Northern Neighbors Sharing More Success
By
Dennis Chase
Special for MHSAA.com
October 13, 2017
TRAVERSE CITY – Dave Hall laughs when he talks about his almost daily phone conversations with friend and coaching companion Ron Stremlow.
The two are among the most successful volleyball coaches in MHSAA history. Stremlow, now in his 34th season, has amassed 904 victories in stints at Kingsley and Fife Lake Forest Area. Hall, who Stremlow coaxed into replacing him at Kingsley in 1999, has 857.
“We probably talk for an hour every night,” Hall said. “He’s been a great mentor to me over the years. I’ve bounced a lot of ideas off him.
"It’s funny because about four or five years ago he called me a couple times and started asking questions. ‘Hey, what would you do …’ For 12 years or so, it was always him giving me advice. He would rarely ask me anything. So when Ron started asking me what I would do in certain situations – ‘would you double block against them?’ – I thought, I finally made it. I got the master’s attention.”
Forest Area and Kingsley – the schools are about 12 miles apart – are attracting a lot of attention this season. Both schools reached the Regional Finals a year ago, and despite losing three key players to graduation, are ranked No. 5 in their respective classes this week by the coaches association – Kingsley in Class B and Forest Area in Class D.
It’s the first time Kingsley (36-2-1) has been ranked in Class B.
“We were in Class C a long time and were ranked a number of years,” Hall said. “We had one stretch where we won 50 games or more four years in a row and in one of those years we were ranked No. 1 for a few weeks. But we’ve never even cracked honorable mention in Class B until this year.”
Kingsley won the school’s first Class B District title in any sport last fall.
Forest Area (28-4), meanwhile, clinched at least a share of the Ski Valley Conference title Tuesday, giving the Warriors back-to-back crowns, a first for the school in the league’s current setup.
“The conference had (two) divisions for several years and we won our division a lot, but since we (eliminated the divisions) a few years ago we had never won back-to-back (championships),” Stremlow said.
Coaching consistency has been a hallmark in the two programs.
Stremlow and Hall have had a strong coaching relationship since 1996 when Hall, a former head football coach at Central Lake, accepted a teaching position at Kingsley. Stremlow was coaching the JV football team at the time and had just taken on the varsity volleyball job after a run at Forest Area. Hall assisted him with JV football.
When Kingsley decided to start a freshman volleyball program, Stremlow asked Hall if he would coach the team. After some arm-twisting, Hall accepted.
“I said, ‘Ron, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a volleyball game,’” Hall said. “He said, ‘That’s OK. I’ll help you.’ Well, the first volleyball I ever watched was my first practice.”
After one season, the JV job opened and Stremlow talked Hall into that position as well. After the 1999 campaign – and three District titles in four years – Stremlow returned to Forest Area to coach volleyball.
“We (Kingsley) had a good team, but I was teaching at Forest Area and that makes it a little easier (to coach),” Stremlow said. “I told Dave, ‘I think you’re ready to take that program.’ In 1996, we won the first District at Kingsley so we got things going. And Dave has kept it going, which I expected.”
That’s not to say Hall felt prepared to replace Stremlow.
“I wasn’t ready,” he admitted.
But he had a junior on the team, Atesha Olds, who helped him through it.
“I’d come into practice and say (to Atesha), ‘Hey, what do you think we should do today? Yeah, that sounds good. Let’s do that.’” he recalled with a laugh.
“It’s a funny story because by the time she came back for her senior year I had watched every video, read every how-to coaching book, watched a lot of college games. I had a plan. About the second day of practice, she stopped and said, ‘What happened to you?’ I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ She said, ‘Well, you kind of know what you’re doing.’”
The team won a District in Hall’s first season and the victories started piling up from there.
“I fell in love with it,” Hall said.
Still, he had a decision to make in 2007 when the MHSAA switched seasons for some sports, including volleyball, which went from winter to fall. Hall was still coaching football and had moved up to the varsity staff under Tim Wooer.
“I’m a football guy. I love it. I thought I’d spend my career coaching football,” he said. “But I gave it up and haven’t missed a minute of it. Volleyball took over and then having a daughter (Leah) come through the program gave me the full buy-in.”
Hall’s overall record is 857-210-85. His team tied a school record with 56 victories last season.
