Battle Creek Area’s Top Underclassmen

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each prep season, Battle Creek is home to the best of the best for state finals weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This fall, it was also home to some of the most promising underclassmen in the state. Here's a look at some of the freshmen and sophomores that showed they are special talents.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Addie Carden, So. S Marshall/Midwest Select</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carden had a breakout season as she got to work with one of the top young hitters in the state. Carden helped bring the best out of her hitters, and her hitters helped elevate her game. She had over 1,150 assists to go along with 270 digs and 70 aces. Carden is going to keep the Marshall offense humming in the coming years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Quinn Dzwik, Fr. OH St. Philip/Midwest Select</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dzwik is a well-balanced player that showed a lot of composure and leadership skills as a freshman. She can come through with a momentum-shifting dig or an emphatic kill at any moment. She really transitions from offense to defense at a high level. Dzwik was All-State and <a href="https://prepdig.com/2025/12/2025-michigan-hs-d4-all-prep-dig-teams/">All-Prep Dig in D4</a> this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='812023' first='Brynn' last='Johnson'], Fr. OH Marshall/FaR Out</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnson was arguably one of the best freshmen in the entire country in 2025. She hit the ground running, taking on a lead role with Marshall. She was one of the state's kill leaders with 729 while also putting up 511 digs, 66 aces, and 41 blocks. Johnson was First Team All-State in D2 and <a href="https://prepdig.com/2025/12/2025-michigan-hs-d2-all-prep-dig-teams/">All-Prep Dig in D2</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='777145' first='Andersyn' last='King'], Fr. S Harper Creek/FaR Out</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>King was another freshman that put the rest of the state on notice. She took over the Harper Creek offense and kept the Beavers as a strong D2 contender. She finished with nearly 1,300 assists and over 200 digs. King plays with a lot of maturity and poise and will be a top setter in Michigan for years to come. She received All-State and All-Prep Dig honors in D2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='775991' first='Sydney' last='Manning'], Fr. OH BC Lakeview/FaR Out</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Manning was a real force in the area with her well-rounded skillset. She made an impact in all phases of the game with nearly 400 kills to go along with over 400 digs and over 71 aces. Manning had a great feel for the game and played with more confidence as the season progressed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='884932' first='Lucy' last='Young'], So. MH Hackett Catholic Prep/Dead Frog</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6'2” middle, Young showed she can take over a match for Hackett this fall. She uses her length well, but also shows a lot of savvy by mixing in offspeed attacks well. When Young can wind up, it's tough for anyone in D3 to stop her. She received All-State honors in D3 this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='918780' first='Addison' last='Waldorf'], Fr. OH Gull Lake/Dead Frog</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waldorf is a 6-foot freshman outside that only got better and better as the season went along. She was able to show her power early on with a strong follow through, but displayed a wider arsenal of shot speeds and locations by the end of the season. Waldorf will be a name to keep a close eye on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->