Top Defensive Outside Hitters in Class of 2028

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Class of 2028 has a lot of bright prospects, especially at outside hitter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of these talented hitters, a handful are showing they can be just and key on defense as they are on offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='710236' first='Morgan' last='Borodychuk'], Mt. Pleasant</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A multi-sport talent, Borodychuk is just a great athlete that can do it all on the volleyball court. She led the Oilers and kills and nearly led them in digs and blocks as well. She's relentless with her pursuit of the ball and is a player you know is going to give her all to keep the ball off the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='587016' first='Lillian' last='Bowman'], Plymouth Christian/Michigan Elite</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bowman is a well-coached, poised player and that shows in her play in the back row. She's very steady and consistent with her form and accuracy. She makes her defensive play a priority and it's clear in how she performs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='817491' first='Olivia' last='Brown'], St. Louis/Legacy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brown can impact the game in all phases and is a prospect that needs more recognition. She's dominating the Central Michigan area, but is looking like she can be one of the top overall talents in this class with her strides as a defender, and her dominant attacking.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='644262' first='Amaya' last='Frias'], Ionia/FaR Out</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Frias is a player that broke out onto the scene this fall as a well-balanced offensive and defensive threat. She could play libero anywhere, but also has the athleticism to be an outside hitter at Ionia. She has a knack for big moments and won't be intimidated by any hitter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='752615' first='Eliana' last='Hulst'], West Ottawa/MVA</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hulst uses her 6'2” length really well to be a big blocking force and disrupt a lot of opposing attacks. She also moves well in the back court and has consistently improved on her serve receive. There's room for growth, but Hulst is showing she can be a complete player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='569773' first='Skylar' last='Ignash'], Cass City/Michigan Elite</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Teams wanted to try and test Ignash this fall and she proved to be up to the challenge. She had over 370 digs as an outside hitter, not an easy stat to reach. Ignash has the natural offensive skills, but her defensive play might help set her apart.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='569767' first='Quinn' last='Nelson'], Marian/Legacy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Up against consistently high competition, Nelson has had to quickly prove she can swim in the deep defensive waters at Marian and she showed a lot of promise. She takes command and plays with a lot of maturity and poise on defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='569772' first='Lauren' last='Sheldon'], Stoney Creek/Legacy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sheldon is a player that keeps adding to her game. She started as a dominant middle, but then shifted to the outside where she's found success, and has since developed a reliable defensive game to become a complete player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='584598' first='Allison' last='Stakoe'], Bloomfield Hills/Legacy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stakoe is a player with a lot of explosiveness on offense, so her defense can got a bit overlooked, but she's been one of the most consistent 2028 outsides in that category. She was a big asset in serve receive for the Black Hawks and brings a lot of the same energy to her defensive play that she does on offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='732306' first='Reese' last='Williams'], Roscommon/Mid-Michigan Aces</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams is a workhorse that is going to give you everything she has at all times. She stays light on her feet and active on defense to come through with some challenging digs. Williams is able to flip the switch quickly between offensive and defensive mindset.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->