With anotherhigh school volleyballseason just weeks away, The Enquirer is once again running down the best players by position in Greater Cincinnati.
The reveals began with thebest defensive specialists and liberos on Monday and the top 10 setters on Tuesday. Today's list features the best blockers in the city.
They are the authors of some of the most exciting moments in the sport. The rejections energize the whole team and can lead to long scoring runs that can be hard to come by.
Remember to vote for the best player in the poll at the end of the story.Voting will end at 4 p.m. EST on Sunday, Aug. 11.
Lyla Bottom, Highlands
She is one of four seniors looking to lead the Bluebirds to their eighth straight 36th District title.
At 5-foot-10, Bottom gets her hands high above the net on a first or second jump. Her hand placement allows her to block balls straight down or deflect them to keep the run of play alive for her teammates. Last year, she had 76 blocks, 103 kills and 21 digs.
Ella Goetz, Notre Dame Academy
The Pandas have a trio of excellent blockers on the front line as Audrey Dyas and Riley McCloskey both had more than 60 blocks and 200 kills last season. But Goetz may be the Pandas' most versatile player.
She led the team with 84 blocks while also contributing 174 kills, 111 digs and 42 aces. Goetz was named to the 2022 all-district and all-region teams but had one of her best performances of 2023 in the Ninth Region championship, registering six blocks in a sweep of St. Henry.
Isabelle Leurck, East Central
The Trojans had a bounce-back year in 2023, going 16-15 after two losing seasons. Leurck was a big reason why.
As a junior, she had 70 blocks, 143 kills, 54 digs and 35 aces. While she led East Central in blocks, she has the lateral speed to get to either end of the net for a block assist.
Addy Nutley, Mason
She is the top returning blocker in the Greater Miami Conference, having registered 76 rejections as a sophom*ore. She also contributed 89 kills and 21 digs.
Nutley got a taste of the Comets' winning culture last year; they haven't lost a GMC contest since Sep. 15, 2015. She will be a major factor in continuing that streak.
Lucy Perkins, McNicholas
Perkins' all-around contributions in clutch moments helped the Rockets reach the Division III state championship game in 2023.
In the regional final against Summit Country, she served the final four points to win the match and made a clutch dig on the final volley. She also scored the most points of any McNicholas player in their two state tournament games, logging 18 kills and five blocks.
As a junior, Perkins totaled 68 blocks, 172 kills, 95 digs and 32 aces.
Lindy Radaszewski, Ursuline Academy
She was a one-woman brick wall for the Lions as a junior, logging 84 blocks, 266 kills, 68 digs and 46 aces. The Miami (Ohio) commit has improved each year of her prep career and will be a major factor in the Lions' quest for postseason success in 2024.
Sophia Richardson, Kings
The Knights had a stellar senior class in 2023 but Richardson made a name for herself as a sophom*ore and will continue to do so over the final two years of her prep career.
She led the Eastern Cincinnati Conference with 79 blocks to go with 137 kills. Kings won't have any seniors this year, but Richardson already knows that she has to step up when called upon. She had six blocks in the 2023 regional semifinal win over Ursuline and five blocks in a five-set, state semifinal win over Cleveland St. Joseph.
Olivia Schmidt, Badin
Her junior season was her most impactful yet, as she registered more blocks during the 2023 campaign (85) than her freshman and sophom*ore seasons combined.
The Wright State commit led the Greater Catholic League-Coed in blocks while also pouring in 188 kills, 56 digs and 54 aces. She had five matches with at least five blocks and was named to the league's second team.
Gabby Semona, St. Ursula Academy
In her first season as a starter, Semona led the Bulldogs with 78 blocks, up from 18 as a freshman. She wasn't an all-league selection, but she was at her best against Girls Greater Catholic League opponents. She had a career-high 10 blocks in an early-season loss to Seton and averaged 4.9 blocks per league contest.
Ashley Sess, Mercy McAuley
She led the GGCL in blocks with 91 during her junior season. Many of those blocks came during key moments; she recorded 26 rejections over the Wolves' final six games, including a career-high seven blocks in the D II state championship game. Sess is committed to play at Northern Kentucky.
On the radar
Lauren Boland, Taylor; Miya Cornelius, Little Miami; Dani Depenbrock, Cooper; Sydney Geselbracht, Mount Notre Dame; Emma Hartmann, Blanchester; Alayna Hess, Monroe; Nia Jones, St. Ursula; Rachel Lewandowski, Beechwood; Callie McCullough, Talawanda; Lilly Tierney, McNicholas; Jillian Turvey, CHCA
Vote: Who is the best blocker in Greater Cincinnati?
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: High school volleyball: Cincinnati's top blockers in 2024