“We’ve had great kids, lots of talent,” Hall said. “And, hopefully, I’ve had a little something to do with it somewhere along the line.”
The key, he added, is communication.
“I credit a lot of (success) to being able to communicate with girls and get them on the same page working together,” he said.
His players notice.
“His dedication, passion and love for volleyball inspires us,” senior libero Lacey Benton said. “It’s what we thrive on.”
“He wants us to do our best, and that (motivates) us to work harder and play better,” senior middle hitter Bekah Crosby added.
For the big games, Hall likes to put together a highlight video, accompanied by music, to fire up his team before the match.
“It’s one of the little things he does that shows how much he cares,” Benton said. “It’s really cool.”
For Forest Area, led by senior outside hitters Payton Leonard and Kelsey Mills, this is the second highest it has ever been ranked. It’s ironic because Leonard’s mother, Teri, was on the team that was ranked as high as No. 4.
Stremlow, 904-511-178 overall, has led the Warriors to 10 District titles, but they are still seeking that elusive first Regional crown. They’ve lost to perennial power Leland in the Regional Finals the last two years.
“We’re right there,” Stremlow said. “We’ve been in the Regional Finals eight times. It’s not like we didn’t try. We’ve just run up against some good competition. When you’re the second or third best D or C team in the area, it’s tough.
“But it’s like I tell the kids, ‘Enjoy your moment, enjoy what you’re doing, create good memories. That’s what it’s about.’”
Stremlow, 57, is a believer in the “success breeds success” mantra. After all, he runs the winningest program in the school.
“The girls see it’s a successful program, and they want to be part of it,” he said. “That helps. And volleyball is more a team sport than some others, so it allows our girls to be part of something big.”
Leonard has been a part of the program for years. She’s a three-year starter, but before that served as a manager since third grade. It’s been an invaluable experience, she said.
“He gets super intense during games,” the 17-year-old said of Stremlow. “But (by listening) it makes you understand the game better, hearing his points of view and perspective.”
In addition to losing three starters to graduation off a 45-8-1 team, the Warriors have been playing without another starter, Morgan Kniss, who was injured in an automobile accident last spring. She was cleared to play last week.
In the meantime, Stremlow has had several players step up to complement Leonard and Mills, namely setter and ace defender Maddie Cummer, libero Annie Nietling, setter Kelsey Boyd and hitters Bella Hulwick and McKenzie Szymchack.
“They stepped up in their roles, and that’s what you want to happen,” Stremlow said.
The Warriors, who have won four of five tournaments this fall, would like nothing better than to three-peat in Districts and, of course, take another shot at Regionals.
“We want to win it this time,” Mills said. “We don’t worry about what’s happened in the past. The past doesn’t define us.
“Personally, I want to make it to the (Final Four). I want to play on that (Kellogg Arena) floor. I know what we’re capable of.”
So does Leonard.
“We’re super competitive,” she added. “We have this mentality that nothing’s going to stop us, that nothing’s going to get in our way. It’s a mindset.”
Forest Area has never won three Districts in a row.
Stremlow has had just four losing seasons in his career and he points with pride to last year’s seniors, who finished last in the league as sophomores.
“They went from last to first,” he said. “I told them that as long as you believe in the process you’ll get better. Just pay your dues and keeping working hard. That’s what they did. That’s the stuff you like to remember; keep working towards something and your time will come, and when it does step up.”
Stremlow, who was inducted into the coaches association Hall of Fame in 2015 (Hall was his presenter), uses his experiences to convey that message to his players.
“There are only 17 other coaches with 900 wins, but, I always tell the girls and I use it as a teaching tool, I’ll guarantee you I’m the only one with 500 losses, too,” he said. “I’ve experienced both ends. You’re going to fail sometimes, but don’t give up, keep working, keep trying. That’s my theory – keep working, have fun, create good memories and then pass it on.”
What’s made this season so enjoyable, the players agree, is that it’s a tight-knit group.
“We’ve made it so far already,” Leonard said. “Winning is awesome and so much fun, but it’s 10 times better when you love the game so much and you have a team that’s so close and bonded as we are.”
The same could be said of Kingsley.
“We’re so connected,” Benton said. “We’re all on the same page.”
Hall lost five of his top nine players from last year’s 56-7-3 team – three to graduation, one to another sport and one to transfer.
