Beast of the East Standouts: Pins (Pt. 2)
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One of the most stacked field of teams we may have ever seen at Beast of the East, these teams came in ready to play and it made for an epic day of volleyball! With such a stacked field, we…
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Continue ReadingOne of the most stacked field of teams we may have ever seen at Beast of the East, these teams came in ready to play and it made for an epic day of volleyball!
With such a stacked field, we saw a lot of most talented pin attackers in the state. A heavy mix of Miss Volleyball nominees and the big names of tomorrow, they were all on display at Beast of the East.
Here were some of the top pin attackers from this weekend’s Beast of the East.
Aubree Deshetsky Aubree Deshetsky 5'9" | OH North Branch | 2026 State MI & Clara Gyomory Clara Gyomory 5'10" | RS North Branch | 2024 State MI – North Branch
A Beast of the East semifinalist, North Branch just narrowly missed out on a gold medal match. A huge reason for the Bronco dominance came from the pins, both left and right! OPP Clara Gyomory Clara Gyomory 5'10" | RS North Branch | 2024 State MI and OH Aubree Deshetsky Aubree Deshetsky 5'9" | OH North Branch | 2026 State MI were consistent forces throughout the day. Gyomory continues to prove that she’s a big threat on the right pin, while Deshetsky is showcasing a very promising career in the blue and white.
Abigail Reck Abigail Reck 6'2" | MB Northville | 2023 State #74 Nation MI – Northville
MVP of the Beast of the East tournament? Easily, Abigail Reck Abigail Reck 6'2" | MB Northville | 2023 State #74 Nation MI (Northeastern). Not only was Reck the driving force to the 7-0, championship winning day, but she did so while averaging over six kills per set against some of the best competition in the state. An utter force to be reckoned with, Reck showed off a lot of grit, leadership and prowess at Beast of the East and showing no signs of slowing up going into the postseason.
Sarah Vellucci Sarah Vellucci 6'0" | OH Novi | 2023 State #97 Nation MI & Kaitlyn Hoffman Kaitlyn Hoffman 5'8" | DS/L Novi | 2023 State #81 Nation MI – Novi
These two are pretty synonymous with Novi volleyball and were in their element on Saturday. Heading up one of the best back rows of the entire field, Sarah Vellucci Sarah Vellucci 6'0" | OH Novi | 2023 State #97 Nation MI (Long Beach State) and Kaitlyn Hoffman Kaitlyn Hoffman 5'8" | DS/L Novi | 2023 State #81 Nation MI (Ohio State) were also getting it done offensively. The duo led the Wildcats into the gold bracket rounds and Hoffman was also named to the BOE All-Tournament team.
Rachel Townsend Rachel Townsend 5'10" | OH Oxford | 2023 State MI – Oxford
Despite the 0-3 run in pool play, Rachel Townsend Rachel Townsend 5'10" | OH Oxford | 2023 State MI (Saginaw Valley) knows how to bring the heat! You simply could not feed the beast enough! The SVSU bound left side managed to still put up some impressive numbers averaging five kills per set to a tune of .290 on the weekend.
Allison Pilat Allison Pilat 6'2" | OH Plymouth Christian | 2024 State MI – Plymouth Christian
The Beast of the East proved to be a really good test for this Division 3 team. Allison Pilat Allison Pilat 6'2" | OH Plymouth Christian | 2024 State MI proved to be a real force to be reckoned with in her first season on the left pin and was pretty dynamic with a heightened block and tough defense in front of her. Pilat has a nice high contact of the ball and did very well adjusting to find the scoring shot.
Harper Murray Harper Murray 6'2" | OH Skyline | 2023 State #2 Nation MI – Ann Arbor Skyline
An All-Tournament team member and a Dream Team member. Harper Murray Harper Murray 6'2" | OH Skyline | 2023 State #2 Nation MI can put on a show wherever she goes and she did just that at Beast of the East. One of the best players in the country amongst some of the best teams in Michigan, Murray was at a ten all weekend.
Anna Hesse Anna Hesse 5'11" | OH Saline | 2023 State MI & Marie Laurio Marie Laurio 5'10" | OH Saline | 2025 State #147 Nation MI – Saline
Saline came into the tournament on a real high after knocking down some top tier opponents. After a rough start in pool play, the Hornets managed to turn back the tide during bracket play. A huge reason for this team’s success comes from power on the pins with Anna Hesse Anna Hesse 5'11" | OH Saline | 2023 State MI and Marie Laurio Marie Laurio 5'10" | OH Saline | 2025 State #147 Nation MI . The duo is averaging close to eight kills per set combined and can back up their offense with some great ball control.
Jessica Costlow Jessica Costlow 5'11" | OH SMCC | 2025 State #142 Nation MI & Madeline Dettling Madeline Dettling 6'0" | OH SMCC | 2026 State MI – St. Mary’s Catholic Central
One of the smallest teams in the field and one of two teams that weren’t in Division 1 or 2, SMCC held up so well against this field of teams. A big reason for that was the play of the Kestrel’s left side. Jessica Costlow Jessica Costlow 5'11" | OH SMCC | 2025 State #142 Nation MI and Madeline Dettling Madeline Dettling 6'0" | OH SMCC | 2026 State MI are priming up to be one dynamic duo for years to come. As Costlow, only a sophomore, is playing like a seasoned veteran in her second season, Dettling is beginning to settle into the game and at a very high level in her debut.
Katie Smith Katie Smith 6'0" | OH Utica Eisenhower | 2023 State MI – Utica Eisenhower
It’s not a Beast of the East if it weren’t for an upset or two. Utica Eisenhower came into the tournament seeded the fourth man in the pool rounds and came out with a ticket to the gold rounds. A lot of this success came from the play of Katie Smith Katie Smith 6'0" | OH Utica Eisenhower | 2023 State MI (Wayne State) on the outside pin. Terminal from just about every zone in the court, Smith was unstoppable this weekend.
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