2024 VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW
James Collier
64th DISTRICT
ASHLAND
2023 Record: 30-9
Season Ended: 3-0 Loss to Boyd County (16th Region Championship)
Ashland stood toe-to-toe with Boyd County last season while nearly handing the defending region champs a loss in the regular season, only to watch their arch nemesis escape the pits of defeat. Ashland won its first six straight before falling to Sayre, 2-1 in the Dink Scott Memorial. Ashland lost consecutive games only once over the season, falling in straight sets to Hurricane and Morgantown, WV. But after a 30-9 season in which five of the nine losses came to Boyd, Ashland is poised to make a run in the 64th District.
Khia Robinson dominated the net for the Volleycats by slamming home 468 kills and 49 blocks. Olivia Wiley added 207 kills. Sadie Chaffins and Olivia Hutchinson had 180 and 171 kills, respectively, while Hutchinson paced Ashland with 71 blocks. Grace Clark guided the offense with 928 assists and a team-high 72 aces. Bentley Rogers added 43 aces.
Ashland opens with a visit from Raceland followed by a trip to Pikeville, both former programs led by current Ashland coach Jason Clark. Ashland meets Rose Hill at home then travels to Russell, Boyd and Raceland.
BOYD COUNTY
2023 Record: 33-7
Season Ended: 3-0 Loss to Louisville Mercy (State Quarterfinals)
A coaching change midseason was not about to derail the Lions run toward the trifecta. After Katee Neltner’s unexpected resignation from the program that she built from the ground up, Boyd County continued its region dominance with a 3-0 win over Ashland in the regional championship. Boyd notched another state tournament win with a 3-1 victory over 15th Region Champs, Johnson Central, but could not find an answer for Louisville Mercy in the quarterfinals in a 3-0 season ending loss. Although pushed at times in a pair of district matchups with Ashland, Boyd maintained its unblemished region record with a 10-0 mark to end the season.
Boyd rolled off six straight to open the season before falling to Central Hardin in the Apollo Summer Slam Championship, 2-1. Boyd fell to Wayne, WV, 3-2 and had to play from behind the following night against Ashland for a 3-2 win. Boyd suffered consecutive losses only once during the season with losses to Highlands and Beechwood in the Cake Classic at Highlands.
Boyd County featured dominant play at nearly every position on the court highlighted by Taylor Bartrum and Audrey Biggs. Bartrum slammed home 549 kills and led the Lions with 49 aces. Biggs kicked in 328 kills and led the way with 147 blocks. Payton Jones added 147 kills. Carleigh Conley directed the Lions offense with 982 assists.
Boyd, however, will be a much different looking team in 2024 after graduating a large senior class. Serenity Cordial, Bartrum, Biggs and Conley all departed due to graduation.
Boyd opens the season with a visit from Rowan County before traveling to Lewis County and Wayne, WV. Following the opening three games feature a three-game home stand from Raceland, Ashland and Russell.
FAIRVIEW
2023 Record: 4-29
Season Ended: 3-0 Loss to Boyd County (64th District Tournament)
After a 3-1 start to the season, Fairview would find the winner’s column only one more time over their final 29 contests. Fairview’s last win came on Aug. 26, 2023 in straight sets over Menifee County in the All “A” Classic.
Makenzi Slone and Madison Loving led the Eagles at the net with 156 and 142 kills, respectively. Loving guided the offense with 203 assists. Olivia Meade had 45 aces. Loving added 40.
Fairview departs only two seniors from last season in Lilly McGlone and Autumn McGlone.
Fairview opens the season with visits from Menifee, Rose Hill, Lawrence County and Raceland.
ROSE HILL
2023 Record: 18-13
Season Ended: 3-0 Loss to Ashland (64th District Tournament)
Rose Hill saw the toughest part of their schedule right out of the gate last season, but the tough slate led to wins in 11 of 12 late in the season as the Royals tallied 18 wins. Rose Hill defeated Fairview in the All “A” Classic but lost to Raceland in the championship. Rose Hill earned the third seed in the 64th District Tournament but could not find an answer for Ashland as they lost in straight sets.
Abigail Justus paced the Royals at the net with 260 kills. Isabel Hensley added 199. Avary Newell had 102. Hensley and Justus directed the offense with 287 and 150 assists, respectively. Hensley had 84 aces from the service line. Laiken Deerfield added 74. Justus had 59.
Rose Hill opens the season on the road with games at Fairview, Ashland and Greenup.
