Top Setters at the Michigan Stock Up Showcase

<p><em><strong>Be sure to follow @lshotvb on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lshotvb/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc">Tik Tok </a>and <a href="https://x.com/LineShotVBall">Twitter</a> for all things volleyball!</strong></em></p>   <p><strong><em><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb/video/7670343376297905439?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7621309005139035661" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb/video/7670343376297905439?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7621309005139035661">How are we getting NUMBER 1 VS. NUMBER 2 in the opening weekend of the NCAA Season?!</a></em></strong></p>   <p><strong><em>--</em></strong></p>   <p>It's about that time to get a look on the returners! </p>   <p>The Stock Up Showcase is the perfect place to get a good check up on some of the top athletes across the state, but its also the place to be to find the emerging talents that are beginning to blossom. This year's edition of the Stock Up was second to none.</p>   <p>We had it all here. The National Champions. The USA Training invitees. Some of the biggest names in Michigan volleyball were on tap for the showcase at UWM Sports Complex. But we also had the fresh faces. The players that caused us to turn our head and go "Who is that?!" We got you covered here!</p>   <p>We started looking at the freshmen with the setters, and we are going to do the same thing here with the returners. This is one of the most underrated, and under-appreciated, positions on the court. Setters make or break the team, but not these girls. These setters dial their squads up a notch or two. Let's take a look at the stud setters we got to see run the courts at the 2026 Michigan Stock Up!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='755280' first='Isabella' last='O'Malley'] - Imlay City/Michigan Elite</h2>   <p>She may be small, but this player is quite mighty. We got to get a glimpse of what she could do at last year's showcases, and to see the growth is incredible. [player_tooltip player_id='755280' first='Isabella' last='O'Malley'] has had the opportunity to learn from the best, sitting in the wings of veterans like Emma Keeping (Wake Forest) and Makayla Bruman (SVSU), you can definitely see the influence. O'Malley is fast, aggressive and really energetic on the court. Her energy is infectious and she looks primed to take over the reigns at Imlay City this fall seemlessly.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='782946' first='Catie' last='Jilek'] - Portage Central/FaR Out</h2>   <p>If there was anybody who had a break out season this club season, it's [player_tooltip player_id='782946' first='Catie' last='Jilek']. This is a setter that we are all going to want to keep our eyes on. Jilek is a 6'0 setter with so much intangibles to her game. Her height allows her to run a fast paced game, but also keep her in the minds of defenses. She can be an aggressor on second contact and it allows for a lot of openings on the court for her hitters.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='777145' first='Andersyn' last='King'] - Harper Creek/FaR Out</h2>   <p>Right alongside Jilek, this is another setter from the west that we have to keep tabs on. [player_tooltip player_id='777145' first='Andersyn' last='King'] is a setter that can hang with the best in the gym. She has the IQ, the speed and the location to run a really fun offense. King is a constant communicator and runs the floor. She'll be a lot of fun to watch take Harper Creek deep into the tournament this fall.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='924928' first='Mena' last='Hover'] - Niles/NIVA</h2>   <p>We never get to talk about our southwest kids too much, but [player_tooltip player_id='924928' first='Mena' last='Hover'] looks to be an athlete that is going to change that. At 5'9, Hover is a good sized setter. Not the biggest, but not the smallest, but it doesn't matter too much when she gets into a flow. Hover is so fluid, so smooth when getting to the ball and upon delivery.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='919979' first='Alexis' last='Crawford'] - Gull Lake/Dead Frog</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='919979' first='Alexis' last='Crawford'] is entering her sophomore season at Gull Lake and that should bring a lot of concern to a lot of teams. Gull Lake went on a historic run years ago with her older sister, Sophie, at the helm, and I could see something similar for Alexis. Crawford is a tall setter, standing around 6'0-6'1 and she is really finding herself in the game. From the last showcase, Crawford's setting is much faster, more precise and she's become much more an offensive minded setter, with her physical advantage over her counterparts in mind. This is going to be a fun player to watch develop these next 3 years.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='765790' first='Piper' last='Ayotte'] - Ann Arbor Skyline/Michigan Elite</h2>   <p>Last fall saw this setter really come into her own. For the first time since the Murray era, Ann Arbor Skyline found themselves in the Quarterfinals of the MHSAA D1 Tournament and [player_tooltip player_id='765790' first='Piper' last='Ayotte'] was at the source of the offense. Since then, you're really seeing this player step things up a notch. She's more efficient in her movement around the court and is finding attackers quickly. Ayotte looks to have a much better IQ for the game and in turn is resulting in a lot of success.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='664290' first='Heidi' last='White'] - East Grand Rapids/MVA</h2>   <p>This is maybe one of my favorite setters in the 2028 class here in Michigan. [player_tooltip player_id='664290' first='Heidi' last='White'] is another excellent product out of the west side of Michigan. She's truly a smoother operator. As she works around the court and delivers the ball, it's clean, precise and consistent. White is a top prospect in this class and really elevated the pool of athletes here at the Stock Up.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='456251' first='Alexa' last='Turner'] - SMCC/Athlete HQ</h2>   <p>I would be keeping a close eye on the perennial powers of SMCC this fall. While they lost a bit, [player_tooltip player_id='456251' first='Alexa' last='Turner'] returns and she looks better than before. This is a bit of news that should concern the rest of the Division 3. Turner has always been a very promising prospect, but she's coming into the fall looking as polished and refined as she has ever. Turner could be a game changing presence for the Kestrels this fall.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <p>Be Sure to grab your tickets to watch some of the biggest events in college volleyball this season!</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">The Players Era Volleyball Showcase in Las Vegas, NE, August 29-30 - Nebraska, Texas, TCU & UNLV! <strong><em><a href="https://www.axs.com/events/1442695/all-tournament-pass-players-era-volleyball-showcase-tickets" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.axs.com/events/1442695/all-tournament-pass-players-era-volleyball-showcase-tickets">Grab your tickets HERE!</a></em></strong></h4>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Broadway Block Party in Nashville, TN, September 6 - Texas, Louisville, Indiana, and Tennessee! <strong><em><a href="https://www.ticketmaster.com/broadway-block-party-nashville-tennessee-09-06-2026/event/1B00645A9F4ED5CD">Grab your tickets HERE!</a></em></strong></h4>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Paradise Invitational in Nassau, Bahamas, September 11-13 - SMU, Purdue, Houston and Kentucky! <a href="https://bit.ly/LineshotxParadise"><strong><em>Grab your Tickets HERE!</em></strong></a></h4>

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