Buckeye Twin Tales, Part Three: McNick's Tierney Sisters

Editor's Notes: Do you want to get in front of Prep Dig Scouts? This is one big way to do it. The annual Kentucky Exposure Tour in Wilder is Nov. 28. Click on this link to register: <a href="https://events.prepdig.com/e/2489/register/prep-dig-exposure-tour-kentucky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://events.prepdig.com/e/2489/register/prep-dig-exposure-tour-kentucky</a>. For 25 percent off, type ET26Mike25OFF at checkout.   Twin sisters [player_tooltip player_id='480823' first='Lilly' last='Tierney'] and [player_tooltip player_id='727166' first='Grace' last='Tierney'] played a role in helping the McNicholas Rockets to the first state championship in program history last year in Division IV. The Rockets hope to do the same after moving up to Division III this year. [player_tooltip player_id='480823' first='Lilly' last='Tierney'] is a middle blocker and Grade is an outside hitter.   Their mom is McNicholas head coach Darlene Tierney. She won a state championship during her playing days for the Notre Dame Academy Pandas across the Ohio River. The two discussed life growing up with each other.   McNicholas (21-3) tied Bishop Fenwick for the Co-Ed Greater Catholic League title. The Rockets beat Monroe, 3-0 (25-18, 25-8, 25-3) in the district semifinals on Monday and take on Dayton Carroll on Saturday in the district championship at Fairfield at 11 a.m.   Playing with Twin   Lilly: Always having someone that you have shared experiences and they will always understand.   Grace: Our lives are so intertwined, I can't imagine my life without her. It has been motivating; I think we push each other.   Winning State Last Year   Lilly: Since my mom and my brother were state champions, it felt like we fulfilled a family goal! It was really special to experience a state championship together with Grace and my mom as my coach.   Grace: It was so exciting! We achieved a dream we had been chasing our whole time at McNick.   Raising Bar at McNicholas   Lilly: It was a way to give back to a community that has given so much. It is an honor to have started what hopefully becomes a legacy of program success.   Grace: Just a feeling of so much pride. Very few players can say they won State. We were part of defining the standard at McNick.   Growth at Northern Kentucky Volleyball Club   Lilly: It has allowed me to face top players from all around the country, which has helped me increase my volleyball IQ and challenged my skill level.   Grace: It has improved my resiliency and time management skill with school and the commitment of club and travel.   How pace at NKYVC helps for high school ball   Lilly: Going to tournaments and having multiple matches in one day has helped me strengthen my resilience and endurance for high school.   Grace: It helped me develop skills from different coaches and adapt to great competition.   Pregame Superstitions   Lilly: No, I am not superstitious.   Grace: I need to listen to music.   Handling Team Disagreements   Lilly: Approach the disagreements with understanding and try to create an environment that allows players to grow from a mistake or conflict.   Grace: I try to see both sides and their perspectives.   Getting on top of balls   Lilly: Tons of practice being strong at the highest possible contact point.   Grace: I have worked hard to increase my vertical, getting my feet to the ball and keeping a loose wrist.   Turning into Sound All-Around Player   Lilly: Practicing skills like serving, back row defense and passing with the same intensity as traditional middle blocker skills.   Sound Blocks   Lilly: Staying loaded and balanced on setter contact, staying loaded throughout the footwork to the pin, pressing early into their court and diving the inside hand to take away their angle.   Setting tone as Middle Blocker   Lilly: A middle blocker is working on every play: I obviously try to get blocks, but I also try to get great touches to slow the offense down. I communicate the hitters and their routes, using great eye-work. In offense I work hard in transition and try to be available to the setter for every quick set, whether or not I get set or are a decoy.   Hitting Balls to Different Zones   Grace: Using the appropriate hand positioning on the ball and follow through with the swing and my hips.   Setting Tone as Pin Hitter   Grace: I try to be vocal and communicate regarding the opposing offense, always being an offensive option, and setting the block.   Note from Family   "We are most proud of the girls because they have worked hard for their successes.  They are also grateful for all the opportunities they have had." - Mom and Dad (Darlene and Phil Tierney)    Tierney uses a nice arm swing and vertical jump to control the net. Tierney gets on top of balls and tools blocks. She takes her time on gap shots to place them in proper spots. Tierney attacks seams with precision and her high attack point lets her hit over double blocks. Tierney tips to open four zones on slides and forces balls high and wide with her stout vertical jump.     Tierney had played defensive specialist until recently when she moves over to the outside hitter spot. She gives the Rockets another offensive weapon as part of their balanced attack. Tierney pounds nines down lines and does a nice job letting momentum carry her body to her left so she can attack seams without hitting into blocks. Tierney is also not afraid to tip balls over double blocks.    Note from Writer   Mike Graham has been writing for Prep Dig for two and a half years and has enjoyed getting to know the volleyball scenes in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. If you liked the story, please copy and paste to X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. You may also follow us at @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/prepdigkentucky/#">prepdigkentucky</a>, @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/prepdigtennessee/#">prepdigtennessee</a> or @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/prepdigoh/#">prepdigoh</a> on Instagram in addition to @PrepDigKy, @PrepDigTN or @PrepDigOH on X. If you feel someone in Kentucky, Tennessee or Ohio needs coverage or even have feedback on the Kentucky or Tennessee rankings, please email Mike at michaelgraham@prepdig.com. You may also follow him on X @GMCgrah or Instagram @g.michaelgraham. Subscriptions give you access to exclusive content. For a 30% discount on yearly subscriptions, enter code graham30 at checkout.

Editor's Notes: Do you want to get in front of Prep Dig Scouts? This is one big way to do it. The annual Kentucky Exposure Tour in Wilder is Nov. 28. Click on this link to register: https://events.prepdig.com/e/2489/register/prep-dig-exposure-tour-kentucky. For 25 percent off, type ET26Mike25OFF at checkout.

