L2 Pre-Nationals: NorthShore Volleyball Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At last weekend's L2 Pre-Nationals, NorthShore Volleyball had a big impact in the top divisions of the club event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Four different squads were part of the gold bracket in the 15/16 Open and 17/18 Divisions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a good opportunity to get a closer look at just what the club has to offer, as they had some impressive performers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>NorthShore 16 Riptide</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":395475,"width":268,"height":238,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/05/DSC_5850-1.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-395475" width="268" height="238" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Caitlyn Matelski</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Riptide reached the semifinals of the 15/16 Open Gold Bracket. <strong>Katie Rueckert </strong>was a standout hitter for the squad, taking on a lot of swings during key points in Sunday's action. She never backed down from the assignment either. Speaking of hitters, <strong>Caitlyn Matelski</strong> was a hitter that caught my eye as she was attacking a lot of difficult angles and placing the ball in places the defense couldn't get to. She had the ability to contort her arm quickly and still deliver with a lot of power. <strong>Caroline Best </strong>also looked strong at the net. She had a good mix of size and power to be an imposing player. <strong>Keira Castle</strong>, the libero, also deserves some credit for her effort. She came through with a lot of tough digs that her team then rallied to finish off.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>NorthShore 15 Lionfish</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Playing against some older competition, Lionfish still made a run to the 15/16 Open gold bracket and held their own. Setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='226903' first='Reese' last='Jones'] </strong>really caught my eye. She was a player that was doing a bit of everything and really trying to carry the team on her back at times. She made difficult sets, but also was a standout defensive player. The same can be said for libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='261147' first='Emma' last='Flick']</strong>, who had to take on some big hitters that were spreading the ball all over the court. Flick covered a lot of ground and stayed determined throughout. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='226934' first='Judy' last='Steffens'] </strong>was a consistent outside that was finishing a lot of points for Lionfish. At 5'9”, she was able to power through some sizable blockers. In the middle, <strong>Sable Dankers </strong>was a middle that showed promise. The 6-footer from Traverse City was able to high point the ball and be effective with her blocking.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>NorthShore 18 Megalodons</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":395476,"width":192,"height":246,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/05/DSC_6504-1.jpg?w=796" alt="" class="wp-image-395476" width="192" height="246" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='110314' first='Carissa' last='Musta']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Megalodons reached the semifinals of the 17/18 Division. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110283' first='Natalie' last='Bourdo']</strong> was certainly one of the best liberos at the event. She was always very steady in her role and had good control of the defense at all times. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110314' first='Carissa' last='Musta'] </strong>is always going to be an imposing figure at the net. Being 6'4” with her athleticism makes her very tough to game plan for. She looks more and more comfortable with each passing match, which makes her on the top 2024 hitters to watch next year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='173617' first='Morgan' last='Deming'] </strong>was an eye-catcher for Megalodons as well. The 6'2” Lake Superior State commit transitioned well playing the middle or the outside. She delivered with consistent power and had great footwork in moving around the net.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>NorthShore 17 Hammerheads</strong> </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Hammerheads were in the gold bracket of the 17/18 Division before playing a tight match with the Megalodons. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='261164' first='Jenna' last='Flick'] </strong>was a standout libero, as she took on some big swings and made them look like routine plays for her. She definitely was a big reason Hammerheads was able to compete. <strong>Claire Miner </strong>was a player also doing a nice job of finding ways to make plays and being effective. In a match with some long rallys and scrambles, Miner showed a lot of court IQ to finish points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->