The goal was simple. Find 20 of the best high school volleyball players in and around Charlotte.
However, because there is so much high-level volleyball being played in the area, it was really tough to narrow it down.
“In the last couple of years, the city of Charlotte has improved so much, if you go by the number of (college) commits that we have compared to the Raleigh-Triangle area, which has had the highest number in the past,” said five-time state championship coach Zoe Bell of Ardrey Kell High School. “The level of play is so much better.”
Bell’s most recent star, former high school All-American and Observer player of the year Alexis Shelton, is a sophomore at Oklahoma. She made the All-Big 12 Rookie team as a freshman. Her sister, Camryn, is a senior at Ardrey Kell now, and has committed to Central Florida.
And nationally, volleyball has risen to the third most popular for girls, behind track and basketball, according to the latest figures from the National Federation of High Schools, which released participation figures earlier this month.
Bell thinks those numbers will only continue to rise, locally and nationally.
“I think volleyball will only go up, up and up from here,” said Bell, who was named American Volleyball Coaches Association national coach of the year in 2018. “It’s the fastest growing sport around.”
In the Charlotte-area, as Bell said, there is plenty of talent.
Some of the players came from Union County, a handful from Cabarrus, one from across the border in South Carolina, some in Iredell and two of the best came from Mecklenburg.
Here’s our look at the area’s best:
Hough’s dynamic duo: Ella Whittington and Jordan Griffin
Led by Ella Whittington and Jordan Griffin, Hough’s volleyball team has started 14-0 this season.
“Having these two there as leaders not just on the court but off as well has been extremely helpful,” Huskies first-year coach Megan Thronton said. “Leaning on them at the beginning of the season as well as in the preseason has been phenomenal. Just being able to bounce ideas off them and get their perspective on things. It has just been really great having their leadership the last four years as an assistant and now as the head coach as well.”
Griffin leads her team with 155 kills, which ranks eighth in the state. Griffin said that she and Whittington have a “strong bond” on the court that helps both players as well as the team.
“With us having played together for such a long time now it has really helped us be able to communicate our goals with each other and the team as well,” Griffin said. “If there ever needs to be any changes, we can all come together and get what needs to be done, done.”
Whittington is leading the Huskies in hitting percentage (26.8%). She ranks second in kills..
“We never play the same position at the same time obviously,” Whittington said. “So, we are always opposite of each other. I feel like we do a good job of reading what the other person needs. A lot of times we will see something that maybe the other can’t see, so it is very helpful to have someone that is the same level help you out.”
Whittington, Griffin and Hough suffered a tough loss in last year’s state playoffs, falling to Sun Valley in the N.C. 4A regional championship game, just one win short of a state finals appearance.
To go a round deeper this season, both players think only some slight adjustments need to be done.
“We also had a few players out, so it wasn’t really the most ideal situation for us,” Whittington said. “I think if we can keep everyone healthy and really focus on defense and serve-receiving, that will really help. I think also, there are a lot of new girls on the team this year. They aren’t necessarily new to Hough but we just haven’t played much with them before. We’ve really done a good job of establishing that trust with each other already and working together really well.”
Coach Thornton really sees the bond that her team has, and she feels that it will be crucial if Hough is to make a state title run this season.
“The girls have said so many times that they are a family,” Thornton said. “Girls can say that all they want, but this group truly acts like a family. They are with each other all the time and are goofy just like sisters. They are truly one of a kind in that regard. And since they have been there before, they know what it takes. A lot of the girls were on the team last year and were crushed. They definitely don’t want that again.”
Camryn Shelton, Ardrey Kell, Sr.
Shelton has 20 aces, 103 digs and 287 assists in the Knight’s first 14 games. Her presence and leadership on the floor is something that coach Zoe Bell thinks makes her one of the best players in the state.
Shelton has committed to Division I Central Florida.
“(Camryn) has been setting for four years now four me and she just got her 1,000th assist a weekend ago,” Bell said. “She not only sets but between here and Victoria (Kasanganay) are my top two blockers.”
The Knights’ (10-4) schedule doesn’t get any easier.
“We’ve got to start getting it together,” Bell said. “We play Cox Mill next week. Then the following week we play Reagan. Then we play Marvin Ridge and Palisades. So, we’ve got a pretty good schedule coming up.”
Erin Wholley, Ardrey Kell, Sr.
Wholley does all the little things that make a big difference for her team. She has 59 digs and 68 receptions. She is also in the top three on her team in assists.
“Erin is very good and reads the game well,” Bell said. “She is one of, if not the best libero in this area.”
Arianna Lopez, Cannon School, Jr.
Lopez is like the point guard of the Cougars’ volleyball team. Her 169 assists lead the team. In her sophomore season, she had 643. She also leads the Cougars with 28 aces this season.
Emily Horning, Charlotte Catholic, Sr.
The outside hitter ranks in the top three in all but two statistical categories for the Cougars. She is leading the team in kills (48) and kills per set (2.7). She is third in blocks and ranks second in serving aces on the season.
