Setters help elevate central Ohio's best girls volleyball teams
Olentangy Liberty senior Gabi Moulton possesses something every good setter in girls volleyball needs – great hands.
Moulton set a program record with 939 assists last season as the Patriots went 27-2 and played in the Division I state final for the first time. She was first-team all-state, district co-Player of the Year and OCC-Central Division Player of the Year.
“I’d love to say it’s because I worked really hard and I trained, which is all very true,” Moulton said. “There are certain physical attributes that can make it easier to be a setter. My hands are larger than most people, and it gives me a little bit better control of the ball. Speed and reaction time are stuff I’ve worked on as well. But I really think it’s because I liked setting so much that I wanted to be good at it.”
Big Walnut coach Ron Lehman, who is in his 33rd season, knows something about setting. He played the position on Ohio State’s first varsity men’s team in 1968.
“The setter theoretically touches the ball on every volley,” Lehman said. “Their decisions as to where to set are very important and then their execution in delivering those sets is equally important. It’s like a quarterback on a football team. … They’re running the team.”
Big Walnut’s setter, senior Jackie Myers (honorable mention all-district, first-team all-league), had 816 assists last season as the Golden Eagles shared the OCC-Capital title with Dublin Scioto at 13-1.
“I started playing volleyball when I was 5, and I played all of the positions,” she said. “(When I was 8), a coach told me I had really good hands and he kind of just threw me into setting. It’s fun to be able to control the momentum. You’re running the floor. … You’re like the quarterback. You have relationships with each person on the court, back row and front row.”
Hartley, which reached the Division II state tournament last fall, features a pair of setters in senior Isabella Chalfant (204 assists) and junior Kaylee Musick (496 assists), who was first-team all-district.
“(Musick) can set it from anywhere on the court,” Hawks senior outside hitter Ella Brandewie said. “If the pass is off, she can still set it to me. She’s tall, so she can block, and she’s a good leader out there. That’s a very important characteristic for a setter.
“(Chalfant) plays defense, and she’s scrappy. She has a little bit of swagger on the court, so she brings a lot of character to the team.”
Watkins Memorial senior Elise Adelman, who had 867 assists last year and was named second-team all-district, holds program records for career assists (2,081 coming into 2022) and single-season assists (900 in 2020).
“She has just grown up in the gym,” Warriors coach Rex Carr said. “She’s very good at reading (the play), and her volleyball IQ is extremely high.”
A good set, according to Carr, starts with a good receive.
“I was a libero back in the day and that’s where it starts for me,” he said. “The defense has to read the offense on the other side and know what to do. We’ve got to be fundamentally sound in the back row if we want to run a good offense.”
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Early season Super 12
Elise Adelman
School: Watkins Memorial
Year: Senior
With Adelman providing a steadying hand to their offense while splitting time between setter and opposite hitter, the Warriors went 24-2 and were a Division I district runner-up last fall.
Adelman finished with 867 assists, 53 serving aces and 149 digs while earning second-team all-district honors.
Ella Brandewie
School: Hartley
Year: Senior
A first-team all-district honoree last season, Brandewie is a 6-foot-3 middle hitter who has committed to Ohio State. She had 171 kills, with a kill percentage of .529, and 65 blocks despite missing eight matches while competing with the U.S. Junior National team.
Brandewie helped the Hawks go 22-6 and reach a Division II state semifinal.
Averie Bruce
School: Fisher Catholic
Year: Senior
While helping the Irish finish 21-4 overall, win the MSL-Cardinal title at 14-0 and reach a Division IV district semifinal, this 6-1 middle hitter was named district Player of the Year.
Bruce finished with 246 kills and a .466 kill percentage, led Fisher Catholic with 94 blocks and contributed 43 serving aces.
Ella Durham
School: Dublin Coffman
Year: Senior
A 6-3 outside hitter, Durham finished with 415 kills, 160 digs and 472 serves received last fall while making theSuper 12.
She also was first-team all-OCC-Central and all-district as the Shamrocks went 14-11 and reached a Division I district semifinal.
Ava Hoying
School: Watterson
Year: Senior
Hoying is a Northern Kentucky commit and outside hitter who likely will be the Eagles’ lead attacker after recording 236 kills, 168 digs and 334 serves received last season.
A second-team all-district honoree, she helped Watterson win its fourth consecutive Division I district title and finish 21-6.
Tatum Hubble
School: Westerville Central
Year: Senior
Hubble, an outside hitter, helped the Warhawks win a second consecutive OCC-Ohio title last season as they tied Gahanna Lincoln at 9-1.
She led Central in kills (229) and was named first-team all-district and all-league. The Warhawks reached a Division I district semifinal and finished 18-6 overall.
Myriah Massey
School: Pickerington Central
Year: Junior
An outside hitter and defensive specialist, Massey has been a cornerstone of the Tigers’ OCC-Buckeye championships the past two seasons.
