Standout underclassmen from Division 2 finals

<p>The Division 2 state semifinals and finals featured a strong mix of veteran teams and young squads.</p> <p>Many underclassmen were on display at Kellogg Arena for Division 2, including some in very prominent roles.</p> <p>Here’s a look at the underclassmen that drew attention during state finals weekend.</p> <h4><strong>Grand Rapids Christian</strong></h4> <p>The three-time state championship had a very veteran lineup in Battle Creek, but the Eagles still have some young names to be excited about for 2021.</p> <p>Sophomore <strong>Rowan Cebulski </strong>was the lone underclassmen to take the floor for GRC in Battle Creek. She had four kills and two digs over the two matches and hit .444 against some solid defensive teams.</p> <p>While she didn’t see the floor, sophomore middle <strong>Makenzie Ritsema</strong> is a future star for GRC as well. She’s had a strong club career thus far and is likely to take on a much bigger role in the future.</p> <h4><strong>Lakewood</strong></h4> <p>The Vikings used a pretty young roster to reach another final. While losing two key seniors, Lakewood was very reliant on underclassmen this season.</p> <p>Most of the impact from the young talent came in the back row. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="110318" first="Carley" last="Piercefield"] </strong>was a standout freshman libero, establishing herself as one of the best in the Class of 2024. She had 38 digs over the two matches and also added seven assists in the semifinal.</p> <p><strong>Alli Pickard </strong>and <strong>Paige Wolverton </strong>were two other sophomore DS’s that saw consistent play in Battle Creek. Pickard had three digs over the weekend while Wolverton racked up four aces with her strong serve.</p> <p>The powerful Lakewood offense ran on the choices of sophomore setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="66296" first="Skylar" last="Bump"]</strong>. Bump had 53 assists and 33 digs over the two matches. Bump took a big step forward during the 2020 season and showed a lot more confidence on the floor.</p> <p>Sophomore outside <strong>Ellie Possehn </strong>got some swings at the net in Battle Creek. She had five kills in the semifinal victory while hitting .625. She added another kills in the final.</p> <p><strong>Alivia Everitt</strong>, a freshman middle, appeared in one set of the final as well. With the team losing [player_tooltip player_id="14185" first="Aubrey" last="O’Gorman"] and Sophie Duits for 2021, Everitt is someone that could see an increased role.</p> <h4><strong>Notre Dame Prep</strong></h4> <p><img class="size-medium wp-image-129024 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/02/Margo-Sudzina-242x300.jpg" alt="" width="242" height="300" />A relatively young team, the Irish have a bright future behind a big junior class. However, they also had some sophomores in key roles this season and in Battle Creek.</p> <p><strong>Margo Sudzina </strong>is one of two setting options for the Irish. In the loss to Lakewood, she had 12 assists and 12 digs. She’s able to spread the ball around to Notre Dame’s many hitting options.</p> <p><strong>Grace Wenaas </strong>is a sophomore middle that started to come on as the season progressed. In the semifinal she came up with four kills while hitting .400. She also had three digs and two blocks.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="66295" first="Allison" last="Berent"] </strong>is a sophomore DS that’s part of a deep back row for the Irish. She appeared in one set in the semifinal and recorded a dig, but has a bright future with her diverse skills beyond just passing.</p> <h4><strong>Cadillac</strong></h4> <p>The Vikings were led by some marquee upperclassmen, but Cadillac still has a group of talented underclassmen to be excited about.</p> <p>Defensively, freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="110294" first="Brooke" last="Ellens"] </strong>led Cadillac in the semifinal with state champ Grand Rapids Christian. She had a team-high 13 digs and showed a lot of promise against powerful hitters.</p> <p>Sophomore hitters <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="108763" first="Joslyn" last="Seeley"] </strong>and <strong>Layke Sims </strong>also each got five swings in the semifinal. Seeley finished with a kill and three digs while Sims recorded a dig and two blocks.</p>