Big East Conference, District 1-AAA and Region 1-AAA Champion Science Hill dominates the top awards on the 2024 TriCitiesSports.com All-Northeast Tennessee Volleyball Team.
For over two decades, TriCitiesSports.com has been providing ground-breaking coverage of girls’ volleyball, helping to grow the sport regionally and assist area players in their pursuit of opportunities at the next level.
This year, each individual award is named after an all-time area great during our span of coverage.
The Player of the Year Award each season will be presented in honor of former Dobyns-Bennett all-stater and state champion, and ETSU Hall of Famer Megan Devine Ailshie while the Coaching Staff of the Year Award will named in honor of TSSAA Hall of Famer Sherry Hooks, who directed Sullivan South to three state championships.
The other four individual award designees will be rotated on an annual basis. For 2024, the Hitter of the Year Award is named after Volunteer great and former ETSU Buccaneer Alyssa Hatley; the Setter of the Year Award honors former Sullivan South Lady Rebel and Bryan College Hall of Famer Taylor Fink Goines; the Defensive Player of the Year Award recognizes Lexi Hartsock, a former District 1-AAA Player of the Year and ETSU signee at Dobyns-Bennett; and the Utility Player of the Year highlights former Daniel Boone all-stater and another former ETSU Buc Makenna Dietz.
Selected as the first Megan Devine Player of the Year is Science Hill senior outside hitter Addi Stables.
The Lees-McRae was the Big East Conference Player of the Year, a member of the District 1-AAA All-Tournament Team and Most Valuable Player in the Region 1-AAA Tournament. For the season, Stables compiled 417 kills, 378 digs, 34 aces and 43 blocks.
The Taylor Fink Setter of the Year is senior Ella Neal of Science Hill.
Selected as first-team All-Big East Conference, Neal was also a member of the All-Region 1-AAA Tournament Team and the District 1-AAA Tournament Most Valuable Player. Neal finished the season with 1,073 assists, 284 digs, 109 kills and 58 aces.
Neal finished her career with 2,861 total assists and her 58 assists against Tennessee on October 15 of this year is tied for ninth most in a single match in TSSAA history.
Lady ‘Topper senior Chelsea Blaine-Agett is the Alyssa Hatley Hitter of the Year.
A recent commit to Wilmington (DE) University, Blaine-Agett was a first-team all-Big East Conference selection while earning all-tournament honors in both the District 1-AAA and Region 1-AAA Tournaments.
Blaine’s stats included 360 kills with a 0.389 hitting percentage, 82 blocks, 81 digs and 45 aces.
Earning the Lexi Hartsock Defensive Player of the Year Award is another Science Hill senior Campbell Hixson.
Hixson was the Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year and also a member of both the District 1-AAA and Region 1-AAA All-Tournament teams.
Hixson picked up an impressive 470 digs on the season while serving 55 aces.
The Makenna Dietz Utility Player of the Year Award goes to Daniel Boone senior Addison Dietz.
The younger Dietz sibling played nearly every position on the floor for the Lady ‘Blazers before settling at setter the last two years.
A double-double machine this season for Boone, Dietz was a triple-double threat every night out.
Finally, the Sherry Hooks Staff of the Year goes to Science Hill. Led by head coach Laura Cook and assistant Lindsay Richards, Hooks’ daughters as well as assistants Wendy Ratliff and Brittany Hensley, the Lady ‘Toppers swept through the Big East Conference, the District 1-AAA and Region 1-AAA Tournaments without facing a fifth set, finishing 36-6 on the season.
Here is the complete 2024 TriCitiesSports.com All-Northeast Tennessee Volleyball Team:
Megan Devine Player of the Year – Addi Stables, Science Hill, SR
Alyssa Hatley Hitter of the Year – Chelsea Blaine-Agett, Science Hill, SR
Taylor Fink Setter of the Year – Ella Neal, Science Hill, SR
Lexi Hartsock Defensive Player of the Year – Campbell Hixson, Science Hill, SR –
Makenna Dietz Utility Player of the Year – Addison Dietz, Daniel Boone, SR
Sherry Hooks Staff of the Year – Science Hill (head coach Laura Cook, assistants Lindsay Richards, Wendy Ratliff, Brittany Hensley)
All-NET First Team
S - Bree Adams, Tennessee High, JR
OH - Kyla Jobe, Greeneville, SR
OH - Adah Snodgrass, Volunteer, JR
MB - Erin Littleton, Tennessee High, SR
L - Maggie Niebruegge, West Ridge, SR
DS - Chloe Redwine, Volunteer, SR
UTIL - Ashton Blair, Tennessee High, JR
All-NET Second Team
S - Lily Christian, Volunteer, SR
OH - Kiyah Blye, Dobyns-Bennett, JR
OH - Ainsley Wampler, Elizabethton, JR
MB - Ava George Wilber, Elizabethton, SR
L - Desirea Robinson, Johnson County, SR
DS - Arden Bateman, Dobyns-Bennett, SR
UTIL – Kyndl Hodge, Sullivan East, SR