She had 334 kills, 205 digs, 36 aces and 35 blocks last year to earn league Player of the Year, first-team all-district, honorable mention all-state and her first Super 12 honor. She will play for Team USA in the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in September in Turkey.
Gabi Moulton
School: Olentangy Liberty
Year: Senior
Moulton, who was last year’s ThisWeek Girls Volleyball Athlete of the Year, helped the Patriots reach the state final for the first time and go 27-2.
The setter and West Florida commit set a single-season program record with 939 assists on her way to being named first-team all-state, district co-Player of the Year and OCC-Central Player of the Year.
Alec Rothe
School: Dublin Scioto
Year: Junior
Rothe, a middle hitter, helped guide the Irish to their first district championship since 2007. The Irish finished 22-5 overall and shared the OCC-Capital title with Big Walnut at 13-1.
She shared district Player of the Year honors with Moulton and led Scioto in kills (407) and blocks (67) and finished third in digs (213). She also was first-team all-league and second-team all-state and was named to theSuper 12.
Jonna Spohn
School: Olentangy
Year: Senior
A Super 12 honoree last season, Spohn led Olentangy with 451 digs and 51 aces.
A libero and Mississippi commit, she was honorable mention all-state, first-team all-district and OCC-Cardinal Player of the Year, helping the Braves capture their second consecutive league title.
Surabhi Srinivasan
School: Dublin Jerome
Year: Senior
The outside hitter helped the Celtics finish 17-5 in coach Andrea Baylin’s first season.
Srinivasan, an Eastern Michigan commit, recorded 178 kills, 176 digs and 19 aces and was first-team all-district and all-league. Jerome tied Olentangy Berlin for second (7-3) in the OCC-Cardinal behind Olentangy (10-0).
Rozalyn Zielinski
School: Olentangy Berlin
Year: Senior
A 5-9 outside hitter, Zielinski had a team-leading 310 kills and 45 aces to earn first-team all-district and all-league honors.
Zielinski helped lead Berlin to a program-best record of 17-7, its first winning season. The Bears also had their highest league finish, tying Jerome for second in the OCC-Cardinal behind Olentangy.
Early season Super 7
1. Olentangy Liberty – The Patriots lost several key performers after a 27-2 season in which they reached the state final for the first time and won their first league title since 2018. But Liberty returns plenty of talent in seniors Gabi Moulton (setter), Abbey Queen (libero), Claire Mrukowski (right-side hitter) and Nicole Russell (right-side/middle hitter).
2. Dublin Scioto – Coming off their first district title since 2007 and a 22-5 finish, the Irish are seeking a fourth consecutive league title. Coach Jackie Wilson, who is in her 13th season, shared OCC-Cardinal Coach of the Year honors with Big Walnut’s Ron Lehman last fall and was named ThisWeek’s Girls Volleyball Coach of the Year.
3. Hartley – Senior Ella Brandewie, an Ohio State commit, leads the Hawks as they look to build on last year’s run to a Division II state semifinal. Hartley, which has won seven district titles in nine seasons under coach Mike Rahe and went 22-6 last year, also returns seniors Jasmyn Crockett (outside hitter), Alex Etienne (outside hitter) and Kate McLane (middle hitter) and junior Kaylee Musick (setter/right-side hitter).
4. Watterson – Led by senior outside hitter Ava Hoying, the Eagles will try to add to their run of four consecutive Division I district championships. Seniors Callie Kasun (libero), Riley McGee (middle hitter) and Clara Vondran (outside hitter) also are key returnees for Watterson, which lost one of its top players, senior Mercedes Motton, to a season-ending injury during the offseason.
5. Olentangy Orange – The Pioneers graduated six players from their rotation but return four key juniors in outside hitters Lily Barron and Maddie Cugino, middle hitter Skylar Kelso and right-side hitter Angelena Greene. Coach Katie Duy, who was on maternity leave last season, returns as Orange looks to earn a seventh consecutive Division I district championship.
6. Pickerington Central – Most of the lineup returns from last year’s Division I district runner-up team, including senior and West Virginia commit Emma Beretich at middle hitter and standout junior Myriah Massey. The two combined for 491 kills a year ago. Setter Willow Alls and libero Amari Walker, both seniors, also are back as the Tigers seek their third consecutive OCC-Buckeye championship.
7. Olentangy – The Braves, winners of the OCC-Cardinal each of the past two seasons, return experience throughout the court. Led by seniors Jonna Spohn (libero), Emma Bebo (setter), Kennady Wiley (middle hitter), Sophia Weithman (outside hitter) and Molly Hartzell (opposite-side hitter), Olentangy is set up to make another league title run.
