Power Players In the Regional Rounds Across Michigan

<h5 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Be sure to follow @lshotvb on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lshotvb/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc">Tik Tok </a>and <a href="https://x.com/LineShotVBall">Twitter</a> for all things volleyball!</em></h5>   <h5 class="wp-block-heading"><em><a href="https://prepdig.com/top-250-expos/">The 2024 Expo Season is here</a>! Sign up for this year's Top 250 Expo using the code <strong>LSHOTExpo2024</strong> for $$ off!</em></h5>   <p>–</p>   <p>We're nearing the end, Kellogg Arena is right around the corner!</p>   <p>The second week of the MHSAA Postseason has been nothing short of electric volleyball. We had huge upsets, more records broken, dominating performances and matches that went the distance! The weather in Michigan may be finally cooling down, but the temp in these gyms are RED HOT!!</p>   <p>This week saw the downfall of both No. 1 ranked teams in Division 1 and 2. No. 2 Northville would upend the reigning Division 1 champs' repeat hopes and No. 6 South Christian halted GRC's road to a consecutive Final Four appearance. It really couldn't of gotten better than it did this week!</p>   <p>This is what the postseason is all about. Let's take a look at who some of the top performers were in throughout the regional rounds!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Pretty Much the Entire Northville Bench</h2>   <p>This Regional Final in Northville what will easily go down as one of the best matches to have ever graced the MHSAA Postseason (Sorry, I don't make the rules)! It was the battle of the titans. No. 1 versus No. 2, facing off for the first time ALL SEASON. Spoiler alert, No. 1 got taken out and it was in epic fashion. </p>   <p>While the title of this article suggest that I would be highlighting player by player, I just simply cannot do that when it comes to Northville and when it comes to this game. This monumental win took the whole team. When some pieces struggled, the others rose to the occasion and those struggles never lasted long. The mental fortitude from each Mustang was incredible.</p>   <p>Highlights came from just about every corner. One of the most eye popping to me was the way Northville out-blocked Mercy 15-10. This is all despite Mercy having a clear height advantage by four inches or more. <strong>Brooke Feller</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id='537079' first='Kaylyn' last='Tuck'] led the way, both adding 7 block assists. Tuck would also throw in 11 kills on a .292 clip. </p>   <p>Continuing in the defense department, Northville knows how to make an elite bro that delivers in the big stages. [player_tooltip player_id='240701' first='Giselle' last='Burlingame'] had what seemed to be a career high with 22 digs on the night to go along with 3 crucial aces.</p>   <p>Offensively, the Mustangs were grooving all night long. [player_tooltip player_id='156293' first='Ella' last='Craggs'] operated her squad to a .250+ team hit percentage with her 55 assists. Some of the biggest weapons came from the pin to pin action with [player_tooltip player_id='156326' first='Mallory' last='Reck'] and [player_tooltip player_id='156325' first='Molly' last='Reck'] leading the charge. The twin dynamos put down a combined 40 kills and 26 digs on the night. </p>   <p>You cannot talk about this match without spotlighting both [player_tooltip player_id='261208' first='Skylar' last='Marteen'] and [player_tooltip player_id='442980' first='Gabby' last='Lavoie']. Marteen went up for another 10 kill night to go with 3 blocks. While this wasn't Marteen's most efficient performance, it was her most clutch. Nearly every kill and every block came up in critical moments in the match. </p>   <p>Unfortunately too, Marteen wouldn't be able to finish this match, going down with an injury early in the fifth set. Despite this, and now Northville facing off a 3-9 deficit in the decider, Lavoie would come up HUGE behind the service line. On the night, Lavoie would only pick up a singular ace, but she would serve a total of 22 times. A chunk of these serves came at this juncture of the match and would bring her team back into the fold. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='458372' first='Jeana' last='Lenhard'] - Essexville Garber</h2>   <p>Now, THIS is how you put your team on your back and live to see another day. [player_tooltip player_id='458372' first='Jeana' last='Lenhard'] has been rocking and rolling these past few weeks. She was a key highlight throughout the district rounds last week with her stunning 27 kill performance in the district finals. It looks to me that the further we go in the tournament, the better Lenhard gets.</p>   <p>Again, when the Wooden Mitten comes out, Lenhard elevates her game. This past week's regional final, not only cemented Garber their first regional title in program history but it cemented [player_tooltip player_id='458372' first='Jeana' last='Lenhard'] into the MHSAA Record Books. In an insane <strong>47 kill </strong>performance against Kingsley, Lenhard put herself in the top five for most kills in a single match. She joins the ranks of Olympian <strong>Alisha Glass</strong>, 2016 Miss Volleyball winner, <strong>Meredith Norris</strong>, and ties 2018 Miss Volleyball Nominee, Maria Mallon, for fifth most kills in a single match. </p>   <p>The top five all made their marks by way of five set matches, Jeana did hers in four! This makes this not only a top five overall performance, but an MHSAA leading performance for a four set match! With the way Lenhard is cooking with this offense, there is no knowing the distance she'll go in this last week of postseason.