The Cougars (2-1) only loss so far this season is to Charlotte-area power Marvin Ridge.
Ryan Hunter, Cox Mill, Jr.
Hunter, a Mallard Creek transfer, has helped the Chargers to a 7-1 record. She leads the team in kills per set (4.5) and digs per set (2.4). She had 338 kills as a sophomore and has committed to the University of Nebraska.
Arielle Walker, Cox Mill, Sr.
Walker leads the Chargers in overall hitting percentage at 29.3 percent. She is second to only Hunter on her team in total digs. She also has 14 aces. In her best game so far, Walker had 21 kills in a win over Cabarrus County rival Mount Pleasant.
Halle Horton, Davidson Day, Jr.
Athleticism runs in Horton’s family.
Her grandfather, Ronald, was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the 1968 NBA Draft. Her father, Ron, played basketball at Davidson College, and her brother, Trey, is a freshman basketball player at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Halle is also very talented. She has 155 kills in her team’s first 13 games. Davidson Day finished runner-up in the last two NCISAA state championship games.
Madison Fox, Lake Norman, Sr.
Fox has helped her team to a 12-0 start. She is in the top three on the team in digs and aces and has committed to play at the University of South Carolina Aiken. Fox and the Wildcats beat North Iredell, the reigning 3A state champion, earlier this season.
Izzy Sandoval, Lake Norman, Jr.
Sandoval, much like her teammate Fox, has been a catalyst for the Wildcats’ hot start. Sandoval leads the Wildcats in kills and kills per set. In a five-set thriller against Ashe County on August 25, Sandoval had 15 kills with a 26.8% hitting percentage.
Josie Zettlemoyer, Marvin Ridge, Sr.
Zettlemoyer has the Mavericks in their usual spot among North Carolina’s best teams. She has a 41.2 hit percentage which is well over the national average of 9.5%. She has 95 kills and 53 digs so far on the season, which also ranks in the top three in each category for her team.
“(Zettlemoyer) is one of the most competitive athletes I’ve ever coached – in practice and in a game,” Mavericks head coach Brook Hammers said. “She is a contributing six rotation player and helps lead the court.”
Lizzie Ruble, Mountain Island Charter, Jr.
Ruble has 32 aces on the season, making it tough for opposing teams to get in a good flow when receiving. She has 50 kills while having a 30.3 hit percentage. The Raptors (9-4) have played a lot of tough competition so far this season. They will likely be a contender for the 1A state championship.
Charlie Meadoweal, Palisades, Sr.
Meadoweal is a two-sport athlete for the Pumas, who opened the school last year. She plays volleyball and basketball. She had 251 kills as a junior on the volleyball team which finished second in the SoMECK conference behind Ardrey Kell. This season, Meadoweal has the Pumas off to a 8-1 start.
“The best part about having Charlie in our program is that she is the type of player that makes those around her better,” Pumas head coach Kristen Zabalavicius said. “She is quick, has incredible court vision, and works as hard in practice as she does in games. I am super proud of her growth as a leader on and off the court. She is definitely the most dynamic volleyball player I’ve coached.”
Oliva Stevens, North Mecklenburg, Jr.
Another outstanding outside hitter from the Queen City Athletic Conference, Stevens has 29 kills this season. The Vikings are 6-4 with several challenging games remaining against Hough, Butler and Hopewell.
Lindsey Love, Porter Ridge, Sr.
The senior libero leads her team in digs and receptions this season. The Pirates (6-2) have already topped their win total from a season ago (4). Love has been a big part of the newfound success of the Pirates so far this season. She has 43 aces and 158 digs this season, leading her team in both categories.
Kayleigh Reeves, Rock Hill Nation Ford, Soph.
Reeves plays both outside and middle hitter for the Falcons. She has a hitting percentage of 25.8, which ranks at the top of her team. She also leads the Falcons (8-3) in total blocks with 19. In 2022, Nations Ford went 29-10-1 before falling to Dorman in the third round of the playoffs.
Reese Kern, South Mecklenburg, Jr.
Kern is a leader on both the volleyball and softball teams. She is in the top three in hitting percentage as well as total digs on the Sabres’ team. Against A.L. Brown, for example, she had 18 digs and 11 kills with a hitting percentage of 33. The Sabres (8-4) are just one win away from passing their win total from last season (9).
Kyra Joy Arnold, Sun Valley, Sr.
Arnold was a crucial part of the Spartans team that reached the state championship game a year ago. This season, Arnold has 65 kills with a 23.6 percent hitting percentage. She has also has 92 receptions. She is also leading her team in kills per set and digs per set.
Riley Parker, Sun Valley, Soph.
Parker picked up where she left off after going on an absolute tear her freshman year. She had 239 kills with a 26.2 hit percentage in her freshman season. The Spartans went 29-3 before a tough loss to Millbrook in the state championship. Parker currently leads the team in three statistical categories and already has 56 kills through the team’s first 12 games.
PHOTOS: Area high school volleyball
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PHOTOS: High School volleyball faces of the fall
This story was originally published September 12, 2023 6:30 AM.
