2024 Michigan Freshman Showcase Player Evaluations (Part 4)

<!-- 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='569774' first='London' last='Gibson'], MH Marian/Michigan Elite</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":585359,"width":"157px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","align":"right"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/23-London-Gibson.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-585359" style="width:157px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='569774' first='London' last='Gibson']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gibson has a presence on the floor. The 6-footer isn't afraid to be vocal and help direct the offense from the middle hitter position. She's comfortable leading, which is a good asset to have. When it comes to her play, there's a lot of talent there. She's got a powerful swing that can fight through blockers. She's also got a nice vertical that can hold up to most middles in the class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='579822' first='Addison' last='Dresch'], S Dexter/Legacy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dresch was one of the three primary setters in this showcase. They got a lot of reps, which was good, as they were able to add some to wrinkles to their game. Dresch particularly took the instruction to heard. She was able to quickly apply what was being told to her and it led to a lot of success for her hitters. During scrimmage play, Dresch also did a good job of adjusting on the fly and reading the court well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='587004' first='Elle' last='Beer'], OH Milford/Dynamite</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Beer had a lot of active feet and she roamed well over the court on defense to make sure she got to a lot of balls. She displayed the quickness to make a split-second reaction and get a tough dig. On the attack, Beer relied on her timing quite a bit. It allowed her to avoid hitting errors, but I would like to see her rely on her instincts a little more frequently. She's got the game to be aggressive and trust in her skills.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='584606' first='Isabella' last='Cowgill'], DS/L Milford/Legacy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":585362,"width":"161px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","align":"right"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/26-Isabella-Cowgill.jpg?w=894" alt="" class="wp-image-585362" style="width:161px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='584606' first='Isabella' last='Cowgill']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cowgill is another prospect that would stay light on her feet and move with purpose in the back row. She wasn't frantic in her movement, as she knew where she wanted to get to and was able to square up to a lot of attacks from her peers. Cowgill did a good job of timing up her dives and sprawls to get under the ball at the right moment and still get it to her setters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='587007' first='Julia' last='Kavaliauskas'], OH South Lyon/Legacy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This near 6-foot outside brought a lot of thunder to the court, both from her attacks at the net and from her serves. At the service line, there was no question she was leaving some bruising on those that dared to take on her attempts. As a hitter, Kavaliauskas was able to climb the ladder and get to the high point of the set. This allowed her to bring it down at sharp angles that defenders couldn't dig up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='584627' first='Shalamar' last='Guerrant'], RS Country Day/Legacy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Guerrant is a well-rounded player that has a bright future. Though listed as a right side, she showed a lot of solid defensive skills. Guerrant wasn't the best in any one area of the game, but she was near the top in all of them. Her athleticism is at a high level. Her hitting is at a high level. Her blocking was strong as well. She also was a very supportive player, bringing a lot of positive energy to the showcase.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Brenna McMaster, OH Trenton/Michigan Elite</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McMaster was a composed player that did a good job of taking what was presented to her. She didn't try to force an aggressive swing when it wasn't there. With that, said, she also showed she could adjust quickly on her approach and make a nice offspeed kill when the timing was right. McMaster also showed a diverse set of skills, putting on some impressive setting ability when needed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->