Lowell Follows Lone Senior to Inaugural MHSAA Boys Volleyball Championship
By
Jeff Bleiler
Special for MHSAA.com
June 6, 2026
BATTLE CREEK — Drew Davidson left Kellogg Arena on Saturday with the first Division 2 Finals championship trophy awarded by the MHSAA for boys volleyball – and also with a pocket full of timeouts.
Davidson’s Lowell boys volleyball team defeated Grand Rapids South Christian in the best-of-5 final, 3-1. Despite an up-and-down, back-and-forth match with Lowell prevailing 25-23, 25-20, 23-25 and 25-18, Davidson called no timeouts during the Final.
“I like seeing them get flustered and see how they respond,” Davidson said. “You saw in the third game where we responded poorly and couldn’t side out, and then what happened in the fourth game? We responded and came back out and finished the job off.
“For a young team, it’s not always going to be perfect, but to see how they respond to getting flustered, I like to see that.”
Saturday’s historic championship marked a culmination of more than two years’ work since the May 2024 announcement of the boys volleyball tournament joining the MHSAA postseason schedule.
That fact was not lost on Davidson nor his son, Max, the lone senior on a team that had collected three consecutive state volleyball championships (awarded previously by the coaches association) entering Saturday’s Finals.
“It’s the first and the fourth for us,” Drew Davidson said. “It’s Max’s senior year so he’s won every year, so that’s kind of a cool way to send him out. With it being an MHSAA sport now, it’s just makes it even better to bring the first one home and have that on the record books.”
Max Davidson led a team of 11 total — including six freshmen — and turns the setting reins over to freshman Issac Kissinger.
“I don’t have to worry about the program after I leave,” Max Davidson said. “I know Issac can take over. He’s definitely better than when I was a freshman, so I can’t imagine how good he’s going to be as a senior. And all the other freshmen who came in and filled really big roles, they did a really good job.”
They needed to in order to defeat a talented and senior-laden South Christian team for the third time this season. The Sailors had a lead in every set and the first set knotted at 23-23 before Lowell won the last two points.
The second set was back and forth as well, with neither team holding a lead larger than two points until consecutive aces by Lowell junior Lincoln Pollema put the Red Arrows up 19-16. South Christian tied it at 19-19 before Lowell scored six of the next seven points, including the set-winning kill by Kissinger.
The third set featured just about everything from both sides — with South Christian jumping out to a 17-11 lead, a Brock Hoekwater one-armed dig finding the floor on the other side the final point of four straight.
Drew Davidson did not call timeout, and his team responded on Pollema’s serve, scoring eight in a row for a 19-17 lead. With the score tied 23-23, seniors Jack Borisch and Carson Joldersma each had kills to close the set for South Christian.
“We’ve played Lowell three times, but we stood in it with them today, and I thought we played an incredible match,” South Christian coach Mya Udell said. “I just can’t be more proud of the guys, how they worked together and how they’ve come together. They’ve been a huge support for each other, and it’s just been great to be a part of.
“We took a set off Lowell, and they’re an incredible team.”
Lowell jumped out to a 19-11 lead in the fourth set before a South Christian timeout ignited a six-point run that included three straight Joldersma kills — but did not result in a Lowell timeout.
Instead, the Red Arrows took serve on a kill by Kissinger, got two Jaeger Smith kills and with freshman Teylon Compton serving, closed it out with a Kissinger kill and block kill by junior Josh Wolfers.
“That was a crazy game. South Christian brought it,” Drew Davidson said. “They played really well, so that was fun to come against and have to overcome. The boys did eventually.”
The Sailors lose seven seniors from this year’s runner-up squad that finished 28-14-2, and Udell said the group leaves behind a lasting legacy.
“I think for them, their legacy is they can always be known for that first season, making it to a state championship and having a great record,” she said. “But they’re also great men. They love the Lord, they care about others and they’re going to do great in the real world.”
