Motor City Madness: 17 Open Standout Setters & Defenders

<p>It wasn’t just about the hitting talent on display at the 17 Open of Motor City Madness last weekend.</p> <p>There were a lot of talented defenders and setters that did their part to draw focus to their skills.</p> <p>Here’s a look at some of the players that caught my eye.</p> <h4><strong>Michigan Elite 17 Mizuno</strong></h4> [caption id="attachment_130419" align="alignright" width="162"]<img class="wp-image-130419" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/02/71_Taryn-Rice2-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="162" height="162" /> [player_tooltip player_id="108714" first="Taryn" last="Rice"][/caption] <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="66297" first="Kalliann" last="Cook"] &amp; [player_tooltip player_id="108714" first="Taryn" last="Rice"], L/DS/S: </strong>These two both deserve a lot of credit as they filled in at setter with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="66328" first="Ava" last="Sarafa"]</strong> playing out West for the weekend. Both are standout defenders, but looked quite comfortable in a very different role. Each played with a lot of composure and used their natural touch to make good sets and get in proper position. Aside from the impressive play, their efforts should send a message as to the kind of teammates they are.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="169506" first="Hannah" last="Howard"], L/DS: </strong>Howard was very agile in the back court for 17 Mizuno, as they cruised their way to a perfect weekend. She moved smoothly around the floor to lead the defensive effort and play in support of her back row teammates-turned-setters. Howard raised her game to keep her team in-system.</p> <h4><strong>Michigan Elite 17 Elite</strong></h4> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="152531" first="Norah" last="Tisko"], L/DS: </strong>Tisko has a lot of athleticism and is a good communicator on the floor. She’s constantly in the right spot to back up her teammates and is able to dig out the tough balls with her effort.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="66331" first="Margo" last="Sudzina"], S: </strong>Sudzina mixes up the tempo of the offense and gets a lot of players involved. She’s used to a wide array of hitting talent, so she’s comfortable just feeling out the point and getting it to the right hitter.</p> <h4><strong>ECJ 17-1</strong></h4> <p><strong>Meridan Vosicky, S: </strong>Vosicky put her teammates in a position to succeed often by hitting her spots on her sets. When the team stayed in-system, Vosicky was able to get her teammates a great swing on the ball and got a lot of hitters involved in the action.</p> <p><strong>Ava Golem, L/DS: </strong>Golem had very smooth form on her passing and serve receive. She wasn’t able to get to every attack, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. She stays light on her feet and keeps her head on a swivel.</p> <h4><strong>MVBTA 17N GR-Chuck</strong></h4> <p><strong>Olivia Bonkowski, L/DS: </strong>Bonkowski was very consistent in serve receive. She repeatedly got great feeds to the setter and maintained great technique. She was able to get low to the ball and watch the serve through to her setter.</p> <h4><strong>MVA 17 Black</strong></h4> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="110292" first="Zoey" last="Dood"], S: </strong>Dood is one of the top prospects in the Midwest for the Class of 2024. She’s long and agile and makes her sets look effortless. She’s got a wide selection of sets to use and is able to play a variety of angles. Dood also can easily recognize when to call her own number and finish a point.</p> <h4><strong>Attack VBC 17U Matt</strong></h4> <p><strong>Meah Palmatier, S:</strong> Palmatier was a very positive and encouraging player. She did her part on the court with steady setting and defensive support, but also lifted up her teammates after miscues.</p> <p><strong>Isabella Schultz, L/DS: </strong>Schultz was another vocal leader from the back row. She took command of the defense and communicated very well. She also displayed quick reaction time to get to some tough attacks, while still locating the ball in a place where Palmatier could succeed.</p> <h4><strong>Monsters 17 Elite</strong></h4> [caption id="attachment_170075" align="alignright" width="162"]<img class="wp-image-170075" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/12/8-Ava-Beard-286x300.jpg" alt="" width="162" height="162" /> [player_tooltip player_id="173607" first="Ava" last="Beard"][/caption] <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="173607" first="Ava" last="Beard"], S: </strong>Beard is another setter that has a wide range of skills and uses them all to be an unpredictable player for opposing teams. She’s mixes up feeds and hitters well, but her best asset may be her ability to adjust to the play. Beard came through with some really challenging sets for her hitters.</p> <h4><strong>HPVBA 17-1</strong></h4> <p><strong>Carleigh Turek, L/DS: </strong>Turek had very active eyes and really put herself on the line for each point. It was a tough weekend for her team, but Turek did what she could to keep HPVBA in close sets.</p>