Five Wildcats selected to all-league volleyball team

By Andy Brown
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Updated: November 7, 2024

***Louisburg had four second team selections in McKenna Lohse, Caileigh Kilgore, Adelyn Moore and Aspen Coulter. Senior Ally Brown was named honorable mention.***

The Louisburg volleyball team saw its season come to an end in the sub-state championship to the eventual state runner-up in Rock Creek, but the Wildcats still put together another successful season.

It was one that caught the eye of some of the Frontier League coaches as they honored several Wildcat players when the all-league teams were released last week.

Five Wildcats were honored, including four second team selections in senior Aspen Coulter, juniors McKenna Lohse and Caileigh Kilgore and sophomore Adelyn Moore. Senior Ally Brown was named as an honorable mention.

“Overall, we were well-represented,” Louisburg coach Leanna Willer said. “This is the first time in a while that we were able to get multiple girls recognized at a higher level than honorable mention, so I was of course happy to see that. Our team is sometimes difficult to vote for as we are very well-balanced. We don’t necessarily have 1-2 major studs that everyone knows and recognizes immediately as the player that hurt them the most. Throughout the season we had different girls stepping up at different times and different players who led us through those matches.

“When league coaches vote, they are looking at the season stats that I put in front of them but they are also remembering back to the time(s) that we played against each other and who stood out to them, so it’s encouraging to see so many girls get recognized. I think arguments could be made about other players as well, but to have five players be selected to the all-league team is pretty great.”

Lohse was a starting middle blocker for the Wildcats and did several things well as she led the team in four different categories. She led the way with a team-high 211 kills, along with a team-best 56 aces and a hitting percentage of .236 and was tops in blocks in league matches.

“Kenna was the player for us that needed to get going, and if we could get Kenna going, everyone else seemed to follow,” Willer said. “She also seemed to have very little fear when playing against our tougher opponents this season. In fact, one could argue that her best games were those against the tougher teams. She truly rose to the occasion in those big moments and we are excited to see what we will be able to get from her in her senior season.”

Kilgore was another weapon at the net for the Wildcats as she was the top hitter from the outside and was second on the team with 205 kills.

“Caileigh was a strong hitter for us and led us in attempts as she had the responsibility of getting not only the good sets to put it away, but also a lot of the out-of-system sets as is common with outside hitters,” Willer said “We love that she is not afraid to take a rip at a ball. Her presence was big for us as her kills were often the most impactful for team momentum. She was in the top 10 in the league for kills, which earned her a place on the all-league team. We are looking forward to seeing what Caileigh will bring to our team next year.”

Setting them up for all those kills was Moore, who was in her second year as the setter after sharing those responsibilities last year as a freshman. As a sophomore, all Moore did was lead the Frontier League in assists with 743.

She made her presence known all over the court as he also had 98 kills, 26 blocks, 31 aces and 186 digs.

“Adelyn ran our team and she proved herself to be one of the best setters in the league,” Willer said. “She is an all-around athlete who works hard non-stop. She plays good defense, leads the team with our offense, and has done a great job of making her presence known at the net despite her height.

“She is the type of kid who puts her head down and gets to work during a match. You’ll never see her complain or get angry with her teammates, and she is always finding a way to get the job done. As she is only a sophomore, we are so excited that she will be back for two more years and can’t wait to see what she can accomplish.”

Coulter earned a spot on the second team for her defense as the team’s libero. As a team captain, Coulter led the team with 301 digs, which was second in the league.

She was also aggressive from behind the service line with 34 aces and had 65 assists on the season.

“Aspen held down the back court as our libero this year and she did a great job for us defensively,” Willer said. “Additionally, she was our most consistent server and also aggressive from behind the line. She was second in the league in digs this year and made some notably awesome plays on defense, which led to her earning a spot on the all-league team.

“Her willingness to just go for it on defense as she’s not afraid to hit the floor helped our team on the defensive end all year. Furthermore, she expanded her range to play not only left back but also middle back this season and we are proud of her for taking on a change in her role to help the team.”

Another team captain, Brown earned honorable mention from her defensive specialist spot. She made an impact defensively and from behind the service line.

Brown was second on the team with 228 digs and was also second in aces with 47. She also led the team in serve attempts and points scored while serving.

“Ally was largely the heart and soul of this team as a really strong leader,” Willer said. “She was always the one to speak up with words of wisdom, motivation, encouragement, or tough love when needed. She was a defensive specialist for us this year and accepted that role wholeheartedly.

“Her stats earned her a place on the all-league team because coaches recognized the spirit that she brought to the court as well as the great defense she played. Her dig numbers were right up there close to a lot of the Liberos while only being on the court half the time, and that speaks volumes about what she was able to do for our team.”