Putnam Volleyball Club 17R, 18 Ashland Team Overviews

The Putnam Volleyball Club Ashland teams put together teams mixed with players with plenty of varsity experience and others that hope to make names this fall. The 17R team has that mixture while the 18 team has three returning players.   17R   This team has 11 players all from the 16th Region. Boyd County sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='794484' first='Heidi' last='Marcum'] could play libero or defensive specialist with Boyd County seventh grader Payton Clark playing libero or setting. Boyd County sophomore Audrina Epling could play defensive specialist or hit from the outside. The other setter could be Fairview junior [player_tooltip player_id='535277' first='Madison' last='Loving'] if she does not hit from the right side.   The team has three sound middle blockers in Russell junior [player_tooltip player_id='535185' first='Jaycee' last='Hall'], Raceland junior [player_tooltip player_id='848098' first='Allayson' last='Rigsby'] or Boyd County sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='611964' first='Adria' last='Queen']. Boyd County sophomore Gracie Cole will hit from the pins with sophomore Boyd County teammate Molly Robbins hitting from the right side.   Two Raceland teammates round out the roster. Junior Camerynn Gillum will play outside or middle blocker with sophomore Presleigh Deweese hitting from the pins.   Raceland head coach Kate Neltner-Arthur is the team's head coach. The team plays in the Commonwealth Grand Prix on Saturday and Sunday at the Central Bank Center/Rupp Arena in Lexington.   18   This team mainly has seven seniors on it with two juniors and a sophomore. The two juniors are Greenup County middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='484428' first='Lucy' last='Roy'] and Shelby Valley junior setter/outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='535230' first='Miley' last='Riddle']. The sophomore is outside hitter/defensive specialist Sophia Phillips from Portsmouth (Ohio) Notre Dame.   Merrick Clinger is the head coach. The team took third out of 15 teams in the 17/18 Club Blue Division of the Nike River Rumble at Spooky Nook in Hamilton, Ohio over the weekend. The next event is the Presidents Cub at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on Feb. 14 and 15.   Players to Watch    Loving finds different ways to put balls over and around blockers despite facing consistent double blocks. She takes the right amount off balls to land them on or near the back lines on out of system gap shots. Loving is productive from all six spots on the court. Loving also plays basketball, softball and golf at Fairview so the use of different muscle groups comes in handy. Loving is a hustler on defense and scores a lot of points off tough serves. Off the court, Loving is a fun person to chat with.     Marcum will be asked to step into a bigger role this fall as Boyd County will be hit heavily with graduation. Marcum steps forward and makes the simple passes. She does not hide behind blockers allowing her to read hitters then react quickly. Marcum executes the bump and overhead passes. Some work on her ball control will go a long way this fall.     Rigsby (pictured) tried to carry the Rams after the team saw a key player from the 2024 region finalist team not return. Rigsby uses her size to her advantage finding different ways to control the net. Rigsby makes things happen against strong middles. She can cut balls away from blocks and pounds down overpassed balls. Rigsby has great form on her blocks and makes the simple passes. She makes things happen from all six spots on the court. Rigsby had 314 kills, 67 solo blocks, 162 digs and 106 assists in the fall for Fairview.     Phillips could be a hidden gem in southern Ohio. Phillips is an all-around playmaker for Notre Dame. Phillips has a great vertical jump and court awareness. Phillips can land kills from all six zones on the court. She sends across tough cross shots and will pound balls down the line if the defenders are caught too far in. Phillips executes with precision when balls come to her on tandems. Phillips does not hesitate to send roll shots to open shallow zones if the opportunity presents itself. Defensively, Phillips reads opponents well and can lower her body but stay into position to make crisp passes. She has good range on balls. She dives after balls but stays under control. Phillips has great timing on her blocks and a nice line drive serve. She made the First Team All-Southern Ohio Conference and Third Team All-District in the fall for her efforts.    Note from the Writer   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.

The Putnam Volleyball Club Ashland teams put together teams mixed with players with plenty of varsity experience and others that hope to make names this fall. The 17R team has that mixture while the 18 team has three returning players.