Five Athletes to Watch at the Division 4 State Finals

<p>Despite Division 4 featuring the smallest schools, it doesn’t mean the players don’t play to a high level. The four remaining teams all have players that could be featured in higher divisions. With play set to begin on Friday morning in the semifinals, here’s five players to keep an eye on for these exciting semifinal pairings.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Carney-Nadeau Sr. Libero Alanis Harris</strong></p> <p>To get this far, defense has to play a role and Harris has been a vital piece to Carney-Nadeau making it to Battle Creek. The senior libero really shined in Nadeau’s five-set win over Onaway in the quarterfinal. She tallied 41 digs in the victory, averaging 8.2 per set. The Wolves have balance in their attack, but their defense has been consistent throughout the playoffs and Harris is the reason why. If the Wolves are going to win in Battle Creek, it will because Harris plays at a very high level.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Leland Sr. Setter Ella Siddal</strong></p> <p>The Leland offense has a nice set of hitting options and its been up to Siddall to make it all work efficiently. The senior for the Comets has great vision of the court and a great feel for the pace of play. She calls the right number and the right location throughout the match. Siddall also contributes a lot to the defensive effort to help give Leland the balance the team needs to play for a state championship.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Leland Sr. Outside Hitter Allie Martin</strong></p> <p>Martin is the veteran hitter for the Comets that has worked hard to crack our Class of 2019 player rankings. Martin brings a lot of power to her attacks despite being listed at just 5-foot-6. Like others that are smaller in size and play outside, Martin has the all-around skills to impact the game aside from just hitting. She passes the ball well, can block, and has the composures Leland needs when playing in a tight set.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Mendon Sr. Setter Aubrey Croster</strong></p> <p>Mendon has a very veteran squad, so it is no surprise that their setter is a senior as well. Croster is a team captain and a calming presence for the Hornets due to her ability to make all the right choices on the floor. She has a lot of hitting options to set and spreads the ball well while also knowing when to call her own number. In Tuesday’s quarterfinal sweep of Lenawee Christian, Croster had 32 assists with five kills and also contributed seven digs. Croster will be constantly on the move and making a lot of the plays that set up the plays for Mendon this weekend.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Southfield Christian Jr. Outside Hitter Emily Van Dyke</strong></p> <p>Van Dyke eclipsed 1,000 kills for her career during this postseason run and she has a been a dominant player at the net for the Eagles all year. Van Dyke had 23 kills with 12 digs and three aces in the Eagles quarterfinal win over Kingston and she had 24 kills with 18 digs and two blocks in the regional final against Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes. Van Dyke brings a lot of power in her attacks, but also knows when to go offspeed and has the ability to place the ball on a dime on the opposing side of the floor.</p>