Seven Under-The-Radar Teams in Division 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's a number of Division 2 teams that are putting up big win totals in the 2022 prep season, but aren't getting the attention as their top-ranked peers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Every year we see some new faces make a push to break into the top of the food chain and we will likely see it again in 2022.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the postseason approaches, here's seven teams that might be able to shake things up in Division 2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>Croswell-Lexington</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A team with 28 wins already has to be doing something right. The Pioneers are finding ways to grind out tough sets and keep battling through losing efforts. <strong>Kylee Stribling </strong>and <strong>Kobi Stribling</strong> provide a great 1-2 punch offensively. Add in a third punch with <strong>Isabella Edwards</strong>, and the Cros-Lex offense is going to be a handful for any other D2 opponent. The team serves very well, has a great defense led by <strong>Elara Rankin</strong>, and a confident setter in <strong>Annalise Weeder</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>Fruitport</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Trojans don't have the most impressive record, but that's because they are up against a lot of strong Division 1 and Division 2 teams regularly. Fruitport has utilized some impressive underclassmen as well. Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156300' first='Sadie' last='Haase']</strong> is having a breakout year as a hitter. She's leading the team with close to 250 on the season while showing improvement on her blocking and passing. Setter/hitter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='227707' first='Gracelynn' last='Olson'] </strong>is also doing big things as a freshman. She's among the team leaders in each major category. With this infusion of youth to a strong group of seniors, Fruitport could be a big spoiler come the postseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>Hopkins</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 20-win Hopkins team is battling through the OK Conference and ready to shake things up in D2. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='66343' first='Corrie' last='Wisser'] </strong>is one of the most valuable players in all the Division. The senior setter is putting up big numbers on offense, digging the ball, and from the service line. She's a catalyst in every aspect of the game. Add in a power arm in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='222366' first='Kate' last='Cleypool']</strong> and Hopkins has the players who can take over a big match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>Ludington</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 24-win team, Ludington has had a lot of success this season. The question for the Orioles will be what happens when they play up against the best of the best in D2. Ludington won't be lacking in confidence by that. Junior <strong>Maddy Vaara </strong>has been impressive in leading the offense. She's got a great connection with sophomore setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='482161' first='Jordyn' last='Anderson']</strong>. If the Orioles can get the best out of their defense, they appear to have the hitting to compete at a high level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>Macomb Lutheran North</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Out of the Catholic League, Lutheran North gets tested on a nightly basis. Still, the Mustangs are winning at a high rate. The big strength for Lutheran North right now is their balanced attack. They have four hitters that are finishing at a high rate. Juniors <strong>Jordan Pflaum</strong>, <strong>Lillian Kirchoff</strong> and <strong>Ava Acre</strong> join freshman <strong>Emma Rosenow</strong> as the big arms for the team. <strong>Emma Leinberger </strong>is a senior setter, while <strong>Mia Newton </strong>is a senior libero that help complete this team. Lutheran North will be battle-tested coming into the playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>Orchard Lake St. Mary's</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eaglets truly had to build from scratch. Now in their third year, they are starting to find themselves as a threat in Division 2. A class of juniors and younger, OLSM has been able to pick up set wins over quality programs. It's a balanced effort for the Eaglets as well in all areas of the floor. With a team that's going to only get better with more experience, expect the Eaglets to make some noise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>Regina</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Regina is a team that has been picking up wins and learning some lessons in their losses to strong teams. <strong>Olivia Dobbs </strong>is showing she's a fierce leader on the floor and can pack a punch offensively. Regina also has a lot of defensive talent, giving the back row a lot of consistency and trust in one another. That's helped setter <strong>Brooke Bobowski </strong>to keep the offense in-system and make Regina a contender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->