Beasts from Beast of the East 2025 (Part 3)

<p><em><strong>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!</strong></em></p>   <p><em><strong>The Prep Dig Exposure Tour is coming to Michigan on December 21! This is for all 2026-2029 prospects. <a href="https://events.prepdig.com/e/2032/register/prep-dig-exposure-tour-michigan#register">Click here to register</a>, and use promo code “LSHOTPD25” to get $10 off your registration.</strong></em></p>   <p>–</p>   <p>There is simply nowhere else you wanted to be. Beast of the East is the premier event for some of Michigan's best volleyball.</p>   <p>Once again, this year's edition of the tournament did not disappoint whatsoever. We had the heavyweight brawls against some of the state's best, stars emerged on the big stage and history was made. In nearly it's 15 year run, this year's Beast of the East saw its first ever west side champion. Many from the west have come close, but never quite finished.</p>   <p>Not to be denied a second year in row, the Rockford Rams took home the title in dominating fashion. The Rams lead the charge of a VERY west side heavy tournament that saw SEVEN of the NINE west side programs on tap make the gold bracket. Of those seven, the Final Four consisted of THREE Grand Rapid Area teams including Forest Hills Northern and Hudsonville.</p>   <p>We took a look at Beast of the East's All-Tournament team. However, that simply does not scratch the surface of the kind of volleyball that was being played here. We have to do a deep dive on some of the talent you didn't hear about yet. Here's a look at the Beasts from the Beast of the East, Part 3.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='442976' first='Cynthia' last='Ockerman'] - Brighton</h2>   <p>She's not one of the best middles in the state for no reason. And it doesn't take long for you to understand why when watching her in action. [player_tooltip player_id='442976' first='Cynthia' last='Ockerman'] is a showstopper at the net. As one of the state's most elite of blockers, Ockerman was shutting down top level attackers all throughout the day. Add to her impressive blocking abilities, Ockerman is one heck of a weapon offensively, giving Brighton an edge over their opponents.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='798138' first='Ruby' last='Pennala'] - Brighton</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='798138' first='Ruby' last='Pennala'] may be one of the most underrated liberos in the state. She has really become one of the best in the state this senior season. Relentless, scrappy and covers such a vast range of the court, Pennala is one of those players that frustrates the heck out of teams. If there is a will, there is a way and Pennala will find that way.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='555634' first='Kennedy' last='Hinkle'] - Livonia Stevenson</h2>   <p>It has been really impressive to see the growth of this player throughout the last several years. And seeing her go toe-to-toe with some of the more seasoned players at Beast of the East really shows that. In many ways, [player_tooltip player_id='555634' first='Kennedy' last='Hinkle'] has become a premier player in Michigan. Her explosive nature and arm speed puts her in such great scoring opportunities at all times. She's the workhorse for this Livonia team that saw a lot of strong defensive squads on Saturday. Behind Hinkle, they managed to make a big impression.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='839913' first='Morgan' last='Borodychuk'] - Mt. Pleasant</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='839913' first='Morgan' last='Borodychuk'] is really becoming a staple for this Mt. Pleasant team. As only a sophomore, Borodychuk does so many things well on the court that you often times forget that she is so young. Formerly a middle, this year on the pins, Borodychuk offers so much versatility offensively for the Oilers. The constant ability to change looks and find ways to score was huge for Mt. Pleasant.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='446700' first='Liliana' last='Gegovic'] - Utica Eisenhower</h2>   <p>Put her just about anywhere on the court and [player_tooltip player_id='446700' first='Liliana' last='Gegovic'] is going to deliver an absolute bomb time and time again. It is really the dynamic nature of Gegovic that can really propel Utica Eisenhower past so many tough competitors. When she is in the game, her ability to hit from an array of zones and at such steep angles provides Ike with wide open court. When the comp gets tough, Gegovic gets tougher and that was very well documented throughout the tournament.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='226894' first='Gina' last='Fedrigo'] - Utica Eisenhower</h2>   <p>Right alongside Gegovic, [player_tooltip player_id='226894' first='Gina' last='Fedrigo'] is another extremely strong attacker for this Ike squad. This player has been well talked about over the years, but this tournament showed that she is very much playing her best ball to date. On the right pin, Fedrigo's growth in offense leaves Ike no option but to make her a focal point of the offense. And for that, many times can't see to defend it, as there is not too many lethal opposites such as Fedrigo at the high school level.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='885464' first='Charlotte' last='Keyes'] - Saline</h2>   <p>In her very first Beast of the East, [player_tooltip player_id='885464' first='Charlotte' last='Keyes'] spent no time making a name for herself. In such a demanding position such as the middle and against some of the toughest of offenses that Michigan has to offer, Keyes held up extremely well. Her block was strong and when she was able to get ahold of the ball, Keyes was a killer in the middle.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='446702' first='Elise' last='Hiemstra'] - Detroit Country Day</h2>   <p>Last year was a breakout year for [player_tooltip player_id='446702' first='Elise' last='Hiemstra']. However, despite how good she really was last fall, Hiemstra has upped her game big time this fall. This was most evident throughout this tournament. As DCD was without key pieces, Hiemstra's ability to lead the court both physically and mentally proved to be all that the Yellowjackets needed. From her ability to read the opposing defense to taking up large chunks of space in the back court, Hiemstra has truly become a heartbeat for this team.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Aliyah Potapenko - Detroit Country Day</h2>   <p>Speaking of players from Country Day having breakout seasons, this looks to be the fall that Aliyah Potapenko cements herself. At Beast of the East, Potapenko stepped up in so many different ways. Her net defense was on point and she was doing a lot of heavy lifting in the transition offense part of the game. Potapenko brought a lot of spice to the court which was a lot of fun to see in action.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='226900' first='Liv' last='Hosford'] - Rockford</h2>   <p>The senior leader on this Beast of the East winning squad did not disappoint. [player_tooltip player_id='226900' first='Liv' last='Hosford'] has become one of the main stars for this Rockford team that is taking the state by storm this year. The tournament was the perfect place for her to showcase some serious versatility. While she is primarily seen on the left side, passing six rotations, this weekend saw her getting a lot of reps hitting on the right pin. From either pin, Hosford remains still so dominant. The change really did a number on teams throughout the day, stressed over the Rams' pin to pin dominating offense.</p>

Be sure to follow @lshotvb on Instagram, Tik Tok and Twitter for all things volleyball!