Here are 85 Athens-area high school volleyball players to watch ahead of 2024 season

High school volleyball in Georgia begins shortly after softball, just a handful of days further into August.

Last year's volleyball season didn't see any championships coming home to the Athens-area, but there was a pair of teams that came close.

Oconee County was one of two area teams to make it past the second round in the GHSA state competition. The Warriors made it to the championship game, where they fell in three sets to Sandy Creek.

The Warriors graduated a number of seniors in Bailey and Brinley Bartlett, Isabel Miller, Kathryn Johnston and Addie Eberhardt. However, they're not rebuilding this season, with the amount of talent they have in their returning roster.

Senior Olivia Miller (no relation to Isabel) is finally cleared after she broke her leg in January, taking the role of captain for the blue and white. Olivia Miller led in blocks (132), kills (332) and kill percentage (53.2%) last season and is going to be a big part of replacing Isabel Miller's spot as setter. She's joined by their "Swiss Army Knife" senior Braylon Baughcum, who was key during the playoffs as the defensive specialist, and senior Elizabeth Wynn, who will be counted on to hold down the middle and was a top-five blocker in Class 3A last year.

Jefferson was the other team to make it past the second round in the GHSA state competition. The Dragons made it to the Elite Eight before they fell to McIntosh in a heartbreaking and tiebreaking fifth set.

Volleyball begins Aug. 5 and will run until Oct. 14. The first round of playoffs is scheduled for Oct. 15-16 and will run through the state championships Nov. 2-4.

Here's a list of 85 players to watch ahead of the 2024 season, hand selected by the coaches.

Athens-area volleyball players to watch ahead of 2024 season

Apalachee

Alyssa Evans, senior, outside hitter/setter

Ilana Wingfield, junior, libero

Athens Academy

Nina Kline, senior, middle hitter

Sally Swann, sophomore, outside hitter

Athens Christian

Bradley Zimmerman, senior, libero

Abigail Palmer, junior, right side

Fallon Larson, junior, outside hitter

Amy Fleeman, junior, middle blocker

Cedar Shoals

Georgia Foster, senior, middle hitter

Abigail Mejia Hernandez, senior, defensive specialist

Derriana Smith, junior, outside hitter/setter

Dayami Ramirez, junior, defensive specialist

Kaitlyn Paige, sophomore, outside/middle hitter

Olivia Brown, sophomore, defensive specialist

Eliee Swindler, freshman, outside hitter/libero

Princess Djatsa, freshman, defensive specialist

Sylvia Brittain, freshman, setter

Commerce

Lakyn Redmon, junior, libero/defensive specialist

Ari Tuttle, junior, libero/defensive specialist

Aryana Loggins, junior, outside hitter

Maribeth Hill, sophomore, setter

Claire Hollars, sophomore, outside hitter

Azalee Ring, freshman, setter

East Jackson

Logan Beck, senior, outside hitter

Claire Yarbrough, senior, defensive specialist/libero

Karly Petty, senior, setter

Emilou Moore, junior, outside hitter/right side

Gavin Guest, junior, defensive specialist

Jackson County

Paisley Gillespie, senior, outside hitter

Siena Berthold, junior, outside hitter

Ava Lesniak, junior, libero

Allyson Page, sophomore, setter

Hannah Stovall, sophomore, right side

Willa Brunen, sophomore, middle blocker

Gracie Ridgway, sophomore, middle blocker

Chloe Wright, sophomore, defensive specialist

Jefferson

Eva Claire Nelson, senior, setter

Kaytlin Johnson, senior, outside hitter

Amelia Pilgrim, senior, middle hitter

Jolie Gunther, senior, outside hitter

Hannah Howard, junior, middle hitter

Addison Headley, junior, libero

Madison County

Charlotte Thompson, senior, middle hitter

Lexie Tucker, sophomore, outside hitter

North Oconee

Lauren Daniel, senior, middle hitter

Anslee Solodkii, senior, setter/right side

Rylee White, senior, defensive specialist/libero

Ryann Drake, senior, outside hitter/backrow

Mady Hayes, junior, setter

Sutton Szoke, junior, defensive specialist/libero

Hayden Holland, junior, outside/middle hitter

Addison Stewart, sophomore, outside hitter

Sydney Daniel, freshman, outside hitter

Oconee County

Olivia Miller, senior, middle hitter

Elizabeth Wynn, senior, middle hitter

Gracie Hobbs, senior, outside hitter

Sofi Veal, senior, right side/opposite

Braylon Baughcum, senior, defensive specialist/libero

Ella Timlin, senior, defensive specialist/libero

Callie Hayes, junior, defensive specialist/libero

Taylor Payne, junior, setter

Petra Mooney, junior, right side/outside hitter

Jill Benning, sophomore, right side/opposite

Fendley Kimbro, freshman, setter/outside hitter

Lila Fowler, freshman, libero/outside hitter

Oglethorpe County

Kenzie Henderson, senior, middle hitter

Sofia Horsley, senior, setter

Elizabeth Cook, junior, outside hitter

Leanna Newton, freshman, outside hitter

Prince Avenue Christian

Lilly Purcell, senior, right side

Emily Lalaian, senior, middle hitter

Emmie Grace Henson, senior, middle hitter

Turner Teach, junior, setter

Emma Philo, sophomore, outside hitter

Brenna Smith, freshman, libero

Reese Foster, freshman, outside hitter

Westminster Christian

Maggie Joy Tomlin, senior, setter/hitter

Olivia King, senior, setter

Lane Mulkey, senior, outside hitter/middle blocker

Aubrey Clark, junior, outside hitter/libero

Molly Kate Corbett, sophomore, outside hitter

Winder-Barrow

Alana Metz, senior, libero

Abby Carmichael, senior, middle hitter

Natalie Lunt, junior, outside hitter

Jordan Duncan, junior, right side

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Here are 85 Athens-area high school volleyball players to watch ahead of 2024 season