Michigan Top 250's Outstanding Outsides

<p><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></p>   <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>The Top 250 in Michigan was another major success!</p>   <p>With loads of talent spanning from every corner of the state, over a 100 athletes were in the gym and showing off what they got. We had talent from the east side to west side, Northern Michigan and then down to the southwest pocket. </p>   <p>UWM Sports Complex was oozing with talent from every position. We're going to be breaking it down through every position. Next up are the outstanding outsides!</p>   <p>Per usual, there were a TON of outside hitters to evaluate and praise! These pins span from the senior class all the way down to freshman. Some with years of experience at the position and others transitioning to it and looking extraordinary! Let's take a look at some of them!</p>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC08474.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-726484" style="width:263px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='555634' first='Kennedy' last='Hinkle'] </figcaption></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='555634' first='Kennedy' last='Hinkle'] </h2>   <p>The last few years, [player_tooltip player_id='555634' first='Kennedy' last='Hinkle'] has become a burgeoning talent in the middle. However, over the course of these last few months, Hinkle has been transitioning to the pin and looking extremely comfortable. Hinkle was out here today looking like a seasoned vet in the position. She's got a long reach that can come with a lot of power and her ball control is coming along quite nicely.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='490036' first='Emma' last='Rosenow']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='490036' first='Emma' last='Rosenow'] is coming off of a career best season in high school. I'd even call it a breakout season, but there still much more left with this player. Rosenow is adding some much loved depth to her arsenal of shots as an attacker and looking more and more steady in her ball control. Rosenow is a player that'll be playing in 17 Open this coming season and I am stoked to see her bring the heat!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='706598' first='Soniah' last='Robinson'] </h2>   <p>I am really enjoying seeing [player_tooltip player_id='706598' first='Soniah' last='Robinson']'s continual growth in this game. A player that has recently started to get some traction, it is much deserved. Robinson has fun pop to her game, in both her jump and her arm swing. She's a fast twitched player that could really be subbed into any of the hitting slots and deliver a mighty punch. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC08656.jpg?w=769" alt="" class="wp-image-726467" style="width:215px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='706598' first='Soniah' last='Robinson']</figcaption></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='490371' first='Brooklyn' last='Brassard'] </h2>   <p>This is another one of those players that is coming off of a big time fall season. [player_tooltip player_id='490371' first='Brooklyn' last='Brassard'] out of Mattawan simply flies off the court. She's an undersized dandy that can find a lot of airtime and bring down a killer hammer. Her overall game has grown immensely since the last time I saw her in the spring.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='523843' first='Addison' last='Naplin']</h2>   <p>Today was my first time getting to see [player_tooltip player_id='523843' first='Addison' last='Naplin'] in action and needless to say, it won't be the last. She's another high flier from the west side that has a lot of upside to her game. Only a sophomore, coming into her own, Naplin has so much more ceiling left but yet is already so high up. I am excited to see her development continue throughout the open club season.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='523871' first='Tessa' last='White']</h2>   <p>This player ages like fine wine. She just keeps getting better and better. [player_tooltip player_id='523871' first='Tessa' last='White'] has so much length to her and so much athleticism, it is all really starting to come together in a nice package. While White may only be listed at 5'9, it is her wingspan and leaping abilities that really make her more into a 6'0-6'2 kind of player. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='470031' first='Avery' last='Kapeller']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='470031' first='Avery' last='Kapeller'] is very much one of the most promising players to be emerging in this 2027 class. I have got the pleasure to see her in action throughout the goings of the fall, and then now, she just stands out in so many ways. Between her ball control, to her vertical, to her arm swing and to her speed; Kapeller really has the potential to be the next big thing.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='726472' first='Emma' last='Eldred'] </h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/DSC08504.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-726471" style="width:280px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='726472' first='Emma' last='Eldred'] </figcaption></figure>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='726472' first='Emma' last='Eldred'] is coming off of a huge fall season with Tecumseh. She was an All Dream Team selection during her team's run to the championship match in Division 2, and at the 250, Eldred is showing NO SIGNS of slowing down. Eldred got to really showcase her overall skillset today. As complete as they come, she has a very soft touch in her first contact and then a nice heavy swing to wrap it all together.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='490374' first='Elizabeth' last='Risdon'] </h2>   <p>There was one ball [player_tooltip player_id='490374' first='Elizabeth' last='Risdon'] hit today and I thought she was going to owe us a new ball! That's nothing out of the ordinary though. Risdon is another one of those FaR Out, west side kids that can just hang and bang with some of the best. This is one of the first times i got to really see Risdon in all of her glory, and there's a LOT here. She's going to be a huge contributor to FaR Out's STACKED 16 Black squad this winter.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Gabriela Simon dos Santos</h2>   <p>Lefties are hard enough to come by but to find a left handed hitter that is comfortable hitting just about any shot is even harder. Gabriela Simon dos Santos really wowed me in more ways than one. Obviously, I was impressed by her ability to terminate on both pins, but I was also loving her leaping abilities. Santos is an undersized attacker but makes up for it with a nice pop on the ball at a high altitude.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='454364' first='Maiya' last='Heinemann']</h2>   <p>This player is showing all the signs to be a sleeper talent in this class. If this showcase is of any indication, [player_tooltip player_id='454364' first='Maiya' last='Heinemann'] is going to have a breakout club season. She's another undersized dandy but she can play the game at such a high level and with a lot of spunk! She has an array of shots that she can dial in with a lot pace too.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Emiya Franklin</h2>   <p>If I were to sum up this player in a few words or less, it would be, "raw and athletic"! Emiya Franklin is just oozing with raw talent and it was all over the courts today at UWM. Listed as an outside hitter, Franklin is one of those players that could very easily slot into about any position in the front row and adapt extremely well. She plays the game at a high space which allows her to make quick work with her opportunities, too. She does this with a growing power, that once the two come together will be a deadly tandem.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='486269' first='Brooke' last='Johnson'] </h2>   <p>I wasn't sure where we would see [player_tooltip player_id='486269' first='Brooke' last='Johnson'] most today, on the pin or in the middle. Traditionally an opposite, Johnson has spent the entire fall in the middle for Forest Hills Northern and crushed it. Needless to say, Johnson is back on the pin for the club season and has brought a lot of good over from her time as a middle blocker. Johnson is finishing on the ball at much faster pace and at a higher point than what we've seen before. Johnson also has showcased a lot of range in not only her offense, but back court play as well.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='726490' first='Nevaeh' last='Plaster']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='726490' first='Nevaeh' last='Plaster'] is coming off of a big time fall season with Northview. Here at the Top 250, not much has changed, I wouldn't be surprised to see Plaster continue her upward trajectory all throughout the club season. With an explosive arm, Plaster can detonate on the ball. The more she finds the consistency with connecting on the ball, she is going to be a powerhouse.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='512395' first='Olivia' last='Strehl']</h2>   <p>This is the first time I have got the chance to catch Oivia Strehl in action. First times for everything and it will not be my last. The Traverse City area is always good for some solid volleyball, and Strehl adds to that mini hotbed. I was very impressed with her ability to adjust with the range of sets. Strehl goes up strong with every opportunity and reaped the benefit more times than not. </p>

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