Beast of the East Takeaways and Standouts

The 2026 Prep Dig Exposure Tour hits Michigan on Sunday, Dec. 6. We've now added Universal Speed Testing as part of the event, which is open to 2027-2030 prospects. <a href="https://events.prepdig.com/e/2498/register/exposure-tour-michigan">Get signed up for the event</a> now and use promo code ET26DREW25OFF to get 25% off your registration.   The 2026 Beast of the East Tournament was another outstanding event with a lot of great play between 32 top teams from around Michigan.   In the end, Byron Center came away with the title with a dominant 25-12, 25-12 win over Grand Rapids Christian.   There was a lot to takeaway from Saturday, but here's some thoughts on the 16 teams that reached the Gold Bracket at this year's Beast of the East.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Byron Center</h2>   The Bulldogs won the event, a major feather in their cap. While not having the same size as the other top teams, Byron Center's hitters did a great job of finding gaps in the blocking and also playing off the blockers to finish points. They are a fundamentally sound team that is going to make teams earn a victory against them. [player_tooltip player_id='454351' first='Mallory' last='Johnson'] was on the <a href="https://prepdig.com/2026/10/2026-beast-of-the-east-all-tournament-team/">All-Tournament Team</a> for good reason. [player_tooltip player_id='830699' first='Caitlin' last='Hartson'] put down six kills in the championship and was a steady source of offense all day, as well as [player_tooltip player_id='908353' first='Kenna' last='Deters'] in the middle. Serving was a big strength for Byron Center as well. The Bulldogs had six aces in the final, including three from libero [player_tooltip player_id='834311' first='Kinsley' last='Whitfield'].   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Grand Rapids Christian</h2>   The Eagles were dominant throughout the day, but an injury to setter [player_tooltip player_id='490372' first='Piper' last='Cebulski'] early in the final seemed to throw them off, understandably. Cebulski was definitely one of the top setters on Saturday and a great source of energy on the court. [player_tooltip player_id='442982' first='Grace' last='Goodyke'] was still a dominant force for GRC, and she had seven kills to lead all hitters in the final, but the Eagles just couldn't get into a groove against Byron Center. [player_tooltip player_id='881552' first='Mya' last='McKinnon'] wasn't available on Saturday, but that didn't stop GRC from looking dominant. [player_tooltip player_id='991184' first='Annie' last='Ferwerda'] and [player_tooltip player_id='807798' first='Sylvia' last='Setsma'] had some impressive stretches while [player_tooltip player_id='809442' first='Zoey' last='Klunder'] and [player_tooltip player_id='939687' first='Carys' last='Nieuwenhuis'] were excellent defensively.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Romeo</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/10/Beast-of-the-East-48.jpg?w=895" alt="" class="wp-image-1052865" style="aspect-ratio:0.8748718262652851;width:273px;height:auto" /></figure>   The Bulldogs were one of the breakout teams on Saturday, reaching the semifinals before falling to GRC. Romeo has a lot of talent and really were clicking on Saturday, as it earned a win over Byron Center and Eisenhower during the event. [player_tooltip player_id='442978' first='Eleanor' last='Williams'], [player_tooltip player_id='807820' first='Addison' last='Bultynck'] and [player_tooltip player_id='490033' first='Christina' last='Rosenow'] all provide a lot of experience to lead the offense, while freshman [player_tooltip player_id='891341' first='Layla' last='Ljajcaj'] is clearly one of the best 2030 prospects in the state. Her hang time is something to see. All of these athletes created a lot of difficulty for opposing attacks, not giving teams clear looks and helping libero Kayla Liedke keep the ball off the floor. Saturday should definitely give Romeo a confidence boost as we approach the playoffs.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Forest Hills Northern</h2>   The other semifinalist picked up a major win over Marian and the Huskies have one of the strongest group of outsides in the state. [player_tooltip player_id='454371' first='Riley' last='Loehfelm'] was outstanding and played with great passion. She came through with timely kills for FHN, especially in close sets down the stretch. [player_tooltip player_id='486269' first='Brooke' last='Johnson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='881556' first='Stella' last='Polavin'] give the Huskies a three-armed attack on the pins that is going to make them competitive with any team in the state. In the middle, sophomore London Boutelier shows a lot of promise and completes this dynamic attack.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Orchard Lake St. Mary's</h2>   The Eaglets did a lot of good things on Saturday and did so without some key players that were on college visits. [player_tooltip player_id='470031' first='Avery' last='Kapeller'] was one of the top players at the event, consistently putting the ball away despite drawing a lot of defensive attention. [player_tooltip player_id='470701' first='Zoey' last='Kapeller'] played very well at libero and had some incredible digs against the state's top hitters. