With the 2024 high school volleyball season starting in just over a week, The Enquirer once again highlights the best players by position in Greater Cincinnati.
The reveals began on Monday with the best defensive specialists and liberos, on Tuesday with the top 10 setters and on Wednesday with the best blockers. The final list includes the best hitters in the city.
They are the final step to get past the defense and score a point for their team. They may have a pre-set shot in their head, but can adapt in an instant and produce a quick ground-seeker, a slow cut shot, or a side-out-off block.
Remember to vote for the best player in the poll at the end of the story. Voting ends Monday, August 12th at 4:00 p.m. EST.
Allie Barrick, CHCA
After posting the second-most kills in the Miami Valley Conference (377) and adding 208 digs, 33 aces and 30 blocks last year, she was named to the MVC first team and All-Ohio Division II third team.
The Lipscomb player has over 1,000 kills in her career thanks to her ability to adapt on the fly in the air. She can find the open court with a direct shot or a slow touch and get a side out of the opponent’s block.
Callie Combs, Seton
The North Carolina State product is one of the best all-around players in the Girls Greater Catholic League. She finished her sophomore year with 209 kills and was in the league’s top five in digs (359) and aces (47), while also recording 20 blocks and 11 assists.
Combs was a member of the GGCL first team and competed on the Southwest District third team in 2023.
Grace Crider, Anderson
She is the Eastern Cincinnati Conference’s best returning hitter after posting 356 kills as a junior. The Kings won the 2023 league title by three games; Crider will help keep Anderson in what will surely be a close race for the 2024 crown. The Raptors are seeking their first league title since 2014.
As a junior, Crider was named to the ECC first team and the Southwest District second team thanks to 183 digs, 53 aces and 16 assists. She has 703 kills in her career and should reach her 1,000th this fall.
Katie Gielas, Ursuline
She is on pace to surpass 1,000 kills in her final season. As a pure hitter, her strong arm earned her 384 kills as a junior, leading the GGCL. She also had 51 digs and 34 blocks.
Gielas was a valuable member of a senior-laden team that won the state title in 2022 and hopes to lead the Lions back to the top in her final year. She has committed to play at Florida Gulf Coast.
Luci Heid, Badin
Heid is one of two frontline players Badin’s opponents don’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 player was named to the GCL-C, District and D II All-State First Teams.
Natalie Knigga, Lawrenceburg
A true rotation six player, the senior led the Tigers with 510 assists, 362 kills and 60 aces while contributing 359 digs and 23 blocks. She was named the Eastern Indiana Conference Most Valuable Player.
Knigga is truly versatile at the net and can throw a variety of shots in a given situation. She also has the lateral quickness to get up for a block when needed. Her ability in any rotation makes her a nightmare for opposing teams.
Milyn Minor, Scott
The Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association named her the 10th Player of the Year for 2023, a remarkable accomplishment for a sophomore. She is part of a family of athletes; her brother Mitchel currently plays basketball at Northern Kentucky University, where her father Shannon is in the Athlete Hall of Fame.
Minor led the Eagles with 474 kills and has 1,025 in her career. She also had 358 digs, 45 aces and 41 blocks as Scott won its first 37th district championship since 2020. The Eagles reached their 10th regional championship for the fourth time in five years, but this year all the pieces are in place to advance to the state tournament for the first time since 2020.
Caroline Moore, Mercy McAuley
Moore is one of the best returning hitters in the GGCL. The Oakland University player and honorable mention in the GGCL had 229 kills, 65 digs, 50 blocks and 26 aces as a junior.
She had six matches in 2023 where she fended off double-digit attacks, including a career-high 18 in a five-set win over Seton. Her final performance of the season culminated in a moment many players dream of: she sank the final point to win Mercy McAuley’s first state championship.
Kendall Northern, Summit Day
She is listed as a middle blocker, but led the MVC with 402 kills as a sophomore, more than double her freshman total of 197. Northern also had 105 digs, 17 blocks and 12 aces for the Silver Knights and was named to the MVC first team. With 599 kills already in her career, she has a chance to record her 1,000th put-away this season.
If you google Northern’s name, the surprising result is a TikTok that calls her one of the best players in the country in the class of 2026. She deserves this recognition, having already attended camps at Duke, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Stanford and Wisconsin.
Ava Tilden, Notre Dame Academy
The Xavier player led her team with 355 kills and was one of four players with at least 200 completions. The Pandas may have the most intimidating offense in all of Kentucky this year.
Tilden has one of the strongest arms in Greater Cincinnati, but also possesses the finesse to direct her attack to all areas of the court. After recording 153 digs, 37 aces and 22 blocks, she was named to the 2023 All-36th District Tournament Team, All-Ninth Region Tournament Team and State Tournament Team.
On the radar
Addy Bianchinibricklayer; Kendall BossHorse; Molly CreechSt. Ursula; Mariah GainesRoger Bacon; Ella HeidenNew Richmond; Jenna KitchensSimon Kenton; Ava McIntyrekings; Morgan MeiringFenwick; Charlotte PattonConner; Cara RichterMount Notre Dame; Stacey, SavannaMcNicholas; Ella SundermanWashington DC; Olivia WeisemanMonroe