A Closer Look At 5 Surprise D2 Teams

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The season is just a couple of weeks old, but Division 2 has some new names making their way up the rankings ladder.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some could have been predicted, while others weren't quite on the radar. Either way, all five teams are playing above expectations thus far.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Hamilton</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Hawkeyes have picked up some solid D2 victories early in the 2023 season and their losses usually come in multiple sets. It should be no surprise that Hamilton utilizes their middles well, especially senior <strong>Emma O'Connor</strong>. She's making a lot of highlight-reel kills and able to move around the net well to challenge defenses. O'Connor is also a big presence defensively with her blocking. Junior <strong>Kaitlyn Geurink</strong> is also have a lot of early success in the middle to give Hamilton a 1-2 punch at the position. On the outside, <strong>Kenzie Brinks </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='487154' first='Ally' last='Kragt'] </strong>are rounding out the offense to give setter <strong>Joelle Boeskool </strong>options to spread the ball around to. Boeskool is getting a lot of good swings out of her hitters early in the season. Defensively, <strong>Hannah Glupker </strong>is a junior libero that provides a lot of positive energy and has been solid with her serve receive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Lake Fenton</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Blue Devils are making some early waves in the 2023 season and doing so thanks to a pair of key sophomores. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='226895' first='Jillian' last='Ferrill'] </strong>has made a name for herself as a setter/outside in club season, but is primarily an outside hitter for Lake Fenton and proving she's one of the promising 2026 stars in this state. She's finishing at a high rate and has an advanced defensive game. That helps fellow sophomore libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='226913' first='Abbigayl' last='Sells']</strong>, who is covering a lot of ground on the court and keeping Lake Fenton in-system this year. Juniors <strong>Caraline Eakes </strong>and <strong>Gabrielle LaBonte </strong>are solid compliments on the right side of the net for Lake Fenton, while senior middle <strong>Sophie Zalac </strong>is coming through with some big points and blocks. <strong>Joslynn Stalo </strong>and <strong>Alex Murray </strong>have been splitting the setting time and have things running smoothly for the Blue Devils. Keep an eye out for this team in the months to come.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Marysville</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Vikings have been challenging themselves against the best early in the season and have earned solid wins over the likes of Notre Dame Prep, Grosse Pointe South and Bloomfield Hills. They also played a very tight two-set match with North Branch. It shouldn't be much of a surprise that Marysville has a balanced offensive attack through the setting of senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110335' first='Avery' last='Woodard']</strong>, one of the top setters in all of D2. She's already racked up 228 assists over 21 sets of play, more than 10 a set right now. Woodard has the team hitting at a high percentage. It's a senior-heavy attack with <strong>Avery Wolters</strong>, <strong>Janae Hudson</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='153680' first='Rayna' last='Powers'] </strong>and <strong>Breanna Gentner</strong> all steadily contributing to the offense. All of that front-lint experience has Marysville looking very composed and in-sync. In the back row, <strong>Kalista Negin</strong> is a senior libero to give the Vikings a lot of experience and leadership at each key position. This veteran team is likely to keep challenging for a top spot in D2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Otsego</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldogs are definitely a team catching some deserved attention early in this season. Otsego is spreading itself out with a lot of competition and coming through with wins. The losses have been competitive, with the Bulldogs learning from their mistakes. Otsego has a couple of sizable hitting options in freshman outside <strong>Brooke Smalldon</strong> and junior middle <strong>Tessa Prough</strong>. Smalldon is a big addition as a freshman. She's long, but moves really well and is athletic enough to hit from anywhere on the floor. Prough is a big factor in the middle with her ability to take power shots and be relentless with her blocking. <strong>Jessie Bradford</strong>, <strong>Isabella McCamman</strong> and <strong>Olivia Dennis</strong> are also contributing outsides that give freshman setter <strong>Maddy Little</strong> some options to spread the ball around to. The glue that helps keep everything together is senior libero <strong>Aly Aldrich</strong>. She is the one to help keep the young players focused while excelling in her defensive play to make life easier for Little. The ceiling is still quite high for Otsego, which should make opposing teams nervous.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Three Rivers</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Three Rivers has managed to string together double-digit wins already in 2023, but tougher games are on the horizon for the Wildcats. What's been working well right now for Three Rivers is the Southland connection. That is sophomore setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454063' first='Miley' last='Southland'] </strong>connecting with senior middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='176598' first='Jenna' last='Southland']</strong>. Jenna already has amassed 148 kills over 33 sets while hitting .333. That's allowed Miley to rack up 284 assists thus far on the season. Jenna has also been a big force with her blocking, picking up 29 blocks. Senior <strong>Arabella Mangold </strong>has been a consistent finisher for the Wildcats as well. She's hitting .316 with 68 kills on the outside. Defensively, senior <strong>Aliza Munro</strong> is leading the way with 117 digs. She's locked in and showing great first contact. With a dominant hitter leading the way, Three Rivers should remain competitive in the D2 picture throughout the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->