Top Offensive Prep Teams Entering 2026, Part 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we are now into May, the 2026 prep volleyball season isn't too far away.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kids are wrapping up their club seasons and getting ready to put in the work to make a run at a state title come August.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Looking ahead, there's a lot of high-offensive potential around the state, with some teams returning a plethora of talent. Here's the first part of our look at some of the top returning offenses in the state for 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Bloomfield Hills</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's no doubt that the Black Hawks will have some big shoes to fill in the loss of Kayla Nwabueze, arguably the most dominant player in the state. But, Bloomfield Hills also built some impressive depth throughout 2025. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='584598' first='Allison' last='Stakoe']</strong> proved she can provide some big kills and take on a bigger role this fall, while young middles <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='775900' first='Suri' last='Ewing'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='768151' first='Emily' last='Nwabueze'] </strong>are going to be a handful for any opponent. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='512892' first='Brynn' last='Wilcox'] </strong>is a proven talent at setter and will be entering her senior year with a lot of leadership qualities to develop some new hitters as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Byron Center</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldogs made a run to the state semifinals last fall and have a lot of talented offensive players returning, led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454351' first='Mallory' last='Johnson'] </strong>(Nebraska). The top defender in the state is also an elite outside hitter for the Bulldogs, and she will be joined by talented hitters <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809922' first='Cara' last='Crittendon'], [player_tooltip player_id='830699' first='Caitlin' last='Hartson']</strong>, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='908353' first='Kenna' last='Deters']</strong>. Setter <strong>Lele Froysland</strong> will also be back to continue her chemistry with this group. Byron Center should looked polished right away and play at a high level throughout 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Caledonia</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Fighting Scots have been able to put up some of the best offensive squads in the state in recent years and 2026 should be more of the same. Led by outside <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='459740' first='Aubrey' last='Reynolds']</strong> (Findlay), Caledonia has some capable finishers to work with. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='939677' first='Lydia' last='Bell'] </strong>is a 6'2” middle with a big presence to provide Caledonia with a great 1-2 punch at the net, while <strong>Quinn Zeigler</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='502408' first='Kayleigh' last='Miersen']</strong> can provide some added offense as well. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='570463' first='Reese' last='Stafford'] </strong>is returning at setter for her senior year to put all the pieces together.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Clarkston</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wolves are going to push a good pace once again in 2026 behind the play of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442995' first='Marlie' last='Smith']</strong> (North Carolina) at setter. She is able to get a lot of great play out of her hitters and will enter her senior year very determined to push Clarkston to the next level. She's got <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442985' first='Josie' last='Seets']</strong> returning to help lead the attack, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809036' first='Maya' last='Kuebler']</strong> is a well-rounded outside that can come through with big kills as well. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='765785' first='Kaylynn' last='Johnson']</strong> will also be back for her junior year to provide some depth for the Wolves.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Detroit Country Day</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The two-time defending state champs in Division 2 should remain very competitive on offense with elite setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='574175' first='Payton' last='Woodruff'] </strong>running the show. She's got a real knack for getting the ball to the right hitters. While DCD has to replace a big outside talent in Elise Hiemstra, the team will be really strong in the middle with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='450415' first='Leah' last='Green'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='947938' first='Aliyah' last='Potapenko']. [player_tooltip player_id='442977' first='Demi' last='McCoy'] </strong>is very explosive and could have a breakout fall on the outside, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='584627' first='Shalamar' last='Guerrant'] </strong>also has a lot of potential on the outside.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Eisenhower</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eagles have a strong core of offensive talent returning again in 2026, led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454358' first='Lily' last='Tripi']</strong> at setter. She's held her own as one of the best setters in the state for years. She will have talented hitters in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442999' first='Olivia' last='Berishaj'] </strong>(Hillsdale) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='839826' first='Elise' last='Biermann']</strong> to work with. Both hitters have tremendous power and great court awareness to be able to place the ball anywhere on the floor. Tripi, herself, also can turn on the ball for some explosive kills.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Flat Rock</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The D2 runner-up from last year is going to be reloaded for a big run in 2026. Our D2 Player of the Year last year, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='839917' first='Sarah' last='Giroux']</strong> is returning to lead the offense after a dominant junior season. She's got <strong>Reagan Higdon </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='916026' first='Lily' last='Klein']</strong> also back and the three of them combined for over 1,000 kills. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='443001' first='Zoe' last='Ryan'] </strong>is also back at setter and now has a full year with this team to have better chemistry than they finished with in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->