But he returned a nucleus that included Jessica Lefler, Brittany Bowman, Benton and Crosby.
Although he knew his team would still be strong, Hall worried about the void at setter. But Maddy Alger’s play eased that concern. Alger benefitted from some tutoring with Leah Olds, a setter at Lawrence Tech, who was back home this summer.
With the postseason in mind, Hall also elected to beef up the schedule, adding three tournaments against predominantly Class A and B schools. Despite all its regular-season success, Kingsley, once it moved up to Class B, has had trouble with Cadillac in the MHSAA tournament.
“They’ve ended our season eight of the last nine years,” Hall said. “They’ve been a thorn in our side.”
Seven of those years finished in Districts. The two teams were in different Districts last season, but met in the Regional Finals with the Vikings prevailing.
Cadillac and Kingsley will both be in a tournament at Mount Morris on Saturday. Monroe, ranked eighth in Class A, is in Kingsley’s pool.
And that’s the type of competition Hall wants his team to see.
“We were upfront with the girls before the season,” he said. “We said, ‘We’re not going to have a similar record (as last year) because we’re going to be playing in some tournaments where we might take some lumps. But we’re going to grow from it.’
“They all said, ‘We don’t care (about the record). We want to get better. We want a chance to make a run in the tournament.’ They understood we needed to play better competition to prepare us for teams like Cadillac, which plays a lot of Class A schools.”
The record, though, has not suffered.
“No way would I have predicted we would be 36-2 at this point,” the 48-year-old Hall said.
Kingsley started the season by winning a tournament at Allendale, beating Grant twice and Holland Christian. Both are honorable mention Class B teams.
“Our girls gained a ton of confidence that day, and it probably put us on some peoples’ radar,” Hall said.
Kingsley has gone on to win five of six tournaments. The two losses – to Leland and Calumet in the Cadillac tournament – were avenged last week.
With a win Thursday over Buckley, Kingsley could clinch a share of the Northwest Conference title, the team’s first goal.
“We’re focusing on what’s right here, what’s right in front of us,” Crosby said.
Soon that will be Cadillac. The teams will meet in a District opener.
And Hall expects his team to be ready.
Dennis Chase worked 32 years as a sportswriter at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, including as sports editor from 2000-14. 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) Fife Lake Forest Area coach Ron Stremlow, left, and Kingsford coach Dave Hall huddle with their teams this season. (Middle) Forest Area’s Payton Leonard player winds up to swing. (Below) Jessica Lefler connects on a kill attempt for Kingsley. (Photos courtesy of the Forest Area and Kingsley volleyball programs.)
Preview: Top-Ranked Aiming to Finish #1
November 20, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
State poll voters have been right on with their favorites for this weekend's MHSAA Volleyball Finals at Battle Creek's Kellogg Arena, as all four top-ranked teams will be making the trip.
What's more, Division 1 No. 1 Farmington Hills Mercy is one of seven contenders this weekend seeking to finish as a Finals champion for the first time.
Below is this weekend’s schedule:
Division 1 Semifinals – Thursday
Lake Orion vs. Lowell, 4:30 p.m.
Ann Arbor Skyline vs. Farmington Hills Mercy, 6:30 p.m.
Division 2 Semifinals - Friday
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. Lake Odessa Lakewood, 4:30 p.m.
Kingsley vs. Grand Rapids Christian, 6:30 p.m.
Division 3 Semifinals – Friday
Saginaw Valley Lutheran vs. Schoolcraft, Noon
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central vs. Beaverton, 2 p.m.
Division 4 Semifinals - Thursday
Mendon vs. Southfield Christian, Noon
Rudyard vs. Leland, 2 p.m.
Finals – Saturday
Division 1, 2 p.m.
Division 2, 4 p.m.
Division 3, Noon
Division 4, 10 a.m.
Click for links to all results from this season’s tournament plus ticket information and details on live broadcasts of all 12 matches this weekend on MHSAA.tv and MHSAANetwork.com. Below is a glance at all 16 contenders, with statistics through last week's Regional Finals unless noted.
Division 1
ANN ARBOR SKYLINE
Record/rank: 54-8, unranked
Coach: Chris Cristian, third season (111-31-6)
League finish: First in Southeastern Conference Red
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 3-0 over honorable mention Novi in Regional Final, 3-0 (District Final) 3-0, 2-0 and 2-1 over honorable mention Saline, 2-0 over honorable mention Brighton, 2-0 over honorable mention Oxford.
