2020 Prep Dig Michigan D1 Player & Coach of the Year

<p>The 2020 prep season has finally been wrapped up.</p> <p>While it’s nearly February of 2021, the lengthened 2020 season was able to reach a conclusion last week and we can begin handing out our season awards.</p> <p>Division 1 once again displayed the very best the state has to offer and featured a lot of future Division 1 stars.</p> <h3><strong>D1 Player of the Year: [player_tooltip player_id="24846" first="Ava" last="Brizard"], Jr. OH Marian</strong></h3> [caption id="attachment_115909" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-115909" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/11/Marian-Ava-Brizard-2-300x283.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="283" /> [player_tooltip player_id="24846" first="Ava" last="Brizard"][/caption] <p>Coming into the 2020 season, we knew that Marian had a lot of potential and the Mustangs showed just how much potential it had, winning the state championship.</p> <p>Leading the way was junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24846" first="Ava" last="Brizard"]</strong>, the powerful outside hitter that plays with loads of intensity.</p> <p>Throughout the year, Brizard played at an elite level. The N.C. State commit has been named our 2020 D1 Player of the Year.</p> <p>At the net, Brizard put down 598 kills this season while hitting an impressive .395 for the year.</p> <p>She saved her best performance for last, racking up 29 kills while hitting .481 in the state championship sweep of Lowell.</p> <p>Also a standout passer, Brizard had 412 digs on the season and was one of the team’s top defensive options in the back row.</p> <p>Brizard is sure to be very difficult to stop in 2021.</p> <p><strong>Other Considerations</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="14192" first="Jenna" last="Reitsma"], Sr. OH Lowell: </strong>Reitsman guided Lowell back to the D1 state final with 897 kills, 429 digs, 63 aces and 43 blocks. The Marquette-bound outside hitter was truly a program-changer for the Red Arrows.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="14163" first="Julia" last="Bishop"], Sr. S. Mercy: </strong>The Miss Volleyball winner guided Mercy to a regional final in 2020 and continued to prove she’s the measuring stick for setters in the state. Bishop, a Michigan State commit, had over 1,000 assists, 120 kills, 68 aces and nearly 200 digs.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50296" first="Claire" last="Nowicki"], Sr. OH Clarkston: </strong>Nowicki led Clarkston to a state semifinals appearance while taking Marian to a five-set thriller in Battle Creek. Nowicki did a little bit of everything for the Wolves. She had 385 kills, 287 digs, 43 blocks and 24 aces.</p> <h3><strong>D1 Coach of the Year: Mayssa Cook, Marian</strong></h3> [caption id="attachment_110005" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-110005" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/09/Marian-Team-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Marian[/caption] <p>There’s no denying that Marian had a lot of talent to work with this season, but anytime you can take a team without a senior on the roster and win a state championship, that’s quite an accomplishment.</p> <p>Cook coached Marian to its first state championship since 2010 and earned the second title of her coaching career.</p> <p>Cook consistently challenged her young team throughout the year and didn’t let them think about their potential for 2021. She instilled the confidence in the squad, which used a sophomore libero and setter, to make a run all the way to the championship.</p> <p><strong>Other Considerations: </strong>Jordan Drake, Lowell; Kelly Pinner, Clarkston; Kacy Byron, Novi</p>