Southfield Christian's Emily Van Dyke goes for a kill during a 2018 Division 4 state semifinal match against Mendon on Friday, Nov. 16 at Kellogg Arena. It takes six players working in unison to have success on the volleyball court, but it always helps to have a big-time talent that can deliver clutch kills or diving digs when the game is on the line. A second team all-state pick as a middle hitter in 2018, the 5-foot-7 Hescott has taken her game to a new level this year, which has resulted in Merrill's first regional championship since 1978. (Patrick Nothaft | MLive.com)(Patrick Nothaft | MLive.com). Holland Christian9. Jen was a member of four consecutive Class A state title teams from 1992-95 and went on to play at Indiana University. In recent years, however, there has been a lack of high school mens volleyball in the state. Pierce is really bad news for elite opponents in Kansas on the high school volleyball and Midwest club level. Accolades: PrepDig.com Missouri No. As a senior, she had more than 325 kills, servedabove 95 percent and recorded more than 1,000 assists as one of two setters on the floor. High school: Timpview High School (Provo, Utah), Accolades: Deseret News Class 5A Most Valuable Player (2020), Class 5A state champion (2020), Class 5A All-State (2020). As a senior, the 6-2 outside hitter recorded 773 kills, 318 digs and 105 service aces and had a kill percentage of .657. Michigan High School Athletic Association 1661 Ramblewood Drive, East Lansing, MI 48823 Office 517-332-5046 Fax 517-332-4071 info@mhsaa.com The 6-foot-3 outside hitter is committed to play for the University of Dayton, one of the best teams in the Atlantic-10. The 6-foot-5 senior and future Wichita State middle/right-side hitter could easily have joined her teammate on the list of Miss Volleyball finalists, after tallying 1,173 kills and 205 total blocks heading into her senior year. O'Connell became the first Gatorade Player of the year from Bedford High in 2020 after the 5-foot-11 setter led her school to a 13-0 record and the Division I state title. Named Miss Volleyball in 2004, the 6-foot setter had a sterling career in high school and college. Lange broke the MHSAA record when she recorded 1,063 kills in the 2007 season. (MLive.com file), No. Watervliet6. Bottom line: Having an elite, 6-foot setter is like having a 6-foot-9 point guard in basketball, which is what Baylor has on the way in Lovejoy High superstar Averi Carlson. High school: La Cueva High School (Albuquerque, New Mexico), Accolades: AVCA Phenom List (2020), two-time NMHSCA Class 5A All-State (2019, 2020), two-time Class 5A State Champion (2018, 2019). (Photo courtesy of Hillsdale College), No. The 6-foot-2 junior middle hitter helped the defending champs capture consecutive regional titles, and although Lake Orion never cracked the top 10 in the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association's state rankings, the Dragons are on the cusp of their third semifinal appearance in program history. Hillsdale Academy, Honorable Mention: Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, McBain Northern Michigan Christian, St Joseph Michigan Lutheran, Source: Michigan High School Athletic Association. She was selected a Mizuno High School All-American and the Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year. High school: C.M. Log in Reilly, 6-foot-1, earned those accolades by leading O'Gorman to an undefeated, 26-0 season and Class AA state championship with 400 kills, 260 digs and 131 assists. An all-state selection in each of her first two years with Lakewood, the junior middle hitter earned first team honors in Division 2 last year and is poised for more postseason recognition, as she leads the Vikings into the state quarterfinals for the sixth consecutive year. No. Posted 204 kills, 170 digs, and 28 aces for the Beavers. 2023 www.detroitnews.com. As a junior, she helped Churchill to the Class A state title and posted a championship game record with 35 kills. Plymouth Christian Academy9. Our analysis found Michigan State University to be the best school for D1 Women's Volleyball athletes in Michigan in this year's ranking. 23: Olivia Kohler, North Branch, Class of 2009. Bottom line: The No. She's already on the AVCA Phenom List for 2020. Now, Reitsma and the second-ranked Red Arrows have another tough test when they face No. She's also a basketball standout. Top Players by Position (2026) Blockers - 2/27. (Danny Miller | MLive.com file), No. High school: Lovejoy High School (Lucas, Texas), Accolades: Dallas Morning News Setter of the Year (2020), AVCA Phenom List (2020), VolleyballMag.com All-American (2020), MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year (2018), three-time MaxPreps All-American (2018-20), two-time Class 5A State Champion (2019, 2020). 