Top Three 18U Teams in Ohio
In this article:
#1 Tri-State Elite 18 BlueWith an 18 Open bid earned this past weekend at MEQ, this squad continues to roll through the club season. In addition to their 5th place finish in Indy, they also earned a 3rd place finish…
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Tri-State Elite
18 Blue
With an 18 Open bid earned this past weekend at MEQ, this squad continues to roll through the club season. In addition to their 5th place finish in Indy, they also earned a 3rd place finish at Bluegrass while claiming the title at the Central Zone event earlier. They were 8-1 overall this past weekend with a 17-2 set record while playing some of the most dominant volleyball throughout the weekend among the top teams. They feature a collection of the best talent in the greater Cincinnati area, several that will be taking their talents to DI college programs. Included on this roster are members of the DII state title team in Mercy McAuley. Pin hitter
Sophia Adkins
Sophia
Adkins
6'0" | OH
Mercy McAuley | 2024
State
#71
Nation
OH
(Providence) is one of a few arms that can contribute point scoring in bunches. Setter
Maria Drapp
Maria
Drapp
5'9" | S
Mercy McAuley | 2024
State
OH
(Bradley) has led this team’s offense for a while and is seemingly benefitting from more depth in her options this season. Also on the pin is
Faith Young
Faith
Young
6'0" | OH
Harrison | 2024
State
OH
(Western Kentucky), one of the heaviest arms in Ohio.
Addy Brus
Addy
Brus
5'10" | OH
St. Ursula | 2024
State
OH
(St. Louis) has some of the biggest lift and helps to comprise a lethal corps of pin attackers. In the middle is Anna Guard (Eastern Michigan) and
Molly Dorger
Molly
Dorger
6'0" | MB
St. Ursula | 2024
State
OH
. The ball control and defense is one of their best attributes and balances their offensive production well to make this a complete effort each match.
Kelsey Niesen
Kelsey
Niesen
5'9" | DS/L
Roger Bacon | 2024
State
OH
(Xavier) has had one of the best prep careers over the past few high school and club seasons and combines with
Dakota Henry
Dakota
Henry
5'5" | DS/L
Kings | 2024
State
OH
(Rhode Island) and Alexis Woolf (Eastern Kentucky) in the back row. Henry was the libero for Kings for the past few seasons which resulted in a Division I Ohio state title this past fall. Look for them next at the JVA World Challenge in Louisville in mid-April.
#2 Mintonette m.81
This is a team with great length at the net through all rotations. They qualified to the upcoming 18 Open GJNC earlier this club season in Florida with a 3rd place finish. They followed up that performance with a 2nd place finish at the Ohio Valley 18U qualifier. This is a seasoned group with several top prospects from the greater Columbus area. The setter is
Kaylee Musick
Kaylee
Musick
6'1" | S
Bishop Hartley | 2024
State
#112
Nation
OH
(Florida International) who at 6’1 has some of the best size at this position among all Ohio setters. She runs a good offense that includes great options in all phases of the game.
Lily Barron
Lily
Barron
6'2" | OH
Oletangy Orange | 2024
State
OH
(Houston) is 6’2 and a tough match up for most teams with her length and contact point. Also contributing on the left side well is AnaCate Loftus (USC Aiken). At the right pin is 6’4 opposite
Becca Wight
Becca
Wight
6'4" | RS
Thomas Worthington | 2024
State
OH
(Virginia) who along with Musick helps sustain a big presence defensively against opposing left side attackers. In the middle is
Hattie Welker
Hattie
Welker
6'2" | MB
Big Walnut | 2024
State
OH
(Eastern Michigan) and
Grace Thomas
Grace
Thomas
6'1" | MB
Dublin Coffman | 2024
State
OH
(Central Michigan), both over 6’0 and very capable of scoring to help balance the defense they provide from pin to pin.
Madison Cugino
Madison
Cugino
5'9" | DS/L
Oletangy Orange | 2024
State
OH
(Gonzaga) has great all-around skills and plays the part of libero with good range and impact. She has also provided a solid effort as a pin hitter when needed for this team over her club career. This group most recently finished 13th overall at MEQ in Indy and will next compete in Louisville in April.
#3 Rock City 18-1
With a 6-3 record at MEQ,
RockCity
had a respectable effort in their most recent outing. They previously went unbeaten to win the OVR 18 National bid to the GJNC and have tools to be competitive with the best 18U teams, which was evidenced by some close calls in Indy.
Katie Sowko
Katie
Sowko
6'0" | OH
Lake Catholic | 2024
State
OH
(Wright State) is their biggest threat offensively and a great one at that as she knows how to score. She recently completed a high profile high school career with another state title for Lake Catholic.
Niyah Lester
Niyah
Lester
6'2" | MB
Brush | 2024
State
OH
(Ball State) is a physical middle and burst onto the recruiting scene last season. She is explosive and has the ability to get above the net to defend and put some good heat on the ball with her arm. Pin hitter Riley Rosneck (IPFW) is 6’0 and balances Sowko well with point scoring capability through varied attack points and tempos as all of these attackers benefit from the ball control and fast options off of the hands of setter Maddie Luciano.
Maria Flynn
Maria
Flynn
6'0" | OH
Gilmour | 2024
State
OH
is another pin that can score as she has one of the most aggressive arms on this team. She gets her feet to the ball well and gets her opportunities through a variety of options. Emma Blankenship (American) is a dynamic 6’1 middle that has great physical tools on both sides of the ball. Libero
Ellie Burke
Ellie
Burke
5'2" | DS/L
Padua Franciscan | 2024
State
OH
is a steady factor in the first-touch aspects as she reads and reacts well throughout the flow of points. You can also catch this team in Louisville in April before heading off to nationals in Baltimore at the end of the month.