2022 All-Area Volleyball: Blackburn builds back up for Tigers

Bella Blackburn has been a centerpiece of the Paintsville volleyball team since her freshman year.

Blackburn was looking to build off a successful first two seasons with the Tigers entering her junior campaign in 2021.

However, her hopes were sidelined in a preseason scrimmage when she tore her ACL and had to miss the entirety of the season.

Blackburn worked hard and came back for a strong senior season that led to her being named The Daily Independent All-Area Player of the Year.

“Being named All-Area Player of the Year means everything to me,” Blackburn said. “It feels extremely rewarding after working so hard to come back from injury. I couldn’t have done it without being blessed with such a talented team.”

Over the course of her three-year playing career, Blackburn amassed more than 2,500 kills. In her final run as a senior, Blackburn had 1,030 assists, 236 digs, 51 aces, 35 kills and 17 blocks.

Paintsville coach Dawn Kinner said Blackburn “came back better than she was before she was injured.”

“The pain that you see a kid go through and then the work that she put in outside of the physical therapy just to be able to come back and play is just a great thing to see as a coach,” Kinner said. “That’s why I’m so proud of her, to see the success that she had this season and the level that she came back at.”

Blackburn credits her teammates for helping her get the motivation to come back as well as receiving the Player of the Year honor.

“I give all the credit to my teammates,” Blackburn said. “It all starts with a pass. By getting a good pass, I can do my job and help set my teammates to get kills.

“We have outstanding hitters and I especially couldn’t have done it without them. Being surrounded with such talented players make it easy for me to do my job.”

Paintsville went 38-3 and won the All “A” Classic state championship, dropping just one out of 13 sets in that tournament. That run was made possible by a come-from-behind effort against Covington Holy Cross.

“I will remember winning the All ‘A’ state championship the most,” Blackburn said. “Being down by a set and almost losing the second set, we came storming back to win it all. That took grit.

“It was the perfect example of hard work paying off. I’ll never forget the last point of that game.”

Kinner and Boyd County coach Katee Neltner were named Co-Coaches of the Year.

While the two have been pivotal in the push to the top for their respective programs, both coaches credit their players and those around them for their successes.

“I think it’s just a testament to the work that our girls put in,” Kinner said. “They make my job easy, when you have kids that buy in to your program and parents that buy in and a community that buys in.

“I have a great assistant in Jessica Davis. We just work so good together. I think it’s just a testament to what we’ve built here, and the buy-in from these girls and the hard work they’ve put in.”

Neltner said much of the same about her Lions.

“My girls have allowed me to love them, and they trusted me to do what was best for them and the program, which allowed me to coach them and coach them hard,” Neltner said. “They made themselves available to be molded and corrected, even when it wasn’t fun or pretty, and when you have athletes that trust the process and buy in to the mentality you try and establish in a winning program, the sky is the limit.

“These girls made this program what it is today and are the reason I am the coach I am today.”

Both coaches also pointed to the focus that area schools are putting on developing volleyball players at a younger age as a turning point for the sport in northeastern Kentucky.

“I think that once anyone sees what volleyball looks like when it is played and played well – there’s a switch that flips,” Neltner said. “There’s no other sport like volleyball and I am just proud to be a small part of teaching young girls to love this sport and play it properly.”

Boyd County had the most All-Area representatives with four: Taylor Bartrum, Lyndsey Ekers, Carly Mullins and Emma Sparks.

Bartrum was last year’s All-Area Player of the Year. She finished with 351 kills, 73 service aces and 20 blocks.

Mullins was named to the all-state tournament team following Boyd County’s loss to Paul Laurence Dunbar. She had 246 kills, 86 digs, 32 aces and 26 blocks.

Ekers has been the Lions’ leader defensively throughout her career. She accumulated 401 digs.

Sparks led the team in kills (365), blocks (32) and aces (78). She also racked up 157 digs.

Raceland finished with three Rams on the All-Area list. They won the district championship for the first time since 2016 and finished as 16th Region Tournament runner-up.