4 Hudsonville in the regional finals. Elkhorn South has a great opportunity to repeat as state champions in 2021 with both Weeks and University of Missouri commit Estella Zatechka back. High school: Bishop Manogue Catholic High School (Reno, Nevada), Accolades: Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year (2021), AVCA Phenom List (2020), Class 5A Northern Region champion (2020), two-time All-Sierra League (2019, 2020). RELATED: Farmington Hills. As a setter and outside hitter in Camden-Frontier's lineup, Stump led her team last year to its first league title in more than a decade, and 2019 has been another historic one for the Redskins, who captured their first regional title in program history. Lauren Paolini was a high school All-American at Saline and went on to play at Texas and in international events for Team USA. Here are the Michigan high school volleyball rankings as of Oct. 24: 1. Fish was the team captain of a national club tournament team and finished her career ranked fifth on the Virginia Tech record list for assists. High school: Valley High School (West Des Moines, Iowa). Bottom line: At just 5-foot-4, Cardinal Spellman High's Elizabeth Hurm is one of the shortest outside hitters on this list, but that doesn't lessen her impact on the court. Borellis has been dominant since she stepped on the court for Notre Dame Prep. Grand Rapids Forest Hills. The 6-foot-3 outside hitter is in her freshman season at Michigan State. Grand Rapids Christian is loaded with talented front row players, but VanderWeide is the top returner, after tallying 17 kills in last year's state championship match against Notre Dame Prep. SIGN IN. (Cory Morse | MLive.com file), Kristen Arthurs, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, 2007, Kamrin Gold, Flint Carman-Ainsworth, 2011, Linsey Taatjes, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, 2003, No. . Through three seasons, Ackerman has 1,140 digs and 323 service aces. Bottom line: C.M Russell High's Lauren Lindseth Lolo if you know what's up came out of nowhere to win Eastern AA Player of the Year honors in 2020, aided by a growth spurt that saw her go from a 5-foot-5 libero as a sophomore to a 5-foot-9 outside hitter as a junior. Hoover went 50-1 behind McKinnon, who racked up an incredible 594 kills, 267 digs, 50 service aces and 29 blocks. 2024 Michigan High School Volleyball Rankings | Prep Dig Michigan 2024 Rankings WL indicates Watch List Access all of Prep Dig Subscribe for access to all premium articles and rankings. The only sophomore to earn first team all-state honors in Division 4 last year, the 5-foot-9 outside hitter tallied more than 600 kills, including 18 in Mendon's three-set state championship win over Leland. It's crazy how often that doesn't happen. High School Best High School Girls Volleyball Player in Every State for 2022 By Tony Adame on August 18, 2022 NDCL Athletics The future of volleyball in the United States like any other sport is usually first discovered in the high school ranks. High school: Hoover High School (Hoover, Alabama), Accolades: Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year (2021), VolleyballMag.Com All-American (2020), AVCA Phenom List (2020), AL.com Super All-State Player of the Year (2020), Class 7A state champion (2020), Class 7A State Tournament MVP (2020), MaxPreps All-American (2020). Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The 5-11 outside hitter is currently playing at Valparaiso. Gates and the rest of the Eagles look to continue their impressive campaign with a state quarterfinal win against No. SMCC's Mikayla Haut (8) blocks a shot during the high school volleyball Class C state quarterfinal match between Manchester and St. Mary Catholic Central at Ann Arbor Huron High School, Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018 in Ann Arbor. We don't have to worry about how she missed her entire sophomore season. 4 Hamilton on Tuesday at Zeeland West, RELATED: How quitting helped Jordyn Gates become a Miss Volleyball finalist, Grand Rapids Christians Addie VanderWeide (14) hits the ball during the Division 2 regional championship game against Coopersville at South Christian High School on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, in Byron Center, Mich. Brian Hayes | MLive.com, Addie VanderWeide, Grand Rapids Christian. SMCC defeated Manchester, 3-2. Little had 461 kills, 247 digs and 35 blocks in 2019. In her first season with the team, she had 881 assists, 238 digs and 81 service aces. 14: Katie Schau, Richland Gull Lake, Class of 2013. High school: Porter-Gaud School (Charleston, South Carolina), Accolades: VolleyballMag.com No. Snyder is a senior starter at the University of Florida as an outside hitter. 15: Alexandra Cocklin, Birmingham Marian, Class of 2010. Ackerman led Marist to the Class 4A state championship in 2020 and was named Class 4A Player of the Year in the process. Reitsma already has more than 1,300 career kills, including almost 800 this year, to go along with an impressive .358 hitting percentage. Pinconning's Amy Gruszynski (Courtesy photo), No. She helped lead them to a state runner-up finish in 2019 and an undefeated season and state championship in 2020, which was the first state title for St. Mark's since 2011 and 11th in school history. Marshall8. The 6-foot outside hitter has more than 1,400 kills for her career and is just shy of 500 this season, including 15 in the Eagles' five-set win over third-ranked Coopersville in the regional finals. Photos by Ben Allan SmithPhotos by Ben Allan Smith, Mikayla Haut, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central. Because Rhode Island is off the beaten trail for many college volleyball recruiters, it would be smart of the in-state Division I schools to try and land Breitenbach and keep her in-state. Her marks for kills and career aces (447) remain in the top-five in the MHSAA record books. 