USA Today Network's 2024 preseason All-Ohio

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Ohio high school volleyball: USA Today Network's 2024 preseason All-Ohio girls volleyball​

USA TODAY NETWORK

As we prepare for a new high school sports season, USA Today Network sports writers in Ohio collaborated over the last month to select preseason All-Ohio teams for football, boys and girls soccer, and girls volleyball. We selected a 25-player team for each sport.
Today, we introduce the USA Today Network Preseason All-Ohio Volleyball Team, featuring five defensive specialists/liberos, 15 hitters/blockers and five setters.

Defensive specialists/liberos​

1. Sakura Codling, Cincinnati Seton​

As a junior, Codling led the Girls Greater Catholic League with 473 digs, giving her 1,152 for her career. The first-team All-Ohio honoree also contributed 113 assists and 31 aces as the Saints were ranked No. 1 in Division I for much of the 2023 season. She is committed to UCLA.

2. Spencer Etzler, Coldwater​

A Stanford commit, Etzler made the Division III All-Ohio first team last season. PrepDig has her listed as the No. 3 athlete in Ohio for the 2025 class. An excellent defender and hitter, Etzler had 271 kills last year as well as 361 digs.

3. Ali Strange, Cincinnati McNicholas​

Strange burst onto the scene last year as a freshman, helping the Rockets reach the Division III state championship game with 445 digs, 82 assists and 38 aces. Strange was named to the Greater Catholic League-Coed second team. She plays club for Elevation VBC, where she recently made the USAV All-Tournament Team in Las Vegas. She also has been included in VBall Recuiter’s Nationals Watchlist.

4. Journey Nicola, Byesville Meadowbrook​

The Division III All-Ohio honorable mention pick was a crucial part of the defense during Meadowbrook's run to the state tournament last year. She made more than 540 digs last season and was named the Muskingum Valley League Small School Division Defensive Player of the Year.

5. Kailey Snow, Rocky River Magnificat​

The 5-foot-8 defensive specialist/libero earned third-team All-Ohio in Division I as a sophomore in 2023. Snow had 277 digs while also notching 70 assists and 30 service aces.

Others receiving votes​

Jacsyn Hilliard, Marlington
Madison Kyle, Lebanon
Gracie Newlon, Lexington
Emerson Spiesz, Aurora

​

Hitters/blockers​

1. Christian Thompson, Fairfield Union​

A senior outside hitter, Thompson collected 590 kills, 360 digs, 48 aces and 48 blocks and was first-team All-Ohio and all-district in Division II. Ranked as Ohio’s No. 2 player in her class, according to Prep Dig, Thompson is committed to Ohio University.

2. Abbey Emch, Columbiana Crestview​

Emch was first-team All-Ohio last season in Division III. The 6-3 senior had 384 kills, 237 digs, 85 blocks and 46 service aces. In her career, Emch has notched over 1,000 kills with 280 blocks. She is committed to Pittsburgh.

3. Ava Brown, Lexington​

As a sophomore, Brown earned Division II second-team All-Ohio, Division II District 6 Player of the Year, Division II first-team All-District 6 and first-team All-Ohio Cardinal Conference after recording 550 kills, 36 aces, 137 service points, 42 blocks, 240 digs and 175 assists. Brown has committed to Maryland.

4. Kameron Stover, Marengo Highland​

A senior right-side hitter and opposite-side hitter, Stover was Division II co-Player of the Year in the Central District and was first-team All-Ohio for the second time. She helped Highland win a district title and finished with a state-high 636 kills, 319 digs, 74 aces and 40 blocks.

5. Layla Hoying, Columbus Bishop Watterson​

A junior outside hitter, Hoying helped lead the Eagles to a Division I district title in 2023. She had 392 kills, 204 digs, 50 aces and 33 blocks and was named first-team all-district and third-team All-Ohio. She’s the No. 4 player in the state in the class of 2026, according to Prep Dig.