Elizabeth Rigsby led Raceland with 281 kills and was tied for the team lead with 64 blocks. Rigsby also had 73 aces.

Reagan Mackie’s 439 digs were first most for the Rams. She also had 110 kills and 19 blocks.

Kody Haddix had a complete season for Raceland, racking up 626 assists, 303 digs and 108 kills.

Paintsville, Ashland, Fairview and Rowan County also had multiple All-Area honorees.

Hailey Little was an offensive threat throughout the season for Paintsville. Little’s 409 kills and 76 aces were most for the Tigers. Her 39 blocks were second.

Ashland finished with the 16th Region’s second-most wins at 30.

Sophomores Grace Clark and Khia Robinson represent the Volleycats.

Clark had 950 assists, 303 digs and 125 kills. She also posted 98 aces.

Robinson had a team-leading 400 kills to go along with 310 digs, 62 aces and 13 blocks.

Fairview’s Kiera Loving had some spectacular stats. The senior had 771 assists, 198 kills, 176 digs, 101 aces and 45 blocks.

The Eagles also had Graycin Price selected. Price’s 452 kills were a team-best, as were her 133 aces. She also got 311 digs.

Rowan County’s All-Area selections are Madison Roar and Destiny Utterback.

Roar had 696 assists from her setter spot. Her 86 aces led the team, and she added 76 kills and 25 blocks.

Utterback was the Valkyries’ leader in kills (275) and digs (350).

Sarah Paige Weddington was Lewis County’s selection. She had 437 kills and 325 digs, which was the team’s most. Weddington also had 21 blocks and 40 aces.

Zoe Stidham of East Carter collected 231 digs and 230 kills. Along with that, Stidham had 31 blocks to lead the team and 77 aces.

TK Ellis rounds out the All-Area picks. The Lawrence County selection had 126 kills, 108 aces and 221 digs.

Northeastern Kentucky coaches’ votes composed the All-Area team. The newspaper’s sports department selected the Player and Co-Coaches of the Year.

2022 The Daily Independent All-Area Volleyball Team

Taylor Bartrum (Boyd County)

Bella Blackburn (Paintsville)

Grace Clark (Ashland)

Lyndsey Ekers (Boyd County)

TK Ellis (Lawrence County)

Kody Haddix (Raceland)

Hailey Little (Paintsville)

Kiera Loving (Fairview)

Reagan Mackie (Raceland)

Carly Mullins (Boyd County)

Graycin Price (Fairview)

Elizabeth Rigsby (Raceland)

Madison Roar (Rowan County)

Khia Robinson (Ashland)

Emma Sparks (Boyd County)

Zoe Stidham (East Carter)

Destiny Utterback (Rowan County)

Sarah Paige Weddington (Lewis County)

Player of the Year

Bella Blackburn (Paintsville)

Co-Coaches of the Year

Dawn Kinner (Paintsville) and Katee Neltner (Boyd County)

Honorable mention: Sophie Adkins (Lawrence County), Reanna Brown (West Carter), Kenzie Burton (East Carter), Aly Caldwell (Boyd County), Emily Clark (Russell), Carleigh Conley (Boyd County), Carmin Corey (Russell), Mayson Delong (Johnson Central), Randi Delong (Johnson Central), Kameron Fry (Fairview), Sophia Gifford (Boyd County), Sydney Hallock (Rowan County), Isabel Hensley (Rose Hill Christian), Mallory Hicks (West Carter), Shaelee Holbrook (Raceland), Gracen Layman (Ashland), Abby Malone (Lewis County), Shelby Marcum (Fairview), Brittany McCarty (Johnson Central), Blair Ratliff (Paintsville), Gracie Reed (Raceland), Kynzi Slone (Paintsville), Alexis Thompson (East Carter), Kara Ward (Paintsville), Alexis Williams (Fleming County)

https://www.dailyindependent.com/sports/2022-all-area-volleyball-blackburn-builds-back-up-for-tigers/article_3232d196-7c0e-11ed-8cf1-3bc3c19954da.html

Ben Spicer | For The Daily Independent Dec 14, 2022

Paintsville Lady Tigers

The Paintsville Lady Tigers are coming off a great season, going 19-13 before falling to Lawrence County in the 15th Region semifinals.