22: Lauren Jones, East Kentwood, Class of 2007. High school: John Burroughs School (St. Louis, Missouri). Bottom line: Hanna Henrie had South Anchorage among the state's elite teams again in 2020 after helping lead her school to a Class 4A state championship in 2019. She now has 1,040 career kills headed into her senior season. 5 on the all-time national list. (MLive.com file), No. She was a standout as a defensive specialist at George Washington University from 2012-15. Bottom line: Skylar Yates became just the second player in Hedgesville High to earn West Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year honors in 2020 with some eye-popping stats 513 kills, 321 digs, 44 service aces and 39 blocks. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Bottom line: Julia Yurkovich is already a two-year starter for St. Mark's and a two-time DIAA All-State selection. Silina Damuni led Timpview High to a Class 5A state championship in 2020 with 868 assists, 69 service aces, 60 blocks and 211 digs. High school: Laramie High School (Laramie, Wyoming), Accolades: Wyoming Gatorade Player of the Year (2021), AVCA Phenom List (2020), Wyoming Class 4A state champion (2020), Class 4A Player of the Year (2020), three-time Class 4A All-State (2018-20), MaxPreps All-American (2020). That's the kind of athleticism that elite Division I colleges are looking for. She led Burnt Hills-Balston Lake High to a state championship as a sophomore and was named Class A State Tournament MVP. Emil Lippe | MLive.com. 3 Overall Underclassmen (2022), AVCA Phenom List (2020), SCISA Class 3A State Champion (2019), PrepVolleyball.Com All-American (2020). High school: Hedgesville High School (Hedgesville, West Virginia), Accolades: West Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year (2021), AVCA Phenom List (2020), Eastern Panhandle Athletic Conference Player of the Year (2020), Class AAA state semifinals (2020), Class AAA All-State (2020). She ranked No. At 5-foot-7, the senior outside hitter doesn't have the height of some of the other elite net players still in the postseason, but she makes up for it with an impressive 24-inch vertical that has allowed her to collect 451 kills with a .413 hitting percentage. High school: Burnt Hills-Balston Lake High School (Burnt Hills, New York), Accolades: New York Gatorade Player of the Year (2021), AVCA Phenom List (2020), Class A State Champion (2019), Class A State Tournament Most Valuable Player (2019), Times Union Volleyball Player of the Year finalist (2019), two-time Class A All-State (2019, 2020), Suburban Council championship (2020), Suburban Council Most Valuable Player (2020). (MLive.com file), No. High school: Mount Notre Dame High School (Cincinnati, Ohio), Accolades: VolleyballMag.Com All-American (2020), Division I State Champion (2020), Cincinnati Enquirer Division I Co-Player of the Year (2020), All-Ohio (2020), AVCA Phenom List (2020), MaxPreps All-American (2020), U19 USA National Development Team (2021). Rachel Ellis | MLive.com. She was great in the postseason as well, leading Darien to the finals of the FCIAC West Region playoffs. Few players can match the impressive stats the 5-foot-11 outside hitter has collected over the last three years, especially her 1,800 kills, but the big story coming out of Hudson this year is the fact that the Tigers are regional champs for the first time in program history. Almost every team still competing in the Michigan high school volleyball playoffs has at least one difference maker on its roster, so we're taking a look at 25 players to watch in Tuesday's state quarterfinals and beyond. Here's a countdown of the top 25 volleyball players in Michigan from the past 25 years. Bottom line: The only player from the Class of 2024 to make the list is Olathe Northwest's Skylar Pierce, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter who was named Class 6A All-State as a freshman in the largest division in Kansas. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. Who are the top volleyball players within the Class of 2026? The 5-foot-11 junior outside hitter led Lowell to consecutive OK White championships in 2018 and 2019, then helped the Red Arrows make program history this year by reaching the state quarterfinals for the first time with a 3-1 win over No. In her last full season of play in 2019, Wrobel was phenomenal with 373 kills, 64 service aces and 55 blocks. Hurm was a Division 3 All-State pick in 2019 as a sophomore with 350 kills, but her 46 service aces and 447 digs show she could be a defensive specialist/libero on the next level. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep4. If opposing hitters can get the ball past Mattawan's blocks, rest assured the 5-foot-6 Wiese will be diving around the court doing everything she can to dig a ball and save a point. 4: Val Sterk, Grand Rapids South Christian, Class of 1993. She already has 1,580 career kills and racked up 427 kills and 338 digs in just 57 sets as a sophomore. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The move paid off in a big way. (MLive.com file). She went on to play at the University of Florida and completed her career as the schools all-time leader in assists.