Eye Poppers at Motor City Madness Day 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's total madness here in Southeast Michigan!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>First day of the Motor City Madness has concluded and the the UWM Sport Complex was red hot with some top tier volleyball. The madness was coming out of all corners of the Mitten state. From Traverse City to Kalamazoo and right here in the greater Detroit area, it was all here!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are some of the top talent that caught our eye at the Motor City Madness!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='443826' first='Jordyn' last='Hughes'] - Dead Frog</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watch out below, because this high flyer is dropping in some bombs! I would argue Hughes made a case for top middle on Day 1 of the tournament. Hughes has hops for days and can make quite the impression when she gets ahold of a ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Anneliese de Jong - Dead Frog</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Right alongside Hughes, de Jong does a lot of good for this Dead Frog squad. A steady player at the net, if she isn't scoring on the ball, she's putting it in with some heat! This was a first I have seen of de Jong, and needless to say, I loved what I saw!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='156291' first='Taygan' last='Corstange'] - Dead Frog</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2025 class is pretty solid with some top level liberos from Michigan. You could easily throw Corstrange into that conversation. A really balanced defensive player, she has great intangibles with a lot of fire under her belt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='288965' first='Liliana' last='Smith'] - Michigan Elite</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Similar to the 'bros in the 2025 class, these setters are no different! Smith is a baller on all fronts! She sets a really clean offense and can back it up with some big time offense too! Smith has a very strong awareness for the court that takes this team a long way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='156285' first='Tina' last='Barnekova'] - Michigan Elite</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Throw her on the left, throw her in the middle, throw her wherever and Barnekova gets the job done! Today's duties saw Barnekova a lot on the right side and looking very solid! She's a well-rounded attacker with a lot of tools up her sleeve.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='288961' first='Mallory' last='McFarlane'] - Michigan Elite</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McFarlane is yet another solid libero out of this talented 2025 class. This is one of the first times I've seen McFarlane in action since her debut with Saline in the state semifinals, and she continues to shine in any court she steps on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='459245' first='Kate' last='Schneider'] - Crank It</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I got my first taste of Schneider on Friday during the showcase and man, this is a kid that needs to be on everyone's radar. A clear standout for Crank It, Schneider really knows how to crank it!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='172199' first='Sophie' last='Crawford'] - Dead Frog</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fresh off of her recent commitment <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrT9HKBP7tg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">announcement to Miami (OH)</a>, Crawford continues to shine on the court. She's the heartbeat to this Dead Frog program and she showed how great of a get she is for the Red Hawks!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='110314' first='Carissa' last='Musta'] - Northshore</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've been waiting to see Musta in action again since her epic performance in the state semifinals and finals this past fall. This long awaited return was very much worth the wait. Musta looks much more fluid and continues to score at a high level!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->