Luckily for Coach Les Trimble and his Lady Tigers, he returns virtually an entire team this season after losing just one senior to graduation – Ava Hyden.

That’s not to say that one person is easy to replace, however. The loss of Hyden makes a big hole in both offense and defense. She averaged 7.7 points per game and had 268 rebounds last year, or 8.4 per game. Hyden was a tough, physical player that Paintsville will surely miss. They’ll have to find young players to step up into the role Hyden leaves behind. And although Paintsville loses just one senior, they’re still pretty young overall.

The Lady Tigers will dress two seniors, Kali Mulcahy and Camryn Helton this season.

Helton is a big piece of the puzzle for Paintsville. She is a floor general who averaged 7.7 points per game last season. She also had 136 rebounds last season. Helton is arguably the best free-throw shooter on the team as well with a 68.6 percent rate on shots from the line.

Mulcahy was solid in her junior season, netting 136 points in 32 games. She also pulled down 46 rebounds.

Three juniors – Kaylyn Vannoy, Emilea Preece, and Kat Balwin make up a loaded junior class.

Vannoy is a new face to the Paintsville program, but she might look familiar. She suited up for Johnson Central ever since her seventh-grade season, back in 2017-18. She averaged 3.9 points per game for the Lady Eagles last season with 3.4 rebounds per game.

Preece is the heart and soul of the offense when it comes down to it. She scored 502 points last season, by far the most on the team. A rebounding machine as well thanks to her size, she brought down 263 boards last season. She can get it done from behind the arc too, shooting 29 percent from the three-point line last season.

Bailey Porter and Emma Keeton are the only two sophomores this season. Neither played last season, but Keeton has ties to the program, as her sister Anna was a key player for the Lady Tigers before graduating in 2019.

Four freshmen are included on the roster this season, and four eighth graders including last year’s standout player, Kylie Kinner.

As a seventh-grader Kinner lit up the scoreboards last season, putting up numbers worthy of the second highest scorer on the team with 351 points, 11 per game average. Kinner does a lot of her work behind the arc, making 58 three-pointers last season to lead the team. Despite her age and size she was also the third highest rebounder on the team last season. Kinner is only an eighth-grader, but her potential is unmatched and she should have another stellar season.

Overall, the Lady Tigers have the coaching and the talent to make another deep playoff run this season.

Written by Mike Muncy Sports Writer

https://www.paintsvilleherald.com/sports/girls-basketball-preview/article_3fa6485a-709a-11ed-8179-7be6ab9c4a68.html

Paintsville Tigers

Paintsville loses a few key players, but still has a deep talent pool to choose from.

It’s been the Colby Fugate show in Paintsville for the past few years, so this year, Coach Landon Slone will have his work cut out for him replacing his leading scorer from the last few seasons.

The Tigers also lost Braxton Tharp and Baron Ratliff to graduation.

We won’t know until the season opener against Prestonsburg how things will look for the Tigers, but there’s plenty of returning talent that should be stepping up into bigger roles this season.

Connor Fugate – Fugate is the younger brother of Colby Fugate, and is a stellar athlete in his own right. He’s already signed with the University of Kentucky to play baseball, but on the hardwood Fugate is as good as anyone.

He was second to only his brother in scoring last season, with 403 total points. He was also the leading rebounder for the Tigers. Look for Fugate to continue what he’s known for, scoring a lot and pulling down boards.

Jase Kinner – Kinner started last season as a freshman and his impact was immediately felt. On offense last season Kinner was solid with 130 points, trailing only the three seniors and Fugate. It’s safe to say his production should pick up quite a bit, especially with another year under his belt as he enters his sophomore season.

