NLC Champ Mackinaw City Eyes Bright Future
November 6, 2020
By Tom Spencer
Special for Second Half
Mackinaw City’s Marlie Postula provided nearly perfect serving this fall.
The rest of her Comets volleyball team was indeed perfect in Northern Lakes Conference play. And, you might say they are “set” for the next couple of years. She’s the team’s sole setter, and she’s only a sophomore.
“Marlie is probably the most solid player on the team,” said her coach Rachel Grooters as the Comets entered postseason play this week. “She leads in serve percentage ... believe it or not attack percentage, hitting percentage, passing percentage.
“She’s my leader in all those stats.”
Postula was one of three sophomores on the court nearly every moment this fall for Mackinaw City. Two more sophomores got some varsity experience while playing mostly on the junior varsity team that was perfect in league play as well. None of the sophomores experienced a loss in junior varsity league play as freshmen.
“I know I have a young team,” Grooters said. “I know I have juniors and seniors, but sophomores are pretty much the backbone of my team.”
Grooters had big expectations this year thanks to her five sophomores’ previous winning ways.
“We definitely went into it with the attitude that we were going to get conference,” the veteran coach said. “We wanted that number on the banner.
“We wanted the trophy,” she continued. “And having an undefeated season is icing on the cake.”
Along the way to its perfect NLC season, the Comets were led by the serving of Postula. She was successful in 207 straight serves at one point. She finished regular-season play missing just four serves.
The Comets’ season ended in District Semifinal play Wednesday with a four-set loss to Pickford. They finished the season with a 14-0 league and 21-12 overall record.
With junior outside hitter and captain Raeann Hingston, junior inside hitter Ella House, sophomore outside/inside hitter Larissa Huffman and sophomore middle hitter Madison Smith also expected back next fall, Grooters is already excited about what’s next. She is losing only two seniors – outside/inside hitter Jenna Wiertalla and captain middle hitter Carissa Sroka. Junior inside hitter Olivia Lidy should also be back next fall.
“You know, in a small school like us, you kind of get who comes out,” noted Grooters. “This is who is here. They are all athletes.
“They all want to play,” Grooters continued. “They all want to be here. And, they love competition.”
Mackinaw City was spotless in league play despite a tiny grade 9-12 enrollment of 40 students. Some of the schools in the conference are nearly twice the Comets’ size, one is more than double their size, and a few are similar in enrollment.
Conference championships have been hard to come by for the Comets. They only have three to claim. Grooters was a player on the first Mackinaw City league champ in 2000. A second title was won in 2015. The Comets were unblemished in that run too, but it was only a 10-match league season.
While the Comets’ play is far from the loudest of league teams, they are there to win, Grooters proudly indicated.
“It is funny. I think they’re quiet,” she said. “A lot of teams make more noise. Our girls take it serious. And, they want to win. They’re not going to just stand there and let somebody take the lead.”
Grooters can’t help but think the perfect season was almost taken away by COVID-19. She’s proud of all the schools’ efforts to make the season happen, including keeping the face protection on.
“I was so excited to coach them this year, but I was so nervous with the COVID stuff,” she said. “They wanted to play badly. They were worried they wouldn’t be able to.
“They want to be out on that court,” she continued. “Once we know we could practice and compete a little bit, it all fell into place.”
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) Mackinaw City’s Ella House prepares to serve during a match against Alanson this fall. (Middle) Marlie Postula sets for her hitters; she led the team in serving, hitting and passing percentages this fall. (Photos by Izzy House.)
TC Central Upholding Program Standards with Eye on MHSAA Tournament Goal
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
November 8, 2024
Traverse City Central’s volleyball team is living the dream.
More aptly put, the Trojans are living the vision — that of third-year coach Emily Wilbert.
Central is 36-1-1 entering Saturday’s Division 1 District Final against Mount Pleasant and coming off a 25-22, 25-15, 25-13 win over crosstown rival Traverse City West. That was the Trojans’ fourth win over West this season and kept them on track to achieve perhaps their biggest goal – to advance in the playoffs farther than any volleyball team in the school’s history.
They are moving along living their vision clearly spelled out by Wilbert in a preseason letter to her team.
