2024 Club Preview: Rise Academy 81
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Things are changing up a little bit in the 2024 club season for MVA. The Grand Rapids-based club has now partnered with the newly-formed Grand Rapids Rise professional women’s team to create Rise Academy for its top teams in each…
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Continue ReadingThings are changing up a little bit in the 2024 club season for MVA.
The Grand Rapids-based club has now partnered with the newly-formed Grand Rapids Rise professional women’s team to create Rise Academy for its top teams in each age group.
Let’s get a closer look at its veteran squad that makes up Rise Academy 81
Rise Academy 81
Gianna Bender Gianna Bender 5'6" | DS/L Hudsonville | 2024 State MI – Hudsonville | Taylor Smaka Taylor Smaka 5'4" | DS/L Grand Haven | 2024 State MI – Grand Haven | Hope Davies Hope Davies 5'5" | DS/L Forest Hills Eastern | 2024 State MI – Forest Hills Eastern |
Izzy Whittaker Izzy Whittaker 6'1" | OH Grand Haven | 2024 State MI – Grand Haven | Tianna Stygstra Tianna Stygstra 5'9" | DS/L Holland Christian | 2024 State MI – Holland Christian | Josie Potter – Holland Christian |
Reese Steenwyk Reese Steenwyk 6'3" | RS Holland Christian | 2024 State MI – Holland Christian | Carly Hersberger – Rockford | Magaly Lemus – West Ottawa |
Grace Riedel Grace Riedel 5'8" | S Forest Hills Northern | 2025 State MI – Forest Hills Northern | Vanessa Walker – Grand Rapids Northview |
Experienced defense
This Rise Academy 81 roster is comprised of four 2024 players and seven from the class of 2025.
Three of the four that will be graduating this year as specialists defensively.
That will certainly be the strength of this group, as they have three liberos that all will be playing at the next level.
Gianna Bender Gianna Bender 5'6" | DS/L Hudsonville | 2024 State MI (San Diego State), Taylor Smaka Taylor Smaka 5'4" | DS/L Grand Haven | 2024 State MI (Northern Michigan) and Hope Davies Hope Davies 5'5" | DS/L Forest Hills Eastern | 2024 State MI (Ferris State) will certainly be one of the best collections of defensive talent in the state, if not the region. All three can play at a high level.
Their play will allow for them to compete with a lot of strong hitting squads as Rise Academy pieces together its hitting for the season.
Whittaker leads hitters
The final senior in this group is powerful Grand Haven outside Izzy Whittaker Izzy Whittaker 6'1" | OH Grand Haven | 2024 State MI (Jacksonville State), who has displayed a lot of improved all-around play over the year.
Whittaker gives the team some good length and athleticism to build their offense with.
She will be joined on the outside by a trip of Holland Christian hitters in Tianna Stygstra Tianna Stygstra 5'9" | DS/L Holland Christian | 2024 State MI , Josie Potter and Reese Steenwyk Reese Steenwyk 6'3" | RS Holland Christian | 2024 State MI .
All aided the Maroons to a solid 2023 prep season and bring some added dimensions, whether it be the 6’2” size of Steenwyk, or the defensive play of Stygstra and Potter.
This group has a nice balance of size and athleticism.
In the middle, Rise Academy 81 has Carly Hersberger of Rockford and Magaly Lemus of West Ottawa. Hersberger had her prep season cut very short, but she was hitting .452 in her limited time, which is very promising.
Lemus is a two-sport standout star, as she’s also an impressive center in basketball. It’s helped her develop smooth footwork and good blocking instincts.
Veteran setters
Rise will put the offense and decision-making in the hands of setters Grace Riedel Grace Riedel 5'8" | S Forest Hills Northern | 2025 State MI and Vanessa Walker this season.
Riedel is a setter for the FH Northern program that reached the D1 state final this fall. Riedel was used more for her defensive and serving play during the fall, but she’s eager to get back to setting during the club season with these impressive hitters.
Walker comes from the Grand Rapids Northview program. She’s got the ability to play on the right side as well, which gives her the ability to read defenses well and anticipate the play.