No one will think worse of you for having played JV as a sophomore. A lot of times the question of whether a soph makes varsity or not depends less on him and his development to date, and more on who the school has at his position in the upper classes. If you're stuck behind someone at your position, why not play on JV and improve, instead of sitting on the bench on varsity stewing?
Sometimes the upperclassman may not even be as good as you, but the program may want to reward him for being a good team player by giving him his chance to shine as a senior. I have seen seniors who are not as good as some underclassmen get to play and end up playing in college because of it. Maybe they're D-3 caliber and you're D-1, but if so, don't worry, you'll get your chance, and you'll get your chance in plenty of time to catch someone's eye.
In the meantime, find yourself a good summer team!