Top 250 Expo Evaluations: 2027 Prospects, Part 3

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Class of 2027 prospects at the Michigan Top 250 Expo were a talented bunch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A lot of future stars in the state got a chance to showcase their talents and definitely turned some heads.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's the third part of our 2027 player evaluations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442977' first='Demi' last='McCoy'], OH Country Day/Michigan Elite</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McCoy was definitely one of the standouts of the entire Expo. She's just a very gifted athlete that continues to improve on her decision-making and execution with each passing week. McCoy really explodes off the floor and can deliver some highlight-reel attacks, but she's quick enough to react on the fly and switch to offspeed when needed. Her defense is ever-improving as well and she's turning into a complete player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='490027' first='Amariana' last='Means'], OH Okemos/Attack</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":488820,"width":"241px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/182-Amariana-Means.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-488820" style="width:241px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='490027' first='Amariana' last='Means']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Means was a prospect that showed good growth throughout the Expo. Earyl on she was struggling with her timing and rushing some swings, but as she got a better feel with her setters and coaches, she found a groove and showed a lot of promise. Her swing can deliver good power and she's got a good motor to keep active throughout a rally and find ways to make plays with her defensive ability.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='490030' first='Aryahi' last='Patel'], S Canton/HVVC</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ayahi plays a smart game and showcased some good decision-making on the floor as when to play a dump or where to place her sets. She's got a nice touch on her sets. Where she can continue to grow is in her confidence level and command on the floor. Sometimes she looked to be doubting herself, which is understandable in a big Expo, but she's got the skillset to be confident.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Aarohi Patel, DS/L Canton/HVVC</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aarohi has a good set of skills as a defender as well. She's quick and has the athleticism to excel in the back row. Sometimes she would be just a step slow on getting to a ball and it looked to be through apprehension. She's also got the skillset to not be afraid to take command of the defense and call her shot. That confidence show grow with more reps and exposure.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454368' first='Lexa' last='Pierson'], OH Milford/L2</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pierson is a player that really climbed the ladder on her takeoff and hung in the air for a while. She could wait for the ball and for the blockers to overcommit and then finish with a lot of speed and tenacity. Her leap is attributed to her quickness and that is also on display with her defensive ability. She's able to make a last-second sprawl to get to a ball look quite effortless.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='490033' first='Christina' last='Rosenow'], MH Romeo/Monsters</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rosenow has a lot of promise as a 6-foot middle. She was a consistent finisher when the ball came her way and she adjusts her shot angles well based on where the sets were coming from. There were times she got some happy feet trying to keep pace with frantic play, but as she gets more experience in these high-pressure situations, she will develop the elite instincts to match her physical abilities.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='490045' first='Lillian' last='Spadafore'], S Marysville/Legacy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":488824,"width":"244px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/188-Lillian-Spadafore.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-488824" style="width:244px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='490045' first='Lillian' last='Spadafore']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Spadafore comes from a Marysville program that knows a thing or two about strong setting play. As a 5'11” setter, Spadafore has a bright future for the program. She plays even longer than her height and has a very smooth set. Spadafore is also good with her footwork, as she gets into position quickly and can adapt well to a bad pass and still get a solid set off.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='466580' first='LeJai'' last='Standifer'], DS/L River Rouge/Woodbridge VBA</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Early on, Standifer looked a little tentative and wasn't fully committing to a play. You could see she had the talent, just needed that little push. Once she found that push within herself, she was making some nice plays. Standifer stays low to the ground and can get to the ball just before it touches the court. Her sprawls were strong as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='456251' first='Alexa' last='Turner'], S SMCC/Michigan Elite</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Turner spent time with the SMCC varsity this fall and that's a great experience, as she got to set some great hitters while also learning defensive skills from elite players. It showed at the Expo as Turner looked locked in as a setter and a defender. She got a lot of great swings out of her hitters and was able to display some of her athleticism at the position. Turner also was an underrated defender, making a lot of high-IQ plays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442968' first='Amelia' last='Vogelheim'], DS/L Brighton/L2</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vogelheim carried herself like an experience veteran. She always looked calm, cool and collected on the floor. If she didn't make a play, she just shook it off and made it on the next rep. Her first contact was outstanding most of the time and she had very smooth technique on her serve receive. Vogelheim looks like a player that can also help at the net if she's looking to expand her role at all.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->