Beast of the East 2019 All-Tournament Team
It wasn’t easy to pick an All-Tournament Team for Saturday’s Beast of the East, but coaches cast their votes and 12 elite players made the list from their play in the big event.
Related: 2019 Beast of the East Recap
[player_tooltip player_id="14089" first="Jess" last="Mruzik"]Jess Mruzik Jess Mruzik 6'2" | OH Mercy | 2020 State MI , Farmington Hills Mercy – The senior outside hitter and Miss Volleyball finalist continued her amazing 2019 season by leading the Marlins to the championship on Saturday. Facing some impressive blocking and defense, Mruzik just kept hammering the ball for kills and remained consistent with her passing and serving.
Julia Bishop Julia Bishop 5'10" | S Mercy | 2021 State MI , Farmington Hills Mercy – The junior setter is a special talent and she seemed to dial it up to 11 on Saturday. Bishop was really locked in against Mattawan and Lowell and seemed to embrace the tension that came in those big matches. Her choices with sets are almost always the right ones and her leadership skills continue to grow for the Marlins.
[player_tooltip player_id="14192" first="Jenna" last="Reitsma"]Jenna Reitsma Jenna Reitsma 5'11" | OH Lowell | 2021 State MI , Lowell – The junior outside for Lowell may have caught the most eyes on Saturday. Lowell, the Beast of the East runner-up, is still a program looking to solidify its spot statewide and Reitsma made sure everyone knew about the Red Arrows by the end of the day. When needing a big side out, Lowell went to her and she delivered. Front row or back row, Reitsma had big attack power and her serve also posed a big problem for opponents.
Natalie Foster Natalie Foster 5'11" | RS Mattawan | 2020 State MI , Mattawan – Foster is a senior middle for the Wildcats and she showed an impressive all-around game on Saturday. Foster is already a big defensive challenge at 6’5”, but her ability to mix up her attacks and hit out-of-system was really impressive. Foster also has a powerful serve to contend with as well. The Wildcats were the only team to take a set from Mercy on Saturday and Foster had a lot to do with that.
[player_tooltip player_id="14094" first="Jordyn" last="Gates"]Jordyn Gates Jordyn Gates 6'3" | S GR Christian | 2020 State MI , Grand Rapids Christian – The Eagles made a semifinal run on Saturday and Gates continued to shine for them. The senior setter and Miss Volleyball finalist was her usual self on offense, but really stepped up at times defensively with strong passing and athletic digs. Gates was noticeably more intense in the close matches on Saturday and really wanted the title for her team.
Addie VanderWeide Addie VanderWeide 6'1" | OH Grand Rapids Christian | 2021 State MI , Grand Rapids Christian – The Eagles have a lot of hitting, but the junior outside was the most consistent on Saturday. In three bracket matches, VanderWeide put up 36 kills over six sets. She was a finisher on Saturday.
[player_tooltip player_id="24846" first="Ava" last="Brizard"]Ava Brizard Ava Brizard 6'0" | OH Marian | 2022 State #16 Nation MI , Marian – The sophomore outside hitter continued to play above her grade level on Saturday, going toe-to-toe with the best hitters in the state. The Mustangs haven’t been healthy all season, but Brizard has been doing her part to keep Marian in the title mix.
Abby Olin Abby Olin 6'3" | OH Coopersville | 2021 State MI , Coopersville – Saturday was a chance for Olin to test herself against some new opponents and she passed that test with flying colors. The junior middle also moved around to the outside, but was a factor everywhere on the floor. She delivered timely blocks, effective serves and powerful kills throughout the day.
Andelyn Simkins Andelyn Simkins 6'2" | OH Schoolcraft | 2020 State MI , Schoolcraft – The Miss Volleyball finalist and senior outside had the top-ranked team in Division 3 playing with the best of the best on Saturday. Simkins could be a star on any team, in any division. She has all the fundamental skills to go along with elite-level athleticism. Simkins wasn’t overshadowed by anyone in the matches she played.
[player_tooltip player_id="14107" first="Kate" last="Stration"]Kate Stration Kate Stration 5'7" | OH Stoney Creek | 2020 State MI , Stoney Creek – Stration, a senior outside, has been the rock of the Stoney Creek program for years and she upped her game on Saturday. Already a solid finisher, Stration helped solidify a passing game that has struggled at times for the Cougars this year. That allowed the Cougars to make a run to the quarterfinals.
Alexa Rousseau Alexa Rousseau 6'3" | S Bloomfield | 2020 State MI , Bloomfield Hills – Another Miss Volleyball finalist, the senior setter led the Black Hawks to first place in a competitive pool on Saturday. Rousseau was already one of the best setters in the state for years, but she has really improved her game in the last 12 months. Her leadership skills are also helping her young hitters to make the Black Hawks a team to watch out for in the postseason.
Claire Nowicki Claire Nowicki 6'0" | OH Clarkston | 2021 State MI , Clarkston – Nowicki has been leading the Wolves to a hot month and she led Clarkston to first place in its pool on Saturday. While she may not have the power of some other hitters, Nowicki has great placement on her attacks and mixes up her swings well. She also is very strong in the back row and from the service line.