Who are the best defensive specialists, liberos in Greater Cincinnati ahead of 2025?

What will Greater Cincinnati's high school volleyball teams do for an encore after placing five teams in state championship matches and winning three titles in 2024?

An incredibly talented group of players left their mark last season before graduating, paving the way for a host of fresh new faces to make their names known this fall.

Each Tuesday in July, The Enquirer will publish a list of the top 10 players in the city in each position group. Readers will also have the chance to vote on the top players at each position. Readers can vote once an hour through 4 p.m. Friday.

Starting this year's positional series are the defensive specialists and liberos.

Emma Frietch, St. Ursula

The 2024 Girls Greater Catholic League Athlete of the Year led the league with 458 digs to go with 110 assists and 23 aces. The Tennessee commit registered 20 digs in a match nine times last year, including in three of the Bulldogs' final four matches as they won the Division II state championship.

Ria Furuta, Ryle

The Raiders have been one of the most consistent teams in the Ninth Region. They've won 20 matches or more in seven of the last eight seasons. This year, the region may just open up for them to make a run to their third regional final in the last six seasons. Leading the defensive charge is Furuta, a Miami (Ohio) commit who had 470 digs, 49 assists and 42 aces as a junior.

Hayden Gessner, Highlands

The Bluebirds return a wealth of defensive experience, with four of their top five digs leaders from 2024 coming back this fall. Gessner led the way with 530 digs, 38 aces, 37 assists. She will play a large role as Highlands attempts to make back-to-back regional semifinals for the first time since 2004 and 2005 when it was in the 10th Region.

Payton Grigsby, Scott

She played the second-most sets of any Eagle last year, only behind her sister, Ryann. Spending so much time on the court helped her to be a super versatile player, finishing the season with 392 digs, 169 kills, 81 aces, 29 assists and 21 blocks. Scott relied on its depth and versatility to advance to the state semifinal for the first time since 2014. The Eagles will be favored to win the 10th Region again this year.

Grace Jones, Seton

Filling the shoes of Sakura Codling is no easy task, but if anyone is equipped to do it, it's Jones. Seton has so much production at every position that talent is rarely an issue. As a junior, Jones had 250 digs, 64 aces and 23 assists.

Rachel Morgan, Milford

The Eastern Cincinnati Conference may have the most returning talent at DS/ libero of any league in Southwest Ohio this season. The top six digs leaders from 2024 will all be on the court this fall. Morgan led them all with 489 digs last season. She also had 99 assists, 44 aces and 12 kills, and was named the ECC Defensive Player of the Year.

Emme Moser, Fenwick

Just a junior, Moser is one of a few Falcons who already has two years of varsity experience under her belt. After a 10-12 regular season, she helped them make a run to the Division V state championship game. Moser truly got better as the season went on, registering double-digit digs in 17 of the Falcons' final 19 matches. She ended the season with 413 digs, 58 aces and 46 assists.

Kenadi Sieg, St. Henry

Sieg burst onto the scene as a freshman, helping the Crusaders to the Ninth Region championship match. She was named to the all-tournament team and earned her own moniker as the season progressed, with announcers exclaiming "Sieg dig!" every time she made a spectacular play. In 2024, she had 535 digs, 128 assists and 39 aces.

Ali Strange, McNicholas

Strange brings the energy for the Rockets and can cover the court with the best of them. McNicholas was the top-ranked team in Division IV for the majority of the 2024 season and should contend for another regional title. Strange had 374 digs, 112 assists and 39 aces and was one of two Rockets named to the GCL-Coed first team.

Elizabeth Strouble, Roger Bacon

She led the Miami Valley Conference in digs as a sophomore, saving 404 attacks throughout the season. She was also third in the conference with 80 aces. After the Spartans captured the Division IV state title, she disclosed how much the senior class meant to her development. Now, she will be a role model for the younger players entering the program.

Additional defensive specialists/ liberos to watch during the 2025 season

Johnna Bimrose, South Dearborn; Maddie Bladen, Hamilton; Maggie Dawson, Beechwood; Grace Frommeyer, Bishop Brossart; Samantha Gaughan, Mariemont; Ella George, Loveland; Kennady Horsley, Kings; Arceli Houchin, Bethel-Tate; Brooklyn Humphrey, Lakota West; Madison Kyle, Lebanon; Grace Louden, Deer Park; Carley Nadler, Badin; Sophia Ober, Ross; Kenzie Schoenfelder, East Central; Mallory Thorn, Turpin; Addison Warth, Cooper; Anna Kate Young, Cincinnati Christian

Vote: Who is the top preseason defensive specialist/ libero in Greater Cincinnati?

The poll is very similar to the Athlete of the Week poll. You may vote once per hour per device. The poll will close at 4 p.m. on Friday, July 11.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Top 10 defensive specialists, liberos in Cincinnati ahead of 2025