2022 Presidential Stand-Outs in Detroit: 15s

Presidents' Day Weekend may be a holiday to celebrate past presidents, but it has also become a holiday to celebrate volleyball!

Just about every volleyball player in the country was in contest this weekend and the competition was red HOT! Whether you were in Kansas City, St. Louis, or in Detroit, high level volleyball was in abundance this past weekend.

Here are some presidential standouts from Detroit this Presidents' Day Weekend. 

Navea Gauthier Navea Gauthier 6'1" | OH Shelby | 2025 State #29 Nation MI (2025) | 6'1 OH | FaR Out

This name has been on my radar for quite sometime, but never in person could I witness Navea Gauthier Navea Gauthier 6'1" | OH Shelby | 2025 State #29 Nation MI . She's just as good as advertised, if not better. Gauthier has a cannon for an arm and an array of shots up her sleeve that weren't often picked up. She's primarily used as a six rotation offensive dynamo, but Gauthier proved often times to be more than a big arm with her defense.

Reese Lowe (2025) | 5'10 OH | FaR Out

Right alongside Gauthier, when Reese Lowe's number was called, she delivered. She can get it done on either pin which was a treat to see, great rips at the ball and fearless with her use of the opposing block. Lowe also holds up very well in her reception, an all-around solid game.

Cambria Gaier (2025) | 5'9 OH | FaR Out

Rounding out a hard to beat trio of pins, Cambria Gaier had her fun, too, Presidents' Day Weekend. She's an undersized attacker, primarily used on the right pin, but man does she know how to contact the ball. Gaier has a high extension and can take great cracks at the ball that scored pretty effectively.

Chloe Smith (2025) | 5'9 OH | ECV

Undersized too, Chloe Smith can soar through the clouds with those hops though! She didn't need much of a watch before you found your jaw on the floor watching Smith. Her elevation is impressive at this age and her ability to rip down at the opponents was fun to see. Smith can go off at either pin, there's not much anyone can do to stop her.

Mi-na Diggs (2025) | 5'8 OH | NEO

Along with the theme of this division, Mi-na Diggs is small in stature but huge when she takes flight. Diggs can really get up above the net and swing away at the ball to the best of them. When she's on, she's unstoppable. When she's not obliterating the ball, she can play some pretty stellar defense in the court and in off-block coverage.

Natalya Bergant (2025) | 5'11 OPP | NEO

I am not too keen on a two-setter offense, but when I see all that NEO has, I get it completely. Natalya Bergant was a force to be reckoned with on the right pin. A lefty attacker with a high reach, Bergant had her way with the ball all too often, causing trouble for opponents. She had a wide array of shots that scored quite well.

Elsa Nard (2025) | 5'8 OH/OPP | NEO

Sub out one, you get a little break, no? Think again. When Bergant exits the match, in comes Elsa Nard. Nard is an explosive athlete with a great connection with her setter, Marissa Brock. The hitter-setter combo are always in sync and its not for the faint of heart. Nard knows how to get off the ground fast and find the hole in the defense.

Avery Budrys (2025) | 5'11 MB | NEO

Don't worry, this pin heavy squad has a tough middle blocker to make things even better. Avery Budrys is a cherry on top to this stellar front line for NEO. Budrys was a constant presence on the court, almost always available in transition. When her number was called, she was quick to put the ball away, hitting very efficiently throughout the weekend.

Molly Versluis (2025) | 6'0 MB | FaR Out

Another big middle running in a pin heavy squad is Molly Versluis. Like Budrys, Versluis is just a big of presence and can deliver in some clutch moments. Versluis runs a very efficient slide that was giving opponents fits all weekend long and was pretty solid in the blocking phase as well.

Abby Pickard (2025) | 5'9 S | FaR Out

Putting all together for FaR Out was Abby Pickard. Pickard is a very intelligent setter. Great location and speed on the ball, she knew the best times to call out each of her hitters in crunch time. She not only knew who to call, but she knew when to call on herself at the best times. Pickard has a lot of upside, and with a little more of vocal presence on the court, she could find that even further.

Molly McCrone (2025) | 5'7 S | NEO

Just as NEO has two really high-level opposites, they have two really competent setters as well. Molly McCrone makes up half of this duo. McCrone runs a very solid offense with great tempo and location all around. She's quite comfortable going behind her, which is great to see at this level. McCrone was thrown quite a few tight passes this weekend and her ability to pull them into in-system-esque sets were remarkable.

Marissa Brock (2025) | 5'9 S | NEO

Like McCrone, Marissa Brock knows how to run an offense herself. Very similar to her counterpart, Brock runs a very steady, clean offense. Her connections with the middle and opposite, were very much in tune. Apart from her setting abilities, Brock displayed some stellar defense throughout the campaign and a wicked serve from the backline. 

Mallory Johnson (2027) | 5'6 L | FaR Out

I had to double check Mallory Johnson's age when I watched her play. Only a seventh grader?! Johnson wasn't only one of the top libero's in the division, but she could've easily hung with the big dogs in the other divisions from my eye. Johnson's a scrappy defender and does well in reception. Being this young and already playing at such a high-level, she could be one of the top players within the next few years.

Jules Kellogg (2025) | 5'3 L | Munciana Indy

A bright spot for this Munciana team out of Indianapolis, Jules Kellogg was balling out in the Motor City. Kellogg was taking up a lot of court and quite scrappy defensively. Her serve receive was very solid as well.

Caitlin Boruszkowski (2025) | 5'5 L | NEO

This NEO squad was just plain good, no other way around it. Caitlin Boruszkowski was manning down the defense all weekend and doing it quite well. She was always in great positions, reading the opponent's offense very well. Her reception was also a bright spot, a steady platform and good footwork, put her team in great scoring opportunities. With a little more command, Boruszkowski has the potential to be a top-tier libero.