Lowell, which finished the season 27-6, likely will not be a stranger to the MHSAA Finals. Of the 11 players on the roster, four are juniors and six are freshmen — with six additional freshmen on the way.
“We’ve been playing four, five, six freshmen, so it’s super exciting to see those guys grow,” Drew Davidson said. “The opportunity they get to play with the older kids and then what that’ll do for next year, that’s exciting.”
PHOTOS (Top) Lowell players huddle on the court during their Division 2 championship win Saturday at Kellogg Arena. (Middle) The Red Arrows’ Will Selent elevates during a serve.
Preview: From 119 to 8 Set to Compete at Inaugural MHSAA Boys Volleyball Finals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 4, 2026
Two years of tournament planning and several more of coaches association organization and support have brought us to the first MHSAA Boys Volleyball Finals weekend at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena.
This first year of MHSAA sponsorship saw 119 tournament-eligible teams compete, with the final eight to play for championships in Divisions 1 and 2.
This weekend’s schedule:
Semifinals – Friday
Division 1
Grand Haven vs. Macomb Dakota, 4:30 p.m.
Lake Orion vs. Northville, 6:30 p.m.
Division 2
Grand Rapids South Christian vs. Walled Lake Central, Noon
Lowell vs. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, 2 p.m.
Finals – Saturday
Division 1, 2:30 p.m.
Division 2, Noon
Tickets cost $11 for both Friday’s Semifinals and Saturday’s Finals, and one ticket is good for all matches that day. All six matches also will be broadcast on MHSAA.tv. Find more information, including how to purchase tickets, on the Boys Volleyball page.
Below is a glance at all four contenders in each division. (Statistics are through Regional Finals.)
Division 1
GRAND HAVEN
Record/rank: 39-1, No. 1
Coach: Jim VanTol
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Rainbow III
Players to watch: Maddox Krugler, 6-3 jr. OH (336 kills, .328 hitting %, 40 aces); Caleb Cryst, 6-1 sr. S (672 assists, 101 kills); Alfredo Ellis, 6-3 jr. OPP (252 kills, .302 hitting %61 blocks, 128 digs).
Finals forecast: The Buccaneers have more than made good on expectations they’d be a contender this spring, defeating No. 2 Jenison, No. 4 Hudsonville and honorable mentions Rockford and Zeeland during this tournament run, with the loss to Jenison in their regular-season finale. That defeat came without Cryst, who was injured at the time but is back and won the inaugural Mr. Volleyball Award from the coaches association. Grand Haven finished as a state runner-up the last three seasons before MHSAA sponsorship of the sport began this spring. Sophomore 6-2 outside hitter John Cryst also contributes in several ways, tying for the team lead in aces (44), ranking second in assists (182) and digs (192) and third in kills (222) entering the week.
LAKE ORION
Record/rank: 22-0, No. 10
Coach: Tony Scavarda
League finish: First in Oakland Activities Association Red
Players to watch: Jan Ludvik, 6-2 sr. OH (406 kills, .345 hitting %, 45 aces, 258 digs); Owen Dyer, 5-10 jr. S (306 assists), Kuba Wolski, 5-11 sr. OH (225 kills, 40 aces).
Finals forecast: The Dragons – state semifinalists a year ago – have lost only five sets this season and defeated No. 5 Farmington in four to advance to this weekend. Lake Orion also swept honorable mention North Farmington in their only meeting this season. Ludvik and Wolski are the team’s leading hitters but only senior starters.
MACOMB DAKOTA
Record/rank: 20-9-3, unranked
Coach: Alec Arena
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference Red
Players to watch: Samuel Yang, 5-5 sr. S (383 assists, 118 digs); Matthew Lefever, 6-0 sr. OH (213 kills, 45 aces); Nathan Allport, 6-1 soph. OH (212 kills, 41 aces).
Finals forecast: Dakota is 11-2-2 since April 30 and lost only two sets over four postseason matches on the way to Battle Creek. Senior 6-foot-6 middle Andrew Thamarus is another top hitter and led the team with 55 blocks entering the week, with 6-5 right-side Joseph Trachsel right behind with 50.