AJ James – James is another player who saw playing time last year that will help lead the team this year. James was stellar on defense last season, playing with a lot of aggression. He averaged 4.8 points per game and 3.0 rebounds per game in his first season back last year.

The Tigers have three juniors, Ethan Ward, Bryce McDonald and Carson Holbrook. All three had limited playing time last year, but bring back valuable experience to help the Tigers.

Brock Woods – Woods is young, but had six rebounds and nine points in just six games last year as a seventh-grader. The 6 foot 6 eighth-grader returns this year and adds some much needed size for the Tigers.

Overall, Coach Slone and the Tigers should be fine. They have a great mix of returning talent and young upcoming players with a lot of promise.

Written by Mike Muncy Sports Writer

https://www.paintsvilleherald.com/sports/boys-basketball-preview/article_ca41a794-7099-11ed-b36f-dbf07295b0d6.html

BOE Recognizes Paintsville Volleyball Team

The Paintsville Board of Education took time to recognize the Paintsville volleyball team at their latest regular meeting. “We’ve had a remarkable season,” said Superintendent David Gibson.

Gibson along with Kay Hall said the team won 38 games this season which is a school and region record.

“They won the All “A” State Championship and it was something to behold, we had our backs against the wall and the grit that came through brought us back to win the state championship,” said Gibson.

The Lady Tigers led by Coach Dawn Kinner who took over the program in 2010, went undefeated in the 15th region this year while also winning their 11th district championship and becoming All “A” champions.

“We are only the second public school in the state to get that accomplishment of becoming All “A” champions,” said Hall.

According to Hall, no public school has ever won the All “A” tournament.

Hall said along with the standout season this year, the team also received other accolades including player of the year and coach of the year in the 15th region.

“What you accomplish this year you will remember for the rest of your life,” Gibson said. “It’s something that is very remarkable, so be proud of what you’ve accomplished. Coach Kinner has done a phenomenal job building this program up.”

https://www.paintsvilleherald.com/news/boe-recognizes-paintsville-volleyball-team/article_e732f0ee-6593-11ed-ba27-9fe15619a7e4.html

Paintsville scores playoff road win

Paintsville went on the road to Bishop Brossart and the Tigers turned in a dominating performance, rolling to a 42-16 second round win on Friday night.
Running back Harris Phelps had a big game, rushing for 155 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries. Grayson Peters added a rushing score.
Quarterback AJ James passed for 172 yards and one touchdown. He completed 11-of-14 passes.
Receiver Austin Allen hauled in the TD pass.
Paintsville, now, 6-5, will play at Pikeville (9-2) in the regional championship game on Friday. Kickoff is 7:30 pm.

Written by Teddy Paynter

https://mountain-topmedia.com/high-school-football-paintsville-scores-big-playoff-road-win-at-bishop-brossart/

Tigers take their turn in volleyball spotlight

PAINTSVILLE Paintsville High School’s gym turns 70 in December, and its patrons know a big moment when they see one.

The girls basketball state career scoring record was set here on the 2016 night Jenkins’s Whitney Creech poured in 71 points in an overtime triumph over the homestanding Tigers.

The 1996 boys hoops state champions held forth on the court now named after their coach, Bill Mike Runyon. So did two Mr. Basketballs — John Pelphrey (1987) and J.R. VanHoose (1998).

And many roundball 15th Region Tournaments took place here before that event moved to what was then called the East Kentucky Expo Center in 2006.

Never before Monday, though, were the temporary bleachers used to augment seating capacity for big basketball games erected on the gym’s stage for a volleyball match.

The occasion seemed fitting. Nine-time state champion Notre Dame was in town for the first round of the state tournament.

And, as Paintsville made a last-ditch third-set run, the atmosphere was appropriate for such a moment.

Hailey Little delivered a block for a point. Kylie Kinner scored at the net. Kat Baldwin chipped in an ace. Kinner added another scoring block. Blair Ratliff produced a kill.

