose team chose to play in the AAU championships. In the Chesapeake Region there are no teams…
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Continue ReadingThere are a number of girls whose team earned a bid in the USAV national championships. There are also a number of girls whose team chose to play in the AAU championships. In the Chesapeake Region there are no teams that will be competing in both the AAUs and the USAV championships.
However, there are some girls who have qualified for the USAV beach national championships that will also be playing in Indy or Orlando, The beach championships will be held in July in Fort Lauderdale. Below are the double dippers.
Emma White Emma White 5'6" | DS/L Legacy Christian Academy | 2025 State VA (Blue Ridge 16/Libero) – She is the top ranked beach player in this group, sitting at 276 with her national ranking. She finished first in the 16U and 18U Old Dominion National Qualifier with partner Alexis Keeter. She also took first in the Chesapeake Bid Qualifier in 2021 with partner Alexis Taylor. They defeated two Metro 16 players in Emerson Sellman Emerson Sellman 6'4" | OH Academy of Holy Cross | 2024 State #5 Nation VA and Natalie Nguyen Natalie Nguyen 5'5" | S Flint Hill | 2024 State VA . Emma plays libero but can hit the ball pretty hard from the back row. Perhaps the indoor games comes so easy for her because of her beach experience.
Kennedy Spaid Kennedy Spaid 5'11" | OH James Wood | 2026 State VA (Blue Ridge 15/Left side) – She is a dominating outside in the indoor game, but she perfects her six rotation ability with a little beach. Ranked 554th nationally she finished third in the Old Dominion Qualifier, playing with partner Ava Dunnigan Ava Dunnigan 5'4" | DS/L Musselman | 2024 VA to qualify for beach nationals.
Brenna Corbin Brenna Corbin 5'5" | DS/L James Wood | 2026 State VA (Blue Ridge 15/Libero) – A common thread with many of these beach players is that they also play libero on the indoor side. Blue Ridge 15 finished second in the AAU Premier Division in AAUs with Spaid and White also playing on the team. Brenna is ranked 443rd nationally and qualified for the beach bid finishing third in the Old Dominion Qualifier with partner Katey Matthews. She has also played beach with Kennedy Spaid Kennedy Spaid 5'11" | OH James Wood | 2026 State VA .
Sadee Gedse (St. James Navy/Libero) – She is ranked 440th on the beach. She partnered with Nola Murphy Nola Murphy 5'6" | DS/L Chantilly | 2025 State VA to finish 5th in the 16U and 4th in the 18U Chesapeake Qualifier. Her team is playing at AAUs but her name is absent from the official roster.
Ava Dunnigan Ava Dunnigan 5'4" | DS/L Musselman | 2024 VA (Paramount/Libero) – Another libero excelling at the beach, ranking 310th. She played with Kennedy Spaid Kennedy Spaid 5'11" | OH James Wood | 2026 State VA to finish third in the Old Dominion Qualifier. She is our highest ranked libero in the indoor game and number six overall in our Virginia rankings. She will be playing in Indy at the USAV nationals.
Natalie Nguyen Natalie Nguyen 5'5" | S Flint Hill | 2024 State VA (Metro 16/Setter) – She appears to be a natural for beach but is ranked 2019th nationally because she has played in only three beach tournaments since 2018. She has never finished less than second. Last year she teamed with Emerson Sellman Emerson Sellman 6'4" | OH Academy of Holy Cross | 2024 State #5 Nation VA to finish second at the Chesapeake Qualifier. When Natalie was 12 she split some time playing libero and setter because she had that natural ability to pass.
Emerson Sellman Emerson Sellman 6'4" | OH Academy of Holy Cross | 2024 State #5 Nation VA (Metro 16/Left Side) – Emerson is our number one ranked 2024 player for Virginia and ranked 42nd nationally. On the beach she is ranked 2019th. Emerson has only competed in two beach tournaments, both with Natalie Nguyen Natalie Nguyen 5'5" | S Flint Hill | 2024 State VA , finishing second in the 2020 and 2021 Chesapeake National Qualifier. Since she is almost a foot taller than Natalie I can guess who is the defender and who is the blocker. A college recruiting her could get a two sport athlete with her beach play.
Two left sides that are six rotation players, four liberos and one setter shows you the kind of skills you need at the beach to succeed – passing. Passing comes easy for the players named above.