Region/state roundup: Grafton’s Alexis Keeter named Gatorade Virginia Volleyball Player of the Year

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Grafton senior Alexis Keeter was named the Gatorade 2023-24 Virginia Volleyball Player of the Year. Keeter, who will play in college for Florida Gulf Coast, is the first Grafton player ever to receive the award.

Keeter, a 6-foot outside hitter, had 544 kills and 442 digs in 2023 in leading Grafton to the Class 3 state championship match. She finished her career with 1,583 kills and 1,223 digs.

The Class 4 state Player of the Year in 2022, Keeter was named the Class 3 state Player of the Year in 2023. Volleyballmag.com recently named her the Virginia Player of the Year and gave her All-American honorable mention.

HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING

Gloucester second, Lafayette third in Mathews Invitational

Gloucester was second, Lafayette third, Menchville fourth, Mathews fifth and Warwick sixth among 14 teams in last weekend’s Mathews Invitational. Varina of Richmond took the team title.

Weight-class champs included Gloucester teammates Aiden Sheesley (113 pounds), Christian Hartz (126), Corey Skay (138), Karl Dean (144), Kenneth Hamilton (165) and Makai Scatliffe (175), plus Menchville’s Kingston Goncalves (190) and Lafayette’s Cooper Coleman (106).

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Ex-Clemson tight end commits to UVA

Virginia gained a commitment from former Clemson tight end Sage Ennis, reuniting him with Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott — his former position coach with the Tigers.

Ennis, a 6-foot-4, 235-pounder, decommitted from Florida A&M, located in his hometown of Tallahassee. He had six catches for 77 yards in 38 games as a Tiger.

West Virginia lands ex-ODU safety

Old Dominion transfer safety Tahj Ra-El committed to West Virginia for his final year of eligibility after a visit to Morgantown. In 2023, Ra-El recorded 84 total tackles, six pass deflections, 5.5 tackles for a loss, and one interception. He had 132 tackles in three years as a Monarch.

Four CAA teams finish in top 25

Four Coastal Athletic Association teams were named in the final Stats Perform FCS Top 25: No. 5 Albany, No. 6 Villanova, No. 10 Delaware and No. 15 Richmond.

South Dakota State was first and Montana second, reflecting the results of Sunday’s 23-3 championship game in Frisco, Texas.

Celebration Bowl champion Florida A&M was 11th. North Carolina Central, coached by Tabb High graduate Trei Oliver, was 20th after losing at Richmond in the playoffs’ first round.

In the coaches’ poll, Albany was seventh, Villanova ninth, Delaware 11th and Richmond 22nd. Florida A&M was 10th and NCCU 18th.

Tribe’s Crowell captures academic award

Offensive lineman Marcus Crowell, a William & Mary captain, was one of 52 athletes selected to the 2023 FCS Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team.

He appeared in 37 games and started 22, including all 11 in 2023. Pro Football Focus rated him the No. 4 guard in the CAA this season. Crowell earned an undergraduate degree in finance and will earn his MBA this spring, and he will work for Goldman Sachs.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

UVA to start 2025 season in Puerto Rico event

For the first time, Virginia will play regular-season baseball games outside the continental U.S. when it opens its 2025 season at the inaugural Puerto Rico Challenge on the opening weekend of Feb. 13-16.

UVA is committed to the event alongside Connecticut, Michigan, Missouri, Penn State, Rice, Stetson and Villanova.

COLLEGE WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Cavaliers sign Virginia Tech transfer hitter

Virginia coach Shannon Wells announced the signing of outside/right side hitter Elayna Duprey, a transfer from Virginia Tech.

She appeared in 191 sets across 65 matches in three years with the Hokies, tallying 374 kills and 204 digs. In 2023, Duprey led the Hokies with 222 kills. She is from Flint Hill School in Northern Virginia.