The Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association released their All-State teams with plenty of northern Kentucky players making the teams.
The teams are voted on by coaches from around the state that are members of the associaiton.
The First Team All-State members from NKY were Notre Dame Academy’s Julia Grace and Ava Tilden, Scott’s Milyn Minor and Ryle’s Lucy Trapp.
Grace was also awarded the defensive player of the year in the state and 9th Region Player of the Year. Her 647 digs were seventh in the state for an average of 5.68 per set for the Pandas. She also led the team in service aces with 53 on the year. Grace, a senior, will continue her education and playing career at Xavier next year.
Tilden led the Pandas with 477 kills on the year, which was 18th in the state for an average of 4.34 per set. Tilden’s stellar season also tallied 231 digs, 39 aces and 27 blocks. She’ll be joining Grace at Xavier next season.
Minor is the back-to-back 10th Region Player of the Year. The junior led the Eagles with 402 kills with six games still needing to be collected for stats. She was second on the team in blocks, fourth in digs and tied for third in aces.
Trapp had her season cut short due to an injury, but still finished second on the team with 205 kills and fifth in digs and aces. She’ll continue her playing career and education at Thomas More.
Making the second team from northern Kentucky were St. Henry’s Corinne Blackburn, Simon Kenton’s Keira Hans and Ryle’s Morgan Heater.
Blackburn was key as the Crusaders middle hitter as she tallied a team-high 78 blocks on the season. She was also third on the team in kills with 225. Blackburn’s 78 blocks were top 50 in the state.
Hans helped lead the Pioneers to a record-setting season with a team-high 405 kills. She also led Simon Kenton in blocks and aces and was fourth in digs.
Heater was all over the board for the Raiders. She was third on the team in kills, second in blocks, first in assists fourth in digs and first in aces. Her 731 assists were top 50 in the state.
And those from NKY making the honorable mention list were St. Henry’s Madelyn Demler, Simon Kenton’s Jenna Kitchens and Bishop Brossart’s Katie Neltner.
Demler led the team with 295 kills and was second with 465 assists. Her versatility continued to show as she was third in digs and tied for fourth in aces.
Kitchens formed a solid front line with Hans, tallying 385 kills and 37 blocks. She also had 192 digs and 45 aces.
Neltner finished her senior season with 449 kills and second on the team with 38 blocks. Her 1,032 kills in her career are a program record. She was also third on the Mustangs in digs and aces.
In the final KVCA state team rankings, six NKY teams finished ranked in the top 25.
Notre Dame finished No. 2, St. Henry 9th, Ryle 12th, Scott 18th, Beechwood 20th and Simon Kenton 21st.
Assumption, the state champion, finished atop the poll.