What To Expect From MVA Rise Academy 71

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The start of the 2025 club season has been up and down thus far for Rise Academy 71, the lead 17U team out of the MVA program.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The team is pushing itself against the best of the best in the 17 Open, but still trying to find that next gear to pull out more wins consistently.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's what to watch out for from Rise Academy 71 going forward in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Capable setters</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One thing Rise Academy 71 isn't going to be lacking in is setters with experience playing at a high level and working with potent hitters. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='226887' first='Izzie' last='Delacher']</strong> has been leading the Rockford program for years and she is joined by Fruitport's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='227707' first='Gracelynn' last='Olson']</strong> at the position. These two are high-caliber setters that have a great feel for their teammates and the court. Each can really get the best out of their attackers and know how to push a fast pace. That's going to be a continued strength and benefit for this team as it gels in the coming months.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Hosford leads the hitters</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rise Academy has some talented hitters, led by their first committed player from the class in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='226900' first='Liv' last='Hosford']</strong>. The Rockford star is committed to Oakland University and has grown immensely over the years to be a complete player. She's brought her defensive game up to the heights of her offensive play, which makes her a great lead option for Rise. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='490356' first='Mallory' last='Bremer']</strong> and <strong>Leah Burlison</strong> join her as outside options to give the team plenty of punching power on the pins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the middle, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='468822' first='Sadie' last='Devlaeminck']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='226901' first='Madelyn' last='Hungerford']</strong> and <strong>Savannah Byker</strong> make up a deadly trio for Rise Academy. All stand 6-feet or taller and are very agile at the position. They can be as forceful with their blocking ability as they are with their swings. With so much pop on the outside, these middles may be able to go under the radar and catch some opponents by surprise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Defensive assets</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defenders for Rise Academy 71 are a mix of 2026 and 2027 prospects. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='523849' first='Avery' last='Seif']</strong> is a libero/DS that is a sophomore at Caledonia, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='446698' first='Scout' last='McAlister'] </strong>is a polished 2026 libero/DS from the Forest Hills Northern program. Seif really drew some attention during the prep season for her play with Caledonia. She showed a lot of maturity for a 2027 prospect and took on a number of big hitters throughout the state. She will pair well with McAlister, who is a great effort player in the back row that puts in the time to learn and get better. This team will need these defenders to shine if they hope to take a step forward in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>What to expect from Rise Academy 71</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So far, despite the 7-7 overall record, Rise Academy showed it's a team that can get hot. It won four straight matches during The Nike Classic, including four sets that were decided by just two points. At Central Zone, Rise got a big win over Michigan Elite 17 Mizuno, a notable victory to see where it stands in the state. While the team has some work to do to catch up to the elite in the country, it knows it has the talent to be among the best in the Midwest. The key to consistent winning will be finding ways to add in a few points through the service line or 50-50 balls.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->