Fall all-area series: Here are the top 2023 Savannah-area high school volleyball players

It was a memorable volleyball season in the Greater Savannah area as several teams made postseason runs, while career milestones were achieved.

For the second year in a row, Savannah Arts made the deepest playoff run among Savannah area programs as the Panthers reached the GHSA Class 2A semifinals for the second consecutive season. Richmond Hill nearly reached the Class 7A Final Four as the Wildcats lost in a four-set heartbreaker to eventual state champion North Cobb, which edged the Wildcats 25-22, 24-26, 25-21, 27-25 in a quarterfinal matchup.

Savannah Christian won the Area 3-3A title and reached the state quarterfinals as veteran Raider coach Julie Jones picked up her 800th career win in the first round of the playoffs.

In her second year leading the Richmond Hill program,  Kaitlyn Bean is the Savannah Morning News Volleyball Coach of the Year after leading her squad to its second straight Area 1-7A title.

The All-Greater Savannah volleyball team is announced today, with four players from the Wildcats on the first-team squad, including senior setter Gwyneth Harper, who is headed to play at Georgia College & State University. Savannah Arts has three players on the first-team, including senior Finn Higginbotham, who has signed to play at Point Loma Nazarene University.

The first-team selections will be recognized at the The Coastal Empire High School Sports Awards, on Friday, June 7, at the Johnny Mercer Theatre at the Savannah Civic Center, where the Volleyball Player of the Year will be announced. The show is produced with support from Chatham Orthopaedic Associates.

For more information about the show and to opt into email updates, visit its website and you can also follow it on Facebook.

Here's is the 2023 All-Greater Savannah volleyball team.

Higginbotham sisters lead Savannah Arts How these Savannah-area sisters are carrying on family volleyball tradition

Richmond Hill volleyball primed for run Here's why Richmond Hill volleyball is primed to take the next step in Class 7A

SCPS's Jones reaches career milestone How Savannah Christian volleyball team helped Coach Julie Jones reach a career milestone

All-Greater Savannah First-Team Volleyball

Finn Higginbotham, Savannah Arts, sr., MB

Higginbotham helped lead Savannah Arts to another Class 2A Area 3 title and to the Class 2A state semifinals for the second consecutive year. She was named the Area Player of the Year and was a first-team All-State selection after racking up 429 kills, with 52 blocks, 84 aces, 194 digs, 37 assists and 278 serves received. She has signed to play at Point Loma Nazarene University in Southern California.

Torrin Higginbotham, Savannah Arts, jr., OH

The younger sister of Finn had also had an excellent season as she was named the Class 2A Area 3 Defensive Player of the Year, while also earning All-State honors. She had 367 kills with 51 aces, 16 blocks, 261 digs, 18 assists and 240 serves received for a Panther squad that finished the year with a 33-9 record.

Lillie Coffey, Savannah Arts, jr., S

Coffey set the table for the Panther offense as an efficient distributor. She was an All-Area and All-State selection as she amassed 820 assists on the season with 30 kills, 57 aces, 31 blocks and 176 digs. She was named the Class 2A Area 3 Offensive Player of the Year.

Maggie Kyriakides, Savannah Christian, jr., OH

Kyriakides was a game changer for the Raiders, helping lead the squad to the Area 3-3A championship and earning Area Player of the Year honors. Kyriakides was also an All-State selection as she had 377 kills on the season with 49 aces, 31 blocks, 157 digs and 311 serves received.

Mary Brit Tallevast, Savannah Christian, sr., S

Tallevast was a senior leader for an SCPS squad that won an area title and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Class 3A state playoffs. She was an All-Area first-team selection and had 240 assists, with 91 kills, 55 aces, 16 blocks and 124 digs on the season.

Mary Sophia Fischer, St. Vincent's, sr., S

Fischer was the top player for the Saints before suffering an injury in an accident. She battled through the adversity to rejoin the team and was an All-Area first-team selection. Fischer had 369 assists with 98 digs, 21 blocks, 70 aces and 43 kills on the year.

