Northern Michigan’s Top Underclassmen, Part 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>More and more, Northern Michigan is showing it can produce some of the best volleyball talent in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During the 2025 prep season, a number of freshmen and sophomores from the northern area of the Lower Peninsula put on outstanding displays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's Part 2 of our look at some of the bright young talent in the North.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Lillian Chittle, So. DS/L Manton</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chittle is a great defender, but she also contributed a lot as a right side hitter for Manton. She adapted well in each phase, making smooth transitions from being a passer to an attacker. Chittle let the game come to her and didn't force plays, remaining consistent in her dependability.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Leah Clarke, So. S Suttons Bay</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clarke proved she can handle a leadership role this fall, doing a great job of directing traffic for Suttons Bay and elevating her hitters to new levels of success. Clarke has a really good feel for her team and the right pace, but she also puts in a lot of effort on defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Jylisia Larsen, So. DS/L Atlanta</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Larsen was a polished player in the back row, able to come up with a high level of serve receive and dozens of digs each match. She also made a big impact for Atlanta at the service line, consistently putting together big service runs while racking up a high total of aces.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Lily Payton, So. S Boyne City</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Payton made a lot of high-IQ plays for Boyne City this fall and proved she can be an on-court leader in the years ahead. She showed plenty of composure in tight sets, but also worked to add new facets to her game and make her hitters better.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Isabella Wetzel, So. DS/L Lake City</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wetzel is another defender in Northern Michigan that isn't going to allow many to outwork her. She's determined to get to every ball and she does a good job of learning on the fly and making adjustments to new hitters. Wetzel should keep getting better and better as she gets more reps.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='732306' first='Reese' last='Williams'], So. OH Roscommon/Mid-Michigan Aces</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams has been on our radar for a while now and she just keeps getting better. This sophomore outside can do it all, putting up nearly 400 kills while hitting over .300. She also had 238 digs and 65 aces, allowing the Bucks to be one of the top teams in D3. She was named First Team All-State in D3 and <a href="https://prepdig.com/2025/12/2025-michigan-hs-d3-all-prep-dig-teams/">All-Prep Dig in D3</a> as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->