Players to watch: Kendall Murray, 6-2 sr. OH (656 kills, .420 kill %, 367 digs); Harper Murray, 6-1 fr. OH (657 kills, .492 kill %, 151 aces, 446 digs); Stacie Warner, 5-5 sr. S (1,297 assists, 74 aces).
Finals forecast: Skyline won its first Regional title last week powered by a Miss Volleyball finalist in Kendall Murray and a star just getting started on her high school career in Harper Murray. The Eagles haven’t dropped a set during the MHSAA Tournament, nor in 12 of their last 13 matches. Skyline also has defeated a number of top teams from other divisions, including Division 2 honorable mention Ida, Division 3 No. 4 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian, No. 3 Kalamazoo Christian and No. 10 Saginaw Valley Lutheran; and Division 4 No. 3 Battle Creek St. Philip and No. 4 Southfield Christian. Kendall Murray will continue her career at University of Michigan.
FARMINGTON HILLS MERCY
Record/rank: 56-1, No. 1
Coach: Loretta Vogel, 11th season (record N/A)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central
Championship history: Class A runner-up 2010.
Best wins: 3-2 (Regional Semifinal), 3-0, 2-0, 3-0 and 3-0 over No. 7 Bloomfield Hills Marian; 2-1 over No. 3 Mattawan, 2-0 over No. 2 Lowell, 2-0, 2-1 and 3-0 over No. 9 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek; 2-0 over No. 10 Bloomfield Hills, 2-0, 2-0, 2-0 and 2-0 over honorable mention Saline; 2-0 over honorable mention Novi, 2-0 and 2-0 over honorable mention Oxford, 2-0 over honorable mention Brighton, 2-0 over Ann Arbor Skyline.
Players to watch: Jess Mruzik, 6-2 sr. OH (415 kills, .534 hitting %); Julia Bishop, 6-0 jr. S (1,459 assists, 75 aces, 288 digs); Ellen Tisko, 6-2 jr. MB (340 kills, .500 hitting %, 68.5 blocks); Charli Atiemo, 6-1 jr. MB (398 kills, .506 hitting %, 85 blocks).
Finals forecast: Mercy and Miss Volleyball winner Mruzik will attempt to win Vogel her first MHSAA Finals championship over more than four decades of coaching that has included bringing nine teams to at least the Semifinals, including last year’s team – which fell to eventual champion Lake Orion in a five-set semi. Mruzik, who also will continue at U-M, spent the beginning of the season playing for the U.S. U-18 national team in Egypt, and yet Mercy lost this season only to Lowell (while Mruzik was away). Bishop also made the all-state first team last season, while Atiemo made the third.
LAKE ORION
Record/rank: 39-15-2, honorable mention
Coach: Tony Scavarda, sixth season (317-63-5)
League finish: Third in Oakland Activities Association Red
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2018, Class A runner-up 2011.
Best wins: 3-2 over No. 9 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek in Regional Semifinal, 3-2 (District Final) and 3-0 over honorable mention Oxford, 3-1 (District Quarterfinal) and 2-0 over No. 6 Clarkston, 2-0 over honorable mention Brighton, 2-0 over honorable mention Saline, 2-0 over Ann Arbor Skyline.
Players to watch: Nina Horning, 6-2 fr. OH (394 kills, 107 aces); Lauren Staruch, 6-0 jr. OH (361 kills, 61 blocks); Reagan Goeke, 6-2 jr. MH (201 kills, .337 hitting %, 167 blocks).
Finals forecast: Lake Orion is 9-0-2 over its last 11 matches and defeated two top-10 teams on the way back to Battle Creek. Junior middle Kendall Robertson (250 kills, .331 hitting %) started last season’s championship match against Rockford but is the only player on this year’s roster to see the floor that day, making the Dragons’ return even more impressive. Kylie Andras (559 assists) and sophomore Jaina Macaulay (623) have split much of the setting, with Andras one of only three seniors on the team.
