Former Michigan Standouts In The 2022 NCAA Tournament
The 2022 MHSAA prep postseason just wrapped up, but the 2022 NCAA postseason is just about to get underway. A field of 64 teams was announced for this year’s NCAA championship, with action getting underway starting on Thursday. The NCAA…
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Continue ReadingThe 2022 MHSAA prep postseason just wrapped up, but the 2022 NCAA postseason is just about to get underway.
A field of 64 teams was announced for this year’s NCAA championship, with action getting underway starting on Thursday. The NCAA Championship match will be held on Dec. 17.
Included once again in this year’s field is more than a dozen former Michigan prep standouts, including a former Miss Volleyball winner.
Here’s a look at the names that shined here in Michigan that will look to shine on the national stage in the weeks to come.
Ball State: The Cardinals got an at-large bid into the tournament after a five-set loss in the MAC Championship match. Leading Ball State has been Notre Dame Prep alum Natalie Risi on the outside. Risi had 271 kills, 349 digs, 32 blocks and 31 aces for the Cardinals this year. Over her career, Risi has tallied 912 kills and 1,289 digs for Ball State. The Cardinals take on Marquette in the opening round.
Bowling Green: The MAC Tournament champs include senior middle Madelynn Luebcke on their roster. The 6’2” Luebcke played for Lakeshore during her prep career. This season she has appeared in 18 sets and has five kills and nine blocks for the Falcons. Bowling Greek will face Western Kentucky in the opening round.
Hawaii: The Rainbow Wahine won the Big West title this season and did so with junior libero/DS Talia Edmonds on the roster. The Kalamazoo Central product joined Hawaii from Michigan State. She racked up 204 digs on the season to go with 45 assists. Hawaii will face LSU in the first round.
High Point: The Big South Tournament champions feature sophomore outside Sydney Palazzolo, a former standout for Utica Eisenhower. The 6’3” Palazzolo was named Big South Player of the Year in 2022 for her dominant play. She has tallied 431 kills, 312 digs, 42 aces and 28 blocks on the season. High point draws USC in the opening round.
Iowa State: The Cyclones are an at-large bid out of the Big 12. Included in their roster is senior outside Solei Thomas from Renaissance. Thomas had a strong year with 226 kills while hitting .229. She also had 60 digs and 52 blocks. Iowa State draws Florida-Gulf Coast in the first round.
Loyola-Chicago: The Ramblers won the Atlantic 10 Tournament to get into the NCAA Tournament field. Part of the ULC roster is senior middle Taylor Venuto, who played at Dexter during her prep career. The 6’1” Venuto has 202 kills on the season while hitting an impressive .393. She also has 96 blocks to go with 40 digs. Venuto was named Second Team All-A10 for her play this season. The Ramblers draw Kentucky in the opening round.
Marquette: The Eagles suffered a tough five-set lost in the Big East championship to Creighton, but still have high hopes for the NCAA Tournament. Among the leaders for Marquette has been sophomore outside Jenna Reitsma, a Lowell product. An All-Big East honoree this season, Reitsma has 279 kills on the season to go with 283 digs, 48 aces and 37 blocks. Marquette meets up with Ball State in the first round.
Purdue: The Boilermakers have an at-large bid out of the Big Ten Conference. Helping Purdue get here has been senior outside Maddy Chin. The Notre Dame Prep alum and former Miss Volleyball winner has 126 kills on the season with 48 blocks and 24 digs. Purdue draws Tennessee in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Samford: The Bulldogs got into the NCAA field by winning the SoCon Conference Tournament. Their roster features senior libero/DS Andie Salasky out of East Grand Rapids. She collected 233 digs this season to go with 18 aces. Samford will take on Louisville in the opening round.
TCU: The Horned Frogs earned an at-large bid out of the Big 12 Conference. TCU’s roster includes freshman middle Sarah Sylvester from Marian. The 6’3” Sylvester has 29 kills over 32 sets this season. She also added 36 blocks. The Horned Frogs also feature former Notre Dame Prep talent Taylor Raiola. This season she has appeared in 48 sets and has 17 kills and 60 digs. TCU takes on Washington in the opening round of the tournament.
UNLV: The Rebels got an at-large bid out of the Mountain West Conference. Included on their roster is sophomore libero Livvy Setla out of the Northville program. She appeared in 17 sets this season and recorded seven digs with four aces for the Rebels. UNLV draws Washington State in the first round.
Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers suffered a five-set loss to Rice in the Conference USA Championship match, but got an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. Western Kentucky features two Michigan natives in senior outside hitter Paige Briggs out of Lake Orion and redshirt freshman setter Callie Bauer from Hudson. Briggs was a First Team All-C-USA selection this year, as was Bauer, who also was named Freshman of the Year for the conference. Briggs recorded 396 kills this season while hitting .331. She also had 252 digs, 52 blocks and 39 aces. Bauer put up 1,171 assists to go along with 79 kills, 54 blocks and 189 digs. WKU draws Bowling Green in the first round.
Wright State: The Raiders won the Horizon League Championship to get into the NCAA field. Included on the roster is freshman outside Seiler Hruska. The Marquette native has appeared in 37 sets this season with 67 kills and a .250 hitting percentage. She also has 13 blocks with 14 digs. Wright State will face Georgia Tech in the opening round.