Standouts from the Michigan Elite C&D Invite
On Saturday, nine solid Class C&D programs came together to compete in the annual Michigan Elite C&D Invite. St. Mary Catholic Central (No. 2 D3) was able to come away with the championship by besting Charyl Stockwell Academy (No. 7…
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Continue ReadingOn Saturday, nine solid Class C&D programs came together to compete in the annual Michigan Elite C&D Invite. St. Mary Catholic Central (No. 2 D3) was able to come away with the championship by besting Charyl Stockwell Academy (No. 7 D3) in the final 25-15, 25-17. Here’s some of the players that stood out from each of the nine competing squads.
SMCC: The Kestrels just have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to hitting this season. Mikayla Haut is always quite noticeable with her all-around skill, but SMCC has a lot of finishers to work with. Abigail Costlow looked much improved from the last time I saw her was finishing everything sent her way on Saturday. Kylie Barron and Anna Dean were also very impressive at the net from the middle and outside, respectively. Even better for SMCC is that all four of them are just juniors and have another year ahead of them for the program. Sarah Reicker did a great job of mixing up the sets to all of them and keeping the opponents guessing. Haut also has shown a lot of improvement in her passing, which helped keep SMCC in system.
Charyl Stockwell: You could see last year that the Sentinels had potential, but weren’t quite ready for the spotlight. Saturday, you saw that this is an improve team that could be a factor this year. While they couldn’t get past SMCC, they did take a set from the Kestrels earlier in the day and had stretches where they really imposed their will. Paige Gallentine is a great all-around talent. Really steady in the back row, but can still bring the hammer when her number is called in the front row. Jenna Vaske is a junior outside that also looks really technically sound with her swings. There weren’t many times you’d see her look awkward when going for a kill. Naomi Popa was strong at the net as well, getting some nice finishes in the middle while Shelby Urquhart, is a promising sophomore setter that is only going to get better.
Harbor Beach: Our 11th-ranked team in Division 3 was a team that lost to SMCC in the tournament semifinals, but had some moments that should give them confidence going forward. The Pirates have a lot of length to work with and that makes them a tough out. Senior middle Amber Pleiness was a really solid finisher from the middle and provided a challenging serve for opponents. Senior Makayla Roberts and junior Maya Pfaff and senior Jenna Guza were consistently putting the ball to the floor on Saturday and when all four were meshing together, the Pirates were really cooking. Claire Woodke was impressive at libero as well. She always looked the ball into position and showed great poise during long rallies.
Manchester: The Flying Dutchmen were the other semifinal team. Our 18th-ranked squad in D3 looked outmatched at times, but showed it can be more competitive with the top teams if they can find more consistency. Taylor Psarouthakis was a big block on defense. The senior stands close to six feet and got her hands on a lot of attacks to make things easier on her passers. One of those passers was senior Kayla Engel, who looked good in all phases. She played solid defense, had an aggressive and accurate serve, and could also finish at the net.
Riverview Gabriel Richard: The Pioneers struggled with the top teams in the field on Saturday, but grinded out some nice wins throughout the day, winning some close and competitive sets. Isabella Kandes (Grand Valley State) is a player you can’t help but notice. As a libero, she is all over the floor, but she also has a strong attack from the back row. She really keeps the Pioneers in a lot of points. Senior Jenna Demarco and sophomore Izzy Assimacopoulos were highlights in the middle as well. Assimacopoulos is a long option for Richard and she has a lot of potential and she ready opposing hitters well and can finish as well. Demarco doesn’t have the size of her teammate, but she moves very well on the floor, allowing Richard to use her in a variety of attacks.
Plymouth Christian: The Eagles are ranked 10th in our latest Division 4 poll and they have had a heck of a schedule in 2019. They have been facing a number of ranked teams in bigger divisions and really trying to be battle-tested for the postseason. Senior Gabriella Kellogg really pops on the court. Her overall athleticism and movement is something to watch. Her play in the back row alongside senior libero Madison Raymond gives Plymouth Christian a really sound defense that will keep them in most matches. Saige Yakuber is an undersized, sophomore outside hitter, but you can see good things are going to come from her. She is a competitor that is only going to get better. Same can be said for sophomore setter Hallie Creighton. She made some nice sets and good, aggressive decisions during Saturday’s tournament.
Lansing Christian: The Pilgrims are 13th in our Division 4 poll, but they had their struggles on Saturday. Despite that, they finished strong by winning the silver bracket. In a tournament of talented athletes, Ashley Nordmann may have been the best of the bunch. The junior outside has it all. She’s got the size, the athleticism, the footwork, the power and the fundamentals. The Pilgrims may be able to make some noise in the postseason if she can get some help to give the team a little more balance. Katelyn Bontrager is a senior middle that was active in the offense and could be that 2 to Nordmann’s 1-2 punch.
Oakland Christian: It was a head-scratcher of a day for the Lancers, our eighth-ranked team in Division 4. They just couldn’t get themselves on track and struggled with errors throughout the tournament. Passing was an issue, but the Lancers still have a capable back row, led by Hailee Ide. Katie Hopkins is a steady setter that made the most of her chances, but the inconsistent passing kept Oakland Christian out-of-system a lot. Kaylee Page was the team’s best finisher of the day. Without a senior, Oakland Christian will learn from a rough outing.
Cabrini: The Monarchs were game opponents, but just couldn’t match the opposing talent on Saturday. Lindsey Gutt is a sophomore middle that caught our eye. Still rough around the edges, she’s a long athlete that has a lot of potential. Abby Formella and Makenzie Shick were two seniors really trying to push the team to a win. Formella is a steady outside that battled hard at the net while Shick did her part to take on the top opposing hitters on Saturday.