Reese Volleyball Heroes Hope to Have Rockets' Hoops Firing Next
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 29, 2021
Reese girls basketball coach Josh Pickell had never been happier to have low turnout through the first two weeks of practice.
The Rockets were down to four varsity players and had to combine with the junior varsity to run full sessions as the school’s volleyball team was making its Cinderella run to the MHSAA Division 3 Volleyball Finals title two weekends ago.
“As a coach, I just have to realize that the girls are going to need some time after doing what they did,” Pickell said. “It’s an incredible feat. It was kind of good for our entire program, with some other girls getting the extra practice time and seeing how cool it is for a girls team like the volleyball team to go that far. It was good for our freshman team and our JV team getting that time.”
All but two of the 11 players Reese took to Kellogg Arena are basketball players, including returning all-state honorees Maddi Osantowski and Aydan Dalak, who were at the forefront of the Nov. 20 title win against Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central.
“I’m just hoping the momentum we had in volleyball, because we have so many girls that play volleyball and basketball, that it would just shift into basketball,” Osantowski said. “Just having that many girls to be able to shift to different sports, I think it shows how athletic the whole team is.”
The multi-sport seniors are taking slightly different approaches to getting into basketball, but neither is taking much time. Osantowski planned to return to practice Friday, giving herself less than a week after recording 71 kills and attempting more than 200 attacks during the final weekend of the volleyball season. Dalak, meanwhile, was on the basketball court Monday. She had been at previous practices, too, just not participating.
“I just sat and watched sometimes. I just wanted to see how the team was looking,” said Dalak, who was the setter on the volleyball team and plays point guard for the basketball team. “I was a little tired (Monday), and I’m usually not. But I’m not used to running back and forth for 30 minutes. I did OK. It was fine.”
Playing multiple sports is the norm at Reese, a school with fewer than 300 students. It’s necessary to keep multiple programs strong, and the coaches work together to ensure that happens.
“I really encourage doing multiple sports,” Reese volleyball coach Angie Compton said. “Last spring, I called the basketball coach and said, ‘Let’s do our youth camp together.’ That way, hopefully more kids will do both of them. Then, hopefully, you’re keeping more girls thinking that both sports are great.”
What Osantowski – who also plays softball – and Dalak – who has played softball but plans to run track next spring – are doing in terms of success, however, is not normal anywhere.
Dalak was named second-team all-state by the Michigan High School Volleyball Coaches Association, a year after earning honorable mention in the sport. She was named honorable mention all-state in basketball as a junior.
Osantowski was a first-team all-state selection in volleyball this season and honorable mention in 2020. She was second-team all-state in basketball as a junior and honorable mention as a sophomore, and she was named first-team all-state in softball as a junior, as well.
“If not all of the athletes are playing (multiple sports), the teams aren’t going to be as good,” Osantowski said. “I actually do not play travel. I did travel softball and basketball in middle school, and I did one year of travel volleyball. It’s kind of hard to transition (from sport to sport). I just focus all on one thing in the season, because I know I have to do it for my school.”
Neither Osantowski nor Dalak have made a college choice, but their mindset is pretty similar. Both are leaning toward playing volleyball collegiately, which is a change from years past when they thought basketball would be the route to the next level.
They will juggle that process with what looks to be a promising basketball season. The Rockets are coming off a 12-2 finish, and while their postseason run was ended in the District Semifinal, the loss came against eventual Division 3 semifinalist Hemlock. A familiar connection will lead the way, as the passes from Dalak to Osantowski that proved so successful on the volleyball court are pretty common on the basketball court, as well, with Osantowski’s role as a shooter.
“I’m like her little assister,” Dalak said with a laugh. “She stands in the corner and I’m good at driving and kicking it out to her.”
Just like in volleyball, they’ll be surrounded by a strong group of their classmates, including Josie Johnson. The Reese libero was an honorable mention all-state selection in volleyball, and is a standout guard on the basketball team.
“We’ve already talked about it, we think we can do this for basketball, too, but we have to work hard like we did for volleyball,” Dalak said. “We need to have fun and keep that energy going into basketball.”
But the volleyball title has sparked belief in more than just the players who won it. That's a new feeling for a school that had one Finals title prior to Saturday – won in boys cross country in 1964.
“I think even for the boys basketball team, I was talking to them today, and said, ‘You know, you guys can win a state championship, too,’” Osantowski said. “I think people can see now that we can do this, so they think it can happen more, or at least they can go farther.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Reese teammates Maddi Osantowski (left) and Aydan Dalak are hoping to carry their volleyball success into basketball season this winter. (Middle) Osantowski serves during the Division 3 Final win over Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central. (Below) Dalak sets up another teammate against the Kestrels. (Top photo courtesy of the Reese girls basketball program; volleyball photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Girls Report Week 1
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 9, 2024
It’s too early to tell us much. But the first week of this 2024-25 girls basketball season sure seemed to signal some potential movement at the top as we start a long road that will end in East Lansing in March.
