Blalock, Lady Pioneers ready to roll in 2026
Coach Blalock: “I’ve said it before - it’s the hardest day of the year for me as a coach. There are a lot of really good girls who have potential to be great volleyball players. I don’t know if I can even call it a problem - it’s just a great thing to have so many girls involved and interested in the sport.”
Brent Carden photo - Rising sophomore Reese Reinitz could play a huge role for WCHS this fall.
The climb for Warren County volleyball is getting steeper - and that’s exactly how Erin Blalock wants it. One year after the Lady Pioneers broke through with a 16-10 season and a third-place finish in District 7-AAA, the battle to even make the roster has become one of the toughest competitions inside Charlie Dalton Gym.
More than 40 girls showed up for tryouts this week hoping to earn one of the coveted spots in a program that suddenly has momentum, depth and expectations. By Friday, Blalock and her staff had finalized the 2026 roster, a group blending proven veterans and battle-tested underclassmen ready to win more.
“It’s a great problem to have,” said Blalock about having so many show up for tryouts. “I’ve said it before - it’s the hardest day of the year for me as a coach. There are a lot of really good girls who have potential to be great volleyball players. I don’t know if I can even call it a problem - it’s just a great thing to have so many girls involved and interested in the sport.”
The Lady Pioneers are no longer trying to convince people volleyball is growing in Warren County. The numbers already say it. Now the challenge is turning that interest into a program capable of consistently competing deep into October.
“We want to improve,” said Blalock. “We had a really good record and finishing third in our district was definitely a great showing. Our goal now is to get better and try to get to region. We want to work on chemistry this summer and get everybody playing together.”
The foundation of that push starts with a senior class loaded with experience.
Returning all-district standouts Aubrey Oleksik and Ali Young headline the group after helping lead last season’s breakthrough run. Oleksik developed into one of Warren County’s most dangerous hitters last year, while Young anchored the back row and continued establishing herself as one of the district’s top defenders and servers.
Alyssa Boyd and Jenna Mullins round out the senior class, giving the Lady Pioneers four upperclassmen who already understand the intensity it takes to survive district play.
The junior group returns with plenty of varsity experience too. Brynlee Chisam, Stella Dunn, Leah Mara, Natalie Payne and Presley Winfree all earned valuable court time last season while learning behind a senior group that helped change the trajectory of the program.
Payne especially flashed major upside as a front-row player during her freshman campaign and now steps into a much bigger role after the graduation of Lola Wells and Samantha Saldana.
Replacing last year’s senior class won’t be easy. Wells was an all-district performer and one of the team’s top all-around players, Saldana brought toughness and physicality at the net, Abigail Brown handled setting responsibilities and Hope Gilley provided energy and leadership throughout the season.
Still, the wave behind them keeps getting bigger.
The sophomore class, featuring Caroline Boyd, Elliana Heintz, McKenzie Hillis, Reese Reinitz, Maelee Turner, Ella Wells, Kate Williams and Sloan Youngblood, hit campus with plenty of hype last year and didn't disappoint when opportunity for playing time presented itself.
Youngblood already emerged as one of the Lady Pioneers’ top hitters as a freshman last season, while Turner and Reinitz both earned postseason recognition during district tournament play.
Sloan Youngblood was an instant impact player as a freshman last fall.
Heintz, a newcomer from out west, only adds to what could be a class that is the core to many successful runs over the next three years. Freshman Tenlee Medley wrapped up the roster, giving the team two new faces going into this season.
Blalock believes that the roster of 18 will promote internal competition - exactly what’s been elevating the program the last few years.
“We can only play six at a time - seven if you’re using a defensive specialist on the court,” said Blalock. “We want them all to get playing time and all of them on the court getting better.
“My message to the ones who don’t make it is to keep working. We had some who didn’t make it last year and they have improved this year. That’s what it takes to make a team, especially when there are so many girls interested in the sport. They’re starting at a young age and getting better all the time. We’re going to put the best out there and hope we got the team to make it work this year.”
Work officially begins Wednesday when the Lady Pioneers return for summer conditioning and workouts, the first step for a team hoping last year’s breakthrough season was only the beginning.
