This story is part of The Washington Sun’s All-DMV coverage. All-DMV is a new collaboration between The Sun, Fox 5 DC, NBC4 Washington and WTOP News, aimed at covering the D.C. area’s best high school athletes. You can find past players of the week and more information about All-DMV here.
With the volleyball regular season nearing completion, here’s who closed October out strong to earn All-DMV Player of the Week:
Ana Djordjevic, Senior, Libero, Richard Montgomery
Richard Montgomery’s all-time leader in digs, Djordjevic has been the steady defensive presence that the Rockets have leaned on through another dominant fall campaign. The senior helped lead her team to dominant sweeps over Wootton and Bethesda-Chevy Chase last week, her command of the back line allowing the team’s efficient offense to thrive. Djordjevic eclipsed 600 career digs with an 11-dig performance against the Barons on Friday, bringing her season tally to 163.
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“Her ownership of the back line really makes it run like a well-oiled machine,” coach Gretchen Barber-Strunk said. “Ana is a key component to making the team flow and work together.”
Djordjevic has also made her mark at the service line for Barber-Strunk’s team. The Rockets’ libero is serving with 92% accuracy and has accumulated 32 service aces this year, including five against Wootton last week.
Hunter Ross, Senior, Outside Hitter, Flint Hill
If you had asked Flint Hill coach Thai Nguyen four years ago whether Ross was capable of becoming the Huskies’ all-time leader in kills, his answer would have been simple.
“Heck no!” Nguyen said. “When she came in as a freshman, skinny little kid, hardly any body control, goofy as heck … if you would have told me she was going to break it, I would have said ‘No way.’”
Ross broke the record last week against Colgan. The UCLA commit needed three kills to become Flint Hill’s all-time leader, and she finished with 27 putaways and nine service aces in a four-set victory.
Flint Hill, which has produced a bevy of Division I volleyball talent in recent years, has leaned on Ross to continue the program’s rich winning tradition. She’s turned her offense up a notch with the playoffs around the corner — Friday’s record-breaking performance was Ross’ fourth straight match with at least 20 kills.
“It’s all her dedication, her hard work, putting in many hours of training and fine-tuning her craft,” Nguyen said. “She did it on her own.”
Nyah Tucker, Senior, Outside Hitter, Oxon Hill
Tucker is the only four-year starter on an Oxon Hill team looking to make a playoff push in Prince George’s County. With many new players slotting into fresh roles this year, coach Andria Bynum has relied heavily on her senior outside hitter.
Tucker has shown up for the Clippers in efficient fashion. She is hitting at a hyper-efficient .465 clip for a team that hasn’t lost since September. With the playoffs right around the corner, Tucker is averaging over two kills per set and has also racked up 81 service aces on the season.
“[Her teammates] call her the big dog,” Bynum said. “It’s been a lot of pressure on her … but she’s really responded well to being that lone senior leader.”
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