Five season-opening tournaments to catch this Saturday

<p>The 2019 MHSAA Season is officially upon us and the state of Michigan is kicking things off in a big way this Saturday. You can find some great tournament action going on all over the state this weekend. Here’s a look at some of the featured tournaments set to take place.</p> <p><strong>Lake Orion Tournament – Saturday at Elite Sportsplex in Waterford</strong></p> <p>The defending D1 state champs welcome a big field of over 20 teams to Elite Sportsplex in Waterford on Saturday. <strong>Lake Orion </strong>has a lot of big holes to fill coming off its 2018 state title and this tournament will provide plenty of challenges. Joining the Dragons this weekend are fellow D1 semifinalists <strong>Mercy </strong>and <strong>Northville</strong>. The Marlins are the preseason favorite to win it all this season but will spend some time early in the year without <strong>Jess Mruzik</strong> (Michigan), who will compete for the U.S. Girls Youth National Team in Cairo, Egypt in early September. The Mustangs have a new coach, but still have a lot of potential after reaching Battle Creek last fall. <strong>Brighton </strong>and <strong>Detroit Country Day </strong>are a pair of teams to watch as well. The Bulldogs have <strong>Celia Cullen </strong>(Michigan State), our second-ranked player in 2020. Country Day was a young team in 2018, but that could mean big things this year for the Yellowjackets. <strong>Serena Nyambio</strong> had a big club season and the 2022 hitter is in line for a breakout sophomore season.</p> <p><strong>Portage Central Tournament – Saturday at Portage Central High School</strong></p> <p>Some top teams on the west side of the state will be on display at Portage Central on Saturday. The Mustangs host their season-opening tournament and it features <strong>Rockford</strong>, the 2018 D1 runner-up, as well as D2 state champion <strong>Grand Rapids Christian</strong>. The Eagles could arguably be the top team in the state this year, returning a lot of top players from last year’s championship squad. <strong>Jordyn Gates </strong>(Arkansas) is one of the best setters in the state and she has a lot of hitting to work with this season. Rockford graduated four impactful seniors, but still have a veteran team. <strong>Livonia Churchill </strong>was a D1 quarterfinalist in 2018 and could play spoiler this weekend. <strong>Bedford </strong>is another team to keep an eye on here. The Kicking Mules graduated a big class, but look like a real contender this year.</p> <p><strong>Grand Haven Lakeshore Classic – Saturday at Grand Haven</strong></p> <p><strong>Grand Haven </strong>is hosting a tournament that should be highly competitive this weekend. A lot of contenders are in this field. Along with the host Buccaneers, <strong>Grand Rapids Catholic Central</strong>, <strong>Hudsonville</strong>, <strong>Lowell</strong>, <strong>Novi</strong>, <strong>Ann Arbor Skyline </strong>and <strong>Holland West Ottawa</strong> are part of this tournament. Lowell is coming off a breakout season in 2018 and the Red Arrows have their sights set on being a contender in the state picture this year. Hudsonville took Rockford to five sets in the regional semifinals a year ago and that loss has loomed large in the offseason. Novi was the three-time state champ from 2015-17 and enters the second year under a new coach with a promising roster.</p> <p><strong>Dakota Varsity Invitational – Saturday at Macomb Dakota</strong></p> <p><strong>Dakota</strong> hosts a 15-team tournament on Saturday that also has a field of quality teams that could be making an impact this year. Dakota, <strong>Stoney Creek, Flushing </strong>and <strong>Marian</strong> have to be among the favorites. Stoney Creek was the OAA Red champ last year and looking to have a lengthy postseason run this year. Marian was one of the better teams in the state in 2018, but couldn’t get past its CHSL rival, Mercy. The Mustangs have a lot of young talent to work with in 2019. Flushing was a D1 quarterfinalist last year and only graduated four seniors from that squad.</p> <p><strong>Carrie Adams Memorial Tournament – Saturday at Battle Creek Y-Center Multisports Complex</strong></p> <p><strong>Battle Creek St. Philip </strong>hosts a 20-team tournament this weekend featuring some of the best teams from smaller programs. Along with the hosts St. Philip, which won the Class D championship from 2007-14, this field also includes <strong>Bronson</strong>, the winner of the last four Class C/Division 3 championships, as well as <strong>Leland</strong>, the 2018 D4 runner-up. <strong>Centreville </strong>and <strong>Camden Frontier</strong> are two other teams in the mix this weekend that are coming off strong 2018 showings and could be contenders in the state picture this year as well.</p>