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='919858' first='Rayne' last='Altermatt'] stepped in at setter for the day and played very well against tough competition in high-pressure spots.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Roscommon</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/10/Beast-of-the-East-52.jpg?w=880" alt="" class="wp-image-1052869" style="aspect-ratio:0.8602129186968276;width:275px;height:auto" /></figure>   The Bucks should feel great about what they did on Saturday, reaching the quarterfinals with a nice win over North Branch. Roscommon proved they are a D3 team that should compete for the title. Their hitting and blocking held up against some of the top teams in Division 1 and Division 2. [player_tooltip player_id='732306' first='Reese' last='Williams'] can do it all on the floor, and she had a flare for coming through in big moments. [player_tooltip player_id='586777' first='Nemiah' last='Carper'] had some of the most powerful kills at the entire event and she can go toe-to-toe with any middle in the state. [player_tooltip player_id='769601' first='Mara' last='Williams'] also came through with good moments in all phases, while libero Autumn Kehn did everything she could to keep the ball off the floor despite being up against power arm after power arm.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Eisenhower</h2>   The Eagles definitely have the talent to beat anyone in the state, the key will just be putting it together over three sets when the big matches arrive in November. [player_tooltip player_id='454358' first='Lily' last='Tripi'] is as good as they come at setter and she's got plenty of dynamic hitters to feed the ball to. [player_tooltip player_id='938309' first='Juliet' last='Berishaj'] is getting better and better as a freshman right side, while [player_tooltip player_id='1021760' first='Alexa' last='Kaczanowski'] did some good things in the middle to add to the already impressive offense.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Marian</h2>   The Mustangs were coming off a big win last week over Mercy and were looking like they could win it all on Saturday before getting edged by FH Northern. [player_tooltip player_id='958515' first='Molly' last='Hickey'] has really settled into a leadership role as a freshman setter. She plays with great intensity and has the talent to back it up. [player_tooltip player_id='569767' first='Quinn' last='Nelson'] can hold her own with anyone on the outside and is a great defensive talent to go alongside libero [player_tooltip player_id='553151' first='Ashlyn' last='Pelon']. To then have seniors [player_tooltip player_id='436889' first='Sophia' last='Smith'] and [player_tooltip player_id='454352' first='Calli' last='LeFevre'], its easy to see why Marian could make a run all the way to the title this year.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Gold Bracket Team Evaluations</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/10/Beast-of-the-East-36.jpg?w=908" alt="[player_tooltip player_id='664290' first='Heidi' last='White']" class="wp-image-1052854" style="aspect-ratio:0.8875863675180499;width:273px;height:auto" /></figure>   Frankenmuth: Loved the energy they played with. [player_tooltip player_id='850401' first='Avery' last='Geer'] is an outstanding sophomore setter while [player_tooltip player_id='977222' first='Reegan' last='Klinski'] is a potent middle.   Rockford: The Rams aren't going to make it easy for any team. [player_tooltip player_id='897539' first='Haley' last='Armock']'s intensity on the floor is always one of their bright spots.   East Grand Rapids: The Pioneers have a balanced offense thanks to setter [player_tooltip player_id='664290' first='Heidi' last='White'], who looks in complete control on the floor.   Hudsonville: The Eagles have the size up front to be dominant. Especially with [player_tooltip player_id='827359' first='Megan' last='Glass'] and [player_tooltip player_id='888951' first='Piper' last='Vugteveen'].   North Branch: The Broncos didn't have the size their opponents, yet they still beat some great D1 teams behind technically sound play. [player_tooltip player_id='888384' first='Allysse' last='Deshetsky'] continues to make huge strides as an all-around player.   South Lyon East: The Cougars ran through their pool before falling to Byron Center. [player_tooltip player_id='587564' first='Lexi' last='Coleman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='644142' first='Ava' last='Kiernan'] still impressed to make the All-Tournament Team.   Grand Haven: The Buccaneers have a lot of strengths, just need to find the consistency. [player_tooltip player_id='462086' first='Mallory' last='Woiteshek'] was as good as advertised.   South Lyon: The Lions were a team you just couldn't count out. If they can avoid lengthy lapses, they will be a team to watch in the postseason. [player_tooltip player_id='456516' first='Kennedy' last='Duncan'] is a player that probably deserves more attention for what she's done this season. She leaves it all on the floor each time.   Check out our <a href="https://prepdig.com/2026/10/beast-of-the-east-photo-gallery-2/">Beast of the East Photo Gallery</a> with nearly 100 images from Saturday.

The 2026 Prep Dig Exposure Tour hits Michigan on Sunday, Dec. 6. We've now added Universal Speed Testing as part of the event, which is open to 2027-2030 prospects. Get signed up for the event now and use promo code ET26DREW25OFF to get 25% off your registration.