All-Saginaw Bay Area Dream Team: First Team

<p style="text-align: left;">The Saginaw Bay area is chock full of top teams. Some players led their teams to upset post season favorites. Others led their teams to their first district title in ten years. And some helped in racking up 50 victories in a single season.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">From Division 1 to Division 3, multiple teams were consistently ranked within the top 25 throughout the season. The Saginaw Bay Area has some elite volleyball and we’re breaking down the best of the best from 2021.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Here are the members of the 2021 All-Saginaw-Bay Area Dream Team’s First Team.</p> [caption id="attachment_130361" align="alignright" width="263"]<img class="wp-image-130361 " style="font-size: 1rem;" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/02/Kalliann-Cook-1.jpg" alt="" width="263" height="175" /> [player_tooltip player_id="66297" first="Kalliann" last="Cook"][/caption] <p style="text-align: left;">[player_tooltip player_id="66297" first="Kalliann" last="Cook"] (2023) | 5’3 Lib | Birch Run/Michigan Elite</p> <p>Coming off of one of the best seasons in program history, some weren’t sure if Birch Run could capture that same spark from the previous season. [player_tooltip player_id="66297" first="Kalliann" last="Cook"] was a huge piece in the squad exceeding most’s expectations this season. Cook is a feisty defender that has the touch to better just about any ball. With her defensive leadership and steady passing, Birch Run was hard to contend with. </p> <p><strong>Molly Pitcher</strong> (2022) | 5’10 OH | Bay City Central</p> <p>For the first time in over ten years, Bay City Central has brought home a district title. A crucial piece to the puzzle was <strong>Molly Pitcher</strong>. The 6-rotation outside hitter was a large part of the Wolves’ offense. Swinging on the left or through the pipe, she was able to find success wherever. As a mainstay in this lineup for years now, Pitcher proved to be a veteran leader for this squad.  </p> <p style="text-align: left;">[player_tooltip player_id="153672" first="Audrey" last="Geer"] (2024) | 6’0 OH | Frankenmuth/Legacy</p> [caption id="attachment_170102" align="alignright" width="201"]<img class="wp-image-170102 " src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/12/37-Audrey-Geer-259x300.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="233" /> [player_tooltip player_id="153672" first="Audrey" last="Geer"][/caption] <p>This is a name that you’re going to be hearing about for years to come. Only as a sophomore, [player_tooltip player_id="153672" first="Audrey" last="Geer"] has quickly cemented herself as one of the top outside hitters in Michigan.  Attacking with such velocity, so high in the air, she went on to hit over .300 and average 4.5 kills per set throughout the season. Playing six rotations, her pass and defense is just as good, if not better than any libero around her. </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Emma Kerkau</strong> (2022) | 6’1 MB | Frankenmuth</p> <p>One of the top basketball players in the area, <strong>Emma Kerkau</strong> is no joke on the volleyball courts either. Combined with Geer, the two created quite the lethal one-two punch at the net. Whether she’s hitting in front or behind the setter, Kerkau is a dominating presence. Point scoring is what she knows best. She can be slamming a slide cross court or throwing a crafty deep corner shot, you can count on Kerkau to score!</p> <p style="text-align: left;">[player_tooltip player_id="172187" first="Emma" last="Dufresne"] (2023) | 5’8 OH | Essexville-Garber/Five:1</p> <p>Essexville-Garber was one of the top teams in Division 2 all season long. One of the biggest pieces to their historic, 50-win, season was [player_tooltip player_id="172187" first="Emma" last="Dufresne"]. While one of the smaller attackers in the area, she’s one of the strongest. Dufresne has a great shot selection to spread the ball around the court to great success. Her passing is also one of the strongest in the area. </p> <p style="text-align: left;">[player_tooltip player_id="172188" first="Ashlee" last="Lenhard"] (2023) | 5’11 MB | Essexviile-Garber/Five:1</p> <p>Frankenmuth wasn't the only area program that boasted a lethal 1-2 punch at the net. Alongside Defresne was [player_tooltip player_id="172188" first="Ashlee" last="Lenhard"]. Another talented middle blocker on this list, Lenhard was a strong attacker and a formidable blocker. One of the top attackers, she was able to knock down over 2.5 kills per set while hitting over .400 on the season. </p> <p><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><strong>Kayla Baase</strong> (2022) | 5’9 OH | Swan Valley</span></p> <p>Another basketball-standout on this list, <strong>Kayla Baase </strong>proved to be able to go toe-to-toe with some of the best on the volleyball court as well. High flying and equipped with a cannon for an arm, she was a deadly attacker. Baase racked in over 300 kills on the season. Not only was she a big piece to the Viking’s offense, but she also took up much of the back court with her defensive plays as well. </p>