Two weeks into the high school volleyball season, The Star has ranked the powerful hitters, dependable setters and gritty liberos and defensive specialists that make up the area’s best in a top-25 list, including a 25-player watch list. Meet the players:
1. Sadie Kocur, Oaks Christian
The senior outside hitter had 270 kills last season and she is still leveling up. A University of Hawaii beach volleyball commit, Kocur has a powerful swing, developing passing chops and leadership qualities — all of which will be in high demand as the Lions look to make it another season to remember.
2. Saylor Halvorsen, Thousand Oaks
Halvorsen’s freshman campaign was one to remember. She finished the year with 240 kills and an excellent hitting percentage of 0.455 playing middle blocker. This year, Halvorsen has moved over to the outside, where she will continue to grow into the role of point terminator for Thousand Oaks.
3. Gigi Scaglia, Ventura
Scaglia is a Loyola Marymount University beach volleyball commit, and her background in the sand shows in her play. The senior outside hitter had 232 digs to go along with her 366 kills last season, helping out in a big way on defense, and led the Cougars to a playoff berth out of the Channel League.
4. Masina Ogbechie, Oaks Christian
The name Ogbechie carries expectations, and Oaks Christian’s senior opposite hitter is living up to them. The Harvard University commit had 184 kills and 78 total blocks last season, and will be another top weapon for the Lions this fall.
5. Halle Bryce, Thousand Oaks
The biggest move in Ventura County this offseason was Bryce, a gifted outside hitter who transferred into Thousand Oaks from Camarillo, where she led the program in kills her first two seasons. The junior will have to sit out half the season, but when she does suit up, Thousand Oaks will have another one of the deadliest hitters in the area.
6. Leah Curtin, Thousand Oaks
Curtin was one of the most productive hitters in Ventura County on the outside last season. This year, she’ll be playing … libero? Stay with me, says head coach James Park. The San Jose State University beach volleyball commit had an impressive 293 digs last year and will make defense her calling card in her final high school season.
7. Keira Overbeck, Newbury Park
Players who do a little bit of everything on the court are always in high demand. Those who do a lot of everything are invaluable. That perfectly describes Overbeck, Newbury Park’s junior setter who keeps the ball moving, blocks effectively at the net and is an underrated hitter. She had 868 assists last year for the Panthers.
8. Kiyomi Kohno, Agoura
It’s almost an entirely new team around Kohno at Agoura this year, and the Chargers’ impressive early season performances are a testament to her ability to better the ball for the other players on the floor. The four-year varsity starter at setter had 486 assists, 88 digs, 45 aces and 78 kills last season.
9. Jaidan Alexander, Royal
Alexander has grown from being a key contributor to last season’s deep attack to being Royal’s focal point. The Division 3 All-CIF outside hitter recorded 248 kills and 37 aces last season, and is off to a blazing start this fall. She had 34 kills in a four-set win over Ventura on Aug. 14.
10. Charley Knupp, Newbury Park
The junior outside hitter drilled 377 kills and was selected to the All-CIF Division 4 first team last season. Newbury Park’s go-to option on offense is leading her 11-0 squad in kills early this season.
11. Hailey Lauritzen, Thousand Oaks
Lauritzen finished her 2024 campaign with a well-rounded stat line of 143 kills, 363 assists and 126 digs. With the graduation of Reagan Maguire (449 assists) and the addition of even more weapons at Thousand Oaks, the senior setter is in position to take another big step.
12. London Halvorsen, Thousand Oaks
The 6-foot-3 opposite hitter moved from playing outside this season to help make room for incoming hitters Halle Bryce and Lily Morge. The elder Halvorsen sister led the Lancers last season with 247 kills and her offensive gifts include a powerful swing and great timing.
13. Miasol Minnich, Westlake
Minnich was already a solid player last year, but the senior middle and team captain completely transformed her athleticism, strength and power this offseason, according to head coach Brendan Keane. “I truly believe she is the quickest middle in the area,” Keane said.
14. Neariah Fasavalu, Camarillo
Camarillo’s 6-foot junior outside hitter is poised to take over as the Scorpions’ primary attacker with the transfer of Halle Bryce. “This year, she has just figured things out,” Camarillo head coach Stephen Zavala said. She had 16 kills in a five-set win over Westlake on Aug. 12.
15. Maya Cunningham, Oxnard
Cunningham’s 796 assists last season meant that the senior had her fingerprints on nearly every single one of the Yellowjackets’ positive offensive plays. The 5-foot-9 junior setter continues to be Oxnard’s most vital asset.
16. McKenna Kimbell, Oaks Christian
Kimbell, alongside fellow middle blocker Abby Kolder, has very big shoes to fill this season. Manaia Ogbechie, the Lions’ starting middle last season, was The Star’s Girls Volleyball Player of the Year. Oaks Christian expects big things at the net from the 6-foot-2 Montana State University commit, who had 40 kills and 44 blocks last season.
17. Brooke Patsch, Newbury Park
Defense at the net is the name of the game for Patsch, but the senior middle has come on strong on offense early this season for the Panthers. The University of Redlands commit recorded double-digit kills in wins over Ventura and Oxnard.
18. Jady Mape, Oaks Christian
Mape was voted the Marmonte League’s top beach volleyball player last spring and was a first-team All-Marmonte League player indoors last fall, and she still might be underrated. The 5-foot-10 outside hitter has a great all-around game, finishing with 172 kills and 167 digs last season. She will figure heavily into the attack again this fall.
19. Alex Hoskins, Ventura
The senior libero has been key to solidifying the Cougars defense through injury woes early this season. Her gritty play in the backcourt helped her finish last season with 241 digs.
20. Lily Barrett, Westlake
“Think later, all power now,” Westlake head coach Brendan Keane said of Barrett’s game. “She is our terminator.” The senior captain has added a finesse to her attack that was missing in previous years. The 5-foot-11 outside hitter is one of primary offensive options for the Warriors.
21. Ellie Hallinan, Oaks Christian
Is making the move from productive outside hitter to libero becoming a trend in the Marmonte League? As a sophomore last season, Hallinan had more than 100 kills, but she’ll spend this season digging up balls as the starting libero and defensive anchor in the backcourt.
22. Leilah McDougald, Oxnard
The senior middle brings a serious presence at the net for the Yellowjackets, leading her team in kills and blocks this fall. McDougald recorded 206 kills and 43 blocks last season.
23. Avyn McGugan, Oak Park
The senior captain has “a stone-cold attitude towards the game,” according to Oak Park head coach Josh Giron. The setter finished with 62 aces, 173 digs and 358 assists last season.
24. Chelsea McCalister, St. Bonaventure
Is the sophomore setter already on track for the most assists in the region? She racked up 55 in a five-set loss to Westlake on Aug. 19 and had 29 in a sweep of Santa Paula on Aug. 13. Finding power hitter Soraya Forbes will be key for McCalister to continue her hot start to the 2025 campaign.
25. Grace Hibler, Villanova Prep
The senior setter helped her team battle in a competitive Tri-Valley League last season with 544 assists. She’s picked up right where she left off in 2025. Hibler had 24 assists, five kills and five aces in a sweep of Santa Paula and 12 kills and 15 assists in a sweep of Rio Mesa.
Watch list:
Dominic Massimino is a staff writer for The Star. He can be reached at dominic.massimino@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcsdominic on Twitter and Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Check out The Star’s rankings for the area’s Top 25 girls high school volleyball players
Reporting by Dominic Massimino, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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