“I wrote a letter and read it to the 12 varsity players that made the 2024 varsity team the night we finished cuts,” Wilbert recalled. “In my letter I talked about standards. I talked to them about three things that were non-negotiable and that are all within their control – working hard, having a good attitude and supporting your teammates.”
Central wears a warm-up T-shirt every game with the words “WORK, ATTITUDE, SUPPORT.” The shirt was designed by captains Elyse Heffner and Marley Richmond, the only seniors on the squad, which is also coming off a third-straight Big North Conference championship. A third-straight District title is now in immediate site.
“We are starting to reap the benefits of our culture and our process,” Wilbert said this week as the Trojans entered postseason play. “We are committed to excellence in all we do. We are disciplined to the process and committed to the team – if we do these things, the results we want will follow.”
The Trojans will play one game at a time, but the result they really want is to win a Regional title for the first time. If they do that, they could get a chance to meet one of the teams that knocked them out of the playoffs the last two years – Rockford, which won its District again this year. Grand Haven, which knocked the Trojans out last year, already has been eliminated this week.
“We’ve made it to the Regional Final once before and our coach has told us our school, our volleyball team, has never won a Regional Final,” said Heffner, a dominating outside hitter for the Trojans. “We can’t look ahead. We have to focus on the games in front of us. We still have Districts.”
Heffner led the Trojans over West with 15 kills, 11 digs, one ace and one block. Richmond, the team’s setter, had 31 assists, 10 digs and two kills.
Central’s lone loss this year was to Rockford in an early-season tournament. While trying not to look ahead, a postseason win over the Rams would be special.
“I think it would be cool to get a chance to play Rockford again,” admitted Richmond. “Our previous times playing them, we haven’t been fully ourselves.”
The only other time Central was not victorious this year was in pool play of a tournament against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. Both teams took a game for a two-set draw, but Central advanced out of the pool play. The two teams met again later this season in another tournament pool play match, and the Trojans won both games.
Coming off an undefeated conference season, the Trojans are concentrating again on Mount Pleasant. They defeated Mount Pleasant 25-17, 25-20, at their home quad late last month. The District Final will be played back at Central. The Oilers defeated Cadillac in their semifinal at Cadillac. Central’s semifinal was at West.
The Trojans have won all of their matches at home this year. They’re excited to get back on the home court, where their coach also played for the Trojans. Wilbert enjoys coaching in the Trojans’ gym as much as she enjoyed playing there; it’s her favorite place to play.
“I love being a TCC Trojan alumni,” Wilbert proclaimed. “It feels special to have been part of this program, played four years on varsity and now to be coaching the varsity team.”
Wilbert started coaching JV volleyball at Central in 2010. When you add in the time watching her sister also play for Central, she’s been “connected to the program for over 25 years.”
During those 25 she also coached some JV at West and took a break to have twins, daughter Avery and son Grady, now age 6. She has hopes Avery will someday play volleyball for the Trojans.
Wilbert measures Central’s success by more than victories, although she’s quick to point out she’s a competitive person who likes to win.
“Coaching gives me the chance to unlock a young person’s potential to maximize their growth, teach them the skills and give them the tools to be successful as a student-athlete and beyond,” Wilbert said. “I encourage them and believe in them so they can believe in themselves and create memorable moments and memories they will cherish for a lifetime.”
Heffner and Richmond have provided strong leadership for the Trojans both on and off the court. Coming into District play, Heffner led the team in serving aces (70) and kills (456). She was also second in digs with 253. Richmond was tops during the regular season in assists with 889 and second in aces at 50.
Erica Heffner, a sophomore, came into the postseason with 252 kills and 230 digs. Junior Sydney Richmond was leading the teams in digs at 265. The Trojans were also getting strong serving from freshman Macaire Kudary.
Win or lose in the days ahead, the Trojans will hold their heads high and recall a fun season.
“We’ve had an incredible season,” Wilbert said. “It’s got to be fun. When your work hard and put in the time, the results sort of come.”
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) Traverse City Central players, including Elyse Heffner (6), Adelae Nelesen (10) and Bella Hernalsteen (11) huddle before the start of a match this season. (Middle) Central’s Macaire Kudary (12) attempts to put a ball over a Cadillac block. (Below) The Trojans’ Marley Richmond (2) attempts a one-handed block against Gaylord. (Photos by Ryan Hernalsteen Photography.)