6. Sara Snowbarger, Wooster​

Snowbarger was one of two sophomores to earn first-team All-Ohio honors across the four divisions and the only one in Division I. She led Wooster to a 24-1 record with 422 kills, 60 aces and 344 digs. An All-Ohioan both years of her high school career, Snowbarger stepped it up as a sophomore, earning first-team honors, putting up 5.3 kills per set and 4.3 digs per set. The high major recruit is already one of the best players in Wayne County volleyball history, leading Wooster to a 43-6 record over the past two seasons.

7. Katie Gielas, Cincinnati Ursuline Academy​

Gielas is on pace to eclipse 1,000 career kills during her senior season. A pure hitter, her powerful arm led her to a Girls Greater Catholic League-leading 384 kills as a junior. Gielas was a valuable member of a senior-loaded team that won the 2022 state title and will try to lead the Lions back to the mountaintop in her senior year. She is committed to Florida Gulf Coast.

8. Luci Heid, Hamilton Badin​

Heid is one of two front-line players Badin's opponents won't want to see on the other side of the net. As a junior, she led the Greater Catholic League-Coed with 424 kills and added 196 digs, 59 aces, 46 blocks and 17 assists. The Northern Kentucky commit was named to the GCL-Coed, district and Division II All-Ohio first teams.

9. Hailey Campagna, Hilliard Davidson​

After being a force for Division IV Shekinah Christian, Campagna will play her senior season at Division I Hilliard Davidson before heading to Mississippi State. The outside hitter was first-team All-Ohio and all-district last year, totaling 649 kills, 531 digs, 79 aces and 31 blocks.

10. Alia Schoonover, Delaware Buckeye Valley​

This junior middle blocker is the No. 5-ranked player in Ohio in the class of 2026, according to Prep Dig. She was first-team all-district last year, helping Buckeye Valley to a 24-3 record, a Central Buckeye League title and a Division II district runner-up finish. She led the Barons with 359 kills and 75 aces and was second in digs with 250.

11. Layne Graffice, Marlington​

Graffice helped lead the Dukes to their first state tournament appearance and was named Greater Akron/Canton Volleyball Player of the Year. She set the Marlington single-season and career records for kills last season. She was selected Stark County Division II Player of the Year and District IV Division II Player of the Year, in addition to being a second-team All-Ohio pick.

12. Evelyn Brown, Carroll Bloom-Carroll​

The senior middle hitter recorded 340 kills and 90 blocks last fall and was first-team All-Ohio. She also was co-Central District Player of the Year in Division II. Brown helped the Bulldogs go 24-2 and win the MSL-Buckeye with a 14-0 record in the conference.

13. Lindy Radaszewski, Cincinnati Ursuline Academy​

Radaszewski was a one-woman brick wall for the Lions as a junior, logging 84 blocks, 266 kills, 68 digs and 46 aces. The Miami (Ohio) commit has improved each year of her prep career and will be a major factor in the Lions' quest for postseason success in 2024.

14. Ashley Sess, Cincinnati Mercy McAuley​

Sess led the Girls Greater Catholic League with 91 blocks during her junior season. Many of those blocks came during key moments; she recorded 26 rejections over the Wolves' final six games, including a career-high seven in the Division II state championship game. She is committed to playing at Northern Kentucky.

15. Kamryn Cocherl, Marion Pleasant​

Cocherl was one of the top hitters in Division III last year and one of the top freshman hitters in all of Ohio, leading all first-timers in kills. She led Pleasant in kills with 434, aces with 83, blocks with 81 and service receptions with 424. Her 222 digs were third-best for the Spartans.

