Standout Underclassmen At D1 Finals

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Division 1 semifinals and finals gave us a glimpse at some of the absolute best volleyball players in the state of Michigan.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What it also showcased was who are going to be the top players in the years ahead.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each of the four finalists fielded some underclassmen that contributed to their team's cause.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at the freshmen and sophomores that made an impact at Kellogg Arena in Division 1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>Marian</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156287' first='Isabelle' last='Busignani'], Soph. OH: </strong>Busignani really got her chance to shine on a big stage in Battle Creek. The 6-foot-1 sophomore capped off a great postseason with 21 kills in the semifinal while hitting .333 and then 27 kills while hitting .301 in the final. She also showcased great defensive play with a combined 22 digs over the two matches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>Northville</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":247934,"width":192,"height":229,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/11/9-Ella-Craggs-858x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-247934" width="192" height="229" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='156293' first='Ella' last='Craggs']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156293' first='Ella' last='Craggs'], Soph. S: </strong>Craggs ran the Northville offense and showed why she's a top prospect in a loaded Class of 2025 for Michigan. In the final with Marian, Craggs recorded 45 assists, six digs, two kills and two assisted blocks. In the semifinal with Saline, Craggs also had 45 assists to go along with nine digs, seven assisted blocks and three kills. She also had two aces in the semifinal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156325' first='Molly' last='Reck'], Soph. OH/MB: </strong>Reck is in line for an increased role in the offense in season to come. In Battle Creek, Reck put up two kills, a dig and a solo block in the final. In the semifinals, she came through with six kills, two digs and eight assisted blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156326' first='Mallory' last='Reck'], Soph. RS: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156326' first='Mallory' last='Reck'] provides another promising arm for the Northville offense. She had a kill and five digs in the championship match with Marian last Saturday. She also had four kills and an assist in the five-set semifinal with Saline.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>Saline</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":249402,"width":199,"height":275,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/11/8-Marie-Laurio-3-742x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-249402" width="199" height="275" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='156313' first='Marie' last='Laurio']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156313' first='Marie' last='Laurio'], Soph. OH: </strong>Laurio is proving to be one of the top hitters in this Class of 2025. She had 21 kills in the semifinal battle with Northville, but also added 18 digs and four aces. Laurio is going to be a player that's hard to contain for the next two seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='189713' first='Addison' last='Ashley'], Soph. MH: </strong>Ashley was part of the offensive rotation for Saline, appearing in all five sets of the semifinal. She had two kills and two assisted blocks for the Hornets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mallory McFarlane, Soph. DS: </strong>McFarlane was part of the Saline defensive effort in its semifinal with Northville. She tallied six digs and one assist while appearing in four of the five sets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>Forest Hills Northern</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='535138' first='Briawna' last='Zimmerman'], Fr. MH: </strong>Zimmerman stands 6-foot and shows some potential as a future star in the middle. In the semifinal with Marian, Zimmerman tallied a kill on four swings, while adding in an assisted block as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Madalin Hersman, Fr. OH/DS: </strong>Hersman saw action in all three sets for the Huskies and tallied two digs, one ace and one assisted block. She also got in two swings on the offensive front.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->