Top Vote Getters For D3 Player Of The Year

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last week we broke out our preseason polls for who you thought would be the eventual Player of the Year in each division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The <a href="https://bit.ly/3PFAjCB">Division 3 voting</a> garnered a lot of attention, ending up as the second-most voted poll of the four divisions with over 94,000 total votes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at the leading vote getters from the D3 poll.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="152531" first="Norah" last="Tisko"], Shrine L/DS (38.13%)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taking home the top spot in the poll was Royal Oak Shrine defender [player_tooltip player_id="152531" first="Norah" last="Tisko"]. She got over 36,000 votes to earn the victory. A senior leader in the backcourt this fall, Tisko helped get the Knights to the D3 quarterfinals last season before eventually falling to the state champ, Reese. Shrine has some big-time talent returning this year and could definitely build off the 2021 success. With the back court locked in behind Tisko, she could see herself becoming a definite MVP candidate this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153663" first="Allison" last="Pilat"], Plymouth Christian MH (23.65%)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Plymouth Christian is moving up to Division 3 this year, so it will be a big challenge for the Eagles to compete with the best of the best. Good news for them is they have Pilat, who was a First Team All-State honoree in D4 for 2021. She will step in as one of the top hitters in the entire division and give PCA something to rely on. Pilat had over 22,300 votes in our poll.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="156292" first="Jessica" last="Costlow"], SMCC OH/MH (19.09%)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Costlow made a big splash as a freshman in 2021 as she helped guide SMCC to another state finals appearance. The Kestrels were just a few plays away from another state title and should be ready to be top contenders again in 2022. That gives Costlow a great chance to be this year's Player of the Year. Getting over 18,000 votes in our poll, Costlow brings a lot of dynamics to the net, but also is a solid server and passer. She impacts the game in many ways and definitely is a game changer for SMCC.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="140483" first="Cathryn" last="Haven"], NorthPointe Christian OH (7.18%)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>NorthPointe Christian reached the regional final last year before falling to Western Michigan Christian, a team that was ranked No. 1 for a large portion of the season. Haven was an offensive leader for the Mustangs last year and is back to lead the charge again in 2022. She's likely to be the featured arm in the attack and has added a few new details to her game that should help her shine. Should NPC breakthrough and get to Kellogg Arena, Haven will definitely be making an MVP case.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="172203" first="Taylor" last="Smith"], Pewamo-Westphalia S (4.21%)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A Second Team All-State setter as a sophomore, Smith led P-W to a quarterfinal appearance in 2021. The Pirates will be an explosive offense in 2022 with a lot of hard-nosed players to count on. Smith leads the way as the floor general, while also being the definition of a competitor. P-W has been knock on the door of a semifinal appearance and 2022 seems like it could be the year for that to happen. Smith definitely will be one of the most impactful players in Division 3.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->