NORTHVILLE
Record/rank: 32-7-1, No. 8
Coach: Nyia Setla
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association
Players to watch: Julian Janisse, 6-1 sr. RS (325 kills, 54 aces, 43 blocks, 196 digs); Jude Butler-Shriner, 5-11 sr. S (713 kills, 54 aces, 181 digs); Yuta Kikumori, 5-7 sr. OH (194 kills, 45 aces, 190 digs).
Finals forecast: Northville advanced to this weekend with a win over No. 9 Hartland, the only team to deal the Mustangs a KLAA loss this season – although Northville had previously avenged that defeat during the league tournament as well. The Mustangs also avenged a regular-season loss to No. 3 Saline in the Regional Final. Junior outside hitter Subhash Tej Buchu (141 kills entering this week) and 6-3 senior middle Adam Piao (112 kills) give Northville two more significant hitting options.
Division 2
AUBURN HILLS OAKLAND CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 11-2, unranked
Coach: Alex Redford
League finish: Does not compete in a conference.
Players to watch: Andrew Redford, sr. MB (104 kills, .385 hitting %, 141 digs); Efraim Lopes, soph. S/RS (151 assists); Micah Redford, soph. OH (57 aces, 168 digs). (Heights not provided.)
Finals forecast: Oakland Christian has lost only two sets over four postseason matches and fell this season only to Division 1 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek and Clarkston. Micah Redford also is the team’s second leading hitter, and junior Luke Reyes (139 assists entering this week) joins Lopes in a two-setter system.
GRAND RAPIDS SOUTH CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 27-13-2, No. 6
Coach: Mya Udell
League finish: Third in O-K Conference Rainbow II
Players to watch: Noah Jager, sr. MB (234 kills, 61 blocks); Ezra Miller, sr. S (633 assists, 173 digs); Noah Klump, sr. OH (229 kills, 220 digs). (Heights not provided.)
Finals forecast: South Christian advanced to these first Semifinals in part with a five-set Regional Final win over No. 8 Holland Christian and a four-setter over No. 4 St. Joseph in the Quarterfinal. All six starters plus the team’s libero are seniors, with outside hitter Jack Borish also over 200 kills this season and Brock Hoekwater with 390 digs entering the week.
LOWELL
Record/rank: 25-6, No. 1
Coach: Drew Davidson
League finish: First in River Cities Alliance
Players to watch: Max Davidson, 6-2 sr. S/OH (328 kills, .333 hitting %, 473 assists); Josh Wolters, 6-4 jr. M (299 kills, .300 hitting %, 44 aces, 218 digs); Issac Kissinger, 5-10 fr. S/RS (175 kills, 224 assists).
Finals forecast: Lowell won four straight state championships before this first MHSAA-sponsored season, and swept No. 2 Grand Rapids Christian, Midland, No. 9 Mount Pleasant and honorable mention Greenville during this tournament run. The only losses this spring came three times to Grand Haven and once apiece to Jenison, Grand Rapids Christian and Holland Christian. Junior right-side Lincoln Pollema and freshman outside hitter Jaeger Smith also have topped 100 kills.
WALLED LAKE CENTRAL
Record/rank: 24-19, unranked
Coach: Miguel Strauss
League finish: Third in Lakes Valley Conference
Players to watch: Jerry Hempfield, 6-0 sr. OH/S; Kai Waynick, 6-1 soph. S/OH. (Statistics not submitted.)
Finals forecast: Central defeated honorable mention Warren Woods Tower entering the postseason and then swept all four of its tournament matches – with the Regional Semifinal win over rival Walled Lake Western including two sets decided by two points apiece as those two evened their season series at 3-3. Hempfield is one of only two seniors.
PHOTO Grand Haven’s Caleb Cryst (7) sets his team’s offense during a 3-0 Division 1 Quarterfinal win over Hudsonville on Wednesday. (Photo by Trevor McCue/Grand Haven Tribune).