Arkansas' best high school volleyball players: Meet the state's top setters
Who are the top setters in Arkansas high school volleyball?
Here is a list of players who are responsible for making sure the offense runs smoothly for their respective teams.
Audrey Adair, junior, Bentonville
Adair had 454 assists last year for the Lady Tigers who advanced to the second round of the state tournament. This year, through Sept. 27, she has 286 assists, 79 digs and 32 aces. In 3-2 victory over Springdale Har-Ber on Sept. 12, she had 50 assists. Other top performances include 25 assists and 11 digs in a 3-2 victory over Fort Smith Northside on Aug. 24. She had 29 in the rematch against Northside on Sept. 25. Shad had 21 in a 3-2 victory over Bentonville West on Aug. 31 and 20 in a 3-0 victory over Rogers on Sept. 5.
Aspen Cone, junior, Van Buren
Cone had 362 assists and 158 digs a year ago. “She is a natural leader on the court,” said Van Buren head coach Brent Reeves. ” She will be one of our setters. Last year as a sophomore, she was stellar on defense with 158 digs. She will run our offense this year.” She had 16 assists in a 3-1 loss to Fort Smith Southside on Aug. 22 and 16 in a 3-1 loss to Bentonville West the previous day. She had 10 assists in a 3-0 victory over Siloam Springs on Sept. 21.
Jaycie Cook, senior, Cabot
Cook had 500 assists and 241 digs for the Lady Panthers, who reached the 6A semifinals. “Jaycie Cook has been a starting setter for three years for us,” said Cabot head coach Anna Robertson. “This year she will be a 6 rotation player, hitting on the right side as well as setting from the back row. She brings a lot of speed and athleticism to the team. She is also a good leader with exceptional work ethic. She has led our team the past two years in assists and we are excited about what she will do this year.” Through Sept. 27, she has 281 assists, 155 digs and 80 kills. She had a season-high 25 assists with 22 digs in a 3-2 victory over Bryant on Sept. 12. She had 23 assists and 8 digs in a 3-0 victory over Jonesboro on Aug. 31. She had 21 assists and 11 digs in a 3-0 victory over Mountain Home on Aug. 22 and 23 assists and 13 digs in a 3-0 victory over Jonesboro Westside at the Jonesboro Play Day on Sept. 22.
Laila Creighton, junior, Shiloh Christian
Creighton earned all-state honors with 46 aces, 544 assists and 214 digs in helping the Lady Saints advance to the 4A state championship match. “We will be looking for her to lead our offense as our primary setter,” said Shiloh Christian head coach Nathan Bodenstein. Through Sept. 27, she has 592 assists and 104 digs. Highlights this season include nine matches with at least 30 assists including a season-high 38 with 12 digs in a 3-2 loss to Springdale Har-Ber on Aug. 22. She had 13 digs in a 3-0 victory over Farmington on Sept. 7.
Mary Dugger, senior, Harding Academy
Dugger had 288 assists, 233 digs, 78 kills and 42 aces for the Lady Wildcats last year. “The last two seasons she has split time in a 6-2 but this year she has really taken command of the position and is showcasing her great leadership skills. She does a great job communicating with all of our hitters at all points in practice and the matches,” said Harding Academy head coach Matt Francis.
Isabella Elley, senior, Little Rock Christian Academy
Elley had 359 assists, 143 kills, 24 aces and 184 digs for the Lady Warriors, who advanced to the 5A quarterfinals a year ago and returns after having offseason elbow surgery. “She has worked hard to rehab this off-season. She comes into 2023 as a strong outside/right side hitter and our starting setter,” said LRCA head coach Lacey Rowan. This season, she is averaging 3.7 assists and 2.1 digs per game. She had 23 assists and 15 digs in a 3-2 victory over Russellville on Aug. 28.
Addie Fielder, junior, Baptist Prep
Fielder leads the Lady Eagles with 544 assists, with 137 digs and 47 aces. Four times this season, she has topped 30 assists in a match with a season-high 36 in a 3-0 victory over Bryant on Sept. 25 with 19 digs. She had 35 assists and 13 digs in a 3-1 victory over Little Rock Central on Aug. 29. She had 33 in a 3-0 victory over Greenbrier on Sept. 23 and had 32 in a 3-0 victory over Greenwood on the same day. Fifteen times this season, she has topped 20 assists in a match.
“She is the smartest and most court aware player,” said Baptist Prep head coach Krista Spoon. “She makes everyone around her better. She pushes them to be their best. She is fun and brings lots of energy.”
Lauren Latham, senior, Hot Springs Lakeside
Latham earned all-state honors as a sophomore and has committed to Kansas State. A talented setter with nice hands according to Lakeside head coach Rhonda Thigpen who says Latham is also one of the team’s top power hitters. Latham had 17 assists and 5 digs in a 3-0 victory over White Hall on Sept. 7. She had 80 assists, 32 kills and 25 digs in a five matches at the Lakeside Tournament. She had 40 assists, 15 kills and 16 digs in victories over Sheridan and Texarkana on Sept. 12 and 14.
