Freshman Showcase Player Impressions, Part 4

<p>The 2025 Michigan Freshman Showcase was a great success, with many 2029 prospects giving their all as a first look at the incoming high school talent.</p>   <p>There were a lot of players to look at this week, but we have reached our fourth and final part of the series.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='849580' first='Jordyn' last='Holly'], OH Plymouth/Michigan Elite</strong></h2>   <p>Holly is a prospect that looks to have a good feel for her offensive ability. She assesses well as she approaches the net and makes a smart play in terms of her swing speed and location. When she wants to put down a power swing, it looks rather effortless for her. She can really make an emphatic kill that stops people in their tracks.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='850640' first='Mia' last='Russo'], DS/L Notre Dame Prep/Monsters</strong></h2>   <p>Russo shows the eagerness and hustle you'd expect to see out of a Notre Dame Prep defender. She is going to fit right in with the Irish, as she has the drive to get better and is an excellent communicator. Along with those intangibles, Russo also maintains good form and quickly learns from any mistakes she makes.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='849705' first='Sloan' last='Sood'], OH Mercy/Michigan Elite</strong></h2>   <p>Sood is listed at 5'7” but she is a real firecracker at the net. She brings a lot of athleticism and explosiveness with her swing, putting together a physical follow through that produces a lot of velocity. Sood is a good talker during hectic rallies and wants the ball coming her way when the pressure is on.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='849751' first='Catie' last='Jilek'], S Portage Central/FaR Out</strong></h2>   <p>Jilek is a setter/hitter combo that stands 5'11” and can be a handful for opponents to deal with. Her length allows her to push the pace on offense, but also allows her to be deceptive and turn on the ball quickly for an emphatic kill. During the showcase, Jilek really tried to make some difficult plays to challenge herself and showcase her full potential.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='849862' first='Claire' last='Ryan'], OH New Boston Huron/Michigan Elite</strong></h2>   <p>Ryan is another outside that brings good agility and athleticism to the court. She displayed a lot of consistent power on her swings and wasn't one to back down from longer blockers at the net. She kept her approaches simple and didn't need a lot of space to still turn on the ball. Ryan also had a good defensive base to be a reliable factor there as well.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Ella Brannen, DS/L Harper Creek/Midwest Select</strong></h2>   <p>Brannen was very committed to backing up her hitters and she was one of the best at that in the showcase. She kept herself low to the ground and made some impressive plays in that area. She was able to display good footwork to get back into her coverage area in the back row, and also had a solid serve that led to some aces.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='850477' first='Wren' last='Frailey'], OH Troy Athens/L2</strong></h2>   <p>Frailey has good length to work with at the net and puts in the effort when it comes to being a defensive asset. She showed good hustle during dig drills and had smooth delivery on her serve receive. At the net, Frailey has steady power that should keep getting better as she develops her timing further.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='850212' first='Braylon' last='Crawford'], MB/OH OL St. Mary's/Team Detroit</strong></h2>   <p>Crawford can play anywhere along the net, as she has smoot footwork and the jumping ability to play well above the net. Crawford has an athletic swing, but it is her effort and drive that should help take her game to another level. She gives her all when she is on the floor and that allows her to come through with some scrappy plays.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='850228' first='Isabella' last='Adamski'], DS/L Cabrini/Michigan Elite</strong></h2>   <p>Adamski is a primary defender, but showed great all-around skills during the showcase. She played with a lot of resiliency, taking some tough spills and painful-looking digs, but kept showing up more determined on the next point. Adamski has plenty of agility and athleticism to contribute to a team in a variety of areas.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='771896' first='Hollie' last='Pedersen'], OH St. Ursula Academy/[program_tooltip program_id='430850' first='Toledo' last='VC']</strong></h2>   <p>An Ohio product, Pedersen didn't seem intimidated to be competing against a lot of unknown competitors last weekend. She took the floor with confidence and produced a lot of good swings, taking chances with some aggressive attack lines. Defensively, she displayed good energy and communicated well with her peers.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='850401' first='Avery' last='Geer'], S Frankenmuth/Legacy</strong></h2>   <p>It shouldn't be surprising to see a Geer from Frankenmuth take the court with a lot of hustle. That is something the Geer family has made famous. Avery had that same heart and hustle, as she made a lot of scrappy plays defensively, and was able to transition into some challenging sets that not everyone could make. She's already got a lot of great leadership skills to work with.</p>

The 2025 Michigan Freshman Showcase was a great success, with many 2029 prospects giving their all as a first look at the incoming high school talent.