The 2026 North Carolina high school volleyball season begins its postseason with the first round of the NCHSAA playoffs on Oct. 17.
Before the playoffs begin, the Citizen Times and Times-News wanted to highlight the top 20 Western North Carolina high school volleyball players to follow during the postseason.
Mallory Corbett
Asheville Christian Academy | Setter | Senior
Corbett has guided Asheville Christian Academy to a 17-6 overall record. She has averaged 6.1 assists per set and 449 this season along with 129 digs.
Olivia Johnson
Asheville Christian Academy | Middle hitter | Junior
Johnson has averaged 3.8 kills per set and 284 this season with a .390 hitting percentage. She has also added
40 blocks and 44 aces.
Reece Shuman
Asheville Christian Academy | Outside hitter | Senior
Shuman has recorded a .289 hitting percentage while averaging 4.4 kills per set and 327 this season as well as 226 digs or 10.3 per set.
Elyse Burchfield
Asheville High | Setter | Senior
Burchfield has tallied 429 assists and 6.2 per set as well as 144 digs.
Gabby Rollins
Asheville High | Outside hitter | Senior
Rollins has racked up 244 kills, good enough for a 3.5 kills per set average. She has also contributed 233 digs and 37 aces.
Joscelyn Stamper
Cherokee | Middle hitter | Senior
Stamper has averaged 3.5 kills per set and 280 kills total along with 61 blocks and 286 digs.
Bristol Brooks
Franklin | Setter | Junior
Brooks has recorded 769 assists, which is seventh most in North Carolina. She has also added 211 digs while leading Franklin to a 25-2 record.
Emmy Moffitt
Franklin | Outside hitter | Freshman
Moffitt has racked up 230 kills with a .349 hitting percentage this season.
Ella Raby
Franklin | Outside hitter | Junior
Raby has averaged 3.4 kills per set and 280 total kills while adding 270 digs.
Emory Freeman
Hendersonville | Middle hitter | Senior
Freeman has recorded a .304 hitting percentage with 205 kills, 36 blocks and 45 aces this season. She has helped Hendersonville achieve a 18-6 record.
Amelia Joyner
Murphy | Outside hitter | Junior
Joyner has tallied 295 kills, averaging 3.9 kills per set. She has added 191 digs while guiding Murphy to a 16-6 record.
Mia Roland
Owen | Outside hitter | Senior
Roland has averaged 3.4 kills per set while recording 178 total kills and a .452 hitting percentage. Her hitting percentage is good enough for ninth best in North Carolina.
Adeline West
Owen | Middle hitter | Senior
West has collected 139 blocks, which ranks 21st nationally. She has contributed 206 kills with a .456 hitting percentage, which ranks eighth best in the state.
Reeve Carroll
Polk County | Outside hitter | Junior
Carroll has collected 428 digs, which is good enough for 25th best in North Carolina. She has added 169 kills as well.
Keana Smith
Reynolds | Middle hitter | Junior
Smith has led the Rockets to a 21-9 record. She has averaged 3.2 kills per set and 285 this season along with 59 blocks.
Daphne Barlow
Robbinsville | Libero | Junior
Barlow has racked up 457 digs, which ranks 13th best in North Carolina. She has also added 31 aces. Robbinsville has collected a 15-7 record with her help.
Macy Craft
Smoky Mountain | Outside hitter | Senior
Craft has averaged 3.5 kills per set while racking up 271 total. She has also contributed 30 blocks and 222 digs.
Lucee Wilson
Smoky Mountain | Setter | Sophomore
Wilson has racked up 787 assists, which ranks fourth best in North Carolina. She is averaging 10.1 assists per set and has added 213 digs.
Kaitlyn Auten
West Henderson | Middle hitter | Sophomore
Auten has led West Henderson to a 27-2 record and a share of the Mountain Eight Conference regular season title. She has collected 197 kills with a .385 hitting percentage and 40 blocks.
Giselle White
West Henderson | Outside hitter | Senior
White has averaged 3.5 kills per set and 277 total this season. She has also tallied 298 digs and 70 aces.
Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on X @zacharyahuber.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: WNC high school volleyball's top 20 players to watch in NCHSAA, NCISAA playoffs
