Beast of the East All-Tournament Team selections
Being selected to the All-Tournament Team of the Beast of the East is a pretty high honor. On Saturday, 12 players were selected for the squad as part of an event that featured five Miss Volleyball finalists and nine teams…
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Continue ReadingBeing selected to the All-Tournament Team of the Beast of the East is a pretty high honor.
On Saturday, 12 players were selected for the squad as part of an event that featured five Miss Volleyball finalists and nine teams that were in the top 10 of our latest Division 1 & 2 rankings.
Here’s what separated the 12 players from the rest of the field on Saturday.
Jess Mruzik, Farmington Hills Mercy
Even though she was battling a leg injury, Mruzik was dominant throughout the tournament. The 6-1 outside hitter for the Marlins, and future Michigan Wolverine, was nearly unstoppable when displaying her aggressive attacks. She also showed her multitude of shots, displaying precise accuracy and speed from the net and back row. Facing some tremendous blockers, Mruzik won every battle.
Julia Bishop, Farmington Hills Mercy
A hitter is only as good as her setter and vice versa. The pairing of Bishop and Mruzik is what makes Mercy the favorite to win the Division 1 state championship this year. The sophomore setter for the Marlins has perfect chemistry with her hitter, but also is reading the perfect time to go to her other options. Bishop rarely makes the wrong choice in her sets and also knows the right time to get aggressive and attack on her own. Her serve is difficult to handle and she also provides a consistent block on defense. Like Mruzik, Bishop is one of the best in her class nationally.
Wren Macaulay, Lake Orion
The senior setter for the Dragons continues to impress with her effort on the floor. Far more than just a setter, Macaulay is a great defensive asset for the Dragons as well. She can block, she can dig and she can also serve with the best of them. A commit to New Hampshire, Macaulay led Lake Orion to the finals of Saturday’s tournament even though the Dragons weren’t at 100 percent. She is able to consistently fee the ball to Paige Briggs on the outside and is helping develop a pair of sophomore middles that should be a force for Lake Orion in upcoming years.
Natalie Foster, Mattawan
The 6-5 junior middle for Mattawan plays every bit her size. She was a wall on defense for the Wildcats and a powerful attack when her number was called. Foster has the ability to play on the outside as well and all eyes were on her Saturday as she faced some of the top hitters in the state and led Mattawan to the semifinals.
Jordyn Gates, Grand Rapids Christian
Grand Rapids Christian, our top-ranked team in Division 2, held its own just fine with the best Division 1 has to offer on Saturday as the Eagles reached the semifinal before running into Mercy. GRC has a lot of hitting options, but they wouldn’t all be collectively as effective without Gates. The junior setter has a diverse use of speed and location to make the Eagles unpredictable. She does a great job to help keep her offense in system. The future Arkansas Razorback is a great leader on the court of this loaded Eagles squad.
Christine Audette, Marian
With each week, the junior outside for Marian has been getting better and better. You can see Audette’s confidence growing as well as she has clearly established herself as the go-to hitter for Marian. The Mustangs reached the quarterfinals on Saturday and played in a number of close matches along the way. Audette’s hitting is what helped push them to victory in those narrow third sets. Currently 29th in our 2020 player rankings, Audette is certainly making the case to be moving up the list.
Maddie Dowd, Marian
A Miss Volleyball finalist this year, Dowd has been the rock of the Marian program for years and continues to be as the Mustangs have their third coach in three years. The Georgetown commit has helped lead the transition and is finding a groove with her hitters right now. A determined player, you can never question Dowd’s heart and effort.
Kate Stration, Stoney Creek
Stoney Creek had a solid run on Saturday, reaching the quarterfinals before falling to Mercy. The Cougars had to play the champs without Stration, who had to exit the day early, and still gave the Marlins one of their toughest matches of the day. Stration was outstanding prior to leaving, as she guided the Cougars to four wins. Listed at just 5-11, Stration plays much taller with her long reach and athleticism. The Cougars have a chip on their shoulder, as they seem to get overlooked and Stration is definitely an underrated player in the state.
Allyson Severance, North Branch
No team on Saturday relies more on one player than North Branch does in Severance. The Broncos continue to deal with an injury bug, which makes Severance their main source of offense no matter where she is on the court. The Miss Volleyball finalist held her own on Saturday against some of the best opposing hitters in the state. Despite swing after swing, she never seems to slow down a step and kept giving her all, which was good enough more than it wasn’t. The Miami-Ohio commit has been all heart and guts this season.
Ryann Jaqua, Portage Central
Another player that is asked to do a lot, Jaqua was easy to see on Saturday. The 5-9 firecracker plays well above her size as an outside hitter for Portage Central. The Mustangs had to be one of the smaller teams in the field in terms of height, but that didn’t stop Jaqua from going toe-to-toe with anyone that she faced. Not only that, but she definitely held her own with her attacks and blocking. Jaqua has found a way to make her smaller size work for her and that’s why she is a finalist for Miss Volleyball.
Jessica Robinson, Troy
Another Miss Volleyball finalist, Robinson led the Colts into the gold bracket before they fell to OAA Red rival, Lake Orion. Robinson, a Michigan commit, has athleticism that may be unmatched by anyone in the state. She can jump out of the building, hammer the ball, play offspeed, and also contribute on the back row. The Colts don’t quite have the talent depth many of the other top teams in the state have, but Robinson is able to keep them competitive with her ability to take over matches for stretches of time.
Clare McNamara, Northville
Another standout junior on Saturday, McNamara is a player that is also getting better with each week. The middle/outside for the Mustangs is gaining in confidence as well and has developed great timing with setter Gabriella Fisette. Despite not having the size of the top hitters in Saturday’s field, McNamara was delivering some of the fastest strikes of the day. Blockers weren’t able to keep pace with her. She helped Northville reach the gold bracket and is going to be the backbone of the program next season.