Motor City Madness: 15 Open Standout Setters & Defenders
Some of the unsung heroes of Motor City Madness were the young defenders and setters that competed. A lot of them played their positions at a high level to lift their teams up in performance. Here’s a look at some…
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Continue ReadingSome of the unsung heroes of Motor City Madness were the young defenders and setters that competed.
A lot of them played their positions at a high level to lift their teams up in performance. Here’s a look at some of the names that shined in the 15 Open.
MIE 15 Mizuno
Ella Craggs Ella Craggs 5'9" | S Northville | 2025 State #127 Nation MI , S: Craggs works with a lot of talented hitters, but she is quite the talent herself. She’s very confident and in control on the floor, which leads to a great marriage throughout the offense. Her leadership shines through as well, giving her all the tools to be an elite setter.
McKenna Payne McKenna Payne 5'7" | DS/L SMCC | 2025 State #105 Nation MI , L/DS: Payne is a very active defender and an unsung hero for a powerful team at the net. Without her consistency in the back row, the offense wouldn’t be able to play with the speed it does. Payne is very steady and always up for the challenge of facing big hitters.
MIE 15 Elite
Laura Mabrey, L/DS: Mabrey really flowed to the ball well defensively. She just had a knack for getting herself in the right position, or making the proper arm adjustments in time to make a great pass or dig.
MVBTA 15N GR-Jasmine
Ashley Zollman, L/DS: Zollman played with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. She embraced the challenge of the weekend and put her body on the line to make plays time and again. Teams did their best to stay away from her with their serve, because she was always receiving at a high rate. Her serve was also a handful for opponents.
MVA 15 Black
Madison Peal, L/DS: Peal has a good nose for the ball, which isn’t surprising given her last name. She’s a natural for the position and goes all out on each point. She had a number of diving digs over the weekend that were still precisely located to the setter.
Cali Stevons, S: Stevons had good body language throughout the event. She kept her teammates motivated and confident, but also was aggressive with her play. Along with nice sets, Stevons made some very physical plays defensively to keep her team in a rally.
HVVC 15 Blue
Slena Ambroza, L/DS: Ambroza did her part to keep HVVC in sets during a tough weekend. She was quick to the ball and stayed light on her feet. She also had good communication skills while taking command when it was her play.