Maggie Miller, junior, Marion
Miller had 826 assists, 44 aces and 2,999 digs while earning all-conference and all-state tournament team honors as a sophomore. Through Sept. 27, she had 554 assists, 187 digs, 51 kills and 37 aces. She’s had two matches with at least 40 assists, with a season-high 47 with 15 digs in a 3-2 victory over Valley View on Aug. 29. She had 41 with a season-high 17 digs in a 3-1 loss to Collierville (Tenn.) on Aug. 24. She’s had five matches with at least 30 kills and nine matches with at least 10 digs.
Mileah Neal, junior, Fort Smith Southside
Neal had 456 assists a year ago in leading the Lady Mavericks to the state finals. This season, she has been sidelined with a knee injury since Sept. 15. Prior to her injury, she was averaging 5.5 assists per game with 2.4 digs per game and 2.9 kills per game. Neal, who is capable of playing all six positions, had 24 assists and 7 digs in a 3-1 victory over Van Buren on Aug. 22. She had 21 assists, 10 digs and 6 aces in a 3-1 victory over Bentonville West on Aug. 24 and 20 assists and 11 digs in a 3-0 victory over Benton on Sept. 2.
Nandhini Praveen, senior, Bentonville West
Praveen had 942 assists, 45 aces and 276 digs for the Wolverines who finished 20-16 a year ago and reached the 6A quarterfinals. “Nandhini Praveen is a game-changer for us. As a small setter, she has worked so hard to add inches to her vertical, to build stamina, and to be an offensive threat. She plays much bigger than she is, and she's the heart of our offense,” said Bentonville West head coach Julie Rowan. Through Sept. 27, she has 450 assists, 222 digs, 26 aces and 44 kills. Seven times this season, she has topped 30 assists in a match with a season-high 39 in a 3-2 loss to Bentonville on Aug. 31. She has two matches with at least 20 digs including a season-high 22 in a 3-2 victory over Webb City (Mo.) on Aug. 28.
Chloe Rodriguez, junior, Brookland
Rodriguez was named MVP of the 4A state tournament in helping the Lady Bearcats win the state championship. She had 1,004 assists with 151 kills. “Not only is she able to deliver the ball to her hitters but also able to create offense for herself,” said Brookland head coach Nancy Rodriguez. “ She is also a big block on the right side of the court. She is a very passionate and competitive player who will do whatever it takes for her team to be successful.”
Through Sept. 27, she had 607 assists, 145 digs, 36 aces and 58 kills. Seven times this season, she has topped 30 kills in a match with a season-high 38 three times. She did it in a 3-1 victory over Conway on Aug. 29, a 3-1 victory over Valley View on Sept. 5, where she added 13 digs and a 3-1 loss to Benton on Sept. 18. She had 19 digs in a 3-0 victory over Paragould on Sept. 25.
Emma Schnackenberg, sophomore, Episcopal Collegiate
Schnackenberg had 210 assists while earning all-conference honors as a freshman for the Wildcats, who reached the 3A quarterfinals a year ago. “She ran a 6-2 (offense) with our senior Riley Brady last season and stepped up into a big role running the court,” said Episcopal Collegiate head coach Paige Gantar. Through Sept. 27, she has 278 assists and 81 digs, 48 kills and 20 digs. She had a season-high 26 assists in a 3-0 victory over Perryville. She had 12 assists and 7 kills in a 3-0 victory over Jessieville on Aug. 31. She had 23 assists and 7 kills in a 3-0 loss to Pulaski Academy on Sept. 7. She had a season-high 11 digs in a 3-1 loss to Harding Academy on Aug. 28 and 3-0 victory over Atkins on Sept. 18.
Haley Thomas, sophomore, Siloam Springs
Thomas led the Lady Panthers with with 378 assists and 54 aces during the 2022 season while playing as a freshman. Through Sept. 27, she has 395 assists with 112 digs, 25 aces and 48 kills. She had a season-high 46 assists in a 3-1 loss to Russellville on Sept. 19 and had 38 in a 3-2 victory over Carthage, Mo. on Aug. 31. She had a season-high 12 digs in a 3-1 victory over Gravette and a 3-1 victory over Springdale. She had a season-high 6 kills in a 3-1 victory over Alma on Sept. 7 and 3 times this season has 4 aces.
“This summer, Haley and her club team won the Liberty division of USA Volleyball Nationals in Chicago. She was selected as a member of the all-tournament team at Nationals. Her drive and consistency has made her someone her team looks to and trusts to handle the ball effectively. She is a well-rounded player, excelling in defense, serving, setting, and even hitting at times. She pushes herself and her teammates to run a more aggressive offense. She has an excellent awareness of each hitter’s strengths and she knows the strategy behind setting an effective offense,” said Siloam Springs head coach Carrie Thammarath.
