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: 2022 Volleyball Division 1 & 4 Semifinals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 17, 2022
BATTLE CREEK – Two of this season’s four MHSAA volleyball championship pairings were decided during Thursday’s Semifinals, with a pair of first-time finalists set to play for the Division 4 title and the remaining Division 1 contenders meeting for the second edition of one of this regular season’s most notable matches.
Saturday’s first two Finals will see the following face off at Kellogg Arena:
10 a.m. – Division 4 – Athens (34-12-3) vs. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (43-7-6)
Noon – Division 1 – Bloomfield Hills Marian (48-1) vs. Northville (47-3)
Division 2 and 3 Semifinals will be played Friday. Click here for more.
Hockey Weekly Action Photos captured the following from Thursday’s Semifinals.
A pair of Northville players, right, put up a block during their 25-23, 21-25, 23-25, 25-13, 15-13 comeback Semifinal win over Saline, which finished 38-9-1.
Mustangs setter Ella Craggs sets up her hitters Thursday. She finished with 45 assists, while Saline setter Laney Burns had 54. Both totals qualify for the MHSAA record book.
Marian’s Ava Sarafa (2) sets as a pair of Mustangs hitters begin their moves toward the net during their team’s 25-23, 25-16, 25-19 sweep of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, which finished 44-5-1. Sarafa totaled with 36 assists.
Mustangs libero Lauren Heming (1) dives to keep the ball in play. She finished with six digs and eight aces as the back-to-back reigning champions advanced.
Kate Lipscomb (7) serves for Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart during its 25-11, 25-10, 25-22 sweep of Crystal Falls Forest Park on Thursday.
Sacred Heart’s Lillie Laney (9) and Sophie Hauck (2) put up a block on Forest Park’s Leah Feldhausen (15). Laney had a match-high 16 kills and Hauck led the team with 19 assists. Feldhausen had eight kills for the Trojans, who finished 16-5.
Athens’ Kamryn Parlin (4) and Alaina Brubaker (8) put up a block as Lansing Christian’s Anna Jackson (5) looks for an opening in the defense. Athens swept the Division 4 Semifinal 25-18, 25-20, 25-23.
Lansing Christian’s Lydia Brogan (4) attempts to tip the ball over the net with Brubaker and Kylie Quist (1) defending. Quist led Athens with a match-high 11 kills, and Brubaker had a match-high 29 assists. The Pilgrims ended the season 30-12-1.
TOP PHOTO Athens players engulf each other after clinching their first trip to Finals day by sweeping Lansing Christian at Kellogg Arena.