L2 Standouts in Pre-Nationals 17/18 Division

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hosting its own club event this weekend, the L2 Volleyball Program had a big opportunity to shine in Brighton for the Pre-Nationals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Just in the 17/18 Division alone, four different L2 squads reached the gold bracket on Sunday. All four squads featured players that made a splash and helped the program show what kind of talent they are developing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>L2 171</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":395619,"width":173,"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_6766-1.jpg?w=718" alt="" class="wp-image-395619" width="173" height="246" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='172200' first='Julia' last='Gojcaj']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>171 picked up the championship of the 17/18 Division. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='176596' first='Marianna' last='Rivera'] </strong>was very impressive to see in person. The 6'5” middle is a presence that is hard to prepare for. But, her athleticism really makes her the force she is at the net. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='153662' first='Catherine' last='Flaharty'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110331' first='Karlie' last='Vogelheim']</strong> also were very imposing at the net. Flaharty put up some of her best hitting of the season on the weekend. She played both pins effectively. Vogelheim also mixed up her spots along the net and finished with a lot of power while being a big blocking presence. Setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='172200' first='Julia' last='Gojcaj'] </strong>also had some solid stretches where she was coming through with defensive coverage while also getting the most out of her hitters with her smooth sets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>L2 172</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 172 squad gave 171 all it could handle over a pair of matches, splitting two three-set battles. However it was 171 that got the final laugh. Outside <strong>Abigail Manika </strong>had a nice weekend, really coming alive in those tight sets to help push 172 to big victories. Defensive specialist <strong>Clare Kotre </strong>was also a big boost, as she came through key with her serve receive. Setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='172202' first='Kaitlyn' last='Schram'] </strong>also played with a high court IQ. She made a lot of good decisions and recognized openings in the defense quickly.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>L2 161</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":395623,"width":177,"height":209,"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_6288-1.jpg?w=867" alt="" class="wp-image-395623" width="177" height="209" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='261152' first='Grace' last='Cooney']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 161 squad opted to move up in age competition and reached the semifinals of the 17/18 Division. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156310' first='Kylie' last='Kennedy'] </strong>put in a great defensive effort throughout. Her passing kept 161 right in the mix against every opponent. <strong>Morgan Lozzi </strong>was also a key part of the defensive effort as well. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='261152' first='Grace' last='Cooney'] </strong>is an ever-improving middle that starting to really come into her own. She was showing some new wrinkles to her game this weekend. The same can be said for <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156298' first='Chloe' last='Giehtbrock']</strong>, who continues to make strides as a setter. Her length and athleticism give her a lot of options at the position.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>L2 162</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 162 squad made the gold bracket this weekend before falling to 161 in a tightly contested match. Setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='261174' first='Kaylin' last='Schroeder'] </strong>was a big reason the team performed as well as it did. Not only was her play solid, but she brought a lot of energy to the court that was infectious for her teammates. Middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='400168' first='Lucy' last='Monahan'] </strong>was also a big force on the floor. Her blocking posed a real challenge for opponents and she did a nice job in transition to be a reliable offensive option.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->