Block Party: 2026 Girls Volleyball District Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 2, 2026
Girls Volleyball District Tournaments begin tonight with 176 matches across the state, and this week will conclude with 128 champions advancing to Regional play as we take a first giant step toward eventually ending up at Finals weekend Nov. 19-21 at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena.
Below is a look at a few final regular-season results of note and glances at three Districts in each division that could be especially notable as postseason progresses. Links to interactive brackets for all four divisions plus information on purchasing tickets are available on the Girls Volleyball page, and a list version of tonight’s slate is posted on the Scores page – with green TV icons linked to broadcasts on the NFHS Network.
Records, results and schedules below are those posted for teams on MHSAA.com, and rankings reflect the latest polls posted by the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association (MIVCA).
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Marshall d. Edwardsburg (28-26, 25-15) Division 2 honorable mention Marshall (29-13-1) finished 2-1 at its quad, but this win was most significant as the No. 7 Eddies (27-6) also are highly regarded in that division.
2. Cass City d. Traverse City St. Francis (27-25, 18-25, 25-16) Although Division 3 No. 10 Cass City (27-8-5) fell to host Kingsley at the Stags quad, this win over the No. 5 Gladiators (27-17-2) is significant heading into the Division 3 postseason.
3. Flat Rock d. South Lyon (13-25, 27-25, 25-20) The Division 2 honorable mention Rams (26-9-1) came back after losing the first set to pick up some momentum for the postseason with this win over the Division 1 honorable mention Lions (27-17-2).
4. Edwardsburg d. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (35-33, 27-25) The No. 7 Eddies (27