2026 L2 Club Profile: 171

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A talented group of players make up L2 171 this club season, as the group looks to prove it can be among the best 17U teams in the state of Michigan.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coached by Scott Johnson, this team has a lot of length and athleticism to work with at the net, along with some determined defenders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='471313' first='Nellie' last='Alves'] - S</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='454368' first='Lexa' last='Pierson'] - OH</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='442991' first='Leah' last='Bongiovanni'] - OH</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='523832' first='Charley' last='Romeo'] - RS</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='443000' first='Samantha' last='Monroe'] - MB</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='812962' first='Ellaena' last='Michelin'] - MB</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='523875' first='Kate' last='Sulkowski'] - MB</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='442993' first='Madison' last='Monroe'] - DS</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='442968' first='Amelia' last='Vogelheim'] - DS</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='827002' first='Lauryn' last='Bitzer'] - DS</td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Alves Runs The Show</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>L2 is going to be relying a lot on setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='471313' first='Nellie' last='Alves']</strong>, as she's the lone setter on the roster. The 6-footer has a lot of intangibles to make her teams great and she can push a strong pace while playing above the blocks. Alves has a lot of reps for talented teams and she's very comfortable getting the best out of her hitters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Well-Rounded Hitters</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alves has some good arms to work with. The outside options are well-balanced and able to supply great defense and serving on top of powerful attacks. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454368' first='Lexa' last='Pierson']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442991' first='Leah' last='Bongiovanni'] </strong>are available outsides, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='523832' first='Charley' last='Romeo'] </strong>is an explosive right side. Pierson is a player that has played a lot of different positions and knows all aspects of the game well. Bongiovanni adds a 6-foot presence on the outside. In the middle, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='443000' first='Samantha' last='Monroe'], [player_tooltip player_id='812962' first='Ellaena' last='Michelin']</strong>, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='523875' first='Kate' last='Sulkowski']</strong> will be a handful. Sulkowski is coming off a really strong finish to her prep season. She and Monroe has 6'1” length to use on the block, while Michelin has good footwork and lift off the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Aggressive Defense</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The L2 171 defenders are tireless players that are going to leave it all on the floor each match. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442993' first='Madison' last='Monroe']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442968' first='Amelia' last='Vogelheim']</strong>, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='827002' first='Lauryn' last='Bitzer']</strong>. Each reads the play really well and stays light on their feet to cover a lot of space. They all also bring a really challenging serve to the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Expectations</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>L2 171 has already gotten a lot of good opportunities to size themselves up against other in-state opponents. There's been a lot of positives out of it, and some lessons to be learned as well. L2 will have to avoid getting mistake-prone and allowing teams to put together long runs. This team can hang with anyone, but should be able to establish some key in-state wins and wins in the Midwest as they get more experience together in the upcoming months.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->