Bloomfield Hills Quad Standouts & Thoughts

On Tuesday night, a solid group of four Division 1 programs came together to compete in a quad at Bloomfield Hills High School.   The Black Hawks hosted three-time defending state champs, Marian, as well as South Lyon East and Macomb Dakota.   The action was competitive throughout, but it would be South Lyon East that found a way to go 3-0 on the day and earn a real feather in its cap.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">South Lyon East</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/08/DSC_8038.jpg?w=965" alt="" class="wp-image-451908" style="width:263px;height:279px" width="263" height="279" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='156284' first='Gabriella' last='Babinski']</figcaption></figure>   Def. Dakota 25-19, 25-22   Def. Marian 25-17, 25-16   Def. Bloomfield Hills 25-19, 25-20   The buzz for the Cougars coming into the 2023 season has been strong. We listed them as a potential <a href="https://prepdig.com/2023/06/five-dark-horses-in-d1-for-2023/">dark horse to contend for the D1 title</a> this year and Tuesday's performance backed up those thoughts.   East is not lacking in hitting power at all. In fact, they can probably compete with any team in the state in that regard. The Cougars not only have plenty of size, but they have the depth as well. The trio of juniors that stand over 6 feet is hard to top. [player_tooltip player_id='156284' first='Gabriella' last='Babinski'] (6'1”) is a powerful outside that moves very well around the court. She finished second in our <a href="https://prepdig.com/2023/07/top-5-vote-getters-for-d1-player-of-the-year/">Preseason D1 Player of the Year</a> poll. [player_tooltip player_id='156340' first='Addison' last='Williams'] (6'2”) can play the middle or the RS and also shows a lot of athleticism and quickness at the net. [player_tooltip player_id='156309' first='Lauren' last='Johnson'] (6'2”) is an imposing figure in the middle. Her blocking is relentless and she's got momentum-swinging power in her attacks. Mix in senior [player_tooltip player_id='110280' first='Katie' last='Berry'], who is a polished six-rotation outside with a lot of competitive fire, and a [player_tooltip player_id='261190' first='Makayla' last='Credit'], a junior middle that can deliver a highlight-reel kill as well, and the Cougars aren't going to be lacking in available arms this fall. Katelyn Koch ran the offense smoothly and has a lot of experience with these hitters. Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='442969' first='Avery' last='Stepp'] also sees time on the court at setter and has a high ceiling for her prep career.   The key to having the offensive power is being able to use it. East was able to do that on Tuesday thanks to freshman libero [player_tooltip player_id='442967' first='Addison' last='Stepp'], who was locked in on her serve receive and making great first contact throughout the night. [player_tooltip player_id='502210' first='Samantha' last='Bearer'] was also a big asset defensively on the day.   If East can continue to get the level of passing it did on Tuesday, this team is going to be difficult for anyone to stop. The Cougars can come at you with a lot of arms and not let off the gas pedal.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Marian</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/08/BH-Quad-18.jpg?w=676" alt="" class="wp-image-451909" style="width:204px;height:308px" width="204" height="308" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='226885' first='Allie' last='Davison']</figcaption></figure>   Def. Bloomfield Hills 25-22, 25-18   Def. Dakota 25-20, 19-25, 15-7   The three-time champs have an uphill climb in 2023. The Mustangs lost nearly all of its starting lineup and is having to work in a new setter, a new libero, new middles and a new OPP. The ones filling in those shoes are relatively young, as Marian has rostered 10 underclassmen (7 freshmen, 3 sophomores) this season.   That puts a lot on the shoulders of junior outside [player_tooltip player_id='156287' first='Isabelle' last='Busignani']. As an All-State outside that led the Mustangs in kills last year, she will have to shoulder a lot of the on-court leadership role as she is the only returning starter. Marian is using a pair of freshmen to support her on the outside in [player_tooltip player_id='436889' first='Sophia' last='Smith'] and [player_tooltip player_id='454352' first='Calli' last='LeFevre']. While freshmen, its clear both have a very high ceiling and are already playing at a pretty high level.   Sophomore middle [player_tooltip player_id='226945' first='Jayla' last='Zayti'] will be key, as will senior [player_tooltip player_id='222362' first='Danielle' last='Mertz'], who can bring some leadership and experience to the floor while providing depth on the outside or middle. All hitters will be working with new setter, sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='226885' first='Allie' last='Davison']. Davison is another player with a high ceiling, but is getting a feel for the tempo that Marian is looking to play at to once again push for a state title.   