With just a few weeks left in the Greater Cincinnati volleyball regular season, there have been a fair amount of surprises. Teams have emerged as postseason contenders after entering the season with question marks and individual players have stepped up with remarkable performances throughout the season.
Before the season started, The Enquirer previewed the top players in the sophomore, junior and senior classes. Now that the freshmen have had a chance to show what they're made of, here are the top first-year players making an impact for their teams.
Audrey Arnold, Bishop Brossart
The Lady 'Stangs are incredibly deep as they chase their first regional title since 2022. Arnold's attention to detail and cat like reflexes on the back line have helped Brossart surrender just 13
sets in 29 matches. She also has a lethal serve, totaling 56 aces to go with 171 digs and 38 kills.
Sophia Barcenas, Mason
Barcenas has become an integral six-rotation player for the Comets, from serve-receive to back row defense to attacking. Even though she's listed as an outside hitter, she's racked up 112 digs, 32 kills, 29 aces, 11 assists and five blocks.
Brooklynn Boston, Anderson
Boston became the Raptors' starting setter when Lexi Braddock went down with an injury in mid-September and has done the job as well as her coaches and teammates could have asked. She is second in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference with 282 assists, but her 86 digs show she feels a great responsibility to be there for her teammates. She is also excellent at the service line with 30 aces.
Lilli Brown, Cooper
Brown comes from an incredibly athletic family and her skills on the court show that she is following in the footsteps of her brother, Isaac, a Division I college football player. She is already the Jaguars' starting setter, compiling 322 assists, and is smart enough on the front row to know when to sneak the ball over the net (she has 21 kills so far). She also leads the team with 138 digs.
Grace Cordes, Wyoming
The Cordes family has been an integral part of the Cowgirls' success this decade and with Grace, Ginny and Emily taking the court together for the next two seasons, Wyoming should take back the Cincinnati Hills League title. Grace has proven her value so far as she is second on the team with 105 digs while also adding 33 kills, eight assists and six aces.
Reagan Dykes, New Richmond
Dykes is at the center of a bounce-back year for the Lions as they have already matched their win total from 2025. The middle blocker is second in the Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference with 47 blocks to go with 109 kills, 43 digs and 36 aces.
Sophie Frietch, St. Ursula
Yes, there's another Frietch sister on the court for the Bulldogs. Yes, she's a defensive specialist just like Kaleigh and Emma. And she may just have the most successful high school career of her siblings when it's all said and done. Her calling card is her footwork; her feet are constantly moving, allowing her to mirror her opponents and be in perfect position for each dig. Frietch is currently second in the Girls Greater Catholic League with 240 digs and also had 62 assists and 19 aces.
Kylee Gronostaj, Monroe
She has been a backboard in the back row for the Hornets all season to the tune of 238 digs, which currently ranks third in the Southwestern Buckeye League. She also has four matches this season with at least 20 digs. Gronostaj is no slouch at the service line, either, landing 41 aces, including three matches with five or more.
Emma Harris, Beechwood
Between Harris, Kennedy Sturgeon and eighth-grader Payce Adams, Beechwood has a wealth of young, lethal talent at the service line. Harris has 35 aces through 22 matches and has also been a valuable member of the back line with 77 digs and seven assists.
Emerson Kaeppner, SCD
She has been a reliable and powerful middle for the Silver Knights so far this season, racking up 59 kills and 15 blocks. It's been a tough season for SCD coming off its first state tournament appearance but Keappner is part of a young core that will help the program rebound in no time.
Margaret Kaufman, Clermont Northeastern
The Rockets have a strong lineup of hitters, with three players posting over 100 kills for the first time since 2023, and Kaufman has fit right in. Her consistency makes her a true weapon for the Rockets as she has put away at least five kills in all but three matches. She also leads the team with 20 blocks and has contributed 124 kills, 66 digs, 24 aces and 19 assists.
Dri Naranjo, Kings
Naranjo gives the Knights the option to run a 6-2 system for the first time since 2020. Her setting ability is already on point as evidenced by her 213 assists, but her decision making sets her apart as she can dump the ball over the net or send a swing to the corner based on a split-second read of the defense. She also leads the ECC with 43 aces and has 76 digs and 24 kills.
Chloe Poland, Seton
Poland is the first freshman to earn significant playing time for the Saints in four years. It speaks not only to her potential and that of Seton's freshman class as a whole, but to the depth and talent that the volleyball team has enjoyed during that stretch. Poland hasn't wasted any time getting acclimated to Kelly Crowley's system either, racking up 102 kills, 17 blocks and 17 digs.
Alannah Stevenson, Springboro
Springboro has what must look like a pair of Redwood trees to opponents at the net on defense. Stevenson and junior Arianna Thornton have combined for 78 blocks this season. Appearing in all but one set so far, Stevenson was a crucial part of the Panthers' 8-0 start and what is currently one of the best seasons in program history. She has totaled 46 kills, 30 blocks and 14 digs so far.
Kennedy Sturgeon, Beechwood
Stepping for a record-setting libero like Maggie Dawson is never easy but Sturgeon has already made a major impact in the Tigers' success this season. While her job has certainly been made easier by Beechwood's superb blocking scheme, she is leading the team with 194 digs and 44 aces while also contributing 48 digs.
Piper Thomas, Walnut Hills
She has been one of the catalysts who has led the Eagles to their most wins since 2019. Many of her 201 assists have gone to senior Hope Vernon. She is third in the ECC with 38 aces, often leaving defenses puzzled with her lefty serve.
Sammi Wehrman, Kings
Wehrman is the type of athlete that you notice as soon as you walk into the gym. Her height, athleticism and rocket of an arm make her one of the most promising prospects in the state for the class of 2030. She primarily attacks on the pins but is quickly learning to diversify her swings out of the back row. She is currently second in the ECC with 213 kills and has also contributed 81 digs, 12 aces and 12 blocks.
Emma White, Fairfield
Before White begins what is sure to be a standout high school career on the basketball court, she is making her name known during the volleyball season. She has posted 10 or more kills on seven occasions, including four matches where she also had double-digit digs. As she helps the Indians build back toward the top of the Greater Miami Conference, White has totaled 140 kills, 146 digs, 14 aces and 10 assists with a passing average of 1.97.
Kelsey Willshaw, Sycamore
For the third season in a row, the Aviators have a freshman worthy of an all-conference nod. Willshaw leads Sycamore and is third in the GMC with 283 assists, running the 6-2 system with sophomore Kennedy Mallory. She also stays composed when volleys break down, putting away kills while the defense is scrambling or ending a point with a block. Her stats round out with 107 digs, 28 kills, 16 aces and 11 blocks.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Meet the freshmen phenoms in Greater Cincinnati girls volleyball
