2024 Michigan Freshman Showcase Player Evaluations (Part 1)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2024 Michigan Freshman Showcase brought out a lot of promising talent to Pontiac this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each had their own strengths that they brought to the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a handful of player evaluations from the event, done in numerical order by what they were assigned at the showcase.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='584595' first='Jamie' last='Smith'], MH Cass Tech/Legacy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smith was a good all-around athlete that used that athleticism to excel in a lot of areas at the showcase. She adjusted really well to an off set or a hard serve. At the net, it was clear Smith had some big power and she wanted to be aggressive, but she was patient with her opportunities and still made the most out of each ball that came her way, even if the set wasn't accurate. Smith also got better as the pace of play picked up. She' shined toward the end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='569767' first='Quinn' last='Nelson'], OH Lakeland/Legacy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This 6-foot outside was able to put down some of the best swings during the event. She could build a lot of forward momentum toward the net and had a powerful follow through. Nelson tried to keep her foot on the gas throughout the showcase. While it led to some attacks into the net, she typically bounced back with a highlight-reel finish on the next rep. As she finds that sweet spot for consistency, she's going to pile up the kills.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Leia Lassan, OH South Lyon East/Dynamite</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lassan brought a lot of energy to the court, which sometimes she struggled to bottle up in the early stages. But, as the showcase went on, you saw her find her footing and fine-tune her play. She showed a lot of improvement and really played her best during the scrimmage portion in the last quarter. Her swings got smoother and more instinctive, and her defensive reads led to some impressive digs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454374' first='Addison' last='Nostrandt'], DS/L Birch Run/Michigan Elite</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nostrandt was really locked in for each rep and opportunity she got. She stayed engaged in the play during scrimmages and was taking instruction and direction well from her coaches. That allowed her to be well prepared for big attacks that came her way and get a good first step when having to track down a ball. Nostrandt also showed an impressive back-row swing that found a home on multiple occasions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Lauren West, OH Croswell-Lexington/Monsters</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West shows a lot of potential to be a breakout star in the years ahead. She's long and athletic, which makes her a big threat offensively and defensively at the net. On her attack, she stays very composed and delivers with consistent power. Right now, she is doing a good job of playing with that consistency, but she will take another step as a player when she dials up the intensity another level. When she tapped into that, she was putting away some impressive attacks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='579164' first='Ava' last='Rewalt'], OH Richmond/Michigan Elite</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rewalt made a lot of good plays through her hustle and effort. She showed good awareness at the net, which allowed her to finish points by out-battling her peers. As a hitter, Rewalt showed a wide array of swing speeds and locations. She played over the block often, but still mixed in some power swings. As she continues to improve on her tempo and timing, she's going to find herself piling up a lot of kills.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='511364' first='Taylor' last='Wilson'], DS/L Anthony Wayne/Legacy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An Ohio product, Wilson was a scrappy defender that covered a lot of space on the floor. She was all over the back row and getting to a lot of attacks. If she found herself out of place, Wilson adjusted well to still keep the ball in play. On her serve receive, Wilson was technically sound and looked the ball cleanly into her forearms. There's a lot of polished skills already in her game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->