Duke Commit Ngozi Iloh Dominates the Volleyball Court

Georgia is notorious for having powerhouse high school volleyball teams. Teams such as Walton, Pope, Buford, and McIntosh always do well in the state championships, earning a name for themselves throughout the years. Within these all-star teams, a lot of all-star players are discovered. Included in this group is senior Ngozi Iloh who hails out of McIntosh in Peachtree City, Georgia. 

The 6’2” middle blocker has proved herself to be a beast on the court, leading her team to an overall record of 27-1, with their only loss coming from the Newnan Cougars in the middle of the season.

Middle blockers have a tendency to only play the front row in volleyball, allowing the libero (designated defensive player) to take over for them in the back row. But Iloh does it all, collecting stats as a vital part of the McIntosh Chiefs in every aspect of the game. In the 69 games played so far in this season, Iloh has accumulated 82 digs, and out of 79 balls that she has served received, she’s only made 4 errors.

While her skills in the back row are not to be passed over, they are not where her true talent lies. Iloh is an exceptional blocker and attacker, coming out from the middle. In the past two seasons she has blocked over 100 balls and has just passed the 700-kill mark.

In her senior season, she has come out swinging strong as she has already beat her number of kills from last year in 12 fewer games. Her Junior season she counted 301 kills in 81 games, and with games left to go in her senior season, she already has 413 kills in only 69 games.

Iloh’s extraordinary performance in her volleyball career has picked up the attention of Duke’s NCAA Division I program. Iloh committed to the Blue Devils in September of 2020 and announced it with the words, “So I committed!!!!” on her Instagram page. 

Last year, the volleyball club A5 that Iloh plays for traveled to Africa to compete against the Botswana National Team and hold clinics where they could interact with and coach children, like the children of Gaborone. They beat the Botswana National Team 3-0 and vlogged the entire trip, which can be seen on the A5 Instagram page. 

With one game left until the state championship tournament begins, the stakes are beginning to rise for Ngozi Iloh and her team at McIntosh.

Written by: Lexi Fitzpatrick