Six players sure to be Miss Volleyball finalists in 2020
Miss Volleyball is the biggest honor in the state for an individual volleyball player.
The award is based on performance over an entire prep career with consideration for team accomplishments and academic achievement.
It’s not easy to figure out who will be the finalists for the award year-to-year, but there are some players that are likely to be finalists next fall.
The Class of 2021 has tremendous talent and the finalists for the 2020 Miss Volleyball honor will be among deepest field the award has seen. Here’s six players (listed alphabetically) I definitely expect to be among the finalists, and a list of other players that could be in the mix as well.
[player_tooltip player_id="14163" first="Julia" last="Bishop"]Julia Bishop Julia Bishop 5'10" | S Mercy | 2021 State MI , Mercy S: It didn’t take long to see that Bishop was a special player. The Michigan State commit has been with the Marlins for three seasons, leading them to Battle Creek each of the three years. That includes a Division 1 state championship this fall. Bishop was First Team All-State as a sophomore and a junior.
Mikayla Haut Mikayla Haut 5'11" | OH SMCC | 2021 State MI , SMCC OH: No other player on this list has been able to say they have been named First Team All-State in each of their first three years of play, but Haut can. The staple of SMCC volleyball is easy to spot on the floor, because she is making plays all over the court. Haut helped the Kestrels reach the Division 3 semifinals in 2018 and then put up an MVP effort while leading them to their first state championship since 2014 this November.
Aubrey O’Gorman Aubrey O’Gorman 6'3" | MB Lakewood | 2021 State MI , Lakewood MH: O’Gorman has been a consistent staple of Kellogg Arena. She’s helped the Vikings reach two state championship matches and another semifinal through her first three years of prep play. The 6-foot-3 middle was Third Team All-State in 2017 and First Team All-State in 2018 and 2019.
Jenna Reitsma Jenna Reitsma 5'11" | OH Lowell | 2021 State MI , Lowell OH: Reitsma really broke through into being an elite player during the last 12 months. While contributing to the Red Arrows as a freshman and sophomore, she was arguably the best player in the MHSAA this fall as a junior for the Red Arrows. She led Lowell to the D1 runner-up trophy while putting down 873 kills and hitting .342. Reitsma was Second Team All-State in 2018 and First Team All-State in 2019.
[player_tooltip player_id="50300" first="Anna" last="Smith"]Anna Smith Anna Smith 5'9" | OH Mendon | 2021 State MI , Mendon OH: There’s no player on this list that may be more valuable to their respective team than Smith. Just this past fall, Smith had over 700 kills, 100 aces, 70 blocks and 300 digs while leading the Hornets to a second consecutive Division 4 state title. Smith was Third Team All-State as a freshman and First Team All-State as a sophomore and junior.
Addie VanderWeide Addie VanderWeide 6'1" | OH Grand Rapids Christian | 2021 State MI , Grand Rapids Christian OH: You’d be hard to find a play that has been more consistent over her prep career. A three-year outside hitting option for Grand Rapids Christian, VanderWeide has tallied over 1,500 kills with the Eagles. She had over 400 all three seasons as well. She has guided GRC to back-to-back Division 2 state championships while earning All-State honors the last three years. She was Third team in Class A in 2017 and then First Team each of the last two seasons.
Other contenders (listed alphabetically): Charli Atiemo, Mercy MH; Callie Bauer, Hudson OH/S; Macy Brown Macy Brown 5'10" | OH Cadillac | 2021 State MI , Cadillac OH; Allison Ediger, Hamilton MH; Lydia Harper Lydia Harper 6'1" | S Caledonia | 2021 State MI , Caledonia S; Olivia Kowalkowski Olivia Kowalkowski 5'4" | DS/L Notre Dame Prep | 2021 State MI , Notre Dame Prep L; Meagan Lasky, Bronson S; Ashley Nordmann Ashley Nordmann 6'0" | OH Lansing Christian | 2021 State MI , Lansing Christian OH; Claire Nowicki Claire Nowicki 6'0" | OH Clarkston | 2021 State MI , Clarkston OH; Abby Olin Abby Olin 6'3" | OH Coopersville | 2021 State MI , Coopersville MH; Kayla Onken, Schoolcraft S; Mia Osorio, Leland L; Sydney Palazzolo Sydney Palazzolo 6'2" | OH Utica Eisenhower | 2021 State MI , Eisenhower OH; Abby Welke, Marshall OH.