The KHSAA girls volleyball season opened Aug. 17, and Boone County has two programs ranked in the state's preseason top 25. Ryle enters at No. 18 and Conner at No. 17 in the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association poll, setting up a 33rd District race between two ranked programs chasing a regional berth.

For Ryle, the headliner is senior setter Morgan Heater. The 6-foot-1 Union native earned 9th Region Player of the Year honors last fall and was named first-team all-state for the second consecutive season, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. She also picked up AVCA All-Region recognition and first-team honors at the Northern Kentucky Coaches' Banquet. Heater has been a varsity contributor since eighth grade and has already signed with Division I Winthrop University.

She won't be alone. Sophomore Layna Wilkinson earned second-team all-NKY honors after the 2025 season, giving the Raiders young depth behind their senior star.

Across the 33rd District, Conner junior Charlotte Patton returns as the Cougars' centerpiece. The outside hitter tallied 511 kills last season and earned first-team all-state honors. Conner finished as district runner-up last year and will need to get past Ryle, the defending 33rd District champion, to claim a regional berth.

Ryle reached the 9th Region semifinals last fall. But the path back runs through a loaded region.

Notre Dame Academy sits at No. 3 statewide and No. 1 in the 9th Region preseason rankings. The Pandas went 32-8 last season and reached the state championship match before falling to Louisville Assumption in five sets, 17-15 in the final frame. Notre Dame has won 56 straight regional matches, a streak dating to 2021, according to LINK nky.

"Volleyball has had a lot of success. There is a lot of pride in the team," Notre Dame co-coach Hannah Colvin told LINK nky on Monday.

St. Henry opens at No. 13 statewide, tied for No. 2 in the region behind junior Kenadi Sieg, a KVCA second-team selection last season. Beechwood, the defending All "A" state champion under coach Matt Long, is tied for No. 25 statewide and shares the No. 2 regional slot with St. Henry.

The full KVCA 9th Region preseason top five: No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 2 Beechwood and St. Henry (tie), No. 4 Ryle, No. 5 Conner.

For Ryle and Conner to make a deep run, they'll likely need to navigate at least one of those three programs in the regional bracket. The 33rd District tournament will come first, and with Heater and Patton leading their respective rosters, that matchup looms as the first postseason hurdle for both squads.

Early-season schedules for Ryle and Conner had not been publicly posted as of Monday.