Beast of the East All-Tournament Team

<p>Saturday’s Beast of the East Tournament was absolutely stacked with talent.</p> <p>The 32-team event featured nine of the 11 Miss Volleyball finalists and eventually saw Marian emerge as the champions.</p> <p>Coaches at the tournament voted on a 12-player All-Tournament Team following pool play.</p> <p>This collection of 12 is quite impressive and the players should be honored to be part of such an elite group.</p> <p>Here’s a look at the 12 that were voted in on Saturday.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137574" first="Alina" last="Anderson"], Sr. L, Rockford: </strong>Rockford was a semifinalist on the day and Anderson (Ferris State) really raised her game against a number of tough hitters. Anderson is very explosive in the back row and she plays with a lot of leadership and intensity.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24835" first="Kendyl" last="Andrews"], Sr. S, Flushing: </strong>Andrews (Wayne State) allowed Flushing to compete offensively with a number of great offensive teams despite the Raiders not having the same length as many of their opponents. Andrews was also very consistent defensively and made a big impact.</p> [caption id="attachment_161811" align="alignright" width="166"]<img class="wp-image-161811" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/Beast-of-the-East-2021-12-186x300.jpg" alt="" width="166" height="268" /> [player_tooltip player_id="24844" first="Alyssa" last="Borellis"][/caption] <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24844" first="Alyssa" last="Borellis"], Sr. S/OH, Notre Dame Prep: </strong>Borellis deserves a “Toughness Award” for Saturday as well. The Miss Volleyball finalist and Ole Miss commit dislocated her thumb during pool play, but just taped it up and returned to the court later in the day as a hitter. While she couldn’t set, she still could hit and defend and still did it at a high level. Borellis showed a lot of grit and just how determined she is.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24846" first="Ava" last="Brizard"], Sr. OH, Marian: </strong>Brizard played to her usually elite level. The N.C. State commit and Miss Volleyball finalist could deliver as much velocity on her attacks as anyone, but also brought an elite defensive game to the floor. Brizard is definitely the fire of the Mustangs, and is a big reason why they are rolling right now.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24853" first="Evelyn" last="Doezema"], Sr. OH, Grand Rapids Christian: </strong>Grand Rapids Christian wasn’t shy about going to Doezema (Michigan State) throughout the day, but the problem for opponents was, they couldn’t stop her even when they knew it was coming. The 6’3” Miss Volleyball finalist is an absolute game-changer.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="156295" first="Campbell" last="Flynn"], Fr. S/OH, Mercy: </strong>The freshman showed up on a big stage, leading Mercy to a semifinal appearance. She proved that the spotlight wasn’t too bright, as she consistently finished points on her own while helping bring out the best in the Marlins’ other hitters. Flynn is definitely one of Michigan’s next great stars.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24859" first="Taylor" last="Humphrey"], Sr. OH, Byron Center: </strong>Humphrey (Rutgers) is definitely crucial to what Byron Center does and she could be the most valuable player to any single squad in the state. Saturday the Miss Volleyball finalist battled toe-to-toe with the best and held her own, hitting over .300 against both Notre Dame and Marian.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="66314" first="Kennedy" last="Louisell"], Jr. OH, Forest Hills Northern: </strong>One that really caught my eye on Saturday was Louisell. She has picture-perfect swings with tremendous power from the front and back row. Louisell can jump out of the building and moves smoothly across the court to make plays offensively and defensively. She’s definitely a player that colleges need to get in touch with.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="108716" first="Emily" last="May"], Jr. OH, Coopersville: </strong>May is another player that gets a steady diet of swing for her team, but she keeps coming at opponents harder and harder. She’s got the length and swing speed to compete with anyone, but also is an elite blocker for the Broncos.</p> [caption id="attachment_161812" align="alignright" width="272"]<img class="wp-image-161812 " src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/10/DSC_9989-300x270.jpg" alt="" width="272" height="245" /> [player_tooltip player_id="24871" first="Maradith" last="O’Gorman"][/caption] <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24871" first="Maradith" last="O’Gorman"], Sr. OH, Lakewood: </strong>O’Gorman (Michigan State) can sometimes be taken for granted because she’s sustained so much production for so long. Saturday was no different. The 6’3” Miss Volleyball finalist was unstoppable for long stretches, but continues to show improved passing and serving along with her dominant hitting.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="66328" first="Ava" last="Sarafa"], Jr. S, Marian: </strong>Marian plays at a speed that everyone else had to adapt to, and Sarafa (Kentucky) is a big reason why. The junior setter spreads the ball out so well and is able to make athletic plays that other setters can’t. Her connection with her middles are something you don’t see often.</p> <p><strong>Kendal Zeiter, Sr. OH, Troy: </strong>Troy was a surprise team on Saturday, making the gold bracket despite being a fourth seed in their pool. Zeiter, a 6’2” multi-sport standout, really raised her game this weekend. She’s a very athletic hitter with good footwork that proved she deserves to be talked about with the other top hitters in the state.</p>