LSHOTVB 2026 Beast of the East Final Four Dream Team

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <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&amp;sender_device=pc">Tik Tok </a>and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61591571897966">Facebook</a> for all things volleyball!</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em><a href="https://events.prepdig.com/e/2498/register/prep-dig-exposure-tour-michigan" data-type="link" data-id="https://events.prepdig.com/e/2498/register/prep-dig-exposure-tour-michigan">🚨 SIGN UP FOR THE 2026 PREP DIG EXPOSURE TOUR TODAY! If you use the code <mark class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">LShot26ET25OFF</mark> - You can sign up with 25% off your registration! 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It was the place to be for any top ranked team from all corners and all divisions in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The gold bracket was a gnarly one that saw a good mix of both east and west side teams going head to head, with the final four being primarily made up of west side programs, with the exclusion of an upset-minded Romeo squad. It then turned into an all west side affair in the finals with Byron Center upending a short-handed Grand Rapids Christian team in a clean sweep. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For this one, we got to talk about the best of the best when it mattered most. This Beast of the East Dream Team consists of all players who's team finished in the top four teams of the tournament. Be on the lookout for the rmainder of the standouts from this incredible tournament in coming articles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">OH - [player_tooltip player_id='442982' first='Grace' last='Goodyke'], Grand Rapids Christian</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maybe one of the most dominating attackers in the gym here, and she needed to be. Grand Rapids Christian was short a key piece on Saturday, but when you have a player like [player_tooltip player_id='442982' first='Grace' last='Goodyke'], there is no worries to be had. Goodyke was sensational in all aspects of the game and led Grand Rapids Christian to huge day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">OH - [player_tooltip player_id='454371' first='Riley' last='Loehfelm'], Forest Hills Northern</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I am not sure many would have pegged Forest Hills Northern to have the kind of day that they did last weekend. When you look at the bones of the performance, it all starts with [player_tooltip player_id='454371' first='Riley' last='Loehfelm']. This Villanova bound standout was A+ all day long. We really were treated to how Loehfelm can step up in big moments in the quarterfinal against Marian where she dismantled the No. 1 team in the state for one of the many big upsets on the day. Northern would finish their day in the semis versus Byron Center.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">OH - [player_tooltip player_id='454351' first='Mallory' last='Johnson'], Byron Center</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Get you a player like this one. We all have heard it before. [player_tooltip player_id='454351' first='Mallory' last='Johnson'] is one of the top players in the state for so many different reasons. Just about everyone of those reasons were on display at Beast of the East. A libero at heart, but an outside on the court, Johnson finds so much success due to her cerebral nature and vision for the court. This, alongside her elite ball control, is what hunkered down the Bulldogs to the championship finish.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">MB - [player_tooltip player_id='908353' first='Kenna' last='Deters'], Byron Center</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Byron Center is has one of the best tandems in the back court, they also have one of the most terminal players in the gym. In the middle, [player_tooltip player_id='908353' first='Kenna' last='Deters'] was otherworldly. This is a player that was a relative nobody a year ago before an impressive tournament run. Now? Deters has the whole state on alert in her shadow as she soars through the sky to deliver a kill after kill. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">MB - [player_tooltip player_id='891341' first='Layla' last='Ljajcaj'], Romeo</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We talked about this one plenty on the <em><a href="https://prepdig.com/2026/10/fantastic-freshman-at-the-beast-of-the-east-2026/" data-type="link" data-id="https://prepdig.com/2026/10/fantastic-freshman-at-the-beast-of-the-east-2026/">fantastic freshman list</a>,</em> but you simply cannot rave enough about this freshman phenom in [player_tooltip player_id='891341' first='Layla' last='Ljajcaj']. While she may not be a traditional middle in the sense that she maintained in the position the entire day, but there's no doubt of her impact in this position as well as the many others that she played on Saturday. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">OPP - [player_tooltip player_id='486269' first='Brooke' last='Johnson'], Forest Hills Northern</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When you have a pin tandem like Loehfelm and Brooke Johnsons operating at an 11 on opposite pins, it is pretty difficult to defend, let along stop. Johnson was another Husky that brought the heat on Saturday and maybe shocked the entire state with an upset over No. 1. Johnson is an incredible attacker on the right pin that can then follow up with superb pass and defense that keeps Northern well within every match they enter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">S - [player_tooltip player_id='490372' first='Piper' last='Cebulski'], Grand Rapids Christian</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is maybe the best I have seen of [player_tooltip player_id='490372' first='Piper' last='Cebulski']. It is to no wonder that Grand Rapids Christian has become THAT team in 2026. At 6'2, Cebulski offers so much to the position that you just can't teach. Her presence at the net alone is enough to pull a block and hesitate defenses while also running one of the more balanced offenses you'll run into. Unfortunately, Cebulski did suffer a minor injury in the championship match, but this did not take away from her impeccable play on the day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">L - [player_tooltip player_id='834311' first='Kinsley' last='Whitfield'], Byron Center</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What a luxury to have two of the best libero prospects in the state on one team. [player_tooltip player_id='834311' first='Kinsley' last='Whitfield'] continues to ascent and impress me with every time I catch her live. This tournament was another fantastic outing for the rising libero committed to Western Michigan. Her defense and pass is absolutely electric. With her and Johnson in the back court, it is dang near impossible to put a ball down.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb/video/7698885011269012766?is_from_webapp=1u0026amp;sender_device=pcu0026amp;web_id=7621309005139035661","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"tiktok","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb/video/7698885011269012766?is_from_webapp=1u0026amp;sender_device=pcu0026amp;web_id=7621309005139035661 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->