Standouts and takeaways from Wednesday’s Notre Dame Prep quad
It wasn’t “normal”, but it was a happy day on the volleyball court. On Wednesday, the 2020 MHSAA volleyball season was given the go-ahead to begin competition in the remaining six regions that didn’t have indoor training previously allowed. At…
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Continue ReadingIt wasn’t “normal”, but it was a happy day on the volleyball court.
On Wednesday, the 2020 MHSAA volleyball season was given the go-ahead to begin competition in the remaining six regions that didn’t have indoor training previously allowed.
At Notre Dame Prep, the third-ranked team in D2 played host to Marian (No. 3 in D1), Marysville and Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes.
Masks were on. Cleaning stations were scattered about.
Teams stayed on one side of the court and didn’t shake hands.
But, competitive indoor volleyball was held in the lower portion of Michigan for the first time since March.
The Marian Mustangs came away with the best night, going 3-0. That included a hard-fought 26-24, 28-26 win over the Irish in the final match of the night.
Notre Dame Prep was 2-1, while Marysville grabbed a 25-21, 25-20 victory over Waterford Our Lady.
It was the just the first competition, but there were some notable standouts and takeaways from the quad.
Marian
The Mustangs come into 2020 as a top contender in D1 alongside fellow Catholic League rival Mercy. Despite being without a senior, this team is loaded with experienced talent.
Ava Brizard Ava Brizard 6'0" | OH Marian | 2022 State #16 Nation MI looks in prime form already. Nobody had an answer for her power swings when she unleashed. She clearly has upped her leadership skills as well. Junior Sophia Treder Sophia Treder 6'0" | OH Marian | 2022 State MI also played well in the front and back rows, giving the Mustangs a lot of consistency in both areas.
Sarah Sylvester Sarah Sylvester 6'3" | MB Marian | 2022 State #126 Nation MI is a junior middle with a very high ceiling and the Mustangs like the potential in Mckenzie Swanson, a freshman middle that stands 6’3”. She’s going to improve a lot throughout the fall.
Sophomore setter Ava Sarafa Ava Sarafa 6'0" | S Marian | 2023 State #14 Nation MI and sophomore libero Lauren Heming Lauren Heming 5'6" | DS/L Marian | 2023 State MI played with a lot of poise on Wednesday. Both are coming of strong freshmen seasons and have a lot of potential to make a name for themselves at the D1 level.
“Just having that year under their belt, they are so much more calm this year. Even though they couldn’t play, they were putting in a lot of work through virtual training or just working out on their own. Each of them has tremendously improved,” Marian coach Mayssa Cook said of her sophomore talent.
Another standout sophomore on Wednesday was Ella Schomer Ella Schomer 6'0" | RS Marian | 2023 State #142 Nation MI . Schomer didn’t see the court much as a freshman, but looked solid last night. The OPP was finishing points and had great chemistry with Sarafa. She provided a nice compliment to Brizard at the net.
Notre Dame Prep
The Irish return a majority of their roster from a 2019 team that reached the D2 semifinals. Defense will again be the strength for this team in 2020, but the hitters showed a lot of growth from a year ago.
Aly Borellis continues to be a dynamic player. She sets, she swings, she defends. Her finishing ability was raised a level and her leadership on the floor also was noticeable. Margo Sudzina made a lot of effort plays as the other setting option as well.
Sophia Sudzina and Bianca Giglio Bianca Giglio 5'10" | RS Notre Dame Prep | 2022 State MI each showed some variety in their swings and had highlight-reel finishes throughout the quad. In the middle, Abby Nellis took on a bigger role Wednesday and showed a lot of potential.
The ND defense is already stacked behind Olivia Kowalkowski Olivia Kowalkowski 5'4" | DS/L Notre Dame Prep | 2021 State MI and Josie Bloom Josie Bloom 5'6" | DS/L Notre Dame Prep | 2022 State #150 Nation MI , but the Irish are looking to do more with sophomore Allison Berent Allison Berent 5'7" | DS/L Notre Dame Prep | 2023 State #187 Nation MI . A libero/DS in her own right, head coach Betty Wroubel moved Berent around on Wednesday and Berent looked up to the challenge. Her play at the net was impressive. She could be another multi-position talent to come out of the ND program.
Marysville
The Vikings lacked consistency on Wednesday, but did show flashes of being a team that could make some noise in 2020.
After a 25-7 loss to Marian in the first set of competition, the Vikings fought hard to a 25-19 defeat in the second set. They also closed out key points in their win over Waterford Our Lady to cap the night.
Captain Natalie Husson stood out for her ability to finish points around the net. She moved very smoothly and used her size to her advantage throughout the night.
Middle Grace Schweihofer also had some strong finishes at the net. Her play and confidence level seemed to grow with each match.
Libero Alyssa Morgan deserves some recognition as well. She was flying around the court and facing some very tough hitters. While she didn’t make every play, she dusted herself off and made the next one.
Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes
The Lakers knew they had a tall task on Wednesday as the only D4 squad in the quad, but it was a valuable learning experience for a team that didn’t have a senior in 2019.
WOLL has high hopes this year. Reason for that is their powerful outside, Alexis Koenig. Koenig can bring the hammer and has the athleticism to make plays anywhere. She wasn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with the best hitters at the quad.
In the middle, Quinn Robak, a sophomore, provided a boost. Robak is a standout basketball player as well and uses great footwork to compliment her size at 6’0”.
Setter Brooklyn Robak is a senior that sets a nice ball and has great leadership skills. She’s a gamer and works well with her hitters.
Senior Emma Marinelli also deserves some credit for her play in the back row. She was in the land of giant arms on Wednesday but still came through with some tough digs and didn’t back down from the challenge.