Ridglee Thompson, senior, Springdale Har-Ber
Through Sept. 27, Thompson leads the Lady Wildcats with 477 assists and has 128 digs and 36 aces on the season. She had a season-high 40 assists and 12 digs in a 3-1 victory over Fort Smith Northside on Sept. 12. She had 36 with 5 aces in a 3-1 victory over Bentonville West on Aug. 29. She had 31 assists and 11 digs in a 3-1 loss to Shiloh Christian on Aug. 22. She has 5 matches with at least 30 assists and 6 with at least 20. As a junior, she had 592 assists with a season-high 37 in a 3-1 victory over Bentonville West.
“Ridglee is incredibly athletic and has continued to grow as a leader since her sophomore year. She tore her ACL during season her sophomore year, and looking at her now, you would never know! She is quick, jumps well, moves fluidly to the ball, and has great delivery to set her attacker up for success. She is a workhorse and never takes a day off. That’s why she has grown as much as she has,” said Springdale Har-Ber coach Cassie Loyd.
Emerson Traylor, junior, Bryant
Traylor returned to the lineup on Aug. 31 after an offseason injury and has 151 assists with 69 digs, 18 aces and 30 kills on the season. She had a season-high 20 assists, 12 digs and 9 kills in a 3-2 loss to Cabot on Sept. 14 and 19 in a 3-0 victory over Little Rock Southwest on Sept. 12. She had 4 aces in a 3-1 victory over Jonesboro on Sept. 5.
As a junior, she is coming in with two years of varsity playing experience,” said Back. “Emerson is a solid experienced setter that delivers a great ball to her hitters. She is one of our top servers and plays great defense.”
Prairie Vaughn, senior, Hackett
Vaughn led the Lady Hornets with 447 assists while earning all-state honors in the 2022 season. “She is one of the hardest-working athletes I have coached. She can track down any ball in the setting position and get it to one of our hitters. She led us with 447 assists last year as a junior but also plays amazing defense. She controls the tempo of our offense and is the true definition of a leader,” said Hackett head coach Bridget Freeman.
Through Sept. 27, she has 385 assists and topped the 1,000-assist mark in her career. She has 79 digs, 31 aces and 57 kills. She had a career-high 34 assists in a 3-0 victory over Paris on Aug. 31 and has 5 matches with at least 30 kills. She had a season-high 10 digs in a 3-0 victory over Alma on Sept. 11. She had a season-high 7 aces in a 3-0 victory over Green Forest on Sept. 21 and a season-high 6 kills in a 2-0 victory over Thaden on Aug. 26.
Emma Kate Vertz, junior, Prairie Grove
Vertz has been the one who makes the Prairie Grove offense go. So far, she has 369 assists on the season with 109 digs and 26 aces. She had 45 assists and 21 digs and 5 aces in a 3-2 victory over Farmington and has seven matches with at least 30 assists. She has four matches with at least 10 digs and 10 kills and 5 aces in a 3-2 victory over Farmington Aug. 29.
“Emma Kate is a phenomenal athlete. Not only does she execute the physical aspect of the game, but she also has a competitive mindset and focus that creates a competitive atmosphere anytime she plays,” said Prairie Grove head coach Lindsey Biocic. “She is a very coachable, a great leader, and an outstanding teammate. She works hard to mix up our offense and does it very well. She is set to reach 1,000 career assist this month and she is an absolute joy to coach. I’m excited to watch her continue to grow as a player and leader both on and off the court.”
Abbigail Walker, senior, Paris
Walker had 422 assists and 31 aces for the Lady Eagles, who reached the 3A quarterfinals a year ago.
Reese Wilburn, junior, Bryant
Wilburn had 271 assists, 112 digs and 33 aces for the Lady Hornets a year ago. Through Sept. 27, she has 257 assists and 103 digs. She had a season-high 24 assists in a 3-1 loss to Conway on Sept. 21 and has five matches with at least 20 assists. She had 23 assists in a 3-2 loss to Mount St. Mary; 20 in a 3-1 victory over Jonesboro on Sept. 5; 20 in a 3-1 loss to Little Rock Central on Sept. 7 and 20 in a 3-2 loss to Cabot on Sept. 12. She had 14 digs in a 3-2 victory over Little Rock Christian on Aug. 31 and 14 against Cabot. She had four matches with 4 aces and three matches with 5 kills.
“She is another junior with two years of varsity playing experience,” said Bryant head coach Leigh Ann Back. “Reese does a great job keeping our offense in system and in tempo. She lead our team last year in aces and assists. She plays great defense.”
