2026 Michigan Freshman Showcase Player Evaluations: Part 4

<p>The 2026 Michigan Freshman Showcase took place on Sunday and we had nearly 70 different 2030 prospects on hand in Pontiac, displaying their talents.</p>   <p>This could be a very special class and many of the best were on hand.</p>   <p>Here's the fourth set of player evaluations from Sunday's Freshman Showcase.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='995140' first='Lainey' last='Holt'], OH Woodhaven/Michigan Elite</strong></h2>   <p>Holt looks like she's going to be a major impact player over the next four years. She's gets big air off the floor and knows how to power through the ball with good mechanics. Holt can make all the shots, and knows when she needs to dial up just a little bit more power to put things away. I also liked what I saw from her when it came to defensive hustle.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='958515' first='Molly' last='Hickey'], S Marian/Legacy</strong></h2>   <p>Marian looks like it has another star setter coming into the program. When she's running the offense, she looks in complete control. She was able to make some athletic sets that her peers couldn't, all while maintaining high levels of accuracy. I'm not sure you can put a limit on where she can take her game.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Emma Sam, MB Utica/High Performance</strong></h2>   <p>Sam has some nice pop on her attacks and she's able to be consistent with her power swing. Her footwork and timing got better and better as the showcase went on and she maintained good effort on the block.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1009071' first='Charlotte' last='Kozak'], OH Mercy/High Performance</strong></h2>   <p>Kozak was working hard and putting everything into each rep. She wasn't going to let someone else outwork her, which allowed her to make some strong plays on the defensive side, while being able to transition quickly into impressive attacks on the pin. Kozak gets a lot of out of each swing, as she's able to climb the ladder at make contact at a high point.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1009099' first='Chloe' last='Thayer'], DS/L Grosse Ile/Passion</strong></h2>   <p>Thayer was mopping the floor at the Showcase, literally. She was diving everywhere and keeping that floor nice and clean by throwing her body around to make every play she could. Her hustle and energy was infectious and brought out the best in some of her peers. As she continues to polish up her fundamentals, Thayer will be a strong defensive prospect.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1009102' first='Paulina' last='Koller-Ditto'], DS/L Grosse Ile/Thrive</strong></h2>   <p>Koller-Ditto also had a lot of good energy at the Showcase. She kept a real positive attitude and remained upbeat even in high-pressure situations. Koller-Ditto showed she can make some very athletic plays in the back row, and displayed good communication while also being very supportive of her peers.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='979317' first='Olivia' last='Burkert'], OH Milford/Legacy</strong></h2>   <p>Burker was a picture of consistency throughout the Showcase. She wasn't necessarily the most powerful hitter, but she always had good pop on her swings. She wasn't necessarily the best blocker, but still was very effective. The same can be said with her all-around defensive play and serving. Burkert has a great all-around skillset that will keep getting better.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1009141' first='Averie' last='Bernia'], S Rochester/Legacy</strong></h2>   <p>Bernia brought a good setting foundation to the Showcase, but what I liked about her performance is that she showed a willingness to take chances. She pushed herself to try some tough sets. While they didn't always pay off, this was the place to try and take your game to another level and should give her confidence to keep developing new ways to deliver the ball.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1009174' first='Lucy' last='Moeser'], DS/L Milford/L2</strong></h2>   <p>Moeser was a really scrappy defender that was very engaged with her peers and coaches. She stayed locked into the ball at all times and did a good job of anticipating where the play was developing. Her serve receive was at a high level, and among the best of the defenders at the Showcase.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1009293' first='Alexa' last='Apostolovski'], MB Utica/Michigan Elite</strong></h2>   <p>At 6'3”, Apostolovski doesn't need much space to be a problem for opponents at the net. She can play above the blockers with a small hop, and be a very disruptive block by just keeping her hands in the air. What makes Apostolovski as promising prospect is she shows good footwork for her size.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1009481' first='Kenley' last='Witteveen'], S Hart/Inside Out</strong></h2>   <p>Witteveen got stronger as the Showcase went on, developing some good chemistry with the array of hitters and getting more comfortable at taking her pace of play up another level. This Showcase should bring some added confidence, as she was able to consistently place the ball where her hitters could really unload on it.</p>

The 2026 Michigan Freshman Showcase took place on Sunday and we had nearly 70 different 2030 prospects on hand in Pontiac, displaying their talents.