2020 Prep Dig Michigan D2 Player & Coach of the Year

<p>Division 2 was stacked at the top with some outstanding talent.</p> <p>The best of the best in D2 could compete with anyone in the state and provided a number of impressive highlights throughout the 2020 season.</p> <p>However, among them all, only one could emerge as our Player of the Year</p> <h4><strong>D2 Player of the Year: [player_tooltip player_id="14203" first="Addie" last="VanderWeide"], Grand Rapids Christian Sr. OH</strong></h4> <p><img class="size-medium wp-image-126085 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/01/GRC-Addie-VanderWeide-2-279x300.jpg" alt="" width="279" height="300" />It’s easy to overlook what VanderWeide has been able to do over her prep career, as Christian has seemingly been a pretty talented squad over the last four years. However, the senior outside hitter really showed just how dominant she can be in Battle Creek a week ago.</p> <p>In the biggest match of the season, the state final against a motivated Lakewood team, VanderWeide put on her best performance. She had 18 kills while hitting .405 against two of the top blockers in the state.</p> <p>For the season, VanderWeide put up a career-best 592 kills while hitting .340. She also had 390 digs, 43 aces and 36 blocks while guiding the Eagles to a third consecutive state championship.</p> <p>The future Iowa Hawkeye has been a steady player throughout her career. She moves smoothly, defends calmy, and isn’t afraid to share the spotlight with her team. However, when the time calls for her to dial it up, VanderWeide can bring the thunder as well as anyone.</p> <p><strong>Other Considerations</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50331" first="Macy" last="Brown"], Sr. OH Cadillac: </strong>Brown got a lot of swings in this season and had a state-best 926 kills during the year while helping Cadillac reach the D2 semifinals. She also had 630 digs, 85 blocks and 74 aces.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24871" first="Maradith" last="O’Gorman"], Jr. RS Lakewood: </strong>The future Michigan State Spartan had 533 kills this season while hitting over .370. She also had 345 digs, 85 blocks and 64 aces. O’Gorman is long, but plays with a lot of athleticism and explosion. She was a big reason Lakewood reached the D2 finals once again.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24844" first="Alyssa" last="Borellis"], Jr. S/RS/MH Notre Dame Prep: </strong>Borellis does it all for a young Notre Dame Prep squad that reached the D2 semifinals. The Ole Miss commit had 500 assists, 453 kills, 253 digs, 45 aces and 51 blocks for the Irish.</p> <h4><strong>D2 Coach of the Year: Jim Fish, North Branch</strong></h4> <p><img class="size-medium wp-image-127858 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/01/DSC_2545-300x211.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="211" />Fish is one of the top coaches in the state each year, but his 2020 efforts really were impressive.</p> <p>The Broncos had eight freshmen on their roster this season and Fish threw many of them into the fire right away against a very competitive schedule.</p> <p>By the end of the season, North Branch was playing at a top level in Division 2, as proven by their Blue Water Area league title and their five-set battle with Notre Dame Prep in the regional final.</p> <p>The education his young players got in 2020 is sure to pay off in seasons to come. North Branch is going to be a handful for anyone in Division 2 for many years.</p> <p><strong>Other Considerations: </strong>Tiffannie Gates, Grand Rapids Christian; Michelle Brines, Cadillac; Erin Nostrandt, Birch Run; Cameron Rowland, Lakewood; Betty Wroubel, Notre Dame Prep</p>