2024 Dispatch All-Metro: Who are the best boys volleyball players in central Ohio?

For the second consecutive year, Olentangy Liberty’s Caden Whiteside has been named The Dispatch’s Athlete of the Year in boys volleyball.

Whiteside and the other 11 members of the All-Metro team were recognized during the Central Ohio High School Sports Awards on June 20 at Mershon Auditorium . The show, which was produced with the support of Middlefield Bank and Ohio Athletic Performance, honored athletes from 30 sports .

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Here are the boys volleyball honorees:

Mason Heit, Hilliard Darby

The 6-foot senior setter helped lead the Panthers (21-6) to the Division I state tournament , where they dropped a 25-14, 25-14, 25-21 decision to Cleveland St. Ignatius in a semifinal. Heit finished with 841 assists and 49 blocks and was named first-team all-Region 3 and all-OCC-Cardinal and second-team all-state. Darby won the OCC-Cardinal title at 13-1.

Brady Kilgren, Dublin Jerome

A 6-6 middle blocker, Kilgren was a major contributor for the Celtics (17-8). The senior finished with 143 kills, 65 blocks and 18 digs. He was named first-team all-Region 3 and all-OCC-Cardinal and honorable mention all-state in Division I.

Jack Koesters, St. Charles

The 6-1 senior outside hitter helped lead the Cardinals (25-3) to the Division II state final , which St. Charles lost to Cincinnati McNicholas 21-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-15, 15-11. Koesters contributed 227 kills, 146 digs, 105 aces, 55 assists and 33 blocks and was named first-team all-state, all-Region 5 and all-CCL. The Cardinals won the league title at 6-0.

Aidan Kolb, Hilliard Darby

The 6-0 senior outside hitter combined with Heit to help the Panthers record another successful season. Kolb finished with 313 kills to earn Player of the Year honors in the OCC-Cardinal. He was also first-team all-state and all-Region 3.

Andrew Rakocy, New Albany

The 6-6 senior outside hitter was a key force behind the Eagles’ success as he finished with 329 kills, 128 digs, 32 blocks and 28 aces. He was named first-team all-Region 1 and all-OCC-Ohio and second-team all-state in Division I. New Albany (19-5) finished second in the league at 12-2.

Cameron Rau, Upper Arlington

The 6-1 senior outside hitter was a force for the Golden Bears this season, finishing with 276 kills, 134 digs, 36 aces, 18 assists and six blocks. He was first-team all-Region 1 and all-OCC-Central and second-team all-state in Division I. UA (16-8) finished second in the league at 11-3.

Finn Rubin, Thomas Worthington

The 6-7 junior middle blocker enjoyed a strong season, finishing with 195 kills, 63 blocks, 32 digs and 22 aces. He was named Player of the Year in Region 3, first-team all-state in Division I and first-team all-OCC-Cardinal. The Cardinals (20-6) finished second in the league at 11-3.

George Smith, Watterson

The 5-11 junior outside hitter led the Eagles (12-10) this season despite missing time with an ankle injury. He finished with 135 kills, 57 digs, 19 aces and six blocks. Smith was first-team all-Region 5 and all-CCL and second-team all-state in Division II.

Mladen Tague, St. Charles

The 6-3 senior opposite-side hitter was one of the biggest reasons the Cardinals reached the Division II state final . Tague recorded 297 kills, 115 digs, 60 blocks, 46 aces and 29 assists and was named state and Region 5 Player of the Year.

Parker Van Horne, Olentangy Berlin

The 5-10 senior setter helped direct the Bears’ attack with 829 assists while also recording 88 digs and 17 blocks. He had 2,535 assists for his career. Van Horne was first-team all-Region 1 and all-OCC-Cardinal and honorable mention all-state in Division I. Berlin (14-10) went 9-5 in the league.

Jackson VanWormer, Pickerington North

VanWormer, a 6-6 senior middle blocker, led the Panthers to a 23-3 season that included an unbeaten OCC-Ohio championship (14-0). He totaled 248 kills, 71 blocks, 41 aces and 14 assists and was OCC-Ohio Player of the Year. VanWormer also was first-team all-Region 1 and first-team all-state in Division I.

Caden Whiteside, Olentangy Liberty

The 6-5 senior outside hitter capped a stellar prep career by helping to lead the Patriots (25-2) to the Division I state tournament , losing to eventual champion Cincinnati St. Xavier 19-25, 25-16, 25-13, 25-10 in a semifinal. He finished with 355 kills, 84 digs, 53 aces and 30 blocks. A Lindenwood University commit, Whiteside was the Player of the Year in the state, Region 1 and OCC-Central. Liberty won the league title at 14-0.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 2024 Dispatch All-Metro: Who are the best boys volleyball players in central Ohio?