The Enquirer will preview each high school volleyball position group ahead of the 2025 season. The final position group is the top returning hitters.
The last high school sports preseason milestone is within reach!
In just a few days (Aug. 1 to be exact), football, soccer and volleyball teams can officially begin practicing. Just in time for the calendar to flip, The Enquirer presents its final list of the top volleyball players in the city.
This week, we're focusing on the top hitters. Watching these players work can leave fans awestruck. Just don't get in the way of their incredibly powerful swings.
You can also read about the top defensive specialists/ liberos, top setters and top blockers.
Emma Adkins, Mercy McAuley
Adkins has done a little bit of everything in her high school career. Stepping into a starting role as a sophomore, she contributed 364 digs, 93 assists and 57 aces. Last fall, she posted 308 assists, 253 kills, 237 digs, 53 aces and 19 blocks as an invaluable six-rotation player. The Wolves will lean on the Northern Kentucky commit as a senior leader as they return just four players who saw the court in 2024.
Callie Combs, Seton
Last year, Sakura Codling was named the Ohio Division I Player of the Year. Combs could keep that honor at Seton. She is the No. 9-ranked player in Ohio, according to PrepDig, was first-team all-district and second-team All-Ohio, and is committed to North Carolina State. As a junior, she posted 327 kills, 271 digs, 33 blocks, 30 aces and 21 aces. She is on track to cross the 1,000-kill threshold for her career and has a solid chance to reach 100 career blocks.
Audrey Dyas, Notre Dame
Ava Tilden led the Pandas in 2024 with 477 kills. This fall, Notre Dame can replicate her production in the aggregate (that's a "Moneyball" reference). Dyas, a Toledo commit, was second on the team with 241 kills to go with 62 blocks. PrepDig ranks her as the No. 7 player in Kentucky and the 64th best player in the nation.
Ava McIntyre, Kings
One of the most energetic players in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference was named the league's 2024 offensive player of the year after posting 369 kills, 241 digs, 69 aces and 47 blocks. She recorded double-digit kills in 21 of the Knights' 24 matches and averaged 15.4 kills per match. McIntyre led the conference in aces and was second in kills. The Wingate commit was also named to the DII all-state first team.
Morgan Meiring, Fenwick
As a sophomore, she had the second-most kills in the Greater Catholic League-Coed with 395. She also posted 271 digs and 47 aces to lead the Falcons to the DV state championship match. For the second year in a row, she was named to the all-league first team and All-Ohio third team.
Milyn Minor, Scott
The two-time 10th Region Player of the Year is back for one final season after posting 484 kills, 314 digs, 63 blocks and 57 aces as a junior. Minor lives above the net and has one of the most powerful arms on either side of the river, as proven by her 1,509 career kills.
Kendall Northern, Summit Country Day
The Penn State commit was the go-to option for the Silver Knights as she led the Miami Valley Conference with 426 kills in 2024. She also led her team 223 digs, and rounded out her contributions with 63 aces and 35 assists. Northern was named the DV District 16 Player of the Year and All-Ohio second team. She is the No. 1-ranked player in Ohio and No. 14 in the nation by PrepDig.
Gabby Semona, St. Ursula
The senior is the top returning attacker for the Bulldogs, coming off a season where she had 244 kills to go with 46 digs and 39 blocks. The Xavier University commit is an all-around net player; she posted 78 blocks as a sophomore in 2023. The Bulldogs return to DI after one season in DII, but have the roster to compete for another state title.
Nattie Slusher, Seton
Slusher had one job for the Saints in 2024: dominate at the net. She did that to the tune of 274 kills and 46 blocks. The Eastern Michigan commit averaged 11.4 kills per match in the second half of the season and posted double-digit kills in five straight postseason matches to help the Saints mow down the competition on their way to a state title.
Savanna Stacey, McNicholas
Stacey leads four returners who put away at least 100 kills in 2024. She compiled 224 kills, 190 digs, 37 blocks and 31 aces as a sophomore. She can get hot at a moment's notice; as a freshman, she logged 27 and 28 kills in two different five-set wins. Stacey was named to the GCL-Coed and district first team and the All-Ohio third team as the Rockets advanced to the DIV regional final.
Additional hitters to watch in the 2025 season
Kendall Bosse, Ross; Railynn Bowman, Edgewood; Neenah Burton, Colerain; Kelsey Clyde, South Dearborn; Madi Demler, St. Henry; Lexy Dreher, Lakota East; Emily Helmers, St. Henry; Chloe Hershey, Bishop Brossart; Liz Hudnall, East Central; Sarah Hutchinson, McNicholas; Karsyn Jamison, East Clinton; Rachel King, Ryle; Jenna Kitchens, Simon Kenton; Rachel Lewandowski, Beechwood; Ava Long, Lebanon; Grace Miracle, Milford; Miya Nance, Wilmington; Josie Nichols, Loveland; Isabel O'Brien, Beechwood; Regan Oaks, Harrison; Kennedy Ostendorf, Fairfield; Charlotte Patton, Conner; Liz Perkins, Highlands; Ellie Poynter, Batavia; Cara Richter, Mount Notre Dame; Evie Schiller, Madeira; Maddie Steele, Turpin; Emma Tharp, Oak Hills; Lola Waleskowski, St. Ursula
Vote: Who is the top hitter in Greater Cincinnati girls volleyball in 2025?
Readers can vote once per hour per device. This poll will close at 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 1.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati girls high school volleyball: Top hitters in of 2025
Category: General Sports
