Alpha Performance A. 73, 74 Team Overviews

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These teams do some traveling. However, they mainly stay in the Commonwealth. Some could end up making huge impacts as seniors for the respective teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>73</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='944304' first='Daviss' last='Johnson'] leads this team after contributing on defense at Western Hills in the fall. She plays outside hitter for this team. Woodford County juniors Layla Aubrey plays outside hitter and Mary Groves plays middle blocker. Another teammate at Woodford County in junior defensive specialist Lexi Zuberer is also on the roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Frederick Douglass juniors [player_tooltip player_id='875442' first='Paige' last='Crouch'] is a pin hitter and Braylen Fields plays setter. Three juniors in Grace Finley, Avery Martin and Lorelei Johns are pin hitters and Yisell Baires round out the roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Emma Goodlin is the team's head coach. The next tournament is the Bluegrass Battle in Georgetown on Feb. 28 and March 1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>74</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This team is led by Harrison County junior outside hitter/defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id='941450' first='Maci' last='Ware'] and Scott County freshman opposite hitter [player_tooltip player_id='941141' first='Emma' last='Miller']. Sophomore Annistyn Warner plays defensive specialist. Montgomery County freshman Hannah Hensley is an outside hitter and defensive specialist with Grant County senior Kylee Ryan setting. Sophomore Emma Marshall is a right side and defensive specialist with Frederick Douglass sophomore Oriel Taylor playing middle blocker. Williamstown junior Shelby McCandless and Kathryn Davis round out the roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The team's head coach is Presley Cord. The next tournament is the Bluegrass Battle in Georgetown on Feb. 28 and March 1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["875442"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-698a969217cc9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Crouch showed a lot of promise at the end of the season. She takes solid swings pounding balls to the back row. She makes nice cut shots to the sides of blockers and away from hitters. Crouch consistently finds ways to better balls each time she steps onto the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["944304"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-698a9f0b04d2c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Johnson can handle a variety of roles. She steps forward and delivers precise hits from the pins and uses her range on defense to track down balls in the back row. Johnson can smack balls down the lines roll ones to the shallow middle. Johnson has a good platform to jumpstart the Western Hills offensive flow.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["941141"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-698a969217d31"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Miller has a nice vertical jump for the A.74 team and sends balls hard to the back row. Miller puts good rainbow shots to different parts of the court. She takes quality rips from both pins. On defense, Miller is a hustler. She comes out of nowhere to dive and make solid saves.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["941450"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-698a969217d7c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Ware (pictured) will have her chance to contribute for the Fillies this fall with the graduation of seven seniors. She waits until the right second to put balls through blocks and send roll shots to the back row. She has a good approach to the net. Ware can step back to make overhead passes. A quicker arm swing could help her make big offensive contributions this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Note from the Writer</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mike Graham has been writing for Prep Dig for two years and has enjoyed getting to know the volleyball scenes in both Kentucky and Ohio. If you liked the story, please copy and paste to X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. You may also follow us at @prepdigkentucky or @prepdigoh on Instagram in addition to @PrepDigKy or @PrepDigOH on X. If you feel someone in Kentucky or Ohio needs coverage or even have feedback on the Kentucky rankings, please email Mike at pnmikeg@yahoo.com. You may also follow him on X @GMCgrah or Instagram @g.michaelgraham. Subscriptions give you access to exclusive content. For a 30% discount, enter code graham30 at checkout.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->