Three years ago, Ingalls’ Olivia Stein quickly established herself as one of the top hitters in the state with a phenomenal freshman season. 

Maintaining the same high level of efficiency and consistency, Stein has now put herself in rarefied air among the state’s all-time elite attackers. 

The 6-foot senior outside hitter raced past 2,000 career kills earlier this season and currently ranks third all-time in state history with 2,161 kills entering this week. 

“After I hit one thousand my sophomore year, we kind of saw that it was possible to hit two thousand by my senior year,” Stein said. “That was when the goal was set for me. 

“It's a really big accomplishment, but it wouldn't have been possible without everyone –  my setters, passers, my coaches. They do everything they can to help me reach those goals. They are really the reason that it happens.”

Next up on the state’s career kills list is Beloit’s Addison Budke, who finished her career last year ranked No. 2 with 2,302 kills. 

Hutchinson Central Christian’s Jamie Patrick is the record holder, recording 2,635 kills from 2008-2011.

Trailing that mark by 474 kills, Stein will have her work cut out for her to challenge the record, but she could have a shot if the Bulldogs can make another postseason run.

Stein said chasing down the record is a goal, but more importantly, she’ll be looking to help the Bulldogs contend for a state title. Ingalls is off to a 15-1 start and is ranked No. 1 in Class 1A Division II.

The Bulldogs are coming off a breakthrough year in which they went 37-5 and took third place at state, winning matches at the state tournament for the first time in school history. 

“Bringing that to the table, having the community show out, that was truly a special thing to be a part of,” Stein said. “Bringing that over to this year is a great experience and something to build off, and we look to do better this year.”

Stein’s path to the 2,000 career kills started after she racked up 544 as a freshman and delivered 660 as a sophomore. 

She credited her experience playing tough competition in club volleyball for making such a smooth transition to high school. Stein said it’s also when she developed her powerful swing, which has been tough for opponents to contain. 

“It's such a fast tempo in the club level, so it wouldn't have been possible without the club experience,” said Stein, also a basketball standout for the Bulldogs. “It would have been a lot harder of a transition. It made it a lot easier for me to excel when I was a freshman. 

“I kind of developed (the power) because I was playing up with older girls, so it made me have to play at a higher level.”

Stein started to become heavily recruited by Wichita State last year and committed early to the Shockers. 

“I loved the coaches there, and I just continued to level up my game,” she said.  “I got the tour, I went to the elite camp this summer, and it was finalized for me. They're such a great group of people and super fun to be around. 

“It’s a weight off my shoulders because I'd been talking to a few other colleges and I knew I wanted to be closer to home because my family's super important to me. They’re my biggest supporters in this whole situation. It was a super fun (recruiting) process. Something that I'm super grateful that I got to experience.”
 

Last year as a junior, Stein put up 728 kills, averaging 8.3 per set. She has recorded 229 kills in 33 sets so far as a senior, owning a .398 hitting percentage. 

“She'll show up every game, and she's probably averaging like 30 hits for the night,” Ingalls coach Bulma Galaviz said. “She's an amazing player and very consistent. They all just feed off it and they all show up.”

South Gray handed Ingalls its first loss last week, outlasting the Bulldogs 13-25, 25-18 and 25-23 despite 31 kills from Stein in that match. 

The Bulldogs have a solid supporting cast, including juniors Jill Schmeeckle and Jen Stoudemire.

“It makes it a lot more diverse in our front row, makes blockers a little more on their toes, and you can move around a little more,” Stein said. “It takes a lot of pressure off my shoulders because of them, and I’m super grateful for it.”

“It’s been helping that a lot of these girls have found their confidence in hitting. They know if Liv's having a little bit off day – which is rare – they can also step up.”

Galaviz took over the program as head coach this year after the retirement of Randy Rockhold. 

“They do have a lot of pressure, but I just tell them: We have to take it one game at a time and we just have to focus from there,” Galaviz said. “We have good chemistry and we’re relying on each other. It's not just Liv out there, it's all of us. And if we put in all the work together, they're an amazing team.”

“I'm super excited to see where we go,” Stein said. 
 

ELLINWOOD OFF TO DOMINANT START 

Ellinwood, which placed fourth in 2A last year, has raced out to a 14-0 start. 

The Eagles won the Ellsworth tournament for the fifth straight year. Early in the season, they notched a three-set win over three-time reigning Class 1A Division I champion Little River. 

Ellinwood has three players hitting over .300 with Regan Widener (.409), Ayla Ritchie (.394) and Kyndal Moore (.338). 

Mette Maxwell and Alyvia Batchman have combined for 353 assists. Maxwell has added 80 kills and is hitting .294. 

Ritchie and Moore are tied for the team lead in blocks with 17, while Maxwell has a team-high 18 aces. Bennett Jacobs and Brynn Widener have recorded 101 and 100 digs, respectively. 
 

BINA STARRING FOR NORTON 

Norton’s Audrey Bina reached the 1,000-kill milestone this season and now has 1,157 kills for her career. She’s averaging 5.1 kills per set this season for the Bluejays. 

“Audrey could have easily broken the 1,000-assist mark this year if she was setting again like she did last year, but she is the kind of player that will do what is necessary for her team to succeed, which is why she stepped into the role of outside hitter,” Norton coach Andrew Murillo said. “She is authentically kind, humble, and hardworking.”

OTHER WESTERN KANSAS VOLLEYBALL STANDOUTS 

– Greeley County, which lost three players off last year’s state-qualifying team, is 13-5 on the season. Jadence Stewart has recorded 295 kills on the season, averaging 6.9 per set. Jeryn Stewart has amassed 238 assists while adding 137 kills. 

– South Gray is 13-1 on the season. Lakin Goossen is averaging 3.5 kills per set for the Rebels.

– Holcomb coach Jennifer Barrett earned her 400th career victory earlier this season. 

– TMP-Marian’s Brynn Rebel went over 1,000 career digs earlier this season.

– Rock Hills’ Ally Beck went over 1,000 career digs this season while her twin sister Dacey Beck went over 500 digs. 

– Paycie Juenemann is a key hitter for Rawlins County. She leads the team in kills with 135. Bouncing back from a 1-6 start, the Buffaloes have won six straight matches. 

– Early in the season, Stanton County beat Ulysses for the first time in 10 years. Jerzey Ochoa led the Trojans with 13 consecutive serves.