Big Reds head to Orlando to open 2022 volleyball season
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PARKERSBURG -- Three years after the initial plan to open the season in Florida, the Parkersburg volleyball team of head coach Erin Thorpe will begin the 2022 campaign starting on Thursday in Orlando.
PHS, which reached the Class AAA state tournament last fall before being eliminated by Morgantown in the quarterfinals, will spend three days in the Sunshine State. The Big Reds will play two Florida programs on Thursday along with a team from Texas. They have two matches scheduled for both Friday and Saturday.
Coach Thorpe, who is being assisted by Tammy Fisher, Katie Wise and Ashley Warner, returns a plethora of talent from a year ago.
Three players are back who registered more than 200 downed spikes -- Caelyn Wise (248), Riley Hilling (208) and Mya Green (203) -- while Lily Wharton added 162 kills and Rylee Wise 80. Rylee Wise, who finished with nearly 1,100 assists and was third with 327 digs, also led PHS with 84 aces. Olivia Perkins had 342 digs and is the team's top returning defender, but Caelyn Wise had 292 digs and 72 aces while Hilling had 159 digs and 78 aces.
Wharton, Green, Hilling and Rylee Wise are joined in the senior class by fellow spiker Kylee Lewis.
Caelyn Wise and Perkins comprise the junior class along with Meghan Lauderman (156 digs), outside hitter Ashlynn Eagle and Elliza Towner (70 aces).
Despite having a capable setter in Rylee Wise, the Big Reds might not run a 5-1 at all times and instead deploy a 6-2.
"I think that is the direction we are headed," admitted coach Thorpe of the 6-2. "Rylee and Elliza will be our setters in the 6-2. In a 5-1 it's going to be Rylee. Right now our 6-2 is looking great. Our setters are confident and it gives us so many more options on offense.
"However, our 5-1 looks great too because Elliza along with Olivia and Meghan are our primary defensive specialist players in that lineup. The three of them do a phenomenal job defensively. I'm sure throughout the season we will practice both based off of who we play and what skill set we will need more, but it's great to be able to have so many option."
The libero position has been going back and forth between Lauderman and Perkins, noted the coach.
"Meghan is an amazing middle back player. Olivia is an amazing left back player, so we just base our decision on whatever it is we need that match," added the coach. "Elliza does incredible when she is in the defensive position too, which makes it hard for me to use her as a setter in some aspects because I hate to lose her defense.
"We also have (sophomore) Lilly Boice as a backup defensive specialist for us who is quick, always in the right place at the right time and passes right on target. Our back row is looking pretty great right now overall. Throughout the summer and in our scrimmages we got so many compliments on just how scrappy we are because these girls give so much effort that we touch just about everything."
Although Hilling is considered the primary outside and Green, who had a team-high 58 total blocks to finish just ahead of Wharton's 52, is the primary middle hitter, coach Thorpe said the Big Reds have plenty of options on how to run their attack.
"Riley is s smart player and can put the ball exactly where it needs to be exactly when we need it and she hits a mean slide," Thorpe continued. "Mya is our machine. She's insanely strong and puts a lot of punch behind her hits. She's hard to stop.
"When Rylee is in the 6-2 she's one of the full-time right sides and is so strong and smart as a hitter. She adds a lot to our offense. Caelyn Wise does a little bit of everything, and does it well. She is our steady player, always swings and touches a lot on her block."
Joining Boice in the sophomore class are Lola Rosenbohm (MH), Bryce Smith (OH/MH), Emma Kiger (S/Opp) and Roxie Sprague (Opp).
"What I like about this group is they're willing to try all of our crazy ideas and they have fun doing it," added Thorpe, whose roster also features freshmen Brynn Frye (L/DS), Ava Sayre (S), Kennedy Porter (MH), Kendall Kimes (OH/DS) and Brenan Harvey (OH/DS).
"Preseason has only been positive from my standpoint this year. The girls want to be there. They want to condition. They want to work hard. I think they are all on the same page and just get along so well that they make it so much fun to watch."
Coach Thorpe, who has Rylee Wise, Hilling, Perkins and Lauderman as captains, once again is expecting big things from this group.
"I think they can accomplish anything. They are extremely versatile, work well together, are driven and they want it," Thorpe added. "We set our bar at perfection and honestly this group works and truly gets closer to it every day.
"I think this is the best defensively we have looked in a while. Our goal is to put another year on that state championship banner, and I know this group can do it. We are setting our minds to one game at a time, so first we want to be successful in Orlando and build off that."
Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com
Parkersburg Big Reds
Head coach: Erin Thorpe
Assistant coaches: Tammy Fisher, Katie Wise, Ashley Warner
Roster
Seniors
4 Lily Wharton (MH/Opp), 7 Mya Green (MH), 10 Riley Hilling (OH), 12 Kylee Lewis (OH/MH), 20 Rylee Wise (S/Opp)
Juniors
1 Olivia Perkins (L/DS), 3 Meghan Lauderman (L/DS), 9 Ashlynn Eagle (OH), 15 Caelyn Wise (OH/Opp), 25 Elliza Towner (S/DS)
Sophomores
2 Lola Rosenbohm (MH), 5 Bryce Smith (OH/MH), 11 Emma Kiger (S/Opp), 13 Roxie Sprague (Opp), 14 Lilly Boice (L/DS)
Freshmen
6 Brynn Frye (L/DS), 8 Ava Sayre (S), 18 Kennedy Porter (MH), 24 Kendall Kimes (OH/DS), 22 Brenan Harvey (OH/DS)
Schedule
Sept. 1-3: in Orlanda, Fla.
Sept. 10: Greenbrier East/South Charleston/St. Albans, noon
Sept. 12: at Parkersburg South, 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 14: at Charleston Showcase vs. Magnolia/Clay County, 6 p.m.
Sept. 17: at Bridgeport Invite
Sept. 22: at Wheeling Park w/Brooke, 5 p.m.
Oct. 1: at George Washington Invite, 9 a.m.
Oct. 4: at Cabell Midland tri, 5:30 p.m.
Oct. 8: at Hedgesville w/Morgantown/Spring Valley, 11 a.m.
Oct. 11: Parkersburg South/Ripley/Hurricane, 5:30 p.m.
Oct. 13: at Capital w/South Charleston/Herbert Hoover, 5:30 p.m.
Oct. 20: Huntington/Ritchie County, 5:30 p.m.
Oct. 22: PHS Spookfest
Oct. 25: Capital/Point Pleasant (Senior Night)
Oct. 27: tri at Bridgeport ,6 p.m.
Oct. 29: MSAC Championship at PHS, 9 a.m.
Nov. 1-2: Sectionals, TBD
Nov. 5: Regional at Cabell Midland, 6 p.m.
Nov. 9-10: State tournament