SVSU Team Camp: All-Stars
The stars were shining bright the night of July 24th. The last night of team camp at Saginaw Valley State University is devoted to showcasing the best players from each team in attendance. 18 ladies were selected, split up into…
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Continue ReadingThe stars were shining bright the night of July 24th. The last night of team camp at Saginaw Valley State University is devoted to showcasing the best players from each team in attendance. 18 ladies were selected, split up into two teams, team red and team blue, and coached by current SVSU players. Some stars shined brighter than others and we’re here to break it down.
Juniors were the highlight of the match. Arguably the MVP of the match came out of Pine River in junior OH/OPP Emma Whitley. Whitley was utilized mostly in the opposite position and was big in keeping team red in reach. A steady arm for her newly found team. She was relied on greatly, seeing she received a lot of out of system balls on the pin and was capable of converting into kills. Whitley was the go-to player of the match.
Alongside Whitley on Team Red was another junior OH Danielle Cubitt (Bad Axe). Playing all 6-rotations, Cubitt held a wide range of court coverage in the back row. When at the net, she showed huge promise. While her connection with her pair of setters wasn’t the strongest, she was able to convert many balls. Cubitt will look to be the leader for the Hatchet squad in 2019.
On the opposing net came with some heavy arms and clever defenders. It took a set to get in rhythm with each other, but once in tandem, Team Blue was a bunch to be messed with. Led by a duo of junior outside hitters in Madeline Davis (Byron) and Brynn Polega (Unionville-Sebewaing). The two proved to be a deadly one-two punch and constant pressure on Team Red.
Davis, a high leaper with a wide range of shots, proved to be very successful. She also boasts a mean jump float serve that gave her opponents fits. Coming off of a Regional Semi-Final appearance in 2018, Madeline Davis will look to have a say in a reappearance or a larger run.
Photo by Sports FinestPolega is coming into her own in her new position. In her first season hitting on the left pin, Polega showed great promise. Never to shy away from a big-time game, she carries confidence with her game. Bringing the heat on the attack, she also was a defensive stalwart. The hardest of hits had trouble finding hardwood. Brynn also brought pressure from the service line with a deceptive float serve. In the second game, she clocked in four straight aces on an eight-point service run. Never to be counted out, Unionville-Sebewaing looks to only be reloading this season with Polega in the mix.
Photo By Sports FinestLeading Team Blue to the victory was Jenna Topham (Caro). A part of the two setter system used for the games, Topham’s time on the court proved most effective. Spreading the ball around and she let everyone have a hot hand. She also was a great defensive asset while bringing power in her serve behind the line.
To complete Team Blue’s success was defensive dynamo, Sophia Sansone (Milan). Holding a lot of court space to herself made the job for her newfound teammates much easier. While getting it done on the defense, she had her hand in pacing the offense. She showed that she is what a team needs when it comes to out of system play. Even when “out of system”, her second ball contact was almost as good as the setter’s.