2026 Michigan Freshman Showcase Player Evaluations: Part 6

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2026 Michigan Freshman Showcase took place last Sunday and we had nearly 70 different 2030 prospects on hand in Pontiac, displaying their talents.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This could be a very special class and many of the best were on hand.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's the sixth and final set of player evaluations from Sunday's Freshman Showcase.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='979308' first='Mia' last='Zepeda'], OH Imlay City/Michigan Elite</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Zepeda did a great job of leaving everything on the floor and not being afraid to call for the ball. She wanted to leave a mark and make the most of every opportunity. That eagerness applied to her strong offensive skillset at the net, as well as her ability to make some difficult defensive plays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1010958' first='Darian' last='Hinson'], OH Farmington/Force</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hinson was another outside that was battling hard for every play. She played with a chip on her shoulder to try and raise her game to the strong level of play the Showcase had. Hinson had some solid moments with powerful kills and steady defense. As she keeps improving on her speed of play, she should make big strides.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1010468' first='Baya' last='Hamilton'], OH Melvindale/Thrive</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hamilton had to compete against a lot of outsides and middles that outsize her, but the 5'1” prospect wasn't going to back down from a challenge. She was very scrappy defensively and took her chances to showcase her power at the net. As she had more feel for her setters, Hamilton was able to find some consistent success in her attacks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1010994' first='Maddalena' last='Kives'], RS Marian/Legacy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kives did a lot of good things during the Showcase, including with her serve receive. She held steady position and looked the ball into her arms for a clean, accurate passes. Kives then transitioned well to an offensive mindset, pushing to try new shot angles and shot speeds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1011275' first='Hadley' last='Bogden'], S Ida/Michigan Elite</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brogdon is a prospect to watch. She's a long and agile setter with great consistency on the loft of her sets. Bogden was drawing out a lot of high-impact kills from her hitters and got into a real flow late in the Showcase. Bogden stays active at the net to win with hustle plays as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1011560' first='Lailah' last='Carlisle'], RS Cass Tech/Legacy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carlisle was a strong effort player, constantly pushing the pace and trying to be aggressive at the net and defensively. Sometimes it led to errors, but it didn't shake her drive to push the pace and play with good tempo. As Carlisle continues to polish her fundamentals, it should develop her into a strong prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1011628' first='Brayden' last='Finnegan'], MB Marian/Michigan Elite</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finnegan looks like a prospect that could be a handful in the years to come. She shows a lot of explosiveness at the net, as she's got a strong and compact swing that leads to a lot of power shots. She reads the opponents well to keep herself in good position to disrupt opposing attacks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1011649' first='Alexis' last='Robins'], DS/L Dakota/Unified</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Robins got more comfortable being a leader in the back row as the Showcase went on. Once she got her bearings, she moves with a lot more confidence and purpose. Robins maintained a good level of fundamental mechanics in her serve receive and first contact, while also providing a solid serve.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1011931' first='Kymiah' last='Brown-kelley'], RS Woodhaven/Passion</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brown-Kelley was definitely a prospect that raised her stock at this Showcase and made a name for herself. This left-handed hitter was coming down with some of the most explosive attacks at the event. She really gets big air off the floor and knew how to hit another gear with her swing to obliterate the ball. Each time she got a clean look, Brown-Kelley drew a lot of eyes. She's got a lot of potential for where she can take her game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1012033' first='Eva' last='Solares'], RS Divine Child/Michigan Elite</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Solares plays a nice cross-court shot from the right side. Her approach to the net helps her generate a lot of forward and downward momentum, keeping her power and attack angles steady. Solares also shows some potential on defense, looking like she can be a prospect that can make an impact in all three phases.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1015083' first='Teagan' last='O'Keefe'], OH/MB Byron Center/FaR Out</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>O'Keefe was another standout prospect in a talented group of hitters at the Freshman Showcase. Her swings are very smooth and look effortless while still generating a lot of velocity. O'Keefe has clean footwork and sees the court well to know where to place the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1012863' first='Peyton' last='Prins'] DS/L Wayland/FaR Out</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prins held her own in a talented group of defenders on Sunday. She kept herself low to the ground and maintained strong form and technique on serve receive. One thing that helped Prins stand out was her desire to get action against everyone and anyone. She'd just from court-to-court to get as many reps as she could and also see as many different hitters as possible.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->