The Sophomore Surge: Who’s Making the Move?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Be sure to follow&nbsp;@lshotvb&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/lshotvb/">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lshotvb?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc">Tik Tok&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/LineShotVBall">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for all things volleyball!</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>The Prep Dig Exposure Tour is coming to Michigan on December 21! This is for all 2026-2029 prospects.&nbsp;<a href="https://events.prepdig.com/e/2032/register/prep-dig-exposure-tour-michigan#register">Click here to register</a>, and use promo code&nbsp;“LSHOTPD25”&nbsp;to get $10 off your registration.<br></strong></em>–</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These players are no longer new to the scene. If you didn't know them before, get familiar with them now. These super sophomores are coming in hot and have a lot more to go.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Sophomore Slump is something that is well known in the sports world. But what about the sophomore surge? Those sophomores that may or may not have made impact in their freshman seasons, well now they're going off!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this article, we see a LOT of the state's top programs benefiting off of the strength of these mighty sophomores surging into their prep career. Here's a look at seven of the top sophomores in Michigan making their mark!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":897530,"width":"181px","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/5/2025/10/DSC08751.jpg?w=769" alt="" class="wp-image-897530" style="width:181px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='569767' first='Quinn' last='Nelson'] Photo by Line Shot Volleyball</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='569767' first='Quinn' last='Nelson'] for Marian</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After sitting out the entirety of what would've been her rookie season, [player_tooltip player_id='569767' first='Quinn' last='Nelson'] has come out of the gates swinging. From her game of the season to now, approaching the MHSAA Tournament, Nelson has become the new face of Marian volleyball. Playing in all six rotations, Nelson brings an unwavering sense of reliance from her team. Her abilities to score from anywhere on the court to her impressive defense in the back row, she is focal point for the Mustangs for very good reason. Nelson is closing in on 400 kills on the season to lead Marian in point scoring.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='569766' first='McKenzie' last='Andrews'] for Mercy</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We didn't see much of [player_tooltip player_id='569766' first='McKenzie' last='Andrews'] in action her freshman year due to injuries. However, this player is more than making up for that lost time. At 6'3, Andrews alongside her older sister Ella, bring this incredible tandem to the middle of the court. There is no break for opponents when it comes to the sheer physicality that these two can bring. And as only a sophomore, it is impressive to see just how physical McKenzie can be.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='584598' first='Allison' last='Stakoe'] for Bloomfield Hills</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last season, we got a pretty good taste of what [player_tooltip player_id='584598' first='Allison' last='Stakoe'] was cooking up. But truly, I am not quite sure anybody could've predicted this type of play in just her second year. Bloomfield Hills is having an unprecedented year, ranked as one of the top in the state, a major reasoning is the play of Stakoe. In every facet of the game, Stakoe has upped her game. From the kills to the digs column, she has increased both numbers by nearly a 100 each and growing. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='808192' first='Reese' last='Williams'] for Roscommon</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last year, there only a handful of freshman to appear on the MIVCA All-State lists. [player_tooltip player_id='808192' first='Reese' last='Williams'] wasted no time making her presence known as a six rotation outside hitter for Roscommon. With such a wild run out of the gates, you never know what could come from year two. Without a doubt, Williams has become one of the top players in Division 3. She leads Roscommon to potentially their first ever No. 1 ranking in program history. Behind Williams, they are poised as the favorites to win it all this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":890455,"width":"178px","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/5/2025/09/DSC07989.jpg?w=769" alt="" class="wp-image-890455" style="width:178px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='644142' first='Ava' last='Kiernan'] Photo by Line Shot Volleyball</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='644142' first='Ava' last='Kiernan'] for South Lyon East</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='644142' first='Ava' last='Kiernan'] was nowhere to be seen last year on South Lyon East's varsity squad. A team that really had quite the pieces to do some damage, Kiernan was playing down on the JV squad. She then would go on to appear on Michigan Elite's 15 Mizuno team and become one of the biggest talks of the age group by the end of the season. For SLE this fall, Kiernan is in the game for all six rotations. When she's in the back court, she's running the offense and at the net, she gets to rip away at opponents herself. Her size on the court offers a lot of options for SLE and as she continues to grow in her entire game, the more dangerous she'll become.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='569773' first='Skylar' last='Ignash'] for Cass City</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From middle blocker to an outside hitter, there has been PLENTY of adjustments and changes for [player_tooltip player_id='569773' first='Skylar' last='Ignash'] this fall. Not only are we talking about the simple switch of positions, but now Ignash is looked upon to do the heavy lifting for Cass City. Comparative to her freshman year, behind a strong senior class, Ignash's role was nothing near as what she has now. Nonetheless, it is quite something to recognize when players like this one step up to the plate. Ignash's numbers have skyrocketed as you can imagine. She's closing in on potentially 450 kills and 400 digs by the end of her sophomore season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='881552' first='Mya' last='McKinnon'] for Grand Rapids Christian</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We haven't seen a Grand Rapids Christian squad this dominant since their three-straight championship run almost 4 years ago. One of the biggest reasons for this is the play out of their sophomore middle blocker, [player_tooltip player_id='881552' first='Mya' last='McKinnon']. This player is having one breakout year. From popping off in the club circuit, to dominating the high school scene. This is one middle you don't want to see sub into the front row. She's hitting .441 on the season and averaging a block per set. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->