2022 Presidential Stand-Outs in Detroit: 16s
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Presidents’ Day Weekend may be a holiday to celebrate past presidents, but it has also become a holiday to celebrate volleyball! Just about every volleyball player in the country was in contest this weekend and the competition was red HOT!…
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Continue ReadingPresidents’ Day Weekend may be a holiday to celebrate past presidents, but it has also become a holiday to celebrate volleyball!
Just about every volleyball player in the country was in contest this weekend and the competition was red HOT! Whether you were in Kansas City, St. Louis, or in Detroit, high level volleyball was in abundance this past weekend.
Here are some presidential standouts from Detroit this Presidents’ Day Weekend.
Isabelle Swiercz Isabelle Swiercz 6'2" | OH Hudsonville | 2024 State #110 Nation MI (2024) | 6’2 OPP | FaR Out
She’s been making quite the name for herself these last few months and continuing to ramp up the hype. Isabelle Swiercz Isabelle Swiercz 6'2" | OH Hudsonville | 2024 State #110 Nation MI and all her glory was on full display this Presidents’ Day Weekend. Her attack is aging like fine wine, getting more refined, stronger and tougher to defend. Swiercz was showcasing a wicked line shot on the right side that proved impossible to stop throughout the tournament.
Someones been hitting the gym
*cough* Isabelle Swiercz *cough* #presidentsdaychallenge pic.twitter.com/LYjP57Oppx
— Line Shot Volleyball (@LineShotVBall) March 1, 2022
Avery Weslow Avery Weslow 5'11" | OH Forest Hills Central | 2024 State MI (2024) | 5’11 OH | FaR Out
This FaR Out squad is not short of pins by any means. Avery Weslow Avery Weslow 5'11" | OH Forest Hills Central | 2024 State MI was holding her own on the left side to great success. Weslow can really elevate off the floor, bringing some serious heat behind her swings. Getting it done offensively, Weslow held up well in her pass and defense.
Elana Erickson Elana Erickson 5'10" | OH Forest Hills Northern | 2024 State #79 Nation MI (2024) | 5’11 OH | FaR Out
I often times got these two left sides confused for the other because they play such a similar game. Weslow and Elana Erickson Elana Erickson 5'10" | OH Forest Hills Northern | 2024 State #79 Nation MI are a great one-two punch on the left side, pretty hard to defend if you ask me. Erickson is another high flier and showed some great finesse to her offense as well.
Emalee Maesch (2024) | 5’8 OH | KeAloha
I can’t say that I knew about this KeAloha program before this weekend, but now that I do, I’ll be on the watch. Emalee Maesch spearheads this impressive group that nearly took the 16 Open from a highly skilled FaR Out team. Maesch was one of the most complete players I witnessed throughout all divisions. Her defense was spectacular, as was her pass, she was another libero on the court at all times. But she raise’s the bar with her leaping abilities and her eye for scoring.
Emalee Maesch of KeAloha soaring high and hammering home at #PresidentsDayChallenge !!! 💥 pic.twitter.com/BB61zrF0FY
— Line Shot Volleyball (@LineShotVBall) March 1, 2022
Emily Wheeler (2024) | 5’10 MB | KeAloha
She’s slightly undersized for a middle, but you wouldn’t be able to tell with how smooth she moves. Emily Wheeler was playing some high-level ball out of the middle for KeAloha. Her lateral footwork on the net not only put her in great position on the block, but proved deadly when running her signature slide attack.
Light work for Emily Wheeler 🤧🤧 #PresidentsDayChallenge pic.twitter.com/aT8iXa2NvP
— Line Shot Volleyball (@LineShotVBall) March 1, 2022
Caroline Hamblin (2024) | 6’0 MB | Cincinnati Academy
This middle blocker was out here doing the most for her squad this weekend. Caroline Hamblin was Cincinnati’s go-to and rightfully so. She’s terminal in front and behind of the setter, then backs it up further with some pretty solid net defense.
Kendall Hopewell Kendall Hopewell 6'1" | MB Forest Hills Northern | 2024 State #193 Nation MI (2024) | 6’0 MB | FaR Out
it’s hard to pin point a real standout on a team as stack as this one, but Kendall Hopewell Kendall Hopewell 6'1" | MB Forest Hills Northern | 2024 State #193 Nation MI jumped off the page, quite literally. Throw her in the middle, or throw her in as an opposite, Hopewell is going to be your worst nightmare across the net. This player can score just about every way, I saw her bounce quite a few slides, 3s and from the pins. She’s just as reliable out of system, as she was in system.
So Kendall Hopewell had enough of that… 😳 🤯 #PresidentsDayChallenge pic.twitter.com/cDZO32usoW
— Line Shot Volleyball (@LineShotVBall) February 20, 2022
Bella Meier (2024) | 5’8 S | KeAloha
As you can tell with this squad, they’re all a little undersized. But when you run an offense as diverse and as fast as the one Bella Meier does, you can just ball out. Meier was probably my favorite setter on the tournament, her IQ is just so top notch, the set decisions was remarkable to see. She puts every attacker in great zones to score and isn’t afraid to go against the grain.
Elliot Rauch (2024) | 5’10 S | Cincinnati Academy
It’s quite a feat when you can pull a block as a setter by just your mere presence. Elliot Rauch was such an efficient attacker this weekend, she was able to open up opportunities for her hitters before even setting the ball. Rauch doesn’t just take the ball on two, but she takes a crack at the ball, often times finding the floor. When she isn’t calling her own number, her set location was beautifully placed for her hitters.
Carley Piercefield Carley Piercefield 5'4" | DS/L Lakewood | 2024 State #90 Nation MI (2024) | 5’4 L | FaR Out
Just as advertised, Carley Piercefield Carley Piercefield 5'4" | DS/L Lakewood | 2024 State #90 Nation MI is quite something. Piercefield can cover a lot of ground and does so in a short amount of time. Her defense is superb and she was one of the best passers in the division. Great technique and footwork to the ball, servers were doing the most to serve away from her.
Kylie Campbell (2024) | 5’4 L | KeAloha
Another dime for this squad is Kylie Campbell. Like her counterpart Piercefield, Campbell can take up a lot of space in the back court. She’s mechanically sound with her platform and is a great vocal leader in the back court.