63rd DISTRICT
GREENUP COUNTY
2023 Record: 19-13
Season Ended: 3-1 Loss to Russell (63rd District Tournament)
Ali Suttles wanted to build a solid foundation for Greenup in her second season at the helm of the Musketeers. Coming off a 9-23 finish in her rookie season in 2022, Suttles squad certainly bettered their mark with a 19-13 season that included a five-game winning streak leading into the postseason. The youthful Musketeers, however, could not withstand Russell in the opening round of the 63rd District Tournament, as they would fall, 3-1.
Greenup alternated wins and losses over their first six contests, but a four-game streak sparked a Kentucky 2A, Section 6 championship with straight set wins over Estill and Mason County. Greenup battled Whitley County and Floyd Central in the Kentucky 2A State Tournament but would fall in both contests. After falling in five sets to Raceland in the final district tilt of the season, Greenup found its stride leading into the postseason after losing only one game in the final five regular season tilts.
Peyton Powell led the Musketeers with 377 kills. Lucy Roy had 187 kills. Laiken Russell kicked in 152. Rilee Dillow and Marley Miller directed the offensive with 339 and 273, respectively. Greenup was deadly from the service line with three players carding 60 or more aces on the season. Dillow led the way with 69. Russell and Powell had 60 each.
Greenup lost only two seniors last season in libero Kourtney Stephens and Miller leaving the Musketeers in position to make a run this season. Greenup plays at the Greenhouse in seven of their first eight games to start the year, welcoming East and West Carter, Russell, Lawrence County, Rose Hill and Raceland. Greenup closes the season with a home and home against Boyd County before starting postseason play.
RACELAND
2023 Record: 19-13
Season Ended: 3-0 Loss to Boyd (16th Region Quarterfinals)
Raceland wanted to build off its 2022 regional tournament runner-up finish in 2023. Raceland rolled off eight wins in nine contests including a five-set thriller over Russell at the Palace. The Rams cruised to another 16thRegion All “A” Championship but the magical run in 22 was not in the cards for the Rams as they lost in straight sets to Russell in the 63rd District title game followed by a 3-0 loss to Boyd County in the opening round of the 16th Region tournament.
Skyler Brown-Morris led the Rams at the net last season with 208 kills. Shaelee Holbrook slammed home 179 kills. Kaylee Braden had 147. Gracie Reed added 130. Raceland’s offense went through junior Kody Haddix as the lone setter for the Rams. Haddix had 652 assists and led the Rams from the service line with 68 aces. Holbrook added 38 aces. Brown-Morris and Reed had 29 and 27, respectively.
Raceland departs seven seniors to graduation in Gianna Cook, Reagan Mackie, Kiera Meyer, Reed, Brown-Morris and Holbrook. The Rams also welcome a new head coach as former Boyd County bench boss, Katee Neltner will begin her tenure at her new home after turning Boyd County into the region powerhouse.
Raceland will get a full idea of where the 2024 squad stands within the first month of the season with a season opener against Russell, a trip to Ashland two days later, capped off by a four-game series that features Boyd, Lewis, Ashland and Greenup.
RUSSELL
2023 Record: 16-13
Season Ended: 3-0 Loss to Ashland (16th Region Semifinals)
Russell shared mixed results in its 2023 campaign, but when the chips were on the table, the Devils captured another 63rd District Championship with a 3-0 win over Raceland. Russell knocked off Greenup on the Musketeers home floor to open the district tournament and snagged a 3-0 win over West Carter to open the 16th Region Tournament. The run would come to an end in the region semis as Russell fell to Ashland, 3-0.
One month into the season, Russell sat at 4-9 with four consecutive losses leading into a pair of district seeding games with Raceland and Greenup. The Devils showed their poise and experience in the pair of district tilts with 3-2 wins over both the Musketeers and Rams. Those wins sparked a run of six wins in seven games with a 3-1 loss to Ashland the only blemish in the span. Russell rolled into the 16th Region Tournament with their best winning streak of the season of five straight.
Josie Collins and Carmin Corey paced the Devils attack at the net. Collins led the way with 294 kills and Corey added 290. Emily Clark and Sydney Clark directed the offense with 413 and 326 assists, respectively. Clark led the Russell service with 46 aces. Collins dotted 37. Corey had 33.
Russell graduated only one starter last season with Collins being the only loss on the starting rotation. The Devils season opens with a gauntlet run of Raceland, Greenup, Ashland and Boyd.
Comments