Twin sisters Lilly Tierney Lilly Tierney 6'0" | MB Archbishop McNicholas | 2027 State OH and Grace Tierney Grace Tierney 5'8" | OH/DS/L Archbishop McNicholas | 2027 State OH played a role in helping the McNicholas Rockets to the first state championship in program history last year in Division IV. The Rockets hope to do the same after moving up to Division III this year. Lilly Tierney Lilly Tierney 6'0" | MB Archbishop McNicholas | 2027 State OH is a middle blocker and Grade is an outside hitter.

Their mom is McNicholas head coach Darlene Tierney. She won a state championship during her playing days for the Notre Dame Academy Pandas across the Ohio River. The two discussed life growing up with each other.

McNicholas (21-3) tied Bishop Fenwick for the Co-Ed Greater Catholic League title. The Rockets beat Monroe, 3-0 (25-18, 25-8, 25-3) in the district semifinals on Monday and take on Dayton Carroll on Saturday in the district championship at Fairfield at 11 a.m.

Playing with Twin

Lilly: Always having someone that you have shared experiences and they will always understand.

Grace: Our lives are so intertwined, I can't imagine my life without her. It has been motivating; I think we push each other.

Winning State Last Year

Lilly: Since my mom and my brother were state champions, it felt like we fulfilled a family goal! It was really special to experience a state championship together with Grace and my mom as my coach.

Grace: It was so exciting! We achieved a dream we had been chasing our whole time at McNick.

Raising Bar at McNicholas

Lilly: It was a way to give back to a community that has given so much. It is an honor to have started what hopefully becomes a legacy of program success.

Grace: Just a feeling of so much pride. Very few players can say they won State. We were part of defining the standard at McNick.

Growth at Northern Kentucky Volleyball Club

Lilly: It has allowed me to face top players from all around the country, which has helped me increase my volleyball IQ and challenged my skill level.

Grace: It has improved my resiliency and time management skill with school and the commitment of club and travel.

How pace at NKYVC helps for high school ball

Lilly: Going to tournaments and having multiple matches in one day has helped me strengthen my resilience and endurance for high school.

Grace: It helped me develop skills from different coaches and adapt to great competition.

Pregame Superstitions

Lilly: No, I am not superstitious.

Grace: I need to listen to music.

Handling Team Disagreements

Lilly: Approach the disagreements with understanding and try to create an environment that allows players to grow from a mistake or conflict.

Grace: I try to see both sides and their perspectives.

Getting on top of balls

Lilly: Tons of practice being strong at the highest possible contact point.

Grace: I have worked hard to increase my vertical, getting my feet to the ball and keeping a loose wrist.

Turning into Sound All-Around Player

Lilly: Practicing skills like serving, back row defense and passing with the same intensity as traditional middle blocker skills.

Sound Blocks

Lilly: Staying loaded and balanced on setter contact, staying loaded throughout the footwork to the pin, pressing early into their court and diving the inside hand to take away their angle.

Setting tone as Middle Blocker

Lilly: A middle blocker is working on every play: I obviously try to get blocks, but I also try to get great touches to slow the offense down. I communicate the hitters and their routes, using great eye-work. In offense I work hard in transition and try to be available to the setter for every quick set, whether or not I get set or are a decoy.

Hitting Balls to Different Zones

Grace: Using the appropriate hand positioning on the ball and follow through with the swing and my hips.

Setting Tone as Pin Hitter

Grace: I try to be vocal and communicate regarding the opposing offense, always being an offensive option, and setting the block.

Note from Family

"We are most proud of the girls because they have worked hard for their successes. They are also grateful for all the opportunities they have had." - Mom and Dad (Darlene and Phil Tierney)

Lilly Tierney

OH #70

MB #14

HEIGHT 6'0"

POS MB

CLASS 2027

View Player

Lilly Tierney

State: Ohio

School: Archbishop McNicholas

Club: Northern Kentucky Volleyball Club (NKYVC)

Tierney uses a nice arm swing and vertical jump to control the net. Tierney gets on top of balls and tools blocks. She takes her time on gap shots to place them in proper spots. Tierney attacks seams with precision and her high attack point lets her hit over double blocks. Tierney tips to open four zones on slides and forces balls high and wide with her stout vertical jump.

Highlights

Grace Tierney

OH #227

OH/DS/L #73

HEIGHT 5'8"

POS OH/DS/L

CLASS 2027

View Player

Grace Tierney

State: Ohio

School: Archbishop McNicholas

Club: Northern Kentucky Volleyball Club (NKYVC)

Tierney had played defensive specialist until recently when she moves over to the outside hitter spot. She gives the Rockets another offensive weapon as part of their balanced attack. Tierney pounds nines down lines and does a nice job letting momentum carry her body to her left so she can attack seams without hitting into blocks. Tierney is also not afraid to tip balls over double blocks.

Highlights

Note from Writer

Mike Graham has been writing for Prep Dig for two and a half years and has enjoyed getting to know the volleyball scenes in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. If you liked the story, please copy and paste to X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. You may also follow us at @prepdigkentucky, @prepdigtennessee or @prepdigoh on Instagram in addition to @PrepDigKy, @PrepDigTN or @PrepDigOH on X. If you feel someone in Kentucky, Tennessee or Ohio needs coverage or even have feedback on the Kentucky or Tennessee rankings, please email Mike at michaelgraham@prepdig.com. You may also follow him on X @GMCgrah or Instagram @g.michaelgraham. Subscriptions give you access to exclusive content. For a 30% discount on yearly subscriptions, enter code graham30 at checkout.