LOWELL
Record/rank: 54-3, No. 2
Coach: Jordan Drake, second season (92-7-2)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference White
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 3-1 (Quarterfinal) and 2-1 over No. 3 Mattawan, 3-1 (Regional Final) and 2-0 over No. 4 Hudsonville, 3-0 (Regional Semifinal) and 2-0 over No. 5 Byron Center, 3-0 (District Final) and 3-1 over honorable mention Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 2-0 over No. 7 Bloomfield Hills Marian, 2-0 over No. 10 Bloomfield Hills, 2-0 over No. 1 Farmington Hills Mercy, 2-0 over No. 8 Grand Haven, 2-0 over honorable mention Novi, 2-0 and 2-0 over honorable mention Lake Orion, 2-0 over Division 2 No. 1 Grand Rapids Christian.
Players to watch: Sophia Powell, 5-8 jr. S (1,446 assists, .390 hitting %); Jenna Reitsma, 5-11 jr. OH (795 kills, .357 hitting %, 82 aces, 379 digs); Meghan Meyer, 6-1 sr. MH/RH (438 kills, .381 hitting %, 76 blocks).
Finals forecast: Lowell’s longest tournament run has included its first Regional title won last week and has seen the Red Arrows eliminate top-10 teams in three straight matches. Total, Lowell has defeated seven of the final top 10 in Division 1, plus the top-ranked teams in Division 2 (Grand Rapids Christian) and 3 (Schoolcraft). The Red Arrows have dropped only 14 sets this season including four to Hudsonville over two losses before avenging those defeats at the Regional. Reitsma made the all-state second team last season, and Meyer made the third team.
Division 2
GRAND RAPIDS CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 44-3, No. 1
Coach: Tiffannie Gates, ninth season (424-82)
League finish: First in O-K Gold
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2018.
Best wins: 3-0 over No. 4 Hamilton in Quarterfinal, 3-2 over No. 3 Coopersville in Regional Final, 2-0 over No. 8 Detroit Country Day, 2-0 over No. 9 Holland Christian, 3-0 and 2-0 over Division 1 No. 5 Byron Center, 2-0 over Division 1 No. 3 Mattawan, 2-0 over Division 1 No. 4 Hudsonville, 2-0 and 2-0 over Division 3 No. 1 Schoolcraft.
Players to watch: Jordyn Gates, 5-10 sr. S (1,099 assists, .309 hitting %, 378 digs); Addison VanderWeide, 6-0 jr. OH (495 kills, .305 hitting %, 59 aces, 345 digs); Evelyn Doezema, 6-3 soph. OH (326 kills, 63 blocks).
Finals forecast: Grand Rapids Christian rolled to its first championship last season with a pair of sweeps at Kellogg, and has just kept marching. The Eagles’ only losses this fall were to Division 1 Lowell and Hudsonville (twice), and they’ve dropped only 10 sets all season. Senior middle Ayva Kooistra (195 kills) joined Jordyn Gates, Doezema and VanderWeide in the starting lineup for last season’s Final, and junior libero Lauren Peal and junior defensive specialist Elizabeth Rupp both saw time in the championship match. Gates and VanderWeide both made the all-state first team in 2018, and Gates was a Miss Volleyball finalist this fall and will continue her career at Arkansas.
LAKE ODESSA LAKEWOOD
Record/rank: 39-12, No. 2
Coach: Cameron Rowland, second season (85-21-2)
League finish: First in Greater Lansing Activities Conference
Championship history: Class B champion 2012, four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 3-0 over honorable mention Ida in Quarterfinal, 3-2 over No. 7 Parma Western in Regional Final, 3-0 (Regional Final) and 2-0 over honorable mention Marshall, 2-1 over No. 9 Holland Christian, 2-1 over Division 3 No. 1 Schoolcraft.
Players to watch: Maradith O’Gorman, 6-2 soph. RS (506 kills, .361 hitting %, 86 aces, 360 digs); Aubrey O’Gorman, 6-3 jr. MB (480 kills, .424 hitting %, 151 blocks); Skylar Bump, 5-6 fr. S (1,209 assists, 88 aces).
Finals forecast: Lakewood has played in four championship matches over the last seven seasons, finishing Class B runner-up in 2014, 2016 and 2017. The Vikings fell to Grand Rapids Christian in last season’s Semifinal, and have won 10 of their last 11 matches heading back to Battle Creek. They’ll be prepared, thanks as well to impressive losses to Hudsonville, Lowell, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and Byron Center this fall. Maradith O’Gorman made the all-state first team last season as just a freshman, while Aubrey O’Gorman was selected as only a sophomore.