The blue-clad crowd roared.

The Tigers were going toe-to-toe with a bona fide blueblood.

“Then you’re thinking, here we go,” Paintsville coach Dawn Kinner said. “We’re a team of runs. When we get on runs like that, and to have our fans behind us, those girls feed off of that energy.

“It was a great moment, and something that I know all these girls will remember when they look back on their volleyball careers.”

The Tigers ultimately couldn’t extend that spurt, which gave them a lead at one point of 15-12 in Set 3, into a full-fledged comeback. Peyton Mast’s lefty spike lifted the Pandas to a 25-21 third-set victory that completed a Notre Dame sweep.

But the Pandas left with a respect for their opponent, and at least one Notre Dame backer got a kick out of the venue, taking a cell-phone photo of Tigers favorite son Kash Daniel’s headshot proudly displayed in the lobby.

If the Pandas, who hail from tony Cincinnati suburb Park Hills, thought their tradition and high achievement warranted a break from the KHSAA from the three-hour-plus drive to the mountains, co-coach Jenna Leistner didn’t say so to a reporter —even if the length of the trip meant fellow co-coach Leslie Litmer, nearing full term on her pregnancy, deemed it best to stay home.

Notre Dame, after all, was winning state championships in volleyball before, in all likelihood, most residents of Paintsville had ever even seen one point in a volleyball match. The Pandas claimed the first KHSAA-sanctioned crown in 1979 and collected five more before the 1980s were out.

The Tigers, meanwhile, started their volleyball program in 1999, said Jason Kinner. Now the coach’s husband, he was a junior at Paintsville at the time.

The Tigers are up-and-coming. They won their first All “A” Classic state championship this season, becoming only the second non-Catholic private school to win that tournament in its 14 years.

So having Notre Dame in town would have been significant enough for Paintsville even if it hadn’t managed to challenge the Pandas in the first and third sets.

Notre Dame recognized that significance in program-building.

“It’s an awesome experience to be here,” Leistner said. “Paintsville is an amazing team. We knew coming into this environment that they were going to be ready to go, and just preparing mentally was part of it as well coming into this town because we knew that they were going to be ready.

“(Paintsville has) a great head coach that has seen great success with her program, so we didn’t expect anything less than a great game of volleyball tonight.”

Monday was about that, about finding the best representative to the state quarterfinals today in Winchester.

But it was also about legitimizing volleyball in eastern Kentucky and finding the momentum to keep growing the game here – not only for the sake of the Tigers who took the floor on this night, but also for the four likely elementary-aged fans wearing blue and black practicing their bumping and passing on the court as the crowd trickled out after the game.

“That was what I was most excited for, was just for them to experience this environment,” Kinner said. “For me, those are the games you remember, win or lose, just playing in that environment. I’m so excited that these girls, especially these seniors, got to experience that.”

post by ZACK KLEMME

https://www.dailyindependent.com/sports/zack-klemme-tigers-take-their-turn-in-volleyball-spotlight/article_6317c0ac-5a65-11ed-86e9-a39dce78998a.html

Conner Fugate Signs with UK

PAINTSVILLE, Ky. (WYMT) – Another 606 product has joined the Kentucky baseball team.

Paintsville pitcher Connor Fugate signed his letter of intent for UK on Wednesday afternoon. The Tigers ace struck out 68 batters in 10 starts in 2022, finishing with a 3.07 ERA.

“It feels great. I’ve dreamed about this my whole entire life,” Fugate said. “Worked hard for it. Spent several summers working hard. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do and I can’t believe I got the opportunity…I’m looking forward to making an impact and show that homestate kids can do it. Win a national championship, SEC championship and just make an impact.”

The Tigers will look to repeat as 57th District Champions in 2023 before Fugate enrolls at UK.

Copyright 2022 WYMT. All rights reserved.

https://www.wymt.com/2022/11/10/connor-fugate-signs-with-uk/