Breaking Down Five D1 Surprise Teams

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The season is just a couple of weeks old, but Division 1 has some teams that are making a big splash early on and are shaking up the title picture.</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>Bedford</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Kicking Mules were a team we thought would be on the radar as a <a href="https://prepdig.com/2023/06/five-dark-horses-in-d1-for-2023/">D1 dark horse</a>, but Bedford is already looking like a top contender. They are out to a 12-0 start as they start to really turn up the heat in the schedule in the weeks to come. As a team, Bedford is hitting .253 on the season thanks to the setting efforts of senior <strong>Madison Goforth </strong>and junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='261174' first='Kaylin' last='Schroeder']. </strong>They have some solid arms to work with. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='288945' first='Victoria' last='Gray'] </strong>is building off a big club season with 68 kills in 24 sets thus far while hitting .399. Seniors <strong>Macy Madalinski</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='443797' first='Jaelyn' last='Hall']</strong>, along with junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='185683' first='Alivia' last='Brown']</strong> have been complimentary options to give the Mules a lot of depth offensively. Defensively, Gray is a big blocking force with 31 blocks already this season, while <strong>Kadie Morse </strong>has been a big help as well with 17. <strong>Mya Krohn</strong> has led the back row efforts with 78 digs and is another senior leader on the floor. Krohn has also been a big factor from the service line, giving Bedford options in all areas of the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Brighton</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was tough to know what to expect of Brighton coming into 2023 since the Bulldogs had to deal with a lot of injuries and shuffle their lineup constantly in 2022. But, this season has shown that Brighton can be a real force if it stays healthy. The Bulldogs already own wins over the likes of Marian, Saline and South Lyon East. Brighton has a lot of offensive balance this season as it can use a lot of different arms to beat opponents. Senior setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110298' first='Lea' last='Gage'] </strong>is hitting another gear in her play, both as a setter and as a hitting option. She's finding the hot hands between outsides <strong>Alyssa Swanson </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='459254' first='Abby' last='Mainka']</strong>, both seniors. In the middle, senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110331' first='Karlie' last='Vogelheim']</strong> brings a lot of power, as does senior <strong>Hannah Ferencz</strong>. Brighton also can work in freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442976' first='Cynthia' last='Ockerman']</strong>, who is a 6'3” talent that has a lot of good blocking instincts. Defensively, <strong>Ruby Pennala </strong>is a sophomore libero that is playing like an upper classman to start 2023.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Byron Center</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldogs have been a team that have been amongst the best in Division 1 in previous seasons, but this year Byron Center is getting back to that point. The Bulldogs are racking up wins and their losses have been razor-thin against top-level teams. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110278' first='Caroline' last='Baker'] </strong>is playing as well as to be expected. The senior setter is one of the top setters in the state and has been one of the most consistent players in the state over the years. She's got a lot of hitters clicking right now. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='288960' first='Reese' last='Lowe'] </strong>looks like a breakout player this year. The outside is delivering a lot of powerful kills off the sets of Baker. Senior right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='500659' first='Bri' last='Whitfield']</strong> has also been showing a lot of ability, moving around the net to finish points. Senior middle <strong>Mattie Sandholm </strong>and senior outside <strong>Makenzi Bennett</strong> have also been key pieces to the offense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='261193' first='Mallory' last='Johnson']</strong> is just a freshman, but is playing like an experienced libero right now. She looks very composed and could be the wild card for Byron Center to continue to be amongst the top teams in D1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Lowell</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Red Arrows don't shy from tough competition. That is the case again here in 2023, but Lowell is coming away with a lot of wins early in the season. The only two losses Lowell has have been against Lakewood and GR Christian, some of the best D2 has to offer. Senior middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110321' first='Piper' last='Risdon']</strong> is making an early Player of the Year campaign. She's got 127 kills through 25 sets while hitting .429. Senior <strong>Brax Baker</strong> is a great compliment on the outside, while junior <strong>Jordyn McClymont </strong>is also a proven commodity in the middle. Lowell is going with a sophomore setter in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='481379' first='Rylie' last='Barriger']</strong>, who has looked very comfortable this fall. She's already put up 242 assists, averaging nearly 10 a set. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='237538' first='Annalise' last='Clark']</strong> is handling the libero duties as a sophomore and over 100 digs over the opening two weeks. It will be interesting to see if Lowell can continue this early success as the thick of conference play begins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Portage Northern</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Huskies were another preseason dark horse option that is living up to the hype. Northern already has wins over the likes of Grand Haven, South Christian and Grand Rapids Christian. Senior middle <strong>Taylor Butler </strong>is really shining early in the season. She's been a big factor offensively and defensively. Her athleticism and instinctive play at the net has been dominating at times. On the outside <strong>Kiera Sims </strong>and <strong>Hanna Garrison </strong>have been a great 1-2 punch for Northern, all made stronger through the play of junior setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='443896' first='Sydney' last='Bates']</strong>. Bates already has a fair amount of big-match experience and it is showing early in 2023. Defensively, junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='288963' first='Marley' last='Onken']</strong> also plays with a lot of poise and experience already as well. She's got the Northern defense looking fundamentally sound.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->