Polish Classic Takeaways & Standouts

Saturday saw six strong programs from Division 1-3 come together for the 2021 Polish Classic. Niles (No. 8 D2) came away with the tournament title, besting Battle Creek Lakeview (HM D1) in the final by scores of 25-15, 25-16. Also involved in the day’s action was host Bronson (No. 8 D3), West Michigan Christian (No. 1 D3), Onsted (HM D2) and Watervliet. There was a lot of good play throughout the day, and here’s some takeaways and standouts from Saturday’s tournament. <h4>Niles</h4> [caption id="attachment_159776" align="alignright" width="210"]<img class="wp-image-159776" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/Niles-Emma-Beckman-2.jpg" alt="" width="210" height="224" /> Emma Beckman[/caption] The Vikings came away with the tournament title and also avenged a loss to Lakeview earlier in the day by winning the final. Energy is the best way to describe Niles. The team plays with a lot of it and feeds very well off of it. The Vikings really played well with the momentum, allowing them to storm past Lakeview. Their defensive play really shined throughout the day behind libero Cadence Knight and DS Kailyn Miller. The two were outstanding in the back row and allowed setter Emma Beckman to impress as well as she ran the Niles offense. Beckman is a great senior leader and spreads the ball well to a lot of athletic hitters for Niles. Marika Ruppart and Jillian Bruckner are very impactful middles that finish at high rates. Chloe Alkire and Amara Palmer were great compliments on the outside as well. Niles is definitely a D2 contender. If they can maintain their energy level, they will be tough for anyone in the division to get past. https://x.com/PrepDigMI/status/1444397736854528002?s=20 <h4>BC Lakeview</h4> [caption id="attachment_159777" align="alignright" width="239"]<img class="wp-image-159777" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/BC-Lakeview-Madalyn-Belmore-300x259.jpg" alt="" width="239" height="206" /> Madalyn Belmore[/caption] The Spartans were runner-up on Saturday, but certainly left a good impression. The team wasn’t at full health, but it was a very balanced effort throughout. The Spartans have a lot of length and athleticism to work with. Aisling Rankin is an impressive setter that uses her athleticism to make a lot of tough plays and keep opponents guessing. Jenna Morris is a powerful middle that is a great spark plug for the team and has a good chemistry with her setter. Madalyn Belmore and Katelyn Belmore cast a big presence at the net. Each were tough blocks to get past while putting the ball in good locations on their attacks. Faith Rankin, a senior, and Anya Rankin, a freshman, also were athletic options on the outside. Lakeview has the hitting to be a top team. The Spartans will just need to continue to sharpen their passing and serving to crack into the top squads in D1. https://x.com/PrepDigMI/status/1444387849508372490?s=20 <h4>Bronson</h4> [caption id="attachment_159779" align="alignright" width="204"]<img class="wp-image-159779" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/Bronson-Jaydn-Cary-278x300.jpg" alt="" width="204" height="220" /> Jaydn Cary[/caption] The host Vikings had a really good day, which included a win over WMC to prove that they will still be a major force in D3. They also were competitive in a semifinal loss to Lakeview (25-22, 25-19). While out-sized, Bronson plays a technically-sound style. That’s not surprising with their quality coaching. Libero Jaydyn Cary was as good as any defender on the day. Her effort can’t be questioned and she’s able to make the tough digs while getting the ball in a good location for her offense. Sophomore setter Brealyn Lasky showed her family’s leadership and spirit. She had a really strong day and mixed in a lot of hitters, putting them in a position to succeed against some big blockers. [player_tooltip player_id="151383" first="Karissa" last="Gest"] is a great all-around outside. She swings smoothly and defends just as smooth. Her play looks effort less at times. Macy Covey also came through with some powerful finishes. Bronson is developing a pair of promising freshmen middles in Payton Springstead and [player_tooltip player_id="156288" first="Aubree" last="Calloway"]. Each showed their potential while also getting some tough love from experienced opponents. However, it was clear to see they are progressing well in their first year of varsity play. https://x.com/PrepDigMI/status/1444384939844198404?s=20 <h4>Onsted</h4> [caption id="attachment_159780" align="alignright" width="164"]<img class="wp-image-159780" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/Onsted-Ruby-Foster-237x300.jpg" alt="" width="164" height="208" /> Ruby Foster[/caption] Onsted had a good day that wasn’t shown in a semifinal loss to Niles. The Wildcats have a lot of length and athleticism that should make them competitive in the D2 postseason picture. Finding consistency will be important. The Wildcats lost that at times on Saturday. Senior Ruby Foster definitely stood out. She’s able to make plays all over the floor. Her size gives her an advantage at the net, but she’s got the footwork to play effectively in the back row. Kennedy Ross is a strong senior middle that can tower above opposing blockers, while setter Kamryn Ross is a long and athletic setter that makes a lot of good choices. Kate Gorney and Rayne Ross are also hitting options with length. Onsted isn’t hurting in that department. Addison Gudakunst is a freshman libero that took on a lot of big hitters on Saturday and showed the ability to make proper corrections following a mistake. <h4>West Michigan Christian</h4> [caption id="attachment_159781" align="alignright" width="269"]<img class="wp-image-159781" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/WMC-Kyla-Wiersema-3-300x236.jpg" alt="" width="269" height="212" /> [player_tooltip player_id="60835" first="Kyla" last="Wiersema"][/caption] Our top-ranked team in D3 certainly learned some tough lessons on Saturday, dropping a number of three-set matches. That included a loss to Bronson in which the Warriors had the match in their control multiple times. WMC has as strong of hitting as anyone in D3. It will be up to the serve game and defense to carry the Warriors to a long postseason run. Nobody delivered more powerful swings on Saturday than [player_tooltip player_id="60835" first="Kyla" last="Wiersema"]. She was winding up point-after-point and making opponents pay for trying to stop her. Madison Wiersema wasn’t far off either. Those two provide a very intimidating attack. Setter Kendal Young made her play look effortless, but consistently put her hitters in position to succeed. WMC is working in freshman hitters [player_tooltip player_id="156342" first="Abby" last="Leffring"] and [player_tooltip player_id="156344" first="Hannah" last="Heiss"]. Each has some real potential. Leffring looks like a special player that will be taking on the mantle when the Wiersema’s graduate. https://x.com/PrepDigMI/status/1444369860432179202?s=20 <h4>Watervliet</h4> [caption id="attachment_159782" align="alignright" width="145"]<img class="wp-image-159782" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/Watervliet-Samantha-Dietz-234x300.jpg" alt="" width="145" height="185" /> Samantha Dietz[/caption] The Panthers had a tough task on Saturday. This D3 squad really was tested in each match, but should be a good learning experience for them. They got to raise their game and see where they need to get to. Natalie Hart was a sophomore outside for the Panthers that held her own well. She definitely has the size and speed to be impactful. She puts on a good swing but also sees the floor well to be a strong defender. Samantha Dietz also looked solid. The junior hitter has some impressive form on her swings. She just needs to develop more confidence in her play. Myah Hobson is another junior hitting option that showed a lot of promise as well. She was getting a lot of opportunities in stretches and getting better with each swing.