Rankings Breakdown: Class of 2021’s top eight players

It’s not easy for a freshman to make an impact in any prep sport. In volleyball, it would be easy to get swallowed up by the speed and pressure. However, Michigan’s Class of 2021 featured a number of standouts this past fall. Here’s a look at the eight that stood out above the rest.

Addie Vanderweide, 6-0, OH, Grand Rapids Christian/MVA: Grand Rapids Christian makes the move to Division 2 in 2018, and the Eagles have plenty of talent coming back to the court this fall. Among those talents is Vanderweide, who was Third Team All-State in Class A last season after putting up 401 kills, 262 digs, 36 aces and 22 blocks. Along with her impressive attacks, Vanderweide proved she can be a great defender and passer.

Aubrey O’Gorman, 6-3 MB, Lakewood/FaR Out: In any season that you reach the state championship game, you need some new faces to step up. O’Gorman certainly did that for Lakewood in 2017 as the Vikings finished runner-up in Class B. At 6-3, Gorman is hard to miss on the floor, and once the ball is in the air, she is even easier to notice. She finished her freshman year with 318 kills and 188 blocks. That was good enough to land her on the Third Team All-State team. O’Gorman will provide Lakewood with a wall at the net as she only gets better.

Mikayla Haut, 5-11, OH, St. Mary Catholic Central/Michigan Elite: It’s not easy for a freshman to make an impact as a hitter, but Haut did just that for SMCC. The Falcons made a run to the Class C quarterfinals with Haut putting together an All-State season. In her first year of high school play, Haut had 391 kills with 354 digs, 66 blocks and 37 aces. She established herself as a six-rotation player that should be a handful for any opponent over the next three years.

Julia Bishop, 5-9, S, Farmington Hills Mercy/Michigan Elite: Bishop is definitely establishing herself as one of the top 2021 players in the state. Her freshman year at Mercy saw her help guide the Marlins to the Class A semifinals. Bishop racked up 1,550 assists on the season and also had 117 kills with 41 aces. As she continues to develop a feel for when to attack, she is going to be a tremendous threat for opponents to deal with.

Anna Smith, 5-8, OH, Mendon/FaR Out: Smith gave Mendon a new face of the program in 2017, as she led the Hornets in kills with 396. Attacking wasn’t her only skill, as she proved she was already a six-rotation player by adding 397 digs, 59 aces and 43 blocks. Her debut season landed her on the Class C All-State Third Team and she gives Mendon reasons to be excited about the 2018 season.

Lydia Harper, 6-1, S, Caledonia/FaR Out: Another standout setter in the Class of 2021, Harper led Caledonia to 36 wins in the 2017 prep season. Harper did a little bit of everything for the Fighting Scots, as she racked up 1,180 assists, 299 digs, 113 kills, 51 aces and 40 blocks. Harper has already proven to be an on-the-court leader for Caledonia and is going to continue to improve.

Ashley Nordmann, 6-0, OH, Lansing Christian/Michigan Elite: The Lansing Christian volleyball team picked up a great asset for years to come in Nordmann. Standing 6-feet as a freshman, Nordmann helped lead the Pilgrims to a district championship in 2017 while earning All-State honorable mention honors in Class D. Nordmann collected 339 kills with 310 digs, 64 aces and 31 blocks as a freshman. As she continues to develop her attacks and instincts on the court, Nordmann should certainly be a top talent in the upcoming years.

Jenna Vaske, 5-11, S/RS Charyl Stockewell Academy/Michigan Elite: A dynamic left-handed setter, Vaske has shown an ability to setup her teammates and be the aggressor herself. She had 490 assists for the Sentinels to go along with 242 kills, 269 digs, 140 aces and 46 blocks. Vaske is one of the reasons that Charyl Stockwell could be a team to watch in the Division 3 races in 2018.