D1/4 Recap: Lake Orion Rallies to Advance
November 16, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Lake Orion will play for its first MHSAA volleyball championship Saturday.
The No. 2-ranked Dragons, previously Class A runners-up in 2011, downed top-ranked Farmington Hills Mercy in five sets in their Semifinal on Friday to earn a spot in this season’s Division 1 Final at Kellogg Arena.
Senior Paige Briggs – a Miss Volleyball Award finalist this fall – had 43 kills as Lake Orion (67-6) twice fought back from one-set deficits. The 43 kills are tied for fifth-most in one match in MHSAA history.
The Dragons won the fourth set 25-20 and edged Mercy (52-3) in the final set 15-13.
Senior Wren Macaulay had 53 assists and three aces for Lake Orion. Junior Jess Mruzik led Mercy with 27 kills and three blocks, and sophomore Julia Bishop had 44 assists.
Division 1: Rockford 3, Northville 1
The No. 7 Rams won the final two sets to return to the championship match for the second time in three seasons after finishing runners-up in 2016.
Seniors Lindsay Taylor and Emmy Webb split the attack, Webb with 21 kills off a .514 kill percentage and Taylor with 20 kills. Senior Emilee Karelse had 52 assists for Rockford (47-11-1).
Northville, ranked No. 8 entering the postseason, was led by sophomore Jenna Boksha’s 11 kills plus 10 digs. Senior Gabriella Fisette had 24 assists for the Mustangs (47-7-1).
Division 4: Mendon 3, Southfield Christian 0
Mendon will play for its first championship since 2001 after a Semifinal performance that improved the No. 2 Hornets to 48-6-3.
Sophomore Anna Smith led Mendon both with 20 kills and nine digs, and senior Aubrey Crotser had 31 assists.
Junior Emily Van Dyke had 13 kills for No. 4 Southfield Christian (27-10-3), and junior Caitlin Warnshuis added 10. Senior Rachel Stiteler had 20 assists. The Semifinal was the first in Eagles program history.
Division 4: Leland 3, Carney-Nadeau 0
Leland’s powerful seniors led the way as the top-ranked Comets earned a chance to win their first championship since 2015.
Senior Ella Siddall had 34 assists and five aces, while senior Hanna Elwell had 17 kills for Leland (47-10-1).
Carney-Nadeau, also playing in its first Semifinal in this sport, got a big defensive performance from junior Alanis Harris, who had 22 digs. The No. 9 Wolves finished 26-4-1.
PHOTO: Lake Orion celebrates advancing to the Division 1 championship match after Friday’s Semifinal.
Team of the Month: Reese Girls Volleyball
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 10, 2021
Saturday will mark three weeks since Reese completed an almost astonishing comeback to win its first MHSAA Volleyball Finals championship.
But the Rockets are still riding high like it happened yesterday – and there’s no reason to end the celebration any time soon.
As volleyball coach Angie Compton looked into the crowd during Thursday’s girls basketball game, she saw a sea of Reese championship shirts – many worn by people she’s never seen before.
“I’ll see people out, and they’re still congratulating us. The girls (Thursday) are like, ‘Oh my God, everybody is wearing our championship shirts today – the town must have all gotten them,’” Compton said. “I think so many alumni are just super excited about it. The school is still so excited for us, and other students, they know it’s a really big deal. It’s really given us something fun, and some pride.”
Reese’s volleyball team – the MHSAA/Applebee’s “Team of the Month” for November – gave us an unforgettable comeback that likely will be brought up for years to come when discussing the tournament’s most extraordinary finishes.
It’s not that the Rockets won, but how:
For starters, the Finals championship was the school’s first since the boys cross country team’s title in 1964.
Reese was up against Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, which had won the previous two Division 3 championships and five titles total over the last 11 seasons.
The Rockets, meanwhile, had the day before played in their second Semifinal ever and first since 2010.
Reese then lost the first two sets to the Kestrels, 25-18 and 25-19.
And then – as the story was told – the Rockets broke into some unexpected song and dance, keeping things light, and won the next two sets 25-15 and 25-21 and then the final two points of the fifth to clinch at 16-14.
Learning to find the fun in those moments, even the toughest ones, had been part of the team’s mental preparation earlier in the season, and those lessons clearly paid off. The Rockets didn’t enter the match focusing on St. Mary’s past successes, and were able to bounce back midway through the match when it seemed this golden opportunity was all but lost.
“A few years ago, if my team was in this position, I would’ve had a totally different demeanor about it – get refocused, this is what we need to do … it would have been a different talk,” Compton said of climbing out of the 0-2 deficit. “It’s because of this team, and what they respond to. … I think it’s amazing.”
Senior Maddi Osantowski’s 34 kills were the fourth-most in a championship match, senior Josie Johnson’s 29 digs tied for fourth, and senior Sarah Gray also made that digs list with 21. Senior Aydan Dalak – Compton’s daughter – just missed the list for most assists in a Final with 42.
Osantowski was named to the all-state first team after the season, while Dalak made the second and Johnson earned an honorable mention.
Eight seniors total anchored the team, which finished 35-5-1.
Past Teams of the Month, 2021-22
October: Birmingham Groves boys tennis - Read