2021 Top Performers in the Division 1 Semi-Finals

<p>Division 1 volleyball closed out day 1 of the MHSAA Volleyball Finals at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek. </p> <p>All I can say is "Wow!"</p> <p>The final four teams featured some of the hottest talent in Michigan, including Miss Volleyball [player_tooltip player_id="24846" first="Ava" last="Brizard"] and 2023 No.1 ranked [player_tooltip player_id="66319" first="Harper" last="Murray"].</p> <p>Tonight was an utter slugfest, both Marian and Skyline hit over .320 as teams to move on to the championship match. Here are some of the standouts. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="66328" first="Ava" last="Sarafa"] (2023) | 6-0 S | Marian/Michigan Elite</p> <p>Welcome to the Sarafa Setting Clinic! The Marian Mustangs brought a stomping on the Hudsonville Eagles thanks to Sarafa’s elite play. The Kentucky commit set the Mustangs to a cool .327 hitting percentage, sweeping the No. 2 team in Division 1. Sarafa had the Eagle defense in shambles trying to read what the setter was going to do next. She even called her own name a handful of times tonight. Ava was good for 33 assists and 8 digs on the afternoon.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="24846" first="Ava" last="Brizard"] (2022) | 6-1 OH | Marian/Michigan Elite </p> <p>Miss Volleyball had no problem continuing her impressive post season play. Brizard is no stranger to the big stages and her composure tonight was infectious amongst the team. Ava was steady all over the court leading the team in both kills (11) and digs (14). When the future NC State superstar wasn’t crushing the ball, she was taking shots that left you speechless. </p> <p>https://x.com/LineShotVBall/status/1461456124989911045?s=20</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="66330" first="Ella" last="Schomer"] (2023) | 6-1 OPP | Marian/Michigan Elite</p> <p>The Schomer-Sarafa connection was in full effect tonight. Unstoppable. The six rotation, lefty opposite was near impossible to defend tonight, hitting a .421 clip with 10 kills. Schomer’s high efficiency came from her ability to spread the ball placement all around the opponents court. Between Brizard on the left and Schomer on the right, it created the perfect storm for the two hitters. </p> <p>https://x.com/LineShotVBall/status/1461465368132739077?s=20</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="66319" first="Harper" last="Murray"] (2023) | 6-2 OH | Skyline/Legacy</p> <p>Last time Murray was playing in Kellogg Arena, she was sent home early by way of sweep. Tonight, she would be doing the sweeping. Murray is one of the best players in the country right now and for good reason. The Nebraska commit had the Midas touch, averaging almost 8 kills per set. Murray put away 23 kills and 11 digs to lead Skyline in both categories. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="60856" first="Lauren" last="Lee"] (2022) | 5-6 S | Skyline/Legacy</p> <p>When you’re hitting .324 as a team, you must have a pretty elite setter. [player_tooltip player_id="60856" first="Lauren" last="Lee"], like Murray, still had the bitter taste of the 2019 loss. Lee put up one of her best performances on the season averaging over 13 assists per set. While she was feeding the beast that is Murray, she was finding the other hitters just as effectively. The Hope College commit’s service game was top notch as well, punching in five aces in the sweep. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="172198" first="Isabelle" last="Swiercz"] (2024) | 6-2 OPP | Hudsonville/FaR Out</p> <p>Swiercz was one of the few hitters to find much traction for Hudsonville tonight. Being one of only two attackers for the Eagles to hit positive, she was quite efficient (.471). She was a staple in the third set to try and keep the hopes alive notching five of her 10 kills. Performing like this, on this stage, I predict we will see Swiercz return sooner than later to Kellogg. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="110328" first="Johanna" last="Tillman"] (2024) | 6-1 MB | Dakota Macomb/Legacy</p> <p>Tillman is another young star that was ready for battle. While her number wasn’t called upon much in this match, Tillman made her presence known via her block. Arguably the best blocker of the afternoon. Tillman’s net defense was imposing to say the least, notching five stuffs against a tough Skyline squad. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="108718" first="Erin" last="Madigan"] (2023) | 6-2 S | Dakota Macomb/Legacy</p> <p>While Madigan didn’t put up the impressive assist numbers like her counterparts, she was still fun to watch. One of the biggest setters in the state, Madigan put up not only a big block, but a constant offensive threat. Madigan was a part of one of my favorite plays of the night, a solo stuff against Murray late in the second set. </p> <p>https://x.com/LineShotVBall/status/1461492668354154496?s=20</p>