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. 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. 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). 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. 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.
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. 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.
Reaching Higher Returns, Expands
June 19, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The annual Reaching Higher showcases of Michigan’s top high school basketball players will return for their 10th year June 23 at Milford High School in Highland Township, and for the first time volleyball players will take part in the Reaching Higher experience during a showcase July 18 also at Milford.
Nearly 200 athletes with aspirations to play basketball and nearly 80 with hopes of playing volleyball at the college level will train and scrimmage under the tutelage of high school coaches from across the state and in front of college coaches expected to represent a number of NCAA, NAIA and junior college programs.
For both sports, the Reaching Higher experience includes classroom sessions for student-athletes and their parents as well as on-court drills and scrimmaging. The events aim to give athletes a vision of what it takes to become a college player and also succeed in college life. Reaching Higher is a combined effort by the Michigan High School Athletic Association with the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan and Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association.
For both sports, participants were selected by a committee of coaches association members based on nominations by member basketball or volleyball coaches. A complete list of June 23 expected attendees can be found on the basketball Reaching Higher page of the MHSAA Website, while a complete list of expected attendees for volleyball will be posted closer to that event on the Reaching Higher page for that sport.
The boys basketball event begins at 11 a.m. on June 23, with scrimmages running from 1-3:30 p.m. The girls basketball event begins at 3 p.m., with scrimmages from 5-7:30 p.m. Speakers for the boys session include Reggie Butler, a standout at Southfield-Lathrup High School who went on to play at Xavier University and professionally overseas. Girls session speakers include Cassie Breen, who starred for Brownstown Woodhaven High and Central Michigan University and played professionally this past season in Spain.
Longtime coach Dave Ginsberg will speak with athletes; he coached at a number of Michigan high schools and also was an assistant men’s basketball coach at Central Michigan University for 16 years, and he currently serves as the secretary/treasurer of the National High School Basketball Coaches Association. Longtime high school and college coach Marc Comstock – currently the boys varsity coach at Grass Lake High School – and former Saginaw Valley State University and current Flint Powers Catholic athletic director Mike Watson will conduct sessions with parents during players’ drill and practice sessions.
The volleyball event begins at 9:30 a.m. on July 18. A schedule for the day including speakers will be added to the volleyball Reaching Higher page of the MHSAA Website closer to the event.
Below, State Champs Sports Network explains a little bit more about the history of the basketball Reaching Higher event.