Others receiving votes​

Haley Balo, Warsaw River View
Lauren Decker, Wadsworth
Chloe Dick, New Lexington
Natalie Harrington, Newark Catholic
Ali Hayes, Plain City Jonathan Alder
Dylan Hunt, Pickerington North
Claire King, Circleville Logan Elm
Makayla Meister, Newark
Kylie Sharp, Johnstown
Londyn Stone, Avon
Katie Stoney, Meadowbrook
Amber Watson, Akron Hoban

​

Setters​

1. Annabelle Groomes, Cleveland St. Joseph Academy​

Groomes is the top-ranked player in Ohio’s 2025 class, according to PrepDig. Groomes was first-team All-Ohio last season as she helped lead St. Joseph Academy to the state semis. Groomes had 387 assists, 269 kills, 154 digs and 49 blocks. She is committed to the University of San Diego.

2. Mallory Matheny, Columbus Bishop Hartley​

This junior setter has committed to Indiana and is the No. 1-ranked player in Ohio in the class of 2026, according to Prep Dig. Her contributions last season helped Hartley go 22-7 and reach a Division II state semifinal. She had team highs with 433 assists and 71 aces and earned first-team all-district honors.

3. Emsley Venard, Cincinnati St. Ursula​

After appearing in just six matches as a sophomore, she played every set in the Bulldogs' 2023 campaign that resulted in a regional final appearance. With 940 assists, 243 digs, 39 kills, 32 aces and 29 blocks, she was named a Division I all-state honorable mention. She is committed to Florida Atlantic.

4. Addy Franz, Cincinnati Ursuline Academy​

As a junior, she dished out 913 assists and was named a Girls Greater Catholic League first-team member in her first varsity season. The Lions had multiple bright spots as they went through a rebuilding year after winning the 2022 state title. Franz was one of them and will be a key factor as Ursuline Academy hunts for another league, district, regional and state title.

5. Larsen Terrill, Marengo Highland​

A senior setter and opposite-side hitter, Terrill teamed with Kameron Stover to give the Fighting Scots a solid one-two punch on their way to a Division II district title. Terrill finished last year with 788 assists, 270 digs, 202 kills and 72 aces. She was first-team all-district and second-team All-Ohio, making her a two-time All-Ohioan.

Others receiving votes​

Lauren Blair, New Concord John Glenn
Ingrid Dittmar, Dresden Tri-Valley
Reese Donahoe, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy
Ally Hughes, St. Bernard Roger Bacon
Kelsie Smith, River View
Shemayah Stevens, Streetsboro
Maddie Zechman, Dublin Scioto

Source: https://www.cantonrep.com/story/spo...-preseason-player-rankings-ohsaa/74771086007/
 
 
Other Cincinnati area players that should be on this list include Seton OH Callie Combs, SUA Lib/DS Emma Frietch, and Roger Bacon OH Mariah Gaines. A rising star is Ursuline MB Jillian Forrest.

So many great players in Ohio. We are blessed with a top 5 state in Girls Volleyball.
 
Mckenna Kirlin (Setter) should be on these list. Kirlin is the best Setter in the Cincinnati area and it is not even close.
 
FourthAndOne said:
Mckenna Kirlin (Setter) should be on these list. Kirlin is the best Setter in the Cincinnati area and it is not even close.
Click to expand...
Not saying she is not a very good setter but there are a number of setters in the Cincinnati area that are playing & succeeding at the same high level in club that she is playing at.

Comparing results in high school is challenging due to the disparity in teams/leagues, girls having to play different positions due to roster insufficiencies etc.
 
Slumdog said:
Not saying she is not a very good setter but there are a number of setters in the Cincinnati area that are playing & succeeding at the same high level in club that she is playing at.

Comparing results in high school is challenging due to the disparity in teams/leagues, girls having to play different positions due to roster insufficiencies etc.
Click to expand...
There are plenty of really good Setters in SWOH, Kirlin just happens to be the best of the bunch. Hubbard is also a name to keep on the list as she is only a sophomore. I think the kid at SUA/NKYVC is also high level and with her height sky is the limit.
 
