Rising stars at the D1 state finals
The MHSAA state semifinals and finals are a great place to see some of the best volleyball players in Michigan, but it is also a great place to see some of the young stars in the mitten. In each division,…
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Continue ReadingThe MHSAA state semifinals and finals are a great place to see some of the best volleyball players in Michigan, but it is also a great place to see some of the young stars in the mitten.
In each division, most of the semifinalists features freshmen and sophomores that played key roles at Kellogg Arena and should have even larger roles for their respective teams in years to come.
Here’s a look at the freshmen and sophomores that stood out in Division 1.
Farmington Hills Mercy
No team tapped more into their young roster in the D1 semifinals than the Marlins. A relatively young team as is, Mercy showcased a lot of players that will be making an impact for years to come. Of those players, setter Julia Bishop is clearly the standout. Bishop has complete control of the Mercy offense and plays like a veteran despite being in just her second year of high school volleyball. Bishop is currently our top-ranked player in the Class of 2021 and she shined in Battle Creek. Despite suffering a tough loss to Lake Orion in five sets, Bishop finished the match with 44 assists, eight digs, three assisted blocks and five kills. Bishop has it all. She can set, serve, attack and defend. Speaking of attack, sophomore middle Charlie Atiemo has been one of the top hitters for the Marlins all year. She had the third-most attacks in the semifinal for Mercy at 13 and finished with four kills and six assists blocks. Atiemo also had a pair of aces. Coming into 2019, Atiemo is likely to establish herself as one of the best middles in the state. Maddi Malecki is another sophomore that produced for Mercy. She had 12 digs in the semifinal and will add to the strong defense the Marlins should have next season. Sophomore Kaylin Collins had two digs and four attacks in the semifinal and will just be another improving hitter Mercy will have next year.
Northville
The Mustangs had a lot of senior leadership in 2018, but Northville also has a promising amount of young talent that it will return next year. That includes a pair of sophomore hitters in Jenna Boksha and Laryssa Imbuzerio. Boksha led the Mustangs in kills in the semifinal with Rockford, racking up 11 on 29 attacks. She also had a pair of aces and was second on the team with 10 digs. Boksha is a great all-around talent for Northville that should be a focal point for the Mustangs next season. Imbuzerio had seven kills on 20 attacks from the middle and also had a pair of blocks. She is a great compliment to Clare McNamara, who will be one of the senior leaders for the team in 2019. Jaden Rice is another sophomore hitter that saw some time in the semifinal. She had two kills and a dig. Rice will provde a lot of hitting depth for the Mustangs next fall.
Lake Orion
Both finalist teams were senior-led programs and neither had many underclassmen to showcase. However, Lake Orion did have one sophomore that was a big piece to the championship. Middle hitter Kendall Robertson was a great option for the Dragons when Paige Briggs wasn’t putting down one of her 73 kills on the weekend. In the semifinal, Robertson had six kills with one dig and two assists blocks. When it came to the championship, Robertson had another six kills with one solo block and three assisted blocks, as well has two digs. Robertson was injured for a part of the 2018 season and Lake Orion was a different team when she wasn’t playing. Getting her back made a big difference. She was a huge presence at the net for the Dragons this year and at Battle Creek.