Familiar Faces at the Prep Dig Finale

<p>Bring on the Finale!</p> <p>I can’t believe we’re already approaching the middle of June as we set up for our final Prep Dig Circuit event of the 2022 season. This is an event that has been circled on my calendar since the beginning of the year, and I’m incredibly excited to travel up to Michigan to watch some great volleyball talent from around the region.</p> <p>This won’t be my first time covering an event in this area, though. At the end of April, I visited the I-X Center in Cleveland and got to see some elite-tier performances from teams we’ll get to see at Nationals this summer. Some of those same teams we saw at the Open in Ohio will make the trip to Pontiac for the Finale, and I wanted to highlight a few of those clubs and teams here.</p> <p>Here are a few of those Cleveland competitors that are getting back on the Prep Dig Circuit this weekend.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>AVC</strong></p> <p>When I covered the Prep Dig Open in Cleveland at the end of April, AVC was keen on defending its home territory. Now, though, this Ohio club is now the one on the move, with many of the same AVC teams from the Open making the trip to the Finale.</p> [caption id="attachment_198986" align="alignright" width="399"]<img class="wp-image-198986" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/06/Molly-Jared2-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="399" height="225" /> 17 Blue competes at the Prep Dig Open in Cleveland.[/caption] <p>AVC CLE Rox 17 Blue is one of those returning teams. The experience of battling in the competitive 17 Club division in Cleveland should help 17 Blue in its upcoming Michigan appearance. I was particularly impressed with the team’s frontcourt presence at the Open. Madison Moegerle has become a solid transition scorer in the middle, and Sophia Enberg put down some quality swings on the left. We’ll surely feature more attackers from this team by the end of the week.</p> <p>Let’s hop over to the 16s. AVC CLE Rox 16 Blue captured our attention in Cleveland by claiming a runner-up finish in 16 Club. Now, we’ll see if the team can do one spot better in Pontiac. I’m expecting the same high-level play we saw in Ohio from players like right-side hitter Chidimma Obi and middle blocker Colleen Nakhooda.</p> <p>The trinity is complete in the 15s division with AVC CLE Rox 15 White. This team challenged itself in the 15 Open division at the I-X Center and went toe-to-toe with some of the top 15s teams in the region. Libero Bridget Conway did an excellent job patrolling the backcourt at our Cleveland event, while Emma Zsiros scored with great efficiency from the middle. New standouts will surely emerge at the Finale.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>A2</strong></p> <p>Here’s another Ohio club that will be a familiar sight in Michigan. After competing at The Open, this Columbus group is staying on the Prep Dig Circuit for one final outing this year.</p> [caption id="attachment_200695" align="alignright" width="399"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/06/IMG_9006-crop-3068x2014-1654727924.jpg"><img class="wp-image-200695" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/06/IMG_9006-crop-3068x2014-1654727924-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="399" height="262" /></a> 15 Green competes at the Prep Dig Open in Cleveland.[/caption] <p>There’s a whole laundry list of A2 teams returning for our last Circuit outing. The first eye-catching development is A2 17 Green and A2 15 Green competing in the same opening-day pool in the 17s/18s division. It may seem like a steep climb for 15 Green to make, but that 15s squad brings some of the best frontcourt firepower that this club has to offer. Finley Sparks had an outstanding weekend at the Open and brings all-around skills that make an influence in every rotation. Likewise, [player_tooltip player_id="151973" first="Kameron" last="Stover"] had a brilliant showing along the net and connected well with setter [player_tooltip player_id="195855" first="Jillian" last="Given"]. Don’t underestimate this bunch.</p> <p>A2 17 Shamrock and A2 16 Green also appear in the 17s/18s group. Shamrock had a strong showing in 17 Club at the I-X Center and will hopefully bring some of that same success to Pontiac. More of these A2 squads can be found throughout the divisional hierarchy, with A2 16 Shamrock and A2 15 Shamrock competing in their respective age levels. In short, there’s a good chance will see at least one A2 team break out among our Finale field.</p>