KINGSLEY
Record/rank: 58-7-3, No. 6
Coach: David Hall, 21st season (982-231-92)
League finish: First in Northwest Conference
Championship history: Class C runner-up 2004.
Best wins: 3-2 over honorable mention Cadillac in Regional Final, 2-0 over honorable mention Corunna, 3-0 and 2-0 over Division 4 No. 5 Leland, 2-0 over Division 3 No. 4 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian, 2-0 and 2-0 over Division 3 honorable mention Traverse City St. Francis.
Players to watch: Brittany Bowman, 5-4 sr. OH (501 kills, 68 aces, 621 digs); Maddie Bies, 5-0 sr. S (1,489 assists, 343 digs); Austyn DeWeese, 6-2 sr. MH (529 kills, .397 hitting %, 143 blocks).
Finals forecast: Kingsley is returning to the Semifinals for the first time since that 2004 Class C run, and following a senior-laden lineup with five starters and the team’s libero all looking to finish their high school careers by making more history this weekend. The Stags can go to multiple scoring options, with senior outside hitter Sidny Hessem (458 kills) also making the most of many opportunities this fall. Kingsley has won 19 straight matches since taking a loss to Division 1 Temperance Bedford, and also saw Lake Orion and No. 3 Coopersville (the latter twice) in defeats.
PONTIAC NOTRE DAME PREP
Record/rank: 48-10-2, No. 7
Coach: Betty A. Wroubel, 26th season (1,106-231-96)
League finish: Does not compete in a league.
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2017), Division 2 runner-up 2018.
Best wins: 3-0 over No. 8 Detroit Country Day in District Final, 2-0 over No. 10 Onsted, 2-0 over honorable mention Cadillac, 2-1 over Division 1 honorable mention Oxford, 2-0 over Division 4 No. 3 Battle Creek St. Philip, 2-0 over Division 3 No. 8 Centreville.
Players to watch: Aly Borellis, 5-10 soph. S/RS (564 kills, 96 blocks, 96 aces, 722 assists); Josie Bloom, 5-6 soph. DS/L (90 aces, 491 digs); Sophia Sudzina, 5-7 soph. S/OH (364 kills) (Only partial season stats available).
Finals forecast: Notre Dame Prep played in its second-straight MHSAA Final last fall, and appears the team to watch for the next two seasons too after making another run to finish this one. Borellis made the all-state third team last fall as just a freshman and has done some of everything for the Irish this fall. Bloom, senior middle Emily Mohr and sophomore middle Bianca Giglio also started in last year’s championship match, and junior libero Livy Kowalkowski played a significant role. Mohr (53 blocks, 60 aces) and middle Theresa Carrier (265 kills off the bench) are the team’s only seniors.
Division 3
BEAVERTON
Record/rank: 46-1-1, No. 7
Coach: Steve Evans, 11th season (332-154-4)
League finish: First in Jack Pine Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 2-1 over No. 5 Bronson, 3-0 over honorable mention Traverse City St. Francis in Quarterfinal, 2-0 over honorable mention Beal City, 2-0 over Freeland, 2-0 over Mount Pleasant, 2-1 over Division 4 honorable mention Saginaw Nouvel.
Players to watch: Molly Gerow, 5-9 jr. OH (631 kills, 369 digs); Mady Pahl, 5-7 jr. S (1,103 assists, 64 aces, 333 digs); Macie Jerome, 5-4 sr. L (83 aces, 584 digs).
Finals forecast: Beaverton has increased its win total every season over the last three and will play in its first Semifinal after winning its first Regional title last week. The team’s only loss this fall came to Freeland, a quarterfinalist in Division 2, and the Beavers later avenged that defeat and have dropped only eight sets all season. They come to Battle Creek on a 37-match winning streak with sweeps in 21 of their last 22. Gerow made the all-state third team last season, and Jerome and defensive specialist Averie Bassage are the team’s only seniors.
MONROE ST. MARY CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 48-2, No. 2
Coach: Karen O’Brien, fifth season (199-42-3)
League finish: First in Huron League
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2014), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 3-1 (Regional Final), 2-1 and 2-0 over No. 6 Brighton Charyl Stockwell Prep, 2-0 over No. 5 Bronson, 2-0 and 2-1 over Division 2 honorable mention Ida, 2-0 over Division 2 honorable mention Marshall, 2-0 over Division 4 No. 5 Leland, 2-1 over Ann Arbor Skyline.
