Be the Referee: Minimum Number of Volleyball Players
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Director of Brand Management
September 29, 2026
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Minimum Number of Volleyball Players - Listen
We’re on the volleyball court today, where the home team starts the match with only six players.
Midway through the first set, one of those six players suffers an ankle injury and can’t continue – leaving the home team with just five players.
What should happen?
Is the home team forced to default the match for not having enough players?
Does the home team just continue playing with five?
Or do they continue playing with five, but with the loss of rally or point every time the player lost to injury’s position rotates to serve?
If you said they can continue playing but lose a rally or point every time the injured player’s position rotates to serve, you are correct!
A minimum of six is needed to start – but you can finish a match with fewer than that.
Previous 2026-27 editions
Sept 22: Soccer Changes - Listen
Sept: 15: Dead Ball Penalty - Listen
Sept. 8: Libero Ejected - Listen
Sept. 1: Soccer Foul After Shot on Goal - Listen
Aug. 25: Fumble Out of Bounds - Listen
Story in Photos: 2022 Volleyball Division 2 & 3 Semifinals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 18, 2022
The 2022 Volleyball Finals field is full, with Division 2 and 3 title contenders earning their way Friday to the final day of this season.
Saturday’s championship match schedule, including the Division 4 and 1 finales determined Thursday, will conclude the fall at Battle Creek’s 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)
2:30 p.m. – Division 3 – Pewamo-Westphalia (45-2-2) vs. Kalamazoo Christian (39-5-3)
4:30 p.m. – Division 2 – North Branch (52-7) vs. Cadillac (34-10-4)
Hockey Weekly Action Photos captured the following from Friday’s Semifinals:
Cadillac’s Makenzie Johns (13) blasts a ball over the net as Dearborn Divine Child’s Reese Ringwelski (1) puts up a block. Johns had eight kills as Cadillac prevailed 16-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-13.
The Vikings’ Cassie Jenema (4) sets for her teammates as Divine Child awaits on the other side of the net. The Falcons finished this fall 16-19-1.
North Branch libero Hailey Green (4) passes the ball from the back row during her team’s 25-13, 25-19, 25-15 win over Grand Rapids South Christian. She had 19 digs.
The Sailors’ Kennedy Arp (6) looks for an opening in the Broncos’ defense. She finished with four kills as her team concluded the season 36-7-3.
Lola Stecker (3) blocks a Calumet kill attempt during Kalamazoo Christian’s 16-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-18, 15-11 comeback win over the Copper Kings, who finished 30-7.
Kalamazoo Christian teammates converge on libero Hope Krichke (4) to celebrate their Semifinal win.
Pewamo-Westphalia’s Chloe Hengesbach (4) and Sierra Schnieder (12) put up a strong block during the Pirates’ 25-15, 25-16, 25-18 sweep of Cass City. Schneider finished with four blocks.
The Pirates’ Taylor Smith (11) sets for Schneider. Smith posted a match-high 26 assists. Cass City ended the season 34-9-3.
TOP PHOTO Kalamazoo Christian’s Annelise de Jong (2) and Calumet’s Allison Bjorn (17) simultaneously make contact with the ball at the net during their Division 3 Semifinal on Friday.