2020 Prep Season Preview: Division 1’s top liberos

<p>Defense is key to push a volleyball team to a championship.</p> <p>A strong libero or defensive specialist can keep a strong offense in-system and solidify a team’s title hopes.</p> <p>In Division 1, there’s a lot of great liberos that have made a name for themselves over the years.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50290" first="Rachel" last="Jennings"], Sr. Novi</strong></p> <p>Jennings has established herself as one of the top liberos in the Midwest for quite some time. Jennings has racked up over 1,100 digs over the last two seasons. She has quick reactions and great instincts on the floor. Jennings plays with a lot of poise and has spent years facing the top hitters in the state. She was Third Team All-State in 2019 while Novi reached the regional finals.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="14165" first="Abby" last="Boyle"], Sr. Byron Center</strong></p> <p>Boyle earned Second Team All-State honors as a junior in 2019. She guided Byron Center to a district championship. Boyle, a Valparaiso commit, has great athleticism in the back row. She’s quick to react to a play and puts her body on the line to keep her team in a point. Byron Center has a lot of expectations for 2020 and Boyle is a big reason why.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50322" first="Emma" last="Hall"], Sr. Lowell</strong></p> [caption id="attachment_107359" align="alignright" width="231"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-107359" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/09/Lowell-Emma-Hall-231x300.jpg" alt="" width="231" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="50322" first="Emma" last="Hall"][/caption] <p>Hall was Third Team All-State in 2019 while helping the Red Arrows reach the Division 1 championship match. Hall had 516 digs and 74 aces for Lowell. She can sometimes be overshadowed by the Red Arrows’ talented offense, but Hall has been crucial to the team’s success the last few years. Hall makes great plays in the back row and plays with a lot of composure.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50305" first="Hannah" last="Blaney"], Sr. Saline</strong></p> <p>Blaney was Honorable Mention All-State in 2019 for Saline. The Hornets were consistently in the mix of the top teams in Division 1 last year before running into Skyline, an eventual D1 semifinalist, in districts. Blaney put up 412 digs and 58 aces for Saline last year. She plays with a lot of grit, but also has strong technical skills to be a great passer.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50319" first="Sophia" last="Oakes"], Sr. Pinckney</strong></p> <p>Oakes has been one of the most productive liberos in the state of Michigan. She was given a lot of trust as a freshman for Pinckney and the Pirates haven’t regretted that for a second. Oakes had 675 digs in 2019 and has had over 500 digs each of her first three seasons. For her career, Oakes is over 1,850 digs and quickly approaching 2,000.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50317" first="Gracie" last="Danziger"], Sr. East Lansing</strong></p> <p>Danziger is a tremendous libero, but has the athleticism to play other positions if needed for East Lansing. Her athleticism and ability to raise her level of play has landed her a spot with Michigan State next year. Danziger may not get the attention that some of her fellow liberos do, but she has all the talent to be one of the best.</p> <p><strong>Avery Horejsi, Sr. Walled Lake Central</strong></p> <p>Horejsi has been the constant in the back row for Walled Lake Central since she was a freshman. A great leader on the floor, it’s hard to find many that play with more competitiveness than Horejsi. She’s constantly taking bumps and bruises to make a play and it’s paid off for the Vikings. Last fall she had over 400 digs, giving her close to 1,300 for her prep career.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="14194" first="Lara" last="Sebastian"], Sr. Rochester Adams</strong></p> <p>Sebastian is another versatile player in the back row. She missed some time in 2019, but still had a productive season for Adams. As a junior she had over 340 digs, giving her over 1,100 for her prep career. Adams is a team looking to make a move up the OAA ladder in 2020. With a poised veteran like Sebastian in the back row, the Highlanders certainly could.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24860" first="Summer" last="Jidas"], Jr. Clarkston</strong></p> <p>Jidas has a breakout season for the Wolves in 2019. She helped Clarkston grab over 40 wins and an OAA Red championship. Jidas had 490 digs to lead the Wolves. She also delivers a tremendous serve that earned 85 aces in 2019. Jidas played with a lot of poise for a sophomore and her confidence level should be high entering the 2020 season.</p> <p><strong>Honorable Mention: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id="89341" first="Livvy" last="Setla"], Sr. Northville; [player_tooltip player_id="24838" first="Lyse" last="Bates"], Jr. Portage Northern; [player_tooltip player_id="24839" first="Carlina" last="Bender"], Jr. Hudsonville; [player_tooltip player_id="60859" first="Amina" last="Robinson"], Jr. Mercy; Alina Anderson, Jr. Rockford; Kendall White, Soph. St. Johns<strong>; </strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24867" first="Jessica" last="Mondragon"], Jr. Northville</p>