Defensively, junior Maria Odeesh is wearing the libero jersey, replacing a four-year starter at the position. Serve receive and serving will need to once again be a strength to help these young hitters come along. The middles also getting their block timing down will be important. Marian has had a strength in the middle during their three-year title run to help slow down attacks.   Marian has a pair of losses already this year, but don't be quick to count them out. The Mustangs are going to be a much stronger team come October as these young starters get more experience.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bloomfield Hills</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/08/DSC_7737.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-451910" style="width:297px;height:283px" width="297" height="283" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='226909' first='Kayla' last='Nwabueze']</figcaption></figure>   Def. Dakota 26-24, 23-25, 15-9   As was the theme of the night, Bloomfield Hills might have just went 1-2, but established its right in the mix with top teams in the state. The Black Hawks were never soundly outplayed in any of the three matchups.   Bloomfield Hills has plenty of power and athleticism on offense, but the key this season will be serving and serve receive. The Black Hawks struggled with service errors on Tuesday that kept it from getting lengthy runs. If Bloomfield Hills can stay in-system consistently against top squads, they will be tough to beat.   Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='226909' first='Kayla' last='Nwabueze'] is the <a href="https://prepdig.com/michigan/rankings/2026-rankings/">No. 1 ranked player in the Class of 2026</a> for a reason. As a middle, you won't find many that do more. She plays a smart game despite being as powerful a hitter as anyone on the floor. Her blocking is relentless, and her defense is improving every set.   She's surrounded by a lot of experienced outsides in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='523642' first='Natalie' last='Petrucci'], [player_tooltip player_id='219684' first='Kora' last='Nicolanti'] and Annalise Parker. All three have a nice mix of shots and can contribute in the passing game. Collectively, Bloomfield Hills does a great job with its blocking and puts a lot of energy into slowing down attacks.   The offense has a good flow as well while working with a freshman setter in Brynn Wilcox. Wilcox played with a lot of maturity on Tuesday. She wasn't afraid to call her own number and had a handful of successful dumps in key moments. Wilcox didn't seem to let the pressure points get to her, which is a good sign for her development.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Dakota</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/08/DSC_7165.jpg?w=968" alt="" class="wp-image-451911" style="width:250px;height:264px" width="250" height="264" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='191749' first='Abigail' last='Wutka']</figcaption></figure>   Dakota didn't come through with a win, but the Cougars are also right on the cusp of being a top-10 squad. They played South Lyon East the toughest of any of the three teams on Tuesday and also took sets from Marian and Bloomfield Hills.   The Cougars have veteran leadership up front with senior setter Sophia Payne and go-to outside [player_tooltip player_id='172209' first='Karley' last='Pretzer']. Pretzer is a player that dialed up the intensity in the later stages of the quad. When she tapped into that intensity, she became a handful for her opponents. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='191749' first='Abigail' last='Wutka'] also shoed some impressive finishes. Wutka is able to hang in the air and has a quick second gear on her swing. That second gear allows her to generate a lot of power. Her power swings has as much velocity as anyone on the night.   Where Dakota wants to see more is working the middles. The Cougars have athleticism at the position with senior [player_tooltip player_id='110328' first='Johanna' last='Tillman'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='261159' first='Haley' last='Jarvis'], but they just couldn't get a flow going in the middle on Tuesday. As the chemistry builds between them and Payne, Dakota's going to have a really dangerous offense.   Senior libero Nina Wyka played well on the night as well. She's got a lot of good instincts in the back row and did her part to keep the Cougars in the mix with each opponent.

On Tuesday night, a solid group of four Division 1 programs came together to compete in a quad at Bloomfield Hills High School.