2020 standouts from the Motor City Showcase

<p>The Motor City Showcase was held last Friday at Ultimate Soccer in Pontiac, giving a number of uncommitted Michigan volleyball players a chance to display their skills in front of college coaches from around the Great Lakes area.</p> <p>In the Class of 2020, there was a diverse group of talent from all points of the state. Here are some players that happened to catch my eye during the showcase and what they can bring to the court going forward.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Outside Hitters</strong></p> <p><strong>Colleen McCarthy, Onekama/Northshore: </strong>McCarthy comes from the small town of Onekama, but she had some big power in her attacks. She was putting down some of the prettiest finishes of anyone in 2020.</p> <p><strong>Tara Drinane, Riverview Community/Michigan Elite: </strong>Drinane had a few attacks that really raised some eyebrows.</p> <p><strong>Lexis Tatum, Gahanna Lincoln/Two Girls Volleyball Club: </strong>Tatum stood out as just a good all-around athlete. Her athleticism can really take her places and help overcome being a 5-11 outside.</p> <p><strong>Olivia Alexander, Woodhaven/Passion Volleyball Club: </strong>Alexander stood out for her power. When she was connecting with the ball, it had that sound that other hitters just couldn’t produce.</p> <p><strong>Amber Morris, Rochester Adams/Legacy: </strong>Morris stood out in a lot of different areas. She could pass, attack and defend. She may not have been the best in any specific area, but was among the best in them all.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Setters</strong></p> <p><strong>Chloe Mitchell, Western Michigan Christian: </strong>Mitchell looked really comfortable during drills and scrimmage play. She helped make a lot of the 2020 hitters look good.</p> <p><strong>Nicole Whan, Grant/MVA: </strong>Whan really stood out during 5-on-5 play. She had good footwork and set a nice ball to keep her team on the court.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Middle Hitters</strong></p> <p><strong>Taylor Wegener, Ida/Michigan Elite: </strong>Wegener showed a lot of good control with her strikes, but still had the ability to really pop a big kill when time called for it.</p> <p><strong>Ashlyn Michalski, St. Johns/Attack Volleyball Club: </strong>Michalski showed she can really finish points and is someone to keep an eye on in the Lansing area.</p> <p><strong>Jordan Turner, Lee M. Thurston/Michigan Elite: </strong>Turner showed a lot of potential. While there are aspects to polish, you can see there is a lot of talent here.</p> <p><strong>Rachel Bres, Lansing Catholic/Attack: </strong>Bres had a good showcase as she was holding her own with the middles and showed some real pop on her attacks. She also showed all-around ability, not just relying on her hitting.</p> <p><strong>Delany Lambert, West Bloomfield/Legacy: </strong>Lambert was another that showed a lot of potential as she continues to develop her footwork. When things were clicking, she was a real force.</p> <p><strong>Carly Doros, Flat Rock/Michigan Elite: </strong>Doros shined in six-on-six play, as her natural instincts came into play and she looked very confident and comfortable.</p> <p><strong>Carly Emerson, Bedford/Michigan Elite: </strong>Emerson was a competitor and really gave her all during each drill and scrimmage. She has the skills and the work ethic to do big things.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Libero/DS</strong></p> <p><strong>Alexis Dykstra, Hudsonville/HighStreet: </strong>Dykstra showed good all-around ability. She was more than just a “back-row player”</p> <p><strong>Payton Osborne, St. Mary’s Catholic Central/Michigan Elite: </strong>Osborne had a really good session during serve receive, which is obviously an important aspect of her position.</p> <p><strong>Carly Rodman, Rochester/Unified: </strong>Rodman showed a lot of consistency with her serve receive and passing. There weren’t many balls that she could put in a good spot for her teammates.</p>