Monroe St. Mary's Proves 'This is the Year' by Clinching 8th Finals Title

By Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com

November 23, 2024

BATTLE CREEK – McKenna Payne had a feeling she and her Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central teammates could be making a third trip to Kellogg Arena for this season’s Division 3 Volleyball Final Four.

She also felt it could end on a much brighter note than each of the last two trips.

The Kestrels proved that feeling to be prescient Saturday, sweeping Traverse City St. Francis 25-21, 25-20, 25-15 to claim the Division 3 title.

“All through this year, we were saying this is the year,” Payne said. “We were here our freshmen year, lost in the Finals. We didn’t make it past quarters my sophomore year, and we didn’t make it past semis last year. So, this year, I’m so proud of everyone. I’m so proud of me, Maddie (Dettling) and Jessie (Costlow) and the whole team. We all did it together.”

St. Francis’ Reese Jones (2) tips the ball over the net. It was the eighth volleyball championship for the Kestrels in eight trips to the championship match, and first since title since 2020.

“I felt like this year we focused a lot on being together and working together in everything,” said Costlow, who was also on that 2021 team that finished Division 3 runner-up. “You can’t have offense without your defense, and you can’t have defense without blocking. So, we really had to work off of each other and just keep pushing the whole time.”

Costlow led the SMCC attack with 15 kills while pitching in 12 digs on defense. Alexa Turner had 20 assist for the Kestrels, while Payne stuffed the stat sheet with 13 digs, eight kills and eight assists.

SMCC was dominant for much of the season, finishing 39-4-1, but was especially so during the postseason, sweeping all but one opponent – Cass City in Friday’s Semifinal – on its way to the title.

“I think it was just working hard at practice,” Dettling said. “Every day, we were just being disciplined and watching film and being smart. Everything just came together.”

Those film sessions included watching the Gladiators’ Semifinal win against Kalamazoo Christian, even though the Kestrels were there to see it in person.

While that proved fruitful, Traverse City St. Francis did take a bit of a different approach Saturday.

Jessica Costlow serves for the Kestrels.“After watching their match yesterday, we were surprised that they utilized their middle as much as they did today,” SMCC coach Kim Windham said. “We anticipated they would go more to their outsides. I think (TCSF junior outside hitter Quinn Yenshaw) was set 70 times yesterday, so we expected them to be more of an outside game, and they were definitely more middle. I think the opportunity for us to play against (Cass City senior Shelby Ignash) yesterday helped us prepare for today’s match, for sure.”

Gladiators sophomore Lola Brown was the focus of that attack through the middle, and did finish with eight kills on 21 attempts, while Yenshaw had 12 on 36 attempts, as junior setter Reese Jones (who finished with 14 assists) spread the ball around.

But it wasn’t enough to overcome a Kestrels team that was hitting on all cylinders, and finished with .219 kill percentage on its 114 attacks.

“St. Mary’s is just an amazing team,” St. Francis coach Kathleen Nance said. “They have amazing ball control, they’ve got great hitters, and we just weren’t able to have an answer for that today.”

Avery Nance finished with 14 digs on the day for the Gladiators, who were making their second-straight trip to the Finals after finishing runner-up a year ago as well.

“We’re second in the state; there’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Kathleen Nance said. “St. Mary’s played better than we did today, and they earned the first-place spot, and we were second. We were the last two standing – what’s to be ashamed about? Nobody wants to lose, especially for those that this is their last time to ever play; no one wants that. But I’m proud of everything we accomplished this year. Because there were a lot of people who thought we couldn’t, and they proved them wrong.”

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS (Top) Monroe St. Mary’s McKenna Payne (11) and Olivia Beaudrie (2) wall off the top of the net as Traverse City St. Francis’ Landry Fouch (7) connects during Saturday’s Division 3 Final. (Middle) St. Francis’ Reese Jones (2) tips the ball over the net. (Below) Jessica Costlow serves for the Kestrels. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)

Story in Photos: 2023 Volleyball Division 1 & 4 Semifinals

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

November 17, 2023

All four MHSAA Girls Volleyball Finals are set as Division 4 and 1 title contenders locked up the final spots in the championship lineup with Semifinals victories Friday.

