2024 Rankings Update Overview: Outside Hitters

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We updated our&nbsp;<a href="https://prepdig.com/michigan/rankings/2024-rankings/">2024 Player Rankings</a>&nbsp;this week as these prospects wind down their club careers before heading off to the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The latest rankings were comprised by the Prep Dig Rankings Team. Here's a rundown of what the 2024 outsides look like.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/position-ranking-table {"name":"acf/position-ranking-table","data":{"class":"2024","_class":"field_65cfb7374abb9","position":"32564","_position":"field_65cfbfcb19ad6","state":"19892","_state":"field_65cfb88a603fe"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6610131f61c61"} /--> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>HS rivals to MAC rivals</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The top two outsides in our rankings are quite familiar with each other. Top-ranked <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110295' first='Elana' last='Erickson']</strong> and second-ranked <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='172198' first='Isabelle' last='Swiercz']</strong> have held down the Grand Rapids-area for years. They've gone toe-to-toe in a lot of high-profile matches. This year, Swiercz and Erickson both had dominant stat lines for their respective teams. Swiercz had over 500 kills and 400 digs for Hudsonville. Erickson tallied over 650 kills and 475 digs for Forest Hills Northern while leading it to the Division 1 final. Now, these two will continue their impressive play and rivalry at the college level. Erickson is moving on to Western Michigan, while Swiercz will be playing for Central Michigan. These two could put on some more thrilling matches in the near future.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Long outsides set for college success</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Five of the top 15 outsides in the Class of 2024 stand above 6'0” and each is set to make an impact at the next level. Outside of Swiercz, who is 6'2”, the class also has <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='153663' first='Allison' last='Pilat'] </strong>(6'2”), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='153662' first='Catherine' last='Flaharty'] </strong>(6'2”), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110333' first='Izzy' last='Whittaker'] </strong>(6'1”) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='274528' first='Drew' last='Glaser'] </strong>(6'1”). Pilat has been the power arm for Plymouth Christian for years and is now heading off to Cedarville. She's a well-coached outside that has a great work ethic. Flaharty really raised her game in the last year, shining for Saline with her powerful attacks. She's making her way to Xavier next fall. Whittaker helped lead Grand Haven to a D1 regional championship this fall. Her length and intensity at the net will be a great asset for Jacksonville State. Glaser was a workhorse for Edwardsburg as it won a D2 regional this fall. Glaser shows a lot of endurance and consistency as an outside and could be a breakout star for Valparaiso.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Other hidden gems</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a talented group of outsides, but there's some outside the top 15 that could shine at the next level. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110291' first='Alana' last='Deshetsky'] </strong>(North Branch/Ferris State) is everything a college program can hope for in a player. She's a well-rounded talent that did a bit of everything for North Branch. Beyond that, Deshetsky is very driven to succeed and won't settle for anything less than the best. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='222360' first='Aubrey' last='Johnson']</strong> (Jenison/Cornerstone) is another leader on the floor. She led a breakout effort for Jenison this fall and is a very polished outside that can make a difference with her offense or defense. She's got the mechanics and athleticism to shine at Cornerstone. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='226837' first='Garnet' last='Mullet'] </strong>(St. Francis/Clarkston-NY) turned some heads this fall as she guided St. Francis to the D3 championship match. She hit over .300 in a semifinal win over Cass City and had 31 kills on the weekend. Along with a solid swing, Mullet is a real threat from the service line. She put up over 100 aces during the fall season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='219684' first='Kora' last='Nicolanti'] </strong>(Bloomfield Hills/Adrian) is an outside that's had good showings at some of our previous showcases. She's also very polished and can play nearly any position. She brings a great attitude to the floor and moves on quickly from mistakes. Her foundational skills and approach should see her be a great addition to Adrian's program.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->