KY Defending Champion - Sacred Heart Player Evals

<img class="size-medium wp-image-349258 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/20211107_111658-crop-1326x871-1636311646-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Preseason coverage begins with the KHSAA Defending State Champions, the Sacred Heart Valkyries. Additionally, the Valkyries are the Defending Champions of the 27th District and the talent-loaded 7th Region and appear to return better than they were last season. Led by Head Coach and Athletic Director Donna Moir, who won her 701st game in the Finals over Anderson County for her 4th KHSAA Championship (’02, ’03, ’04, and ’21) in her 30-year career at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville. Once again the Valkyries are loaded with a well-drilled, skilled, and talented array of players and appears ready to defend their title in search of their 6th KHSAA State Championship. . Practice begins with fastbreak, secondary break drills and includes the usual passing drills, defensive shift drills and a focus on defensive communication. You can expect all Sacred Heart players to excel at passing, cutting, screening, and running the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="106151" first="Josie" last="Gilvin"] - ’22 5’11" G/F - Sacred Heart My 1st impression of Gilvin was that she had the kind of frame that suggests she could run for days. About an hour later I was not surprised to hear she had just finished 3rd in the KHSAA Class 3A State Cross Country Meet (with a time of 19:33.87) just 4 days prior to my visit. She has already committed to Western Kentucky where she will Major in Physical Therapy. Gilvin has great offensive footwork as she pivots, cuts, screens, and seals off her defender. She plants her foot on the correct step before a cut and varies the length of her stride correctly to most efficiently set up her turns. Her movement without the ball is excellent and she is also very capable of driving to the hole and finishing through contact.   [player_tooltip player_id="254273" first="ZaKiyah" last="Johnson"] - ’25 6’0" CG - Sacred Heat It only takes a few minutes to see why Johnson is ranked the #1 player in the class of 2025. This do-it-all Freshman has the court presence of an upperclassman with the ability to post-up, cut, and dish off the bounce in the lane for the assist. She is a great passer that finds teammates across the court and through defenses for open shots and layups. It looks like she cares more about setting up teammates than she does about scoring for herself. Z, as her teammates call her, is the #1 ranked Power Forward in 2025 but spent most of the practice as the Point Guard. On a form I asked all players to fill out she circled every position except for Center and indicated she is already being recruited by 22 NCAA Division 1 Power Five schools.   [player_tooltip player_id="164387" first="Triniti" last="Ralston"] - ’23 5’5" PG - Sacred Heart Ralston appears to have been moved off the ball during practice to increase roster options at Point. I expect she will still be the primary on-ball defender against opposing Point Guards due to her fantastic defensive footwork. With the ball, she pushes the tempo on the break with an extra gear of speed for the easy transition layups. She is a very skilled passer, willing screener, and will nail down the open three. She has been contacted by Louisville, North Carolina, Belmont, Northern Kentucky, and Eastern Kentucky and plans to study Science and Major in something to do with Medicine.   [player_tooltip player_id="296720" first="Olivia" last="Kaufman"] - ’22 5’8" SG - Sacred Heart Kaufman has such a smooth shot from three-point and mid-range. It is a great catch-and-shoot jumper with quick release. Her shot appears to be flat at first glance until you realize that the ball goes from fingertips to the hoop with no wasted time on any unnecessary arch. It could only be described as perfect. I can’t say she never misses but it certainly seems that way. She sets great cross screens in the High Post which is a great skill to have in such an excellent shooter which allows her to set up a teammate or to slide out for the open three-point shot. Kaufman is committed to Centre College where she will Major in Pre-Med   Alexandra Wolff - ’22 6’0"/PF - Sacred Heart Wolff is a very long-armed and alert defender. I saw her steal passes on the Press and make an impressive Block in the lane. She displayed the ability to make a strong post drive from the High Post to the basket. She is deciding between attending Rollins College or Florida Southern where she intends to be a Pre’Law Major.   Sienna Slaughter - ’22 6’0"/C - Sacred Heart Slaughter is committed to Converse College where she plans to Major in Elementary Education and Minor in Math During scrimmage play, she made a great up and under move after her defender had cut off her initial move to score over her left shoulder.   [player_tooltip player_id="257276" first="Angelina" last="Pelayo"] - ’24 6’2"/C - Sacred Heart Pelayo is a well-schooled post player. She keeps the ball high, shoots with either hand around the rim, and has a smooth short jumper. Defensively she denies the pass into the High Post and has the length to alter shots. Most impressive are her great hands and the know-how to make herself available to passes in traffic. She intends to Major in Law and has been contacted by several schools including Alabama, Xavier, and Chattanooga.