Players to watch: Mikayla Haut, 5-11 jr. OH (446 kills, 73 aces, 75 blocks, 390 digs); Abbie Costlow, 5-10 jr. RS/OH (287 kills, .392 hitting %, 96 blocks); Sarah Reicker, 5-5 sr. S (835 assists, 50 aces).
Finals forecast: Monroe St. Mary is a pair of two-set losses to Division 1 No. 6 Clarkston and Division 2 No. 3 Coopersville from undefeated this fall as it returns to the Semifinals for the sixth time this decade and second-straight season. Haut, Costlow, junior outside hitter Anna Dean (327 kills) and senior right side Samantha Michael (191) all started in last year’s five-set Semifinal defeat to eventual champion Bronson, and Haut went on to make the all-state first team for the second time. Senior libero Payton Osborne had totaled a team-high 562 digs and 73 aces entering this week.
SAGINAW VALLEY LUTHERAN
Record/rank: 40-8-5, No. 10
Coach: Jon Frank, 13th season (476-224-65)
League finish: First in Tri-Valley Conference West
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 2-1 over honorable mention Beal City, 3-1 over Brown City in Regional Final, 2-1 over Freeland, 2-0 over Saginaw Swan Valley, 3-1 over Division 4 honorable mention Saginaw Nouvel, 2-0 over Division 4 honorable mention Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart.
Players to watch: Peyton Bartnikowski, 5-7 jr. OH (443 kills, 69 aces, 334 digs); Sydney Krause, 5-9 jr. S (1,123 assists); Carly Pomaville, 5-7 sr. MH (201 kills, 65 blocks).
Finals forecast: Valley Lutheran won its first Regional title since 2011 and is back at the Semifinals for the first time since 1983. The Chargers have had a lot of success at the local levels with four more league and three more District titles over the last five seasons, and they are taking the next steps with a mix of seniors and talented players who should have the team in contention again next season as well. Valley Lutheran faced a number of larger opponents throughout the fall and also earned a draw with No. 3 Kalamazoo Christian. Senior libero Kelsy Vittitow (61 aces, 646 digs) earned all-state honorable mention last season
SCHOOLCRAFT
Record/rank: 47-6-1, No. 1
Coach: Erin Onken, eighth season (319-95-15)
League finish: First in Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley
Championship history: Class C champion 2008, runner-up 2014.
Best wins: 3-0 (Quarterfinal) and 2-0 over No. 4 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian, 3-0 over No. 5 Bronson in Regional Semifinal, 3-0 (District Final), 3-0 and 2-0 over No. 3 Kalamazoo Christian, 2-0 over honorable mention Traverse City St. Francis, 2-1 over Division 1 No. 3 Mattawan, 2-0 over Division 1 No. 10 Bloomfield Hills, 2-0 over Division 1 honorable mention Lake Orion, 2-0 over Division 2 No. 2 Lake Odessa Lakewood, 2-0 over Division 2 No. 5 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 2-0 and 2-0 over Division 2 honorable mention Edwardsburg.
Players to watch: Andelyn Simkins, 5-10 sr. OH (692 kills, .505 hitting %, 84 aces, 490 digs); Kayla Onken, 5-8 jr. S (1,352 assists, 80 aces, 305 digs), Anna Schuppel, 6-1 jr. M (252 kills, .475 hitting %, 147 blocks); Maggie Morris, 6-0 jr. M (268 kills, .444 hitting %, 108 blocks).
Finals forecast: Schoolcraft has one of the most impressive sets of results in the state this fall, given that it’s a Division 3 school and has wins over three teams at Battle Creek in either Division 1 or 2 – not to mention against a number of other now-eliminated contenders. Simkins was a Miss Volleyball finalist and will continue next season at Western Michigan. But she and outside hitter Madi Ballett are the only senior starters, which should make next season one with high hopes as well. This will be the Eagles’ first Semifinal trip since the 2014 run, but they’ve stayed in the mix; they’ve won league titles every season under Erin Onken and District titles every season but one.
