Underclassmen Performers At D4 Finals Weekend

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>**The Prep Dig Exposure Tour is coming to Pontiac on Dec. 21 for all interested 2026-2029 prospects following the 2025 fall season. It's a great opportunity to capitalize off the fall season and a great way to start the club year by being seen by scouts and colleges around the US.&nbsp;</em><a href="https://events.prepdig.com/e/2032/register/prep-dig-exposure-tour-michigan#register"><strong><em>Click here to register</em></strong></a><em>, and use promo code&nbsp;<strong>“EllisPD25”</strong>&nbsp;to get $10 off your registration.**</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of all the divisions at the state finals, Division 4 may have had the most underclassmen making an impact for their respective teams. Each of the four had at least one with a large role, while some had a handful contributing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at the freshmen and sophomores that stepped up at the D4 semifinals and finals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Fowler</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state champs were a very veteran squad. The roster featured nine seniors and five juniors, along with one freshman. That freshman was <strong>Elizabeth Wirth</strong>, an outside hitter that was a big piece of the offense. She had 12 kills and six digs in the semifinal win, then followed that up with eight kills and five digs in the championship sweep of Mendon. Wirth will definitely have a bigger role next fall to make up for the massive graduation loss the Eagles will have.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Mendon</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Hornets relied on seniors for a majority of their offense and defense, but still have some underclassmen that will be ready to take over important roles next fall. Freshman middle hitter <strong>Lashell Blair </strong>showed some impressive skills during the weekend. She had 10 kills and 2.5 blocks in the semifinal win over Ubly, then had six kills and a block in the final. Blair can be a really dynamic option that still has a high ceiling for where her game can go. <strong>Sabrina Monroy </strong>is another freshman middle that contributed as well. She had five kills and 2.5 blocks over the two matches. Another underclassmen contributor was sophomore DS <strong>Graye Lukeman</strong>. She was one of the defensive leaders with 10 digs in the semifinal and four in the final.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Crystal Falls Forest Park</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Trojans were heavily represented by underclassmen. One that really made an impact was freshman middle hitter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='765544' first='Josie' last='Anderson']</strong>, who had 13 kills while hitting an impressive .400 against Fowler. Anderson looks like she could be a big impact player for years to come. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='765310' first='Harper' last='Anderson'] </strong>is a sophomore outside that made an impact in all phases. She had 12 kills, 17 digs and three aces in the semifinal. Another sophomore, middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='765308' first='Evie' last='Anderson']</strong> came through with five kills, nine digs, and three assisted blocks. Sophomore <strong>Lily Curnow </strong>was also a key defensive piece, as she had 12 digs. This whole group should help keep Forest Park as a top D4 contender in the next few seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Ubly</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bearcats had just three seniors and eight underclassmen on this roster. Of those freshmen and sophomores, five saw action in the semifinal with Mendon. Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='724836' first='Addison' last='Weber'] </strong>tied for the team-high in kills with eight, while also adding 15 digs. She will continue to be an offensive force next fall. <strong>Brooke Badger</strong> is a sophomore middle that had seven kills, while <strong>Alaina Donnellon </strong>is a sophomore right side that also put down seven kills. Defensively, sophomores <strong>Madyson Schumacher </strong>and <strong>Kennedy Messing</strong> also played key roles. They combined for 12 digs in the semifinal loss. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->