COFFMAN
•Coach: Max Miller, third season
•Top players: Ella Durham, Leah Shumate, Ashley Stephen, Annabelle Straty and Ella Thompson
•Key losses: Maiha Ashida, Katy McCaffrey and Ruby Moore
•Last season: 14-11 overall
•2021 OCC-Central standings: Olentangy Liberty (10-0), Olentangy Orange (8-2), Coffman (6-4), Upper Arlington (4-6), Hilliard Bradley (2-8), Hilliard Davidson (0-10)
•2021 postseason: Def. Marion Harding 25-11, 25-18, 25-10; def. Grove City 25-13, 25-12, 25-17; lost to Scioto 25-19, 27-25, 22-25, 25-18 in Division I district semifinal
•Outlook: After having their season end in Division I district semifinals each of the past two years, the Shamrocks are looking to take a step toward returning to the success they enjoyed when they won 12 consecutive district titles from 2007-18.
Having a senior-laden group should help in that pursuit.
Senior Ella Durham (outside hitter) was a first-team all-district honoree who finished with 415 kills last season.
Senior Leah Shumate returns at setter after having 438 assists and seniors Annabelle Straty (libero), Ashley Stephen (defensive specialist) and Ella Thompson (middle hitter) also are key players. Thompson has returned after not competing last fall.
Juniors Rachael Kiley (defensive specialist) and Grace Thomas (outside hitter/middle hitter) and sophomore Elizabeth Foreman (outside hitter) should be members of the rotation as well.
•Quotable: “We’re really excited. We’ve been in the gym every single day working on our connection and (getting used) to the flow of the game. One of our goals at the very beginning was to have such a strong connection that it’s intimidating to other teams, so we’re working on that every day and building up the program every day.” — Straty
—Jarrod Ulrey
JEROME
•Coach: Andrea Baylin, second season
•Top players: Taylor Bahnub and Surabhi Srinivasan
•Key losses: Brooke Carpenter, Paige Wleklinski and Caroline Zimovan
•Last season: 17-5 overall
•2021 OCC-Cardinal standings: Olentangy (10-0), Jerome and Olentangy Berlin (both 7-3), Marysville and Thomas Worthington (both 3-7), Hilliard Darby (0-10)
•2021 postseason: Def. Westerville North 25-19, 25-13, 25-22; lost to Gahanna 23-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-11 in Division I district semifinal
•Outlook: Coach Andrea Baylin began her second season expecting to improve on last year’s 17-5 finish.
Senior outside hitter Surabhi Srinivasan was first-team all-district and all-league last season. The Eastern Michigan commit recorded 178 kills, 176 digs and 19 aces.
Other key returnees are senior Cali Judge (middle hitter) and juniors Taylor Bahnub (middle hitter), Izzy Coplan (libero), Charley Howe (setter) and Kate Masters (right-side hitter). Bahnub was second-team all-league.
Baylin expects freshmen Mackenzie Palumbo (outside hitter) and Audrey Taylor (setter) to compete for starting spots.
Senior Brooke Carpenter, who set the program record for career assists (1,287), has opted to focus on cross country.
•Quotable:“I hope to retire here. I love it here. Last year a lot of our focus was on building a culture that centered around togetherness and pride and being proud to be a part of the Dublin Jerome women’s volleyball team. Last year set the stage for this year, so we came into this year ahead of where we were last year. We’re bigger, we’re stronger, we’re faster. We have high expectations for ourselves this year.” — Baylin
—Frank DiRenna
SCIOTO
•Coach: Jackie Wilson, 13th season
•Top players: Taylor Jenkins, Alec Rothe, Sophia Schwab and Maddie Zechman
•Key losses: Madi Comstock and Ayva Leon
•Last season: 22-5 overall
•2021 OCC-Capital standings: Big Walnut and Scioto (both 13-1), Delaware and Worthington Kilbourne (both 8-6), Westerville South (7-7), Westerville North (5-9), Canal Winchester (2-12), Franklin Heights (0-14)
•2021 postseason: Def. Franklin Heights 25-14, 25-7, 25-7; def. Mifflin 25-3, 25-2, 25-5; def. Coffman 25-19, 27-25, 22-25, 25-18; def. Pickerington Central 26-24, 25-13, 25-22; lost to Olentangy Liberty 18-25, 25-17, 25-13, 25-18 in Division I regional semifinal
•Outlook: With several players back from a team that advanced to a Division I regional semifinal, Scioto looks to continue its success. The Irish won their first district title since 2007 and secured their third consecutive league title, sharing the OCC-Capital championship with Big Walnut.
Junior outside hitter Alec Rothe shared Player of the Year honors in the district with Liberty setter Gabi Moulton. Rothe also was first-team all-league and second-team all-state.
Junior Sophia Schwab (libero) was second-team all-league, sophomore Maddie Zechman (setter) was special mention all-league and senior Taylor Jenkins (middle hitter) was honorable mention all-league. Senior Maya deSilva (outside hitter) is another key returnee.
•Quotable: “Last year was last year and we’re focused on our goals for this year. We want a fourth (consecutive) OCC championship. We want to be back in the district final and get to the regional and we want to go further. We want to get to state. We have so much room to grow. We have a huge ceiling.” — Wilson
—Frank DiRenna
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Setters help elevate central Ohio's best girls volleyball teams
