Assist numbers have been amazing for Trinity's Aull

Mark Mathis, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
·3 min read

Oct. 1—Josie Aull has put up numbers for assists in her Whitesville Trinity volleyball career that can only be considered rare.

"To have 2,500 career assists is ridiculously huge," Trinity coach Daniel Morris said. "You hardly ever hear that number thrown around in high school volleyball. However, with the true player that Josie has become over the last few years I definitely knew that she could put up a number like this. She works hard everyday and loves to compete. As a matter of fact my first major decision revolved around making her the new team setter. She used to play just back row positions."

Aull is a senior on a Trinity team that has put together perhaps its most special season in the history of the small school in east Daviess County. Trinity is 25-6, the best record in the 3rd Region, and it is a favorite to win a regional championship with what it has done heading into the stretch run of the season.

Aull has done a fine job navigating with a revamped roster this season from the 2021 team that went 27-6 and lost to Daviess County in the regional championship match 3-2. Several seniors graduated and younger players had to step up in bigger roles this season.

"Over the years of her career, Josie has settled into the position remarkably," Morris said. "Her transitions from team to team over the last couple of years is one of true aspects that makes Josie a great team player. She knows where and when to set one of our hitters and really leads the charge in our game. The other thing that has helped her put up such a great number of assists is the relationships that she has built with her teammates. Growing closer together with her teammates on and off the court has helped her in making those big decisions that comes with the setter position when playing."

Aull knows her role well, she was honored at the on Sept. 22 for reaching 2,500 assists in a 3-0 win over McLean County at the St. Mary of the Woods Horn Community Center. Aull had 35 assists in that match and Hannah Nash had 26 kills. It's that kind of teamwork and expertise Aull has brought to the setting job that has made her so valuable for the Lady Raiders. Aull has 772 assists this season with one more regular season match to go Oct. 6 against Owensboro Catholic at Whitesville.

"My job on the court is to control the offense," Aull said. "I have to communicate with my team and also help encourage them because I wouldn't get an assist without the help from them. I also have to make sure my hitters have a set they can hit whether it is a good or bad pass. Key things I had to learn through the years was to play defense first, how to communicate with my hitters, and how to quickly make decisions on where to set the ball."

Getting in tune with where teammates have the best chances to score on the floor is an important part of Aull's job.

"It is definitely an important factor because if I don't pay attention to those key details it would be a lot harder for my teammates to be able to score," Aull said. "I also have to trust wherever I set the ball that hitter is going to put the ball down."

She is fully aware that working as a unit is important to winning in volleyball.

"The most important thing that has helped her in accomplishing this milestone is all of her current and former teammates that have played along side her," Morris said. "Volleyball is definitely a team sport. Without those great players along her side she wouldn't have been able to reach that number."