The Mitten Report: Lakeshore Region Bid Tournament

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Just one more shot at a bid, take it or leave it!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>May 9th marks the date that the additional qualifiers are announced and the field is set for the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in July. This weekend gave some teams one last shot to grab their ticket to the championships this weekend in SE Michigan. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With bids being offered in the National, American and Freedom division, a slew of Michigan teams punched their ticket to GJNCs. A pair of 17s teams to note took the opportunity and will be shining in Chicago this summer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Michigan Elite 17 Elite</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This team has come awfully close several times this season, just coming up short on the final day. Sunday was a whole different story however. Not to be denied a trip to Chicago, 17 Elite got down to business. Not only did this team go an undefeated 4-0 on the day, but Elite didn't drop a single set throughout the four matches. If that wasn't impressive enough, Michigan Elite won every set by an average margin of 12 points!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>17 Elite can owe it's success to a really well-run offense by both [player_tooltip player_id='153671' first='Molly' last='Edmunds'] and [player_tooltip player_id='172201' first='Margaret' last='Hilliard'] (Baldwin-Wallace). The two run an intriguing, and highly effective, 5-2 offense. Edmunds runs the game in the back row, then Hilliard uses her 6'3 frame at the net. With a very pin heavy offense, it was the trio of [player_tooltip player_id='222362' first='Danielle' last='Mertz'], [player_tooltip player_id='222361' first='Clara' last='Gyomory'] and [player_tooltip player_id='172209' first='Karley' last='Pretzer'] that got the job done. The three combined for nearly 20 kills in the sweep over Legacy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the back court, the dynamic duo of [player_tooltip player_id='110317' first='Courtney' last='Pelon'] and [player_tooltip player_id='222364' first='Trista' last='Ameel'] was hard to contend with. The two bring a lot of versatility and athleticism to their respective roles. It paid off HUGE for Michigan Elite. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>17 Elite will go on to compete in the 17 National Division and have a record of 40-16 on the season!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Legacy 17-2 Adidas</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As for Legacy 17-2. This is another stellar team you do not want to see on the other side of the net. Similar to their in-state rivals, this squad has come close to a bid several times throughout the season, just narrowly missing the mark. This weekend, they managed to nab themselves a spot in the 17 American Division after placing second, going 3-1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Running the show for this squad is recently committed [player_tooltip player_id='110309' first='Emery' last='Kuebler'] (Frostburg State). The 5'8 setter out of Clarkston has been doing big things all season long. She's an underrated, yet critical piece to this team of solid players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some of Kuebler's biggest guns in her artillery include OPP [player_tooltip player_id='110329' first='Hannah' last='Tymitz'], MB <strong>Lillian Frias </strong>(Oakland), and MB [player_tooltip player_id='274527' first='Rachel' last='Youngblood'] (Davenport). The trio make up for quite a deadly combination of attack and net defense with their speed and athleticism. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While in the back court, 17-2 Adidas consist of another trio of players with an eye for defense. [player_tooltip player_id='274530' first='Riley' last='Lockhart'] and [player_tooltip player_id='153682' first='Kendall' last='Smith'] have seemingly been in and out of the jersey with each other all season long, either one make for a great candidate at the position. Meanwhile [player_tooltip player_id='110291' first='Alana' last='Deshetsky'] (Ferris State) can serve up as an elite defender and solid six rotation pin!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->