I'm sure the writers do a fine job in trying to identify the best in Ohio. However, leaving off
the Shrader girl from New Bremen (setter) 3x All State soon to be 4th and University of Dayton
commit isn't right. I heavily doubt there is 3 setters better than her in the State. And the crazy thing
is they have 12 mentioned.
 
And I didn't even mention the fact that New Bremen has won the State the last 2 years
and is favorites to win again.
 
cavfan1973 said:
I'm sure the writers do a fine job in trying to identify the best in Ohio. However, leaving off
the Shrader girl from New Bremen (setter) 3x All State soon to be 4th and University of Dayton
commit isn't right. I heavily doubt there is 3 setters better than her in the State. And the crazy thing
is they have 12 mentioned.
Click to expand...
No, actually the writers do a horrible job, PrepDig included. They are terrible and miss so many good kids.

In Cincinnati we have local folks on Facebook that do a darn good job of covering girls volleyball. They do write ups on games, attend a lot of games across the City, and in my opinion find a lot of kids that are flying under the radar. Sure they have their favorites and they admit it all the time, but the work they do for absolutely no money is really good and brings nice exposure to the Cincinnati area volleyball scene. They even hand out scholarships to kids who do well in school, volunteer in their community, and are positive role models at their schools.

On Facebook it is called Cincinnati High School Volleyball Rankings
 
"Kirlin is the best setter and it's not even close" is just incorrect. She's in the mix with others. She might be the best. That depends on the eye of the evaluator. My guess is you haven't seen all the players enough to compare. You blasted the media coverage for the same thing. You don't even know Emsley Venard's name. You didn't mention Addy Franz or Ally Hughes.

Here is where I 100% agree with you. Coverage sucks in the most popular girls sport in the area (enquirer, prepdig, etc). People who are reporting are creating false narratives and doing a total disservice to the young athletes. The Enquirer reporting is just lazy. Looking at last years stats to determine who the best players are is just lazy. No disrespect but many of these players wouldn't even start at the better programs. They aren't the best, they deserve mention but not with the "best" players. The initial article they wrote for this seasons preview mentioned 3 players that aren't even playing volleyball this season. The've since been removed so someone must have reported to them. How hard is it to fact check with the coaches before printing stuff?

The most knowledgable (and opinionated ;)) coverage is Cincinnati High School Rankings but they will even admit that they don't know all the kids and they can't see all the teams.
 
513HSfan said:
"Kirlin is the best setter and it's not even close" is just incorrect. She's in the mix with others. She might be the best. That depends on the eye of the evaluator. My guess is you haven't seen all the players enough to compare. You blasted the media coverage for the same thing. You don't even know Emsley Venard's name. You didn't mention Addy Franz or Ally Hughes.

Here is where I 100% agree with you. Coverage sucks in the most popular girls sport in the area (enquirer, prepdig, etc). People who are reporting are creating false narratives and doing a total disservice to the young athletes. The Enquirer reporting is just lazy. Looking at last years stats to determine who the best players are is just lazy. No disrespect but many of these players wouldn't even start at the better programs. They aren't the best, they deserve mention but not with the "best" players. The initial article they wrote for this seasons preview mentioned 3 players that aren't even playing volleyball this season. The've since been removed so someone must have reported to them. How hard is it to fact check with the coaches before printing stuff?

The most knowledgable (and opinionated ;)) coverage is Cincinnati High School Rankings but they will even admit that they don't know all the kids and they can't see all the teams.
Click to expand...
I agree 100% with this. If you want to evaluate, go to a big time club tournament (Bluegrass, Big South, Central Zone, etc) and see them play against the best competition. There are a lot of very good players not on that list and this thread performing at a high level.

