Derrick Webb, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CHILLICOTHE — If Ella Cutright never receives another individual award, she’ll sleep just fine.
In fact, if she’d never earned a single individual accolade throughout her four-year career, she would’ve ended her run at Unioto with a smile on her face.
That’s not to say that she doesn’t appreciate the honors she has received — and there’s a bunch. But Ella Cutright has never played to win an award at the end of a season. Instead, she played for teammates that stood beside her and the program’s youth, who kept a watchful eye.
“Just like anyone, you want to leave your mark,” Cutright said. “To me, it’s not just about your stats or your skill. My goal this season was to be a role model to the youth and other players. I wanted to have good character, provide leadership and show how to be a team player. What I’ll miss most is playing with teammates and, of course, putting on a Unioto jersey. I’ll miss the Unioto community for the support they show their athletes and students.”
Unioto will miss Cutright, especially the volleyball program.
She was the engine that kept the vehicle running all season long and when the Shermans needed a boost in the worst of ways, they called her number every time.
“We returned almost our full roster,” Cutright said. “This summer, we were able to be in the gym a lot more than [the 2022 season]. I believe that built our strength and chemistry and we went into the season confident in ourselves. Having coaches like [Jimmy] Hutton, [Paul] Tanedo, [Natalie] Stulley and [Gavin] Patterson … they put so much time into us and it made such an impact.”
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Cutright ended the season with a team-high 241 kills alongside 46 aces, 30 blocks and 151 digs — which is why she’s been selected as Horizon’s SOSA Athlete of the Month.
Those numbers are impressive but the most important thing she did all year long couldn’t be found on a stat sheet. Her ability to rally her teammates in critical situations was second to none.
It helped the Shermans finish 21-3 overall and 13-1 in the SVC — a mark that sealed an outright conference title.
“The key to our season, I believe, was our perseverance,” Cutright said. “We didn’t give up on ourselves or on each other, no matter the mistakes we made. In the past, we’ve been known for pushing through five-set matches. I believe that pushing through those games and getting the job done in the beginning is why we were so successful in the end. Through junior high, high school and club, a lot of us have played together. We accomplished something that is hard to do in this league. SVC volleyball is intense. A 13-1 season doesn’t come easy.”
Unioto will look like a different team in 2024.
Cutright is one of the team’s six seniors, a group that collectively led the program to a 63-33 record over the past four seasons — 40-9 over the final two.
However, there are some valuable pieces returning to the fold. Those names will be trying to carry the torch that Cutright and her classmates lit.
“At the beginning of this season, I was in a perspective of ‘This is it.’ Playing varsity the past four years, I’ve experienced multiple different seasons. So coming into this season I knew we could accomplish big things,” Cutright said. “After the Gold Ball was out of the picture, we fought hard for the league title, and won it. I think it showed a lot for our team and what we were capable of, which meant a lot to me. It’s honestly hard to put this past season into words. It was awesome, and to have this experience my senior year was unforgettable.”
POWERED BY HORIZON
