Story in Photos: 2024 Volleyball Division 2 & 3 Semifinals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 22, 2024
BATTLE CREEK – Four more finalists earned opportunities Friday to play one more match on the last day of this season at Kellogg Arena.
Two Semifinals went four sets and two went all five as the Division 2 and 3 fields were reduced to just two teams apiece.
Saturday’s Finals will see the following face off at Kellogg Arena:
10 a.m. – Division 4 – Clarkston Everest Collegiate (37-0-1) vs. St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic (33-3-1)
Noon – Division 1 – Northville (40-2) vs. Rockford (40-9)
2:30 p.m. – Division 3 – Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (38-4-1) vs. Traverse City St. Francis (35-12-3)
4:30 p.m. – Division 2 – Detroit Country Day (35-1) vs. Tecumseh (57-2-1)
A first-time champion is guaranteed in Division 2, as neither Country Day nor Tecumseh has won a Final before and the former will be playing in its first championship match. St. Francis, Northville and Our Lady of the Lake also will be playing for first titles, while Everest will be playing for a repeat in Division 4 and Monroe St. Mary and Rockford to add to past successes.
Hockey Weekly Action Photos captured the following from Friday’s action.
Essexville Garber’s Audrey Ball connects as Tecumseh’s Lauren Kilbarger (4) and a teammate put up a block in Division 2. Tecumseh advanced with an 18-25, 24-26, 25-20, 25-19, 15-13 victory. Ball finished with 27 kills as the Dukes closed the season 43-13-2.
Detroit Country Day’s Leah Green (14) unleashes a spike toward a Battle Creek Harper Creek block during the Yellowjackets’ 25-14, 24-26, 25-17, 25-23 victory in Division 2. Green had six kills and four blocks.
Harper Creek’s Camille Robinson (10) sends a kill attempt toward the Country Day side of the court. Robinson finished with 15 kills as the Beavers ended the season 52-5.
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central’s Felicity Mugler winds up for a kill attempt with Cass City’s Shelby Ignash putting up a block in their Division 3 Semifinal. Mugler had eight kills in the 25-12, 25-21, 23-25, 25-21 victory, and Ignash finished with 22 kills and four blocks.
Cass City’s Lexi Champagne (12) sends a ball toward the blocks of St. Mary’s Olivia Beaudrie (2) and McKenna Payne (11). Beaudrie had three blocks and Payne two for the match, and Champagne finished with four kills and 13 digs for the Red Hawks (37-10-1).
Traverse City St. Francis’ Landry Fouch winds up for a kill attempt during her team’s 26-24, 24-26, 21-25, 25-19, 15-7 win over Kalamazoo Christian. Fouch finished with 13 kills.
Reagan Zuiderveen sets for a Kalamazoo Christian teammate. She finished with 40 assists and 15 digs as the 2023 champion Comets closed this season 31-9-2.
TOP PHOTO Tecumseh’s Maddy Vanblack (2) elevates for a kill attempt during her team’s five-set win over Essexville Garber in Division 2. Vanblack finished with 11 kills and 19 digs.
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.