KIVA 17 Red puts together another exciting squad
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Two metro areas have dominated the volleyball scene in Kentucky since the first state tournament took place in 1979: the Louisville area and northern Kentucky. Club volleyball in both places has been a huge reason for it and the interest…
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Continue ReadingTwo metro areas have dominated the volleyball scene in Kentucky since the first state tournament took place in 1979: the Louisville area and northern Kentucky.
Club volleyball in both places has been a huge reason for it and the interest only continues to grow. The Kentucky Indiana Volleyball Academy is one of the stronger ones in the Louisville area. The 17 Red team has put out another exciting squad coached by former University of Louisville head coach Anne Kordes and Allie Gregory and is a team to watch in the Bluegrass Tournament this weekend in Louisville.
This team won the 16 and Under Open Division AAU Girls Junior National Volleyball championship in Orlando in June. Kordes said the majority of the players have been playing club since they were 11 and their fundamentals and volleyball IQ are off the charts so she gives the players and the coaches before her a lot of credit.
Things start with defensive specialist Kristen Simon Kristen Simon 5'7" | DS/L Assumption | 2025 State #70 Nation KY from Assumption. Simon hustles hard after balls leading the team with 306 digs entering the Bluegrass Tournament. The Wisconsin commit is also a good server with a team-high 50 aces entering the tournament.
Two other defensive specialists have provided a lot of spart in Kentucky commit Trinity Ward Trinity Ward 5'8" | DS/L Holy Cross (Louisville) | 2025 State KY from Louisville Holy Cross and James Madison commit Shelby Davis Shelby Davis DS/L Oldham County | 2025 State KY from Oldham County. Ward entered the tournament with 180 digs and 33 aces and Davis had 153 digs and 37 aces.
The two setters have then made things happen on second passes. The uncommitted Emilee Fuller Emilee Fuller 5'7" | S Assumption | 2025 State #136 Nation KY from Assumption led 17 Red with 528 assists to go with 180 digs entering the weekend and Indiana commit Bella Haggard from Lexington Paul Dunbar had 478 assists. Haggard is trying to be a solid all-around player having recorded 45 blocks, 191 digs and 122 kills entering the weekend.
They have been setting up six hitters of which five are 6-1 or taller. The tallest is 6-4 Louisville commit Addison Makun from Silver Creek High School located in the Louisville suburb of Sellersburg, Indiana. Makun had 148 kills entering the weekend and a team-high 56 blocks despite battling some injuries.
Fuller has been able to set up two of her Assumption teammates in Ohio University commit Bailey Blair Bailey Blair 6'0" | MB Assumption | 2025 State KY and uncommitted Emma Barnett Emma Barnett OH Assumption | 2025 State KY . Barnett had 197 kills on the season entering the weekend and Blair had 181.
Three hitters from Sacred Heart round out the roster in Georgia Southern commit Anna Powell Anna Powell 6'1" | OH Sacred Heart | 2025 State KY , Harvard commit Bridget Egan Bridget Egan 6'0" | OH Sacred Heart Academy | 2025 State KY and Denver commit Elise Hart Elise Hart MB Sacred Heart | 2025 State KY . Powell had a team-high 213 kills entering the weekend and Egan had 131 kills. Hart is trying to help 17 Red control the net with 41 blocks to go with 122 kills.
KIVA 17 Red has played in three Mideast Power League Tournaments winning the 17s Division at the one Feb. 24 and 25 in Indianapolis. Kordes said the team had to switch to a 5-1 offense in that last tournament with the loss of Haggard to an injury.
KIVA 17 Red played in the Martin Luther King Tournament in Houston and lost in three to Tribe 17s out of Florida in the finals. The team came back to win the 17 open championship in the Central Zone on Feb. 3 and 4 in Indianapolis.
The team also played in the Triple Crown on Feb 17-19 in Kansas City and took fifth having to make a lineup change losing Makun to an injury after the second match on the second day. Kordes said she liked how the team competed overcoming the adversity.
“The competition comes from all over the country and this is by far one of the toughest tournaments to play for various reasons,” Kordes said of the Triple Crown. “You play in a power pool, so there are zero easy matches. You could win all your matches on Saturday, but lose all of them on Sunday or vice versa, so you are never out but you are never safe. Also, the NCAA division coaches are coming out of a quiet period, so there is added pressure to perform.”
The team opened 17 Open pool play on Friday with three 2-0 wins in the Bluegrass Tournament and continues pool play Saturday. The 17 Red plays in Pool 1 on the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center on Saturday on Court 68 against Lexington United at 2 p.m., the Athlete HQ 17-Burger squad at 4 p.m. and the Ohio Premier Volleyball 17 Day Club out of Cincinnati at 7 p.m.
Makun is showing why she is going to Louisville during the club season. Her 6-4 size makes it tough to block when she swings down at the height of her swing because she can hit to the line and back row. Makun does a good job reading hitters smacking down crosses hard in the front row. She’s even shown the ability to reach high and tap balls to the line. Makun defends the net well making hitters think when coming up to swing near her. That allows defenders to get in position behind her to make nice passes. Makun had 148 kills and a team-high 56 blocks for KIVA 17 Red entering the Bluegrass Invitational this weekend.
Haggard is a solid all-around player. Defensively, Haggard reads her blockers and opposing hitters moving her feet to make nice clean passes. Haggard is not afraid to slide to square up her arms with balls and pass them to her setter. Haggard can make nice short sets, good crosses to the pins and even surprises teams with setter dumps. Haggard looks for openings on the court and smashes balls into those openings. Haggard also moves her feet well giving her great timing on her blocks. One of her best traits is her enthusiasm on the court. It is hard to miss. Haggard had 122 kills, 191 digs, 478 assists and 45 blocks for 17 Red entering the weekend. Haggard had 250 kills, 1,045 assists, 406 digs, 49 aces, 20 solo and 64 assisted blocks leading Dunbar to a 30-8 record last year and a second straight 11th Region championship. Haggard had 1,350 assists in 2022 for Dunbar as a sophomore helping the Bulldogs to a program-first state runner-up finish.
Highlights
If the ball comes near Simon, chances are she will dig it up. She does a great job moving her feet and reading hitters to put herself in position to dig up balls and put them where her teammates can make nice sets. She slides well to balls and showed she can handle hard shots from the pin headed toward the line in the Bluegrass Tournament. Her jump serve has some spice on it that can be hard for defenders to handle in the back row. Simon led the team with 306 digs and 50 aces entering the tournament. Simon had 475 digs and 38 aces as a junior this past fall leading Assumption to a 36-5 record and the team’s state-high 23rd state championship.
Highlights
Powell is one of the reasons Sacred Heart continues to be in the mix for 7th Region and state championships. When given time, Powell sees where defenders are setting up and unleashes a solid smash. Powell can hit off blockers out of bounds and down off their hands at various angles. Powell can even hit around them to the far corner and the line. Powell can even adjust to passes directing balls where they need to go. Powell had a team-high 213 kills entering the weekend. Powell had 353 kills leading the Valkyries to a 28-11 record, a 27th District championship and 7th Region runner-up finish this past fall.
Blair continues to show why she is one of the top middle hitters in the state during club season. Blair can slide to her right then smack it the other way and does well hitting balls to the lines on quick sets in the middle. Defenders may believe she is going up for a hard swing, but she throws them curve balls by tapping them to the side. Blair also forms nice blocks helping her teams control the net. Blair had 181 kills entering the weekend for KIVA 17 Red. Blair had 341 kills and led Assumption with 16 solo and 68 assisted blocks this past season helping the Rockets to the 23rd state championship in school history.