Mercy Elite Power Series Takeaways & Standouts Part 2

The second round of the Volleyball Power Series at St. Joe's Mercy Elite Sports Center was held on Saturday. Overall, 29 teams took part in the day, which featured some great action. While it was hard to keep an eye on all the play, I did get to see a lot of talent. If you missed Part 1, you can read it by <a href="https://prepdig.com/2021/09/mercy-elite-power-series-takeaways-standouts-part-1/">clicking here</a>. Here's Part 2 of my takeaways from the day and some players that caught my eye. Notre Dame Prep: The Irish continued their unbeaten season with three more wins despite not having one of their leading hitters in [player_tooltip player_id="24857" first="Bianca" last="Giglio"]. They still had Miss Volleyball finalists [player_tooltip player_id="24844" first="Alyssa" last="Borellis"] and [player_tooltip player_id="24842" first="Josie" last="Bloom"] to lead the offense and defense, respectively. [player_tooltip player_id="137573" first="Sophia" last="Sudzina"] dialed her game up another notch at outside hitter to make up for the loss of Giglio, racking up 28 kills. [caption id="attachment_157917" align="alignright" width="238"]<img class="wp-image-157917 " src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/09/DCD-Lockhart-298x300.jpg" alt="" width="238" height="240" /> [player_tooltip player_id="24862" first="Morgan" last="Lockhart"][/caption] Country Day: The Yellowjackets were without Miss Volleyball finalist, [player_tooltip player_id="24870" first="Serena" last="Nyambio"], in the middle. Still, DCD isn't lacking in size or hitting. Country Day looked very loose on the court. The team is playing with some real swagger right now, as they know 2021 is their chance to make a run at a title. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="66291" first="Laurece" last="Abraham"] was dominant in the middle and is one of the best in the state at her position. [player_tooltip player_id="24869" first="Nyla" last="Muskovin"] and [player_tooltip player_id="24862" first="Morgan" last="Lockhart"] are also very athletic outsides with good size that give DCD as much firepower as any team in the state. Saline: The Hornets didn't have their talented sophomore middle [player_tooltip player_id="110282" first="Mallory" last="Bohl"] but still had plenty of firepower. Freshman hitter [player_tooltip player_id="156313" first="Marie" last="Laurio"] looked solid in a chance to compete with a larger role in the lineup. She shows good form and explosiveness. Senior Elizabeth Vance also stepped up, playing with a lot of energy and displaying a lot of leadership on the floor. SMCC: The two-time defending D3 state champs lost nearly everyone in their lineup from 2020, yet they still manage to be a top contender again in D3. On Saturday, the Kestrels were up against some big competitors and held their won. Two freshmen hitters, [player_tooltip player_id="156292" first="Jessica" last="Costlow"] and [player_tooltip player_id="156321" first="McKenna" last="Payne"] were impressive. They are taking on big roles and adapting quickly to the speed of the game. Senior libero Ava Kuhnlein provides the experience and leadership to the squad, who has great potential as the season progresses. Lake Orion: The Dragons didn't have their dominant junior outside [player_tooltip player_id="66309" first="Nina" last="Horning"], which made it tough to go toe-to-toe with other power-hitting squads. [player_tooltip player_id="24863" first="Jaina" last="Macaulay"] played with her usual heart and hustle at setter and put her hitters in a position to succeed. [caption id="attachment_157918" align="alignright" width="160"]<img class="wp-image-157918" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/09/Seaholm-Brown-2-210x300.jpg" alt="" width="160" height="229" /> [player_tooltip player_id="24847" first="Audrey" last="Brown"][/caption] Seaholm: Senior outside [player_tooltip player_id="24847" first="Audrey" last="Brown"] was one of the top performers of the day at the event. She can do it all and plays smoothly in the front row or back. She's a very explosive athlete with great form. Junior middle [player_tooltip player_id="140488" first="Jordan" last="Lindner"] is imposing at 6'3” with a long reach. She has a lot of potential if she can tap more into her aggression on the floor. https://x.com/PrepDigMI/status/1439265606369427466?s=20 Troy: The Colts have some good size to work with and could be a threat if they can polish up some unforced errors. Kendal Zeiter is a talented multi-sport athlete that looks good on the volleyball floor. At 6'2”, she moves around the court well and plays with a lot of grace. However, she still brings the powerful swings when the time is right. [caption id="attachment_157919" align="alignright" width="210"]<img class="wp-image-157919" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/09/Groves-Apsey-2.jpg" alt="" width="210" height="228" /> [player_tooltip player_id="66292" first="Rebecca" last="Apsey"][/caption] Groves: The Falcons put up a fight on Saturday, but just didn't have the overall size and hitting to contend with the big dogs. [player_tooltip player_id="66292" first="Rebecca" last="Apsey"] is definitely a star. She makes the most of her opportunities to swing and can deliver a forceful shot from unorthodox places. Apsey plays with a lot of confidence, but also keeps herself calm and collected on the floor. Flushing: The Raiders faced some tough competition and were outsized in most cases, but setter [player_tooltip player_id="24835" first="Kendyl" last="Andrews"] continues to prove she is one of the stronger setters in the state. She plays a great ball and was able to mix up the attacks for the team to try and get past the long blocks the Raiders were up against all day. Stoney Creek: It's been a tough season for Stoney Creek thus far, as they are facing a lot of great teams with a rather inexperienced lineup. However, [player_tooltip player_id="24881" first="Sydney" last="Tomlak"] is as great as they come. The six-rotation outside excels everywhere on the floor and she has a great mix of shots with different speeds. What's also impressive about Tomlak is her leadership. She's always encouraging her teammates and handling the bumps in the road with class. The Cougars have looked a little stronger each day, so don't be surprised if Tomlak and company are playing spoiler at the end of the year. West Bloomfield: The Lakers are working in a new coaching staff, but had some nice moments this weekend. Senior libero Cara Hartley played with a lot of effort and energy in the back row and displayed a serve that created a lot of problems for opponents.