Michigan Top 250: Top Setters

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Top 250 tour is in full swing and the tour has made its stop to Michigan. One of the biggest up-and-coming hot beds of volleyball talent in America, the Michigan Top 250 was stacked from top to bottom. Some of the top names in the Mitten state were on full display and it made for some amazing volleyball in the UWM Sports Complex!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They're the playmakers, they're the quarterbacks on the volleyball court, and you simply can't find any better than these setters. Here were some of the top setters at the Prep Dig Top 250 in Michigan.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='226885' first='Allie' last='Davison'] - 5'9 S - Marian/Michigan Elite</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Spending a season behind one of the best setters in the country, you learn a thing or two. [player_tooltip player_id='226885' first='Allie' last='Davison'] looks to be yet another top setter in the long-running Marian pipeline. I got the opportunity to watch Davison this past summer and she's much improved with her hand speed and tempo.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":264770,"width":252,"height":168,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/14-Emma-Keeping.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-264770" width="252" height="168" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='226904' first='Emma' last='Keeping'] - 5'11 S/OPP - Imlay City/Michigan Elite</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='226904' first='Emma' last='Keeping'] is coming off of an impressive season with Imlay City and she's looking to continue this breakout freshman year throughout the club season. A left hander that can double as a setter and an opposite is one deadly combo. Keeping has a great sense of the game when running the offense and can score pretty effectively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='261202' first='Peyton' last='Lowes'] - 5'9 S - Northville/Legacy</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I feel this may not be the last time we hear of [player_tooltip player_id='261202' first='Peyton' last='Lowes'], given how her trajectory is tracking. Lowes, in her first year setting, is looking very comfortable in the position. She's running tempo balls all around and seems to be natural leader on the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='226935' first='Lucy' last='Stoll'] - 5'7 S/L - South Lyon/Michigan Elite</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not only was I impressed with [player_tooltip player_id='226935' first='Lucy' last='Stoll']'s setting abilities, but her defense and ball control left me speechless. If Stoll's young career takes her anywhere, I can see her making way in the off-colored jersey. Stoll has a very prominent IQ and it shows in her decision making defensively and as a setter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":271016,"width":252,"height":168,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/Ella-Craggs.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271016" width="252" height="168" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='156293' first='Ella' last='Craggs'] - 5'9 S - Northville/Michigan Elite</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>She's one of the top setters in the entire state of Michigan for a reason. [player_tooltip player_id='156293' first='Ella' last='Craggs'] continues to impress, time and time again. Fresh off of leading Northville to a Division 1 Runner-Up finish, I can easily see her take Michigan Elite to similar heights throughout the club season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='156298' first='Chloe' last='Giehtbrock'] - 6'1 S - Clarkston/L2</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You may have seen [player_tooltip player_id='156298' first='Chloe' last='Giehtbrock'], the hitter; but wait until you see [player_tooltip player_id='156298' first='Chloe' last='Giehtbrock'], the setter! What was once a duo, is now a trio of elite setters in the 2025 class. Giehtbrock can run quite the offense with a lot of tempo and a lot of movement. She can be quite physical too at the net, with her size as a blocker and comfortability as an attacker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='261174' first='Kaylin' last='Schroeder'] - 5'8 S - Bedford/L2</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were some serious talent in the setter pool this weekend in Michigan. No setter was able to quite catch my eye the way&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='261174' first='Kaylin' last='Schroeder']</strong><a href="https://prepdig.com/player/kaylin-schroeder/"><strong></strong><strong></strong></a><a></a>&nbsp;did. She's the type of player that brings some high-level intangibles to the court. Dynamic in her play, Schroeder doesn't shy away from moving the ball around no matter where the first contact takes her. And her defense is top notch for her position.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":271056,"width":250,"height":166,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/Sophie-Crawford1.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271056" width="250" height="166" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='172199' first='Sophie' last='Crawford'] - 6'1 S - Gull Lake/Dead Frog</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's never a bad time when [player_tooltip player_id='172199' first='Sophie' last='Crawford'] steps onto the court. A genuine workhorse in the position, Crawford will go to great lengths to make a play happen. It's very rare to see Crawford misconnect with her hitters and she's quite offensive minded herself, which leads to a deadly 1-2 punch!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='172200' first='Julia' last='Gojcaj'] - 5'9 S - Stoney Creek/L2</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Just as previewed, [player_tooltip player_id='172200' first='Julia' last='Gojcaj'] knows how to make an impression every time she steps onto the court. A setter that can elevate whatever team she plays on, Gojcaj can find a connection with a hitter quite quickly. I see a lot of good coming from the L2 171's squad with Gojcaj on roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='172201' first='Margaret' last='Hilliard'] - 6'3 S - Cranbrook/Michigan Elite</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most imposing setters across the entire field of setters, [player_tooltip player_id='172201' first='Margaret' last='Hilliard']'s brings a lot more to the table than just her setting abilities. With her height, Hilliard can be one intense block to go against, her dumps on two are pretty timely and costly for the opposing teams. Hilliard is much, much improved since last year's Top 250 Showcase.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='172204' first='Caitlin' last='O'Neill'] - 5'10 S - Skyline/L2</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":264887,"width":227,"height":194,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/152-Julie-Woodard-e1670795536288.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-264887" width="227" height="194" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After getting to set one of the best players in the country this past high school season, I think it did [player_tooltip player_id='172204' first='Caitlin' last='O'Neill'] a great deal. Like many on this list who are returning Top 250 performers, O'Neill is vastly improved from a year ago. With a much better sense of the court, O'Neill makes some great plays and has a much improved touch on her location.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='110335' first='Avery' last='Woodard'] - 5'7 S - Marysville/Michigan Elite</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Since last year's showcase, we didn't get to see much of [player_tooltip player_id='110335' first='Avery' last='Woodard'] due to an unfortunate knee injury. But, back and better than ever, this coming season is Woodard's to shine in! Woodard's tempo and location is very consistent and is always in a good space for hitters to score. The more Woodard gets her court legs back, the more dangerous she will be. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->