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/DCcmCwVyB8D/ </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='226876' first='Finley' last='Arp'] - South Christian</h2>   <p>Make me eat my words, [player_tooltip player_id='226876' first='Finley' last='Arp']. Well, sort of. While I predicted that this battle between these two Division 2 heavyweights would be a quicker ordeal; I DID predict that it would be a battle of the elite outsides.</p>   <p>Arp has been a steady shooter for the Sailors all throughout this season. Seemingly, saving up her best for when it mattered most. In what looks to be a career defining performance, Arp rallied on her teams victory with a 21 kill night. She would also tap on an impressive 16 dig outing, which was only bested by the GRSC 'bro, [player_tooltip player_id='487149' first='Olivia' last='Inthout']. Arp is traditionally a player known for her power, Thursday not only further proved this, but showed that Arp is a complete player to be reckoned with.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='156292' first='Jessica' last='Costlow'] - SMCC</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/10/DSC02961.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-705736" style="width:305px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='156292' first='Jessica' last='Costlow']</figcaption></figure>   <p>When you have a battle between the top two teams in ANY division, you'd expect a brawl of some sort. Sure, not every game has to be the barn burner that was Mercy/Northville. But I wouldn't expect a sweep by scores of 25-9, -14, -10, either!!</p>   <p>Sure enough, there is no better explanation to this than [player_tooltip player_id='156292' first='Jessica' last='Costlow']. That's it. That's the tweet! Jess Costlow HAPPENED! </p>   <p>Plymouth Christian had absolutely NO answer for this future Toledo Rocket. Coming up clutch for her squad is nothing foreign to Costlow, however a 21 kills performance in a 3 set sweep seems insane! Whatever she touched turned to gold on Thursday. Whether it was when she was passing the ball, or putting it away; nothing could rattle this Kestrel. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='456516' first='Kennedy' last='Duncan'] - South Lyon</h2>   <p>It was a long night in the West Bloomfield regional. After seeing Clarkston take Marian to the brink, [player_tooltip player_id='456516' first='Kennedy' last='Duncan'] and South Lyon had to defend off their own five set decision. It was a brawl and a minor upset, you could call it. Orchard Lake St. Mary was looking to a Sweet 16 appearance, their first in as many years in Division 1. </p>   <p>This is where [player_tooltip player_id='456516' first='Kennedy' last='Duncan'] would enter the chat and put those hopes to the side. This player's stock has been on the steady rise throughout the last few months. She chose the perfect stage to prove herself as a top emerging talent in the 2027 class. With a team leading 18 kills, Duncan proved to be a difference maker. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Alli Zajac - Tecumseh</h2>   <p>The good times just keep on rolling for the Tecumseh Indians. This is one of the best seasons in program history and a lot of that is due to the emergence of this Division 1 bound basketball player, Alli Zajac. </p>   <p>Standing at 6'2, Zajac brings a ton of physicality to the net and that was on full display in the Indian's win over Parma Western. In front of a raucous crowd, Zajac would put down an alarmingly efficient 12 kills on the night. Asserting her dominance even further, Zajac would knock down 6 blocks throughout the four set contest. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Anneliese De Jong - Kalamazoo Christian</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/05/12-Annelise-deJong-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-540839" style="width:311px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Anneliese DeJong</figcaption></figure>   <p>Here come the defending champs! Kalamazoo Christian is on the hunt for their second in a row, and their second in program history in Division 3. Now that they've cleared the hurdle that was Bronson, all sights are set on that Kellogg stage. This win wouldn't of happened through without the play of Anneliese De Jong.</p>   <p>The comets are hurling in for another title run, but it wasn't looking if another run was in their cards. Losing a lot of talent and a lot of production from last year's squad, DeJong has done her due diligence in stepping up to the plate. And there was no better place to showcase that then on Thursday night. In another five set brawl, De Jong would take control of this match with a career high 21 kill match. From just about every zone of the court, Kzoo Christian could not find this hammer enough!</p>