Beast of the East breakdown & predictions
In this article:
The biggest prep tournament in Michigan each year is set to take place this weekend. The 2021 Beast of the East will be held at St. Joe’s Mercy Elite Sports Complex in Livonia and it’s where you want to be…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe biggest prep tournament in Michigan each year is set to take place this weekend.
The 2021 Beast of the East will be held at St. Joe’s Mercy Elite Sports Complex in Livonia and it’s where you want to be if you’re a fan of the sport.
A total of 32 teams make up this year’s field with eight pools of four teams being established. The top two from each pool will advance to the gold bracket, a 16-team single-elimination tournament to crown the champ.
Here’s a closer look at each pool and my thoughts on how the day will play out.
Pool A
Teams: Notre Dame Prep, Byron Center, Portage Central, Allen Park
Breakdown: Notre Dame Prep is playing as well as anyone in the state and is unbeaten for a reason. The Irish are balanced across the board and don’t appear to have a real weakness that they haven’t proven to be able to overcome. Byron Center and Portage Central have split two matches already this year, but Byron Center seems to be playing more consistent as of late.
Predicted order of finish: NDP-Byron Center-Portage Central-Allen Park
Pool B
Teams: Marian, Lowell, Mattawan, L’Anse Creuse North
Breakdown: Marian’s only loss is NDP and that was without Miss Volleyball finalist Sarah Sylvester Sarah Sylvester 6'3" | MB Marian | 2022 State #126 Nation MI . The Mustangs have the best complete offense in the state and it will be tough for anyone to slow that down this weekend. This is a big opportunity for Mattawan to show it’s a state contender. The Wildcats and Lowell should be a good matchup for second. Unforced errors will likely decide that winner.
Predicted order of finish: Marian-Mattawan-Lowell-L’Anse Creuse North
Pool C
Teams: Rockford, Lakeland, Flushing, Utica Eisenhower
Breakdown: The Rams look like a real title threat at times, but then have had some moments of looking overmatched. Saturday will be a chance for Rockford to really prove itself. Lakeland is that pesky team that just isn’t going to quit. The Eagles don’t have the size of most of the opponents this weekend, but you won’t find a team that is going to work much harder. Flushing is a threat for an upset, while Eisenhower is still piecing together its attack after losing so much firepower from 2020.
Predicted order of finish: Rockford-Lakeland-Flushing-Eisenhower
Pool D
Teams: Grand Rapids Christian, Coopersville, Grosse Pointe South, Oxford
Breakdown: GRC remains a big threat to win a fourth straight D2 state title this year, and the Eagles have been in the discussion for best team in the state regardless of division. Coopersville is a team that knows GRC well, but the Broncos aren’t quite at the Eagles’ level. Coopersville has picked up a lot of wins and should still make the gold bracket, but it’s an uphill climb for the other three to get to the top of this pool.
Predicted order of finish: Grand Rapids Christian-Coopersville-GP South-Oxford
Pool E
Teams: Dakota, Cadillac, Grand Haven, Troy
Breakdown: This is a really strong pool with a lot of balance. Dakota definitely is the team to beat for good reason. The Cougars have a wealth of size and hitting and definitely are eager to prove they can win this whole tournament. Cadillac has some great senior leadership and a lot of wins to build on. Grand Haven doesn’t have the record, but is a battle-tested squad. Troy has the size and athleticism to be a big spoiler here, but the Colts will need to stay out of their own way, which hasn’t always been easy.
Predicted order of finish: Dakota-Grand Haven-Cadillac-Troy
Pool F
Teams: Lakewood, Traverse City Central, Bloomfield Hills, Birch Run
Breakdown: The Vikings have been a bit streaky against some good competition this year, but are still looking for role players to settle into their new positions. TC Central lost a three-set match to the Vikings, but took a set and believe they can take out the No. 1 seed. Bloomfield is another team that has taken sets from great teams, but had some big letdown performances as well. It’s hard to know which team will show up each match.
Predicted order of finish: Lakewood-TC Central-Bloomfield Hills-Birch Run
Pool G
Teams: Forest Hills Northern, SMCC, Marshall, Stoney Creek
Breakdown: FH Northern is getting its first taste of playing teams over on the East side this weekend and it will be interesting to see how the Huskies perform. SMCC is a top program in D3, but their inexperience and lack of size could be troublesome in a tournament of this caliber. Marshall can give the Kestrels a run at the second spot in the gold bracket. Stoney Creek can’t be overlooked either, as they will have one of the top players in the entire tournament in Sydney Tomlak Sydney Tomlak 5'11" | OH Stoney Creek | 2022 State #116 Nation MI .
Predicted order of finish: FH Northern-SMCC-Stoney Creek-Marshall
Pool H
Teams: Saline, Mercy, Grand Blanc, Walled Lake Northern
Breakdown: This is a great pool with four teams each with some strengths to rely on. Mercy is young, but still very talented and capable of getting the top spot in this pool. Saline has the size to compete with anyone. It will be up to the Hornets’ serving and receiving to carry it throughout the day. Grand Blanc has quietly been improving and still has some explosive hitters. Walled Lake Northern can serve well and really makes teams work for points. This could be the most competitive of the pools.
Predicted order of finish: Saline-Mercy-Grand Blanc-WL Northern
Tournament Prediction
A lot of teams have what it takes to win this event, but Marian is still going to be my pick. The Mustangs know what it takes to win high-profile matches and have a team that hasn’t lost at full strength. A rematch with Notre Dame Prep would be great to see, as the two won’t meet up during the rest of the year. Dakota can be the dark horse to spoil plans for both teams, but I still have to go with my gut and take Marian to win the whole event.