Division 4
LELAND
Record/rank: 43-14-3, No. 5
Coach: Laurie Glass, 25th season (1,006-296-95)
League finish: Second in Northwest Conference
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2015), seven runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 3-0 over No. 6 Merrill in Quarterfinal, 3-1 (Regional Final) and 2-0 over honorable mention Traverse City Christian, 2-0 over Division 3 honorable mention Traverse City St. Francis, 2-0 over Saginaw Swan Valley.
Players to watch: Olivia Lowe, 5-9 jr. OH (338 kills, 77 aces, 333 digs); Tatum Kareck, 5-8 jr. OH (338 kills, 83 aces, 364 digs); Jana Molby, 5-5 jr. S (757 assists, 62 aces).
Finals forecast: Leland is another regular at Kellogg Arena for the season’s final weekend, with this its sixth trip to the Semifinals over the last seven seasons. And there’s some additional intrigue this time, as every player on the roster is a junior except for freshman setter Alexis Luce. Kareck and 6-0 junior middle Sarah Elwell (250 kills, 91 blocks) were in the starting lineup for last season’s championship match, and junior libero Mia Osorio is a returning Division 4 all-state second teamer. Leland again loaded its schedule to prepare for this point. The Comets played only 13 Division 4 opponents before the playoffs and at one point stood 6-9-2 before locking in to win 37 of their next 43 matches.
MENDON
Record/rank: 38-9-6, No. 1
Coach: Heather Bowers, second season (87-15-9)
League finish: Second in Southwest 10 Conference
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2018).
Best wins: 3-1 over No. 2 Camden-Frontier in Quarterfinal, 3-0 over No. 3 Battle Creek St. Philip in Regional Final, 2-0 over Division 2 honorable mention Hopkins, 3-0 over Sturgis.
Players to watch: Anna Smith, 5-9 jr. OH (660 kills, .380 hitting %, 104 aces, 73 blocks, 304 digs); Taylor Heitkamp, 5-8 sr. MB (263 kills, 105 aces); Gracie Russell, 5-3 sr. S (1,224 assists, 276 digs).
Finals forecast: Mendon has lost just one set over six postseason matches despite facing the Nos. 2 and 3 teams over the last two rounds, and another championship would give former Hornets’ standout Bowers her second in two seasons to begin her head coaching career. Smith and junior middle Andrea Hoffman (210 kills, 71 blocks) are the only starters back from last season’s Final, but they’re significant. Smith made the all-state third team as a freshman before moving up to the first team last fall. Mendon did finish second in its league, but to Division 3 No. 8 Centreville.
RUDYARD
Record/rank: 35-4-3, No. 10
Coach: Ellen Perry, 27th season (630-414-155)
League finishes: First in Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference and second in Straits Area Conference
Championship history: Upper Peninsula Class A-B-C champion 1996, runner-up 1995 and 1997.
Best wins: 3-1 over honorable mention Carney-Nadeau in the Quarterfinal, 3-1 over Onaway in the Regional Final, 3-1 over Division 3 honorable mention Manistique.
Players to watch: Nina Alpers, 6-0 sr. MH (360 kills, 84 aces, 63 blocks, 318 digs); Sara Beelen, 5-9 jr. OH (251 kills, 546 digs, 116 aces); Brooklynn Besteman, 5-9 soph. M (222 kills, 75 aces).
Finals forecast: Rudyard won its first Regional title in 2017 and has taken the next step by earning its first Semifinal appearance despite graduating three players this spring who earned all-state recognition last year. (The Regional title and Semifinal berth are the first since the Upper and Lower Peninsulas joined for a combined MHSAA Tournament in 2000). The Bulldogs have lost just 19 sets this season and only two over five postseason matches. This is another team that could be in this mix for a few seasons; Alpers is the only senior. Junior Chesney Molina (603 assists) has handled most of the setting.
SOUTHFIELD CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 29-7-4, No. 4
Coach: Mike Van Dyke, ninth season (176-134-18)
League finish: Tied for first in Michigan Independent Athletic Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 3-0 (District Final), 3-0 and 3-0 over No. 9 Plymouth Christian Academy; 3-1 over No. 7 Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, 3-2 over Division 3 No. 6 Brighton Charyl Stockwell Prep, 3-0 and 3-0 over Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, 2-0 over Detroit Cass Tech.
Players to watch: Emily Van Dyke