Senior Block Leaders In 2023 Season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Class of 2024 has proven it has a looming presence at the net this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A number of seniors have hit triple digits in blocks, helping lead their teams to postseason success in many cases.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at the 10 seniors with the most blocks for the fall season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>*Stats were provided through MaxPreps</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110314' first='Carissa' last='Musta'], Cadillac</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Musta saw her impressive prep career come to an end this week, but her impact on the Cadillac program certainly won't soon be forgotten. This fall, Musta put up 157 blocks to lead the Cadillac defensive charge. She finished just shy of 600 for her career, with 589 in total. That ranks top-10 all-time in MHSAA history.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='271120' first='Ava' last='Acre'], Lutheran North</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lutheran North is still in the mix, set to play for a D2 district title on Thursday night. Acre has been a dominant presence at the net all season for the Mustangs. She's racked up 132 blocks on the year, averaging over 1.5 per set. This week alone she has 14 over two district contests.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Lydia Michelin, Milford</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mavericks were ousted from the D1 playoffs on Monday, but it doesn't overshadow the strong season Michelin produced. The 6-footer had 124 blocks in the 2023 season. That included a pair of blocks in Monday's district loss to a tough Fenton squad. On the year, Michelin had two matches with double-digit blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='446003' first='Arielle' last='Newsome'], West Bloomfield</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Bloomfield is set to compete for a district championship in Division 1 on Friday. The OAA White champs have had a strong season, with Newsome being a big part of that. She has 113 blocks this season, including five in a district semifinal win over North Farmington on Wednesday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Jordan Pflaum, Lutheran North</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lutheran North also has a lot of blocking ability, as Plfaum and Acre make it very difficult for teams to get the ball cleanly past the net. Pflaum is at 110 blocks on the year. She came up big in the regional semifinal win, where she tallied nine blocks in a five-set victory over Richmond.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='443797' first='Jaelyn' last='Hall'], Bedford</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Kicking Mules have a lot of blocking ability at the net, which is why its set for a D1 district final on Friday. Hall has matched her career-high for a season in blocks with 105 already, likely to surpass that in Friday's contest. She's been steady with her block production, recording at least one in nine straight games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Bree Eklund, Gull Lake</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gull Lake is in a very strong district, but has found itself in the final on Friday with Portage Northern. Eklund, the senior middle has given the team a big boost defensively. She's sitting at 101 blocks on the season. That included a pair of blocks in a win over Portage Central this week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='176598' first='Jenna' last='Southland'], Three Rivers</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A strong D2 team, Southland has been the driving force to help lead Three Rivers to a district final. She's been about as a productive of a player in the state as you can find. From a blocking standpoint, Southland is up to 103 on the season. She's had five straight matches with at least two blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Ashley McPike, Ludington</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A real dark horse in the D2 picture, Ludington is competing for a district title on Thursday night. The Orioles have gotten a nice boost from McPike, who sits at 99 blocks on the season. Toward the end of the season, McPike went 20 straight matches with at least one block.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='153677' first='Taya' last='Nordmann'], DeWitt</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Panthers already survived one big test this week, winning a hard-fought, five-set match with St. Johns. It's now set for a district final on Thursday with Grand Ledge. The senior middle is sitting at 96 blocks for the season. That includes six matches with at least five blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PrepDig is putting on the Michigan Top 250 Expo for Class of 2024-27 prospects on Dec. 9 in Pontiac.&nbsp;</em><a href="https://events.prepdig.com/e/914/register/michigan-top-250-expo"><em>Click here</em></a><em>&nbsp;to sign up for the event. You can use promo code “EllisExpo2023” for $10 off your registration.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->