Top 2nd Region Defensive Machines

<p>Offense may seem like the star of the show, but defense is equally as essential if not more important. A lot of coaches consider passing/defense the backbone of the team, so here are five awesome 2nd region back row players that keep the ball rolling (or off the floor). </p> <p><strong><img class=" wp-image-103814 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/08/riley-thomas-e1596642049420-269x300.jpg" alt="" width="199" height="221" />Riley Thomas-</strong> Have you ever met a player that goes up to the officials after they called the ball out and tells them that they personally touched it, so the other team should get the point in the region championship? If you haven’t, then you’ve never met Riley Thomas. A girl who is known for her character and integrity not just off the court but on as well. Thomas helped Caldwell County defensively with 287 digs and a 3.22 dig average. Classy and honorable, Riley Thomas earned her spot on the all-district and all-region team in 2019 and showed all players what the meaning of a "true leader" is. The Lady Tigers won their district and placed second in the region, so they will be back for redemption in 2020 with Thomas dominating in her final season! </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="68073" first="Olivia" last="Mitchell"]-</strong> Normally talked about because of her offensive capability, [player_tooltip player_id="68073" first="Olivia" last="Mitchell"] is also an important asset for Caldwell County’s back row. Mitchell was a key in her squad’s success and helped the team defensively alongside libero, Riley Thomas. She had 254 digs with a 2.31 dig average which is quite impressive considering she only plays back row defense for 3 rotations. Olivia will definitely be one to watch for her senior season because of her skills to not only get it done in the front row but the back row too. Mitchell suffered a barn-burner loss to Henderson County in the region finals, but she still led her team for the season with 625 kills and a .568 kill average. She earned the 2nd Region Player of the Year award and KVCA first-team all-state honors this past year so look out for this talented, uncommitted senior in 2020! </p> [caption id="attachment_103816" align="alignright" width="225"]<img class=" wp-image-103816" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/08/alexis-2-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="225" /> Photo: <a href="https://x.com/fliehmanalexis" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Twitter</a>[/caption] <p><strong>Alexis Fliehman-</strong> Ranked 5th in the state for the most digs, Alexis Fhielman was the backbone of Madisonville North-Hopkins’ success. She had a whopping number of 756 digs with a crazy 7.34 dig average!! Most coaches would say just remarkable. How does she do it? Being 5’1, Fliehman flies around the court and takes up as much court as she possibly can defensively. Her incredible control and soft, quiet platform allows the ball to go exactly where she wants it which makes the audience think passing it just as easy as it seems... Fliehman and graduate, [player_tooltip player_id="68048" first="Madison" last="McCabe"], led the team defensively with a combined total of 1,229 digs which is sometimes more than a whole team can grab. Big things are in store for this senior!</p> <p><strong>Audrie Ellis-</strong> As just a sophomore for Webster County, Audrie Ellis led the team in digs with 289 and had an impressive dig average of 2.75. She also helped the team at the service line with 70 aces. Ellis contributed to the team’s success with a winning season and a district runner-up title. It was her first year lettering in volleyball, and she has quickly picked up the sport defensively, so Ellis will be fun to watch as she continues to learn and grow. Webster County only graduated 3 seniors, so they will be back and better next year with Audrie leading them in the back row! </p>