Change Keeps Byron Center Raising Game
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
October 9, 2020
BYRON CENTER – The Byron Center volleyball team switched leagues this season, from the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green to the O-K White.
It’s been a change for the better.
The Bulldogs won conference and District championships last season, then was relocated to a conference that includes perennial state powerhouses Grand Rapids Christian and Lowell, as well as Forest Hills Central.
“This change for our conference was huge,” Byron Center senior libero Abby Boyle said. “Our past conference had some really great competition, but this year it’s really been a step up. It’s really been preparing us for some tougher games, and hopefully it will help us move forward past Districts and past Regionals and really make it far this year.”
Despite the increased level of competition, the Bulldogs have held their own.
They have been ranked as high as No. 2 in Division 1 and are currently 11-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference after suffering a tough five-set loss to top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian on Tuesday.
“It’s been a really good experience playing against the tougher teams,” senior middle hitter Anna Butler said. “When you play the harder teams, you really want to step up your game and you want to play to your highest potential. It has pushed us to be better every practice, and we’ve really improved every match.”
The Bulldogs returned nine players from last year, and the experience has helped the team thrive despite the decrease in games and early outdoor practices due to the current pandemic.
“Overall they’ve played very well, and we’ve competed against some very good teams,” Byron Center coach Katie Vander Meer said. “We beat Lowell, which is one of the top three teams in the state, and our two losses came against Grand Rapids Christian, which finished back-to-back state runner-up and is ranked No. 1. Forest Hills Central is another tough competitor.
“The girls are playing a very high level of volleyball, which is impressive to see with as little volleyball as we’ve played. We’ve only played 13 matches so far in comparison to a normal year where we would have 20-something in by now. I think where we’re at is very good.”
The Bulldogs led 2-1 in their match against Christian, but couldn’t close it out.
Vander Meer said lessons continue to be learned from those narrow defeats.
“I think we did a lot of things very well, but I think the wheels came off a little in the fifth set,” she said. “Obviously we came up short, but I think we are learning a lot from playing a team like that. I think we’re growing from playing a team like that, and I think we’re just going to keep getting better.”
The Bulldogs have been paced by Boyle and Butler, as well as juniors Taylor Humphrey (outside hitter) and Cierra Laska (setter).
Boyle leads the team with 190 digs.
“We have a great defensive foundation between Abby and defensive specialists Amanda Hilliker and Sara Zimmerlee,” Vander Meer said. “Their ability to read hitters and dig balls keeps us in games.”
Humphrey (179 kills) and Butler (102 kills) have provided solid play at the net.
“Offensively, they are our go-to hitters and can put balls away from anywhere on the court,” Vander Meer said. “Not to mention being helpful defensively with their ability to block balls. Marie Baar, Ryen Karel and Makenzi Bennett have stepped up in starting roles and have helped contribute to the front row.”
Laska has emerged as a dual threat for the Bulldogs with 258 assists and 41 kills.
“She has done a great job running our offense as well as being an offensive threat,” Vander Meer said. “Freshman Caroline Baker has also stepped up both defensively and in the setting role to allow more flexibility in our offense.”
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for four years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTO: Byron Center senior libero Abby Boyle has been among catalysts during the team’s 11-2 start. (Photo courtesy of the Byron Center volleyball program.)
Onekama Seeking to Take Next Step After Back-to-Back Trips to Regional Finals
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
October 11, 2024
Over the past few seasons, the Onekama Portagers have demonstrated they have the right skills to consistently win high-profile volleyball matches.
And they are hoping to carry those skills into another postseason rematch with Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart.
Sacred Heart has stood in the way of Onekama reaching the Quarterfinals – winning their Regional Finals matchups the last two seasons.
Anticipating winning a fifth-straight District title, the Portagers can’t help but look ahead to another possible Regional meeting with the Irish, the current top-ranked team in Division 4. Onekama is listed as honorable mention in coaches poll.
The Portagers improved their record to 23-8-1 overall Thursday with a Northwest Conference title-clinching sweep of Benzie Central. It was the first championship for Onekama since returning to the conference during the 2016-17 school year.
With the conference title and another trophy from winning their own invitational this fall, the Portagers have a fifth-straight District championship in their sights.
“We’d like to make this five, and the girls are looking forward to it,” Onekama coach Linda Elo said. “Winning the conference is special because it has been a competitive conference for a lot of years.”
The key to Onekama’s success has been the play of setter Elizabeth McKeough, libero Ava Mauntler and outside hitters Hailey Hart and Delaney McCarthy.
McKeough, McCarthy and Mauntler, a member of the all-Region team last year, are sophomores. Hart is a junior. The Portagers also have a host of support players who posses defensive prowess.
“The strength of my team is a strong setter, my libero and two outside hitters, and they do a really good job,” said Elo, now in her ninth season as the Onekama coach. “Defensively, I am a coach who pushes a lot of defense – it’s an important part of the game.”
Heading into the conference clincher, Hart was leading the team with 251 kills, McCarthy had 200 and senior middle hitter Leah Gary – also the team leader in blocks – had 101. At 5-foot-9, Gary and McCarthy are the team’s tallest players.
Also prior to the Benzie match, Mauntler had 70 serving aces and 379 digs, both team highs. McCarthy and McKeough are right behind Mauntler in aces, and McKeough leads the team in setting at eight assists per game.
During the sweep of Benzie, McCarthy racked up a 19-point service run and Hart added a 13-point service run. Hart added 16 kills, while Gary chipped in with eight kills and McKeough collected 30 assists in the 25-9, 25-4, 25-4 dominating performance.
“The girls have really good systems play, and they get better all the time,” Elo said. “We are not the tallest team, but these girls get good touches blocking to start our defense and we have people in the back line that are willing to go on the floor if they need to.”
While acknowledging most coaches love their own squads, Elo is quick to say her team is special. She notes her Portagers are fun to watch, and she gets frequent compliments from opponents and their supporters.
“When they get going and get up to speed, they don’t quit,” Elo said. “And they do a good job being great teammates. When you add that all in, it’s a good formula.”
Eight of the team’s 13 rostered players came into the season with previous varsity experience.
District play for the host Portagers will get underway on their home court in early November. Bear Lake, Brethren and Frankfort are the other teams in the District. Frankfort also is a Northwest Conference opponent, and Brethren will join the league next year.
The Portagers have a Quarterfinal appearance on their minds. But if the Portagers get out of the District, Sacred Heart will likely be an obstacle again in the Regional.
Onekama first appeared the rankings Sept. 16. The Irish, on the other hand, have been listed among the top five all season, moving into the top spot this week.
They’ve met once this fall, on Aug. 24, with Sacred Heart winning a two-set match 26-24 and 31-29.
“You’ve always got to look down the road,” Elo said. “We faced Sacred Heart last year in Regional Finals with three freshmen on the team. We lost, but they learned the pressure of those high-profile games.”
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Onekama players including Elizabeth McKeough (3), Maddie Gunia (10), Hailey Hart (11) and Ava Mauntler (20) huddle during a match. (Middle) Leah Gary (3) works to get the ball past an opposing block. (Below) The Portagers pose for a team photo following their home invitational championship. (Photos courtesy of Meredith McNabb.)