Two of last season’s Finals champions fell in their first games of this winter – and that could mean big things for Saginaw Heritage and Gladstone, the winners of those games. A few others also jumped out immediately after just the first week of play, and as we’ll do all season, we’ve highlighted several below that made an impression.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Saginaw Heritage 79, West Bloomfield 53 The Hawks (2-0) finished the first week at Ypsilanti Arbor Prep’s Ice Breaker Classic with a big win over the reigning Division 1 champion Lakers (0-1).
2. Gladstone 51, Ishpeming 47 – The Hematites (1-1) lost just once on the way to winning Division 3 last season, but Gladstone (2-0) handed them this defeat in their season opener.
3. Portland 57, Frankenmuth 56 The Raiders (2-0) opened this season with a slim but most impressive win over another regular Division 2 contender in the Eagles (1-1).
4. Onekama 61, Elk Rapids 54 (OT) The Portagers (3-0) defeated the host Elks (1-1) – returning Division 3 quarterfinalists – to open the Elk Rapids Invitational, then downed Maple City Glen Lake 57-42 for the championship.
5. Rockford 62, Wayne Memorial 45 The reigning Division 1 runner-up Rams (2-0) earned a second big win of the week over another team in Wayne (0-1) that’s always in the title conversation.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (2-0) The Big Reds nearly doubled their wins from 2022-23 to last season, from eight to 15. They are off to the right start again with a 62-46 win over Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse and 57-38 victory over Port Huron last week. Port Huron was a 16-game winner last season.
Dearborn Fordson (2-0) The Tractors have made an impressive climb over the last four seasons, from six wins in 2020-21 to 12 the following season, 16 and then 17 last winter. They opened with a one-point win over Allen Park but followed up by doubling up Dearborn Edsel Ford to finish the first week.
DIVISION 2
Gladstone (2-0) As noted above, the 51-47 win over reigning Class C champion Ishpeming was quite a start, and it was followed up by a 51-38 victory over Ishpeming Westwood – and those are even more telling with some context. Gladstone was a solid 14-9 last winter, up from eight wins the season before, and won the Great Northern Conference title – but also lost to Ishpeming twice and split with Westwood with all three losses by double digits.
Monroe Jefferson (2-0) The Bears opened with a 42-37 win over Southgate Anderson followed by a 46-43 victory over Erie Mason. It was a nice jump into the winter coming off last year’s 5-19 finish, which included a 14-point loss to Mason. Jefferson has won five games the last three seasons and could be on the way to taking another step.
DIVISION 3
Detroit Pershing (2-0) The Doughboys have posted two straight winning seasons – including an 11-5 finish a year ago – and they also are off to the right start. Pershing won big over Detroit Henry Ford in its season opener and followed that up with a 49-40 victory over Detroit Osborn. Pershing finished third in the Detroit Public School League Gold last winter.
Memphis (2-0) After much tougher days a decade ago, Memphis has hovered around 7-8 wins the last four, finishing 8-15 last season despite an 0-3 start. Last week should mean good things for this team’s fortunes, as the Yellowjackets defeated Chesterfield Austin Catholic 31-15 and Vassar 36-25, the latter avenging a 2023-24 defeat.
DIVISION 4
Petersburg Summerfield (3-0) The Bulldogs not only sprinted to start the season last week, but followed up a 53-41 win over Hudson with a 26-point victory over Division 2 Dundee and a nine-point win over Division 1 Ann Arbor Skyline. Add that to last season’s second-straight District title, a great finishing surge that came after a 2-4 season start and 1-3 end to the regular season.
Webberville (2-0) An 0-2 start last season turned into an eventual 7-14 finish, but the Spartans already have a nice jump with their season-opening 32-19 win over Morrice avenging a pair of those 2023-24 defeats. Webberville closed the week with a 54-45 win over Brighton Livingston Christian.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Thursday – West Bloomfield (0-1) at Belleville (1-0) – This week should tell us a ton about Belleville, as the Tigers first take on the reigning Division 1 champion and host Muskegon on Saturday at the Best of Michigan showcase.
Thursday – Fowler (1-0) at Portland St. Patrick (0-1) – This is always worthy of statewide attention; last season St. Patrick won the Central Michigan Athletic Conference and finished 21-3 overall, while Fowler was second, 24-4 and reached the Division 4 Semifinals.
Friday – Sault Ste. Marie (2-1) at St. Ignace (2-0) – This is the first of two meetings between these former Straits Area Conference rivals, and the Sault carries a four-game winning streak in the series.
Saturday – Rockford vs. Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard at Belleville – The Best of Michigan event will tip off this matchup at 5:30 p.m. between last season’s Division 1 runner-up Rockford and Division 2 runner-up FGR.
Saturday – Detroit Edison (1-0) vs. Tecumseh (1-0) at Belleville – This Best of Michigan matchup will send reigning Division 2 champion Edison against a quarterfinalist from last season.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO A Bath player looks to pass the ball into the post during the Bees’ 51-12 win over Fulton last week to open this season. (Photo by John Johnson.)