2024 Club Preview: Rise Academy 71

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>MVA has worked out a partnership with The Grand Rapids Rise professional squad to bring Rise Academy to the club courts this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rise Academy 71 is a solid collection of some of the top talents from the west side of the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at this squad for the 2024 club season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='224601' first='Grace' last='Allen'] – Mona Shores</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='156303' first='Alissa' last='Hulst'] – Holland Christian</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='224598' first='Adelee' last='Kaiton'] – FH Eastern</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='231189' first='Josie' last='Noble'] – Caledonia</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='156322' first='Madison' last='Peal'] – GR Christian</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='487159' first='Avery' last='Polavin'] – FH Northern</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='224599' first='Avery' last='Powers'] – Coopersville</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='156329' first='Sidney' last='Shepherd'] – Whitehall</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='224600' first='Cali' last='Stevons'] – DeWitt</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='156334' first='Ella' last='Taatjes'] – East Grand Rapids</td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Plenty of hitting power</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rise Academy 71 has certainly gathered a talented group of hitters for the 2024 club season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the outside, Rise features <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='224601' first='Grace' last='Allen'] </strong>of Mona Shores, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156303' first='Alissa' last='Hulst'] </strong>of Holland Christian, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='224598' first='Adelee' last='Kaiton'] </strong>of Forest Hills Eastern and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='487159' first='Avery' last='Polavin'] </strong>of FH Northern.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kaiton had a great prep year for FH Eastern. She is a player that is willing to put the team on her back and carry them to victory. She's a great all-around player that brings a lot of competitive fire and intensity to the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Allen is an outside that can really get hot and in a groove. She's got a good defensive base to build on as well, able to feed off her offensive momentum.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hulst is an athletic 6'1” outside that has been able to finish consistently from either pin. She has strong attack angles and makes her swings look effortless.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Polavin was an early contributor to the Huskies in the 2023 prep season and showed a lot of promise for her capabilities. She's got a solid mix of shots while taking what she's given and not trying to make more out of the play than what's there.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the middle, Rise is also loaded behind <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231189' first='Josie' last='Noble'] </strong>of Caledonia, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='224599' first='Avery' last='Powers'] </strong>of Coopersville and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156334' first='Ella' last='Taatjes'] </strong>of East Grand Rapids.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All three bring a lot of size to be imposing at the net offensively and defensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Noble was a blocking machine this fall while hitting nearly .300. Powers is the next in a line of great Coopersville middles that have the athleticism to impact the game all over the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taatjes played on a EGR team that struggled for wins, but she held her own against the best the area had to offer and learned a lot from the experience.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Strong 1-2 punch at setter</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":437776,"width":"222px","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/5/2023/07/720-Cali-Stevons.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-437776" style="width:222px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='224600' first='Cali' last='Stevons']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rise Academy 71 has a pair of setters to work with in DeWitt's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='224600' first='Cali' last='Stevons'] </strong>and Whitehall's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156329' first='Sidney' last='Shepherd']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've seen Stevons shine as one of the top setters in the Lansing area and she's now pushing herself up against the best the Midwest has to offer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stevons is a great communicator and plays with a lot of determination and eagerness to improve. You can see that in her improved defensive play and serving. She's been finding ways to contribute with more than just her setting choices and smooth delivery.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shepherd has a lot of big-match experience at Whitehall, recording over 2,000 assists over these last two prep seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shepherd plays with a lot of good instincts and reads the court very well. She's not afraid to be aggressive herself and she is able to transition quickly to defense and be a standout passer as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Peal locking in the defense</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rise Academy hasn't left a lot of spots on the roster for libero/DS roles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In fact, they have just one listed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But, it's a pretty good one.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>GR Christian's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156322' first='Madison' last='Peal'] </strong>sports the libero jersey for Rise Academy 71.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Peal has established herself as one of the best defenders in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Peal's instincts and ability to read the court and have a feel for the play are nearly unmatched. She's going to be ready to challenge the biggest hitters while accurately getting the ball to her setter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the size Rise has at the net to slow down attacks and Peal's ability in the back row, defense should be a strength for this team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Early Season Results</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rise Academy 71 took part in The Nike Classic a couple of weeks ago, competing in the 17/18 Open.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The squad finished 27^th, but showed a lot of grit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After dropping the first three matches, Rise bounced back with four straight victories. That included a hard-fought three-set win over Five:1 17.1 Black.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of the eight matches played that weekend, five went to three sets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That shows that MVA's Rise Academy 71 is going to be right in the thick of it with most teams it comes across. The key will be finding a way to take home those crucial points that can propel it to victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->