2021 Muskegon-area difference makers

Drew Ellis October 11, 2021 @ 01:42 PM

The Muskegon-area is producing some strong teams in all four divisions that could be in contention for deep playoff runs. Here’s a look at some players that are shining in 2021 to help their team reach this level of play. [player_tooltip player_id="108716" first="Emily" last="May"], Jr. OH, Coopersville: May moved from the middle to the outside, but she’s been showing her ability to finish at a high rate from anywhere on the court. May’s got tremendous footwork and form for her size at 6’1”. She really is a top talent in the state for an already deep class. [player_tooltip player_id="24880" first="Rayne" last="Thompson"], Sr. OH, Whitehall: Thompson has been as impactful as anyone in Division 2 right now. She’s got Whitehall as a top-10 team while compiling 255 kills and hitting .355. She’s also been a force with her defense, putting up 200 digs on the season. Thompson can do it all, as her blocking and serving have provided a challenge for opponents as well. Sydney Woods, Sr. OH, Fruitport: Woods is leading a deep Fruitport squad. She’s really raised her game as a senior, already well past her junior total in kills, digs, aces and blocks. Her serve has been very difficult for opponents to stop. She’s got 55 already to compliment her 266 kills. Kyla Kobylak, Sr. S, Spring Lake: Spring Lake has a lot of hitting options and Kobylak is doing a nice job of mixing up the offense and keeping all involved. She’s able to make all the sets and has great timing with the middles and outsides. Kobylak also has been a top server for the Lakers. [player_tooltip player_id="60835" first="Kyla" last="Wiersema"], Sr. MH, Western Michigan Christian: Wiersema is as powerful a finisher as there is in Division 3. This year’s she finishing at a .343 percentage with 217 kills in 58 sets. She’s also got nearly one block per set. WMC is one of the top contenders in D3 and Wiersema is a big reason why. [player_tooltip player_id="152523" first="Natalie" last="Pannucci"], Jr. OH, North Muskegon: Pannucci has been an offensive production machine for the Norse. She’s putting up big kill numbers, but also has shown her ability to be a complete player this year. Her serve has improved a great deal and she’s putting in a lot of time and effort getting better defensively. She’s a big star in D3 this season. Erin LaVigne, Sr. OH, Muskegon Catholic Central: Like Pannucci, LaVigne is taking on a lot for Catholic Central this year. She’s the featured go-to hitter for the Crusaders this year with over a third of the team’s attacks and nearly half of their kills. She’s also averaging nearly an ace per set and is among the leaders in digs and very reliable with her back-court play.