High school volleyball: Top Greater Cincinnati hitters to watch in 2023

With the calendar flipped and the 2023 season nearing, The Enquirer will highlight the top returning volleyball players by position. With the top setters already named, this second part of a four-part series will look at the top returning hitters.

More: High school volleyball: Top Greater Cincinnati setters to watch in 2023

Sydney Barrett, Kings

The outside hitter committed to the University of Dayton in April after her junior season where Barrett accounted for 362 kills, 57 service aces and 38 blocks. Barrett was an Eastern Cincinnati Conference Offensive Player of the Year last year while also earning second-team All-Ohio from the Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association.

Allie Barrick, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy

Barrick has emerged as one of Ohio’s top players in the 2025 class. As a freshman in 2021, Barrick was No. 2 in the Miami Valley Conference with 281 kills and came back for year two with a conference-leading 365 kills.

Barrick’s 4.56 kills per set played also led the conference while she added 37 service aces, 14 blocks and 165 digs on the way to being named MVC Scarlet Division Player of the Year.

Kiana Dinn, Ryle

Dinn was one of four Northern Kentucky players to be named to the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association all-state second team. She was the 33rd District tournament MVP in 2022, was named to the Division I all-region first team, and is the No. 8 player in Kentucky this fall, according to PrepDig.

The Pittsburgh commit was 13th in the state last fall with 500 kills. She also had 400 assists, 300 digs, 49 aces and 37 blocks.

Mariah Gaines, Roger Bacon

Gaines was No. 2 in the Miami Valley Conference with 316 kills, No. 5 with 266 digs and had 784 pass points, the fourth-most in the conference. She was a first-team all-league player.

Luci Heid, Badin

Badin’s run to a regional championship and a state semifinal appearance was helped by having the top two leaders in kills in the Greater Catholic League-Coed. The leader of the whole group was Luci Heid, who accounted for 279 kills as just a sophomore.

Heid also had 33 blocks, improving upon the 20 blocks and 219 kills she had as a freshman for the Rams.

Julia Hunt, Holy Cross

Hunt is one of the best volleyball players in the Bluegrass state, regardless of position. The University of Washington commit and all-state first-team member is also the top-ranked player in PrepDig’s Kentucky state rankings.

As the Indians went 30-9 in 2022, Hunt led the state with 664 kills and was ninth in the state with 127 blocks. She also posted 246 digs and 66 aces.

Alli Kirch, Seton

As a junior in 2022, Kirch was second in the Girls Greater Catholic League with 327 kills while Seton won 20 games for the first time since its state championship season of 2005.

Kirch, who also had 45 blocks, was first-team All-GGCL and a second-team All-Ohio selection in Division I.

Kelsey Niesen, Roger Bacon

A junior in 2022, Niesen was No. 3 in the Miami Valley Conference with 280 kills, No. 2 with 365 digs and was tops with her 905 pass points. She was a first-team all-league player.

Avery Neth, Williamsburg

Neth led the Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference and was one of the state's leaders with 413 kills in 2022. The incoming senior also led the SBAAC with 5.51 kills per set while Williamsburg split the SBAAC National title with a 19-5 overall record.

Alivia Skidmore, St. Henry

The Western Kentucky commit will lead the Crusaders’ offensive attack as they look for their second Ninth Region championship in three years. She was one of four players named to the 2022 KVCA all-state first team, was the 34th District tournament MVP, and is the No. 2 ranked player in PrepDig’s Kentucky state rankings.

As a junior, Skidmore registered 394 kills, 287 digs, 42 aces and 33 blocks.

Mya White, Lebanon

In her varsity three seasons so far, White has stuffed the stat sheets in every way.

A senior in the 2023 season, White accumulated 1,120 kills, 796 digs, 160 service aces and 83 blocks since her freshman campaign where she had 430 kills. As a junior last season, White accounted for 357 kills, 39 aces and 236 digs.

Best of the rest

Katie Gielas, Ursuline Academy; Ruby Klusman, Mercy McAuley; Riley McCloskey, Notre Dame; Milyn Minor, Scott; Gracie Mitchell, Cincinnati Country Day; Carly Nehus, Conner; Ella Sunderman, Williamsburg; Jessica Walkenhorst, Lakota West.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Top volleyball hitters to watch in Greater Cincinnati in 2023