Top Performers at Mercy Power Series: Weekend 2
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Another big weekend of volleyball went down at the St. Joe’s Sports Complex in Livonia this weekend. Of the 20 teams in this hotly contested Power Series, not a single one came out of weekend two unblemished. Coming out of…
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Continue ReadingAnother big weekend of volleyball went down at the St. Joe’s Sports Complex in Livonia this weekend. Of the 20 teams in this hotly contested Power Series, not a single one came out of weekend two unblemished.
Coming out of weekend two, No. 6 Clarkston and No. 2 Northville are at the top of the leaderboard with a record of 7-1. Clarkston dropped a tight match to Detroit Country Day and Northville dropped their first match of the series to North Branch. Both of these Division 1 heavyweights were given the business by the top two teams in Division 2.
A lot of elite volleyball was played over the weekend and as the season continues to press ahead, we are beginning to see teams formulate and define. We are also beginning to see some big names, or otherwise under-the-radar names, come out to play in big ways.
Let’s break down some of the top performers from Weekend two of the Mercy Power Series.
Kaela Chingwa Kaela Chingwa 6'3" | MB North Branch | 2024 State MI – 6’2 MB – North Branch
The difference maker for North Branch really relies on the power in the middle. They have the pins to contend for titles, now who is going to bring it home in the middle. Kaela Chingwa Kaela Chingwa 6'3" | MB North Branch | 2024 State MI showed this weekend that she’s starting to heat up. Her offense was on fire and her blocking was intense. More than doubling her season average, Chingwa was good for over three kills per set, while hitting over .400 on the weekend.
Mia Eickholdt Mia Eickholdt 5'11" | RS Country Day | 2024 State MI – 5’11 OPP – Detroit Country Day
I have been watching this player for awhile now and I have never seen her play as explosive and dominating as this. In the front row or out of the back row, she was a menace throughout the day. Mia Eickholdt Mia Eickholdt 5'11" | RS Country Day | 2024 State MI has this new pop to her jump and her swing and it is exactly what Detroit Country Day needs after losing such an elite class in 2021.
Kiley Gallagher Kiley Gallagher 5'5" | DS/L Clarkston | 2024 State MI – 5’6 L – Clarkston
After an unexpected early bow out of the tournament last season, Clarkston has come roaring back into the 2022 season. A lot of this is due to the play of their starting libero, Kiley Gallagher Kiley Gallagher 5'5" | DS/L Clarkston | 2024 State MI . Gallagher was on another level this weekend, a scrappy defender with the most solid of reception. She’s a leader on the court and is a huge contributor to this team’s 7-1 record so far in the series.
Anna Hesse Anna Hesse 5'11" | OH Saline | 2023 State MI – 5’11 OH – Saline
Like Eickholdt, I have never seen this type of pop in this player’s game. A consistent presence throughout her time at Saline over the years, but its Anna Hesse Anna Hesse 5'11" | OH Saline | 2023 State MI ‘s final outing in the yellow and blue and she’s going out with a bang. In Saline’s match against Lake Orion, Hesse came up huge with 15 kills in the sweep of the Dragons hitting over .500.
Ella Craggs Ella Craggs 5'9" | S Northville | 2025 State #127 Nation MI – 5’9 S – Northville
Alongside Clarkston, Northville is at the top of the leaderboard in the Power Series thus far with a 7-1 record, only dropping their last game in weekend two to North Branch. A huge piece to the success of the Mustangs has been the play of S Ella Craggs Ella Craggs 5'9" | S Northville | 2025 State #127 Nation MI . Craggs is in her first season with this group, but is playing like a veteran leader on the court. Her consistency on the court is vital and she’s timely with her set selection.
Ella Shields Ella Shields 5'5" | DS/L Mercy | 2023 State MI – 5’10 OH – Mercy (Stony Brook)
Mercy had a great weekend going 3-1, currently standing at 6-2, and they weren’t without some big challenges. In particular against Skyline and North Branch, Mercy was able to pull off the wins in three. A huge reason for these victories came from the arm of Ella Shields Ella Shields 5'5" | DS/L Mercy | 2023 State MI . Shields is the complete six rotation player for Mercy who can score out of any zone on the court. Her arm was going off this weekend and her passing remains one of the best out of the pin hitters.
McKenna Payne McKenna Payne 5'7" | DS/L SMCC | 2025 State #105 Nation MI – 5’8 OH/L – SMCC
She can libero if you need, she can hit if you need and this weekend, McKenna Payne McKenna Payne 5'7" | DS/L SMCC | 2025 State #105 Nation MI proved that she can run an offense if you need her to, too! Yes, Payne is as versatile as they come and stepped up big time for the Kestrels this weekend as their top setter was sidelined. Even in an unideal situation, Payne and company nearly went undefeated on the weekend, just narrowly being edged out by Anchor Bay in three.