Gwyneth Harper, Richmond Hill, sr., S

Harper closed out her high school career in style as she was named the Area 1-7A Player of the Year after helping lead the Wildcats to another region crown and advance to the Class 7A state quarterfinals. She had 738 assists, 208 digs, 19 blocks, 67 aces and 82 kills on the year. Harper has signed to play at Georgia College & State University.

Carson Reeves, Richmond Hill, sr., MB

Reeves was named the Area 1-7A Offensive Player of the Year after an impressive senior campaign. She had 230 kills, 47 blocks, 33 digs and 15 aces on the season for a Wildcat team that finished with a 30-9 record. She has signed to play at Wingate University.

Savannah Davis, Richmond Hill, sr., OH

Davis led the Wildcats with 298 kills on the season and was a versatile all-around player with 223 digs, 307 serves received, 59 aces and 19 blocks. She was an All-Area 1-7A first-team selection.

Clara Vorel, South Effingham, soph., MH

Vorel helped lead the Mustangs to the Class 6A state quarterfinals and was named the Area 2-6A Defensive Player of the Year. She had 297 kills, 93 blocks, 78 digs and 48 aces on the season.\

Murphy Boyett, Effingham County, sr., OH

Boyett was a standout for the Rebels as an outside hitter. She had 245 kills, 44 aces, 198 digs and 365 serves received to earn All-Area 2-6A first-team honors. Boyett has signed to play at LaGrange College.

Samantha Johnson, Richmond Hill, jr., libero

Johnson earned the reputation as one of the top back line players in the state. She led the Greater Savannah area with 393 digs and had 515 serves received to go along with 40 aces and 90 assists on the year.

SECOND TEAM

Talia Johnson, Richmond Hill, soph., OH

Reese Theriot, Savannah Christian, jr., OH

Courtney Joseph, Richmond Hill, sr., MB

Kaylyn Gill, St. Vincent's, soph., S/OH

Maya Swenson, Islands, jr., libero

Megan Warren, St. Vincent's, soph., MB

Taylor Kennedy, Calvary Day, sr., MH

Lucy Kelly, Habersham School, sr., S

Alaina Moultrie, Calvary Day, soph., S/RS

Harris Stone, Savannah Country Day, jr., libero

Remy Thompson, Savannah Christian, jr., libero

Riley Stringer, South Effingham, jr., S

Bentley Braswell, Effingham County, jr., S

Maggie Allen, Savannah Arts, soph., DS

Alexandra Audette, Islands, jr., OH

Jada Hillery, Woodville-Tompkins, sr., OH/DS

Reese Raeburn, Bryan County, jr., OH

Ernajah Mallard, Savannah High, sr.

Honorable mention

Beach -- Camryn Lewis, Jaeda Smith

Bryan County -- Taryn Avramidis, Haven Dixon, Jada Conley, Braelynn Shuman

Calvary Day -- Kinsey Prado

Effingham -- Bella Scroggs

Groves -- Ma' haia Oglesby

Habersham School -- Pier Schneider, Brownette Olson

Islands -- Olivia Gentner, Leandra Brown

Johnson -- Jada Wilson

New Hampstead -- Gianna Brown, Jade Bird, Kally Foard

Savannah Arts -- Valerie Kirk, Manon Brosseau

Savannah Classical -- Mariya Taylor, Chloe Cipoletti

Savannah Christian -- Kenzie Greene, Katie Cowart

Savannah Country Day -- Olivia Aliotta, Lilla Brennan, MD Sumner

Savannah High -- Makayla Oats, Ashanti Thompson, Tania Bryant, Kennedy Bryant

South Effingham -- Brianna Coffee

St. Andrew's -- Addi Yates

St. Vincent's -- Anna Creel, Ford DeWitt

Woodville-Tompkins -- Madison Frazier, Cassidy Freeman

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Here are the top 2023 Savannah-area high school volleyball players