With Cincinnati High School Rankings, spot on and agree with the team coverage is second to none. The passion they bring to covering this sport is awesome. They know the game and bring a lot of excitement to this sport especially for schools that would never get mentioned otherwise. They are extremely opinionated very much like like predigs, enquirer, prepvolleyball.com as their coverage of individual players is extremely bias. I don’t prefer referring to players as “studs” and saying – “this team has this player and you don’t”. Also IMHO, they need to get off the GMC/Mason high horse – “that league aint what they used to be” - since 2018, Mason hasn’t lost a GMC game but only has 3 wins in the tournament (2 in ’18 & 1 in ’19) and their out of league record is 33-52
 
Further illustration on how bad the above article represents Ohio Volleyball.

Kendall Northern (Summit Country Day) just committed to Penn State. It makes sense that she's not one of the best 27 hitters in the state. ;)

Congrats Kendall!
 
FourthAndOne said:
No, actually the writers do a horrible job, PrepDig included. They are terrible and miss so many good kids.

In Cincinnati we have local folks on Facebook that do a darn good job of covering girls volleyball. They do write ups on games, attend a lot of games across the City, and in my opinion find a lot of kids that are flying under the radar. Sure they have their favorites and they admit it all the time, but the work they do for absolutely no money is really good and brings nice exposure to the Cincinnati area volleyball scene. They even hand out scholarships to kids who do well in school, volunteer in their community, and are positive role models at their schools.

On Facebook it is called Cincinnati High School Volleyball Rankings
Click to expand...
The main "editor" (if you can call him that, since they really need to proofread before posting) comes off as an entitled dufus who really loves the attention he gets from the page.

Granted, the coverage he provides is great for teams and players, but I agree with others here, he is very biased, and uses language that should be retired. On top of that, he's out of touch at times as well and argues with referees on rules. But he has passion for the sport and a large audience that appreciates volleyball. And the scholarship piece is very cool, I have to give him that.

I just wish there was an actual "Editor" to clean up his rants and posts. And I know I'm coming across as a hater (and I am lol), but half of the things he posts make me roll my eyes and I wish there was another more professional option. But he is filling a void left by little coverage from local publications.

/rant
 
Falcon11 said:
The main "editor" (if you can call him that, since they really need to proofread before posting) comes off as an entitled dufus who really loves the attention he gets from the page.

Granted, the coverage he provides is great for teams and players, but I agree with others here, he is very biased, and uses language that should be retired. On top of that, he's out of touch at times as well and argues with referees on rules. But he has passion for the sport and a large audience that appreciates volleyball. And the scholarship piece is very cool, I have to give him that.

I just wish there was an actual "Editor" to clean up his rants and posts. And I know I'm coming across as a hater (and I am lol), but half of the things he posts make me roll my eyes and I wish there was another more professional option. But he is filling a void left by little coverage from local publications.

/rant
Click to expand...
I understand the main editor isn't everybody's favorite but I can give him a pass because of the effort and enthusiasm he puts into the sport. I wish there was another Media Source in the area that actually took the time to go out and watch these kids play instead of just looking at the stat lines. I know at times it might come off as it is all about him, but I think it is just the opposite. He is hard working guy that wants to promote the sport. I have to give him credit for actually being able to speak intelligently about the sport and not just being a popularity contest that the enquirer or prepdig do with their awards.
 
FourthAndOne said:
I understand the main editor isn't everybody's favorite but I can give him a pass because of the effort and enthusiasm he puts into the sport. I wish there was another Media Source in the area that actually took the time to go out and watch these kids play instead of just looking at the stat lines. I know at times it might come off as it is all about him, but I think it is just the opposite. He is hard working guy that wants to promote the sport. I have to give him credit for actually being able to speak intelligently about the sport and not just being a popularity contest that the enquirer or prepdig do with their awards.
Click to expand...
I get it, and admitted as much. He has a platform because he's doing what no one else is, actually caring about the sort and coverage.
He just drives me crazy in the process.
The only thing I might disagree with is the "speak intelligently" part because in the past week he has argued with multiple refs about rules where he was clearly wrong. But again, I understand I have some level of bias against him. I'm not too big to admit that.
 
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