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Prep Sports Notebook: Leading hitter on St. Henry volleyball team named Gatorade Player of the Year


By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

Taylor Preston, the leading hitter on St. Henry’s state champion volleyball team last season, has been named Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year.

The award recognizes outstanding athletic achievement along with academic excellence and exemplary character demonstrated outside of sports. Preston has maintained a 3.97 grade-point average, served as a student ambassador for her school and volunteered at a nursing home.

Taylor Preston

In her senior season of volleyball, the 6-foot-2 outside hitter recorded 460 kills, 148 digs, 42 blocks and 21 service aces for the Crusaders, who won their first state championship since 1981 and finished with a 36-8 record.

She was named most valuable player in the state tournament after getting 25 kills in a three-set sweep against Louisville Mercy in the championship final.

Preston, who signed a national letter of intent with the University of Oklahoma before her senior season began, finished her five-year high school career with 1,455 kills. She had 102 kills playing varsity volleyball for Ryle as an eighth-grader and 1,353 kills in four varsity seasons at St. Henry.

Last summer, Preston was one of 37 players ages 18 and younger selected to train in the USA Volleyball National Team development program in California.

As one of Gatorade’s state award-winners, Preston has the opportunity to give a $1,000 grant to a local or national organization that helps young athletes realize the benefits of playing sports. She’s also eligible for the Gatorade National Player of the Year Award in volleyball that will be announced later this month.

Weinrich will continue football coaching career at Campbell County

Brian Weinrich has resigned as Newport’s head football coach after one season to take charge of the Campbell County program.

Weinrich had a 51-36 record in seven seasons as Highlands head coach, but he was not re-hired after the  2020 season. He then went to Newport and guided the Wildcats to a 4-8 record this past season.

Mike Woolf resigned as Campbell County’s head coach after compiling a 10-31 record over the last four years. The Camels posted a 1-10 record last season, but the team leaders were mostly underclassmen, including quarterback Nathan Smith and linebacker Mitch McElroy, who made a team-high 71 tackles.

Ryle boys basketball player records rare quadruple double

Ryle senior guard Connor Bishop recorded a rare quadruple double in his team’s game at Fleming County on Saturday.

In addition to scoring 14 points and snagging 10 rebounds, Bishop had 10 assists and 10 steals, according to his team’s statistics. He made 5 of 11 field goals, including two 3-pointers, in the loss that dropped his team’s record to 8-8, which includes one win by forfeit.

Bishop entered this week with season averages of 10.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He’s shooting 41 percent from 3-point range for the Raiders, who are averaging 9.9 treys per game.


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