All four title matches, including the Division 2 and 3 finales determined Thursday, will conclude this season at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena.

10 a.m. – Division 4 – Clarkston Everest Collegiate (31-4-2) vs. Leland (41-16-2)
Noon – Division 1 – Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (45-7-1) vs. Farmington Hills Mercy (31-15-3)
2:30 p.m. – Division 2 – Grand Rapids West Catholic (38-9-6) vs. North Branch (55-4-1)

4:30 p.m. – Division 3 – Kalamazoo Christian (42-6-3) vs. Traverse City St. Francis (38-9-1)

Hockey Weekly Action Photos captured the following from Friday’s Semifinals:

Forest Hills Northern senior Kendall Hopewell (9) attempts to send a kill through the block of Northville juniors Mallory (10) and Molly Reck (8) in Division 1.

Forest Hills Northern senior Kendall Hopewell (9) attempts to send a kill through the block of Northville juniors Mallory (10) and Molly Reck (8) in Division 1. Hopewell had nine kills in the 22-25, 25-11, 25-23, 25-19 win for the Huskies (45-7-1), while the Recks both had 14 kills for No. 2 Northville.

Elana Erickson (12) connects for No. 5 FHN, while Ella Craggs (9) and Ashley Krahe (14) put up a block.

Elana Erickson (12) connects for No. 5 FHN, while Ella Craggs (9) and Ashley Krahe (14) put up a block. Erickson had 19 kills and 20 digs, while Craggs had 34 assists and 16 digs for the Mustangs (49-3).

Farmington Hills Mercy junior Campbell Flynn (28) sets to her oncoming teammates during the Marlins’ 25-23, 25-13, 25-20 Semifinal win over No. 3 Clarkston (34-4).

Farmington Hills Mercy junior Campbell Flynn (28) sets to her oncoming teammates during the Marlins’ 25-23, 25-13, 25-20 Semifinal win over No. 3 Clarkston (34-4). Flynn had 23 assists, eight kills and nine digs for Mercy, which entered the postseason an honorable mention in Division 1.

Sophomore Ava Fitzgerald (39) and senior Angie Butler (11) set up to block a Clarkston kill attempt.

Sophomore Ava Fitzgerald (39) and senior Angie Butler (11) set up to block a Clarkston kill attempt. The Marlins (31-15-3) finished with 10 blocks.

The No. 10-ranked Mountaineers (31-4-2) get over the net with a block during their Division 4 Semifinal win over the top-ranked Cougars 17-25, 19-25, 25-19, 25-16, 15-11.

The No. 10-ranked Mountaineers (31-4-2) get over the net with a block during their Division 4 Semifinal win over the top-ranked Cougars 17-25, 19-25, 25-19, 25-16, 15-11.

Everest Collegiate junior Erica Walker (6) sets to her teammates while Lenawee Christian seniors Whitney Lilly (2) and Allyson Day (4) await the attack. Walker had 45 assists, while Lilly had 10 kills and eight digs and Day had 24 digs for the Cougars (46-6-1).  

Everest Collegiate junior Erica Walker (6) sets to her teammates while Lenawee Christian seniors Whitney Lilly (2) and Allyson Day (4) await the attack. Walker had 45 assists, while Lilly had 10 kills and eight digs and Day had 24 digs for the Cougars (46-6-1). 

Senior Kelsey Allen (6) and junior Kally Sluiter (10) put up a block for Leland (41-16-2) as Forest Park’s Ema Stepien goes for a kill in the Comets’ 25-17, 17-25, 25-18, 21-25, 15-9 victory in Division 4.

Senior Kelsey Allen (6) and junior Kally Sluiter (10) put up a block for Leland (41-16-2) as Forest Park’s Ema Stepien goes for a kill in the Comets’ 25-17, 17-25, 25-18, 21-25, 15-9 victory in Division 4. Stepien had 12 kills and 18 digs for the No. 9 Trojans (34-3), while Allen had 15 kills and Sluiter had 11 digs for No. 4 Leland.

TOP PHOTO Leland celebrates its five-set win over Crystal Falls Forest Park on Friday at Kellogg Arena.