The ref blows the whistle beckoning the serve, the ball soaring through the air towards Aubrey Young (’26) on the opposing side, but she knows that the ball is hers and she gets it up with ease.
Leading the state in both digs and serving aces, Young continues to effortlessly show her dominance on the court. Young is a perfect teammate not only on the court but off the court too, helping other players and her coaches. Both Young’s skill and leadership will be missed when she graduates, leaving a lasting impact on the Oyster River High School (ORHS) volleyball team.
Throughout her four years at ORHS, Young has been on Varsity Volleyball. In her freshman year, she started as an outside hitter, swinging up to varsity as a DS (defensive specialist.) Then in her sophomore year, she became the starting libero for Varsity and has continued this position for the rest of her time at ORHS.
In Young’s freshman and sophomore years, she helped to bring home two state championships. In her junior year she reached two milestones, getting 150 aces and 500 career digs at the same game. She helped anchor the defense in the semifinal game, that same year, against Somersworth, with 4 aces and 38 digs. At the end of the season, Young was placed on first team all-state by NHIAA and was awarded defensive MVP by the school. Over the winter, during Young’s club season she was placed on the Junior Volleyball Association watchlist, a national list compiled of the top female volleyball athletes.
Young started her senior season off strong, winning yet another statewide achievement. She was voted the Seacoast’s Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year, receiving 22% of votes from the public. Young went up against other players from Portsmouth, Exeter, Somersworth, Dover and more. “It is so exciting, and I am excited to put my best foot forward for this season,” says Young.
So far this fall season, Young has dominated the backrow, getting 47 passes in her first two games. The team has used this momentum to gain a win streak. With Young leading the defense, she has become a standout player that the team relies on. “They have Aubrey Young, Carly Dalton (’26), nailing down the defense… If we are talking generally about player of the year, she [Young] has anchored that defense for a long time,” says Kennedy Asche from NH Sports Page, on the 603 United Volleyball Podcast.
Young was named captain, along with Leah Lynskey (’26) and Gracie Spirito (’26), and so far, has been sharing her wisdom with her teammates. Maggie Dewire (’28) says, “I would describe her as super supportive. She really helps me in the backrow, with my passing and my technique … It is amazing to have so much trust in your libero… I just know that Aubrey will always get that ball up.”
Young’s calmness is also a factor that is highly mentioned, Lynskey says, “Having her on the court is so important to our team because she brings that calming presence that not a lot of players have and she is so good at what she does, that her skill alone is calming enough for us all.”
This was also the same when Young represented the school in the 2025 Unified Volleyball State Championships. Jake Baver, the Oyster River High School Unified Volleyball Coach, says, “when it was intense, she was the most able to handle the pressure… I don’t think we would’ve been as competitive if not for her… She didn’t waver at all in the face of an opponent who was the best we played all year.” Young’s attitude towards volleyball is what makes her so different from others. Baver mentions how Young always took practice seriously, never messing around, and always showed her commitment to the team.
Commitment for Young isn’t just showing up on a game day, but her ability to always put the team first. To Young, the team’s success is even more important than her own. As the libero, she sets up the play, opening options for the setter. The better the pass, the better the set. For Young, she doesn’t try to get better for herself, but better for her team.
The libero vacancy will be hard to fill, replacing the player who has cemented the ORHS defense for three seasons. With Young’s talent she has set a high standard for whoever steps up next. DeWire says, “she has already had a great impact on Oyster River. I think that her legacy will be being one of the best liberos Oyster River has ever seen. It is going to be hard to live up to Aubrey.”
-Thea Smith
Mouth of the River 
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