Preseason coverage begins with the KHSAA Defending State Champions, the Sacred Heart Valkyries. Additionally, the Valkyries are the Defending Champions of the 27th District and the talent-loaded 7th Region and appear to return better than they were last season.

Led by Head Coach and Athletic Director Donna Moir, who won her 701st game in the Finals over Anderson County for her 4th KHSAA Championship (’02, ’03, ’04, and ’21) in her 30-year career at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville. Once again the Valkyries are loaded with a well-drilled, skilled, and talented array of players and appears ready to defend their title in search of their 6th KHSAA State Championship. .

Practice begins with fastbreak, secondary break drills and includes the usual passing drills, defensive shift drills and a focus on defensive communication. You can expect all Sacred Heart players to excel at passing, cutting, screening, and running the floor.

Josie Gilvin Josie Gilvin 5'10" | SG Sacred Heart | 2022 State KY - ’22 5’11" G/F - Sacred Heart

My 1st impression of Gilvin was that she had the kind of frame that suggests she could run for days. About an hour later I was not surprised to hear she had just finished 3rd in the KHSAA Class 3A State Cross Country Meet (with a time of 19:33.87) just 4 days prior to my visit. She has already committed to Western Kentucky where she will Major in Physical Therapy.

Gilvin has great offensive footwork as she pivots, cuts, screens, and seals off her defender. She plants her foot on the correct step before a cut and varies the length of her stride correctly to most efficiently set up her turns. Her movement without the ball is excellent and she is also very capable of driving to the hole and finishing through contact.

ZaKiyah Johnson ZaKiyah Johnson 6'0" | SF Sacred Heart | 2025 State KY - ’25 6’0" CG - Sacred Heat

It only takes a few minutes to see why Johnson is ranked the #1 player in the class of 2025. This do-it-all Freshman has the court presence of an upperclassman with the ability to post-up, cut, and dish off the bounce in the lane for the assist. She is a great passer that finds teammates across the court and through defenses for open shots and layups. It looks like she cares more about setting up teammates than she does about scoring for herself.

Z, as her teammates call her, is the #1 ranked Power Forward in 2025 but spent most of the practice as the Point Guard. On a form I asked all players to fill out she circled every position except for Center and indicated she is already being recruited by 22 NCAA Division 1 Power Five schools.

Triniti Ralston Triniti Ralston 5'7" | PG Sacred Heart | 2023 State KY - ’23 5’5" PG - Sacred Heart

Ralston appears to have been moved off the ball during practice to increase roster options at Point. I expect she will still be the primary on-ball defender against opposing Point Guards due to her fantastic defensive footwork.

With the ball, she pushes the tempo on the break with an extra gear of speed for the easy transition layups. She is a very skilled passer, willing screener, and will nail down the open three.

She has been contacted by Louisville, North Carolina, Belmont, Northern Kentucky, and Eastern Kentucky and plans to study Science and Major in something to do with Medicine.

Olivia Kaufman Olivia Kaufman 5'7" | SG Sacred Heart | 2022 State KY - ’22 5’8" SG - Sacred Heart

Kaufman has such a smooth shot from three-point and mid-range. It is a great catch-and-shoot jumper with quick release. Her shot appears to be flat at first glance until you realize that the ball goes from fingertips to the hoop with no wasted time on any unnecessary arch. It could only be described as perfect. I can’t say she never misses but it certainly seems that way.

She sets great cross screens in the High Post which is a great skill to have in such an excellent shooter which allows her to set up a teammate or to slide out for the open three-point shot.

Kaufman is committed to Centre College where she will Major in Pre-Med

Alexandra Wolff - ’22 6’0"/PF - Sacred Heart

Wolff is a very long-armed and alert defender. I saw her steal passes on the Press and make an impressive Block in the lane. She displayed the ability to make a strong post drive from the High Post to the basket.

She is deciding between attending Rollins College or Florida Southern where she intends to be a Pre’Law Major.

Sienna Slaughter - ’22 6’0"/C - Sacred Heart

Slaughter is committed to Converse College where she plans to Major in Elementary Education and Minor in Math

During scrimmage play, she made a great up and under move after her defender had cut off her initial move to score over her left shoulder.

Angelina Pelayo Angelina Pelayo 6'3" | C Sacred Heart | 2024 State KY - ’24 6’2"/C - Sacred Heart

Pelayo is a well-schooled post player. She keeps the ball high, shoots with either hand around the rim, and has a smooth short jumper. Defensively she denies the pass into the High Post and has the length to alter shots. Most impressive are her great hands and the know-how to make herself available to passes in traffic.

She intends to Major in Law and has been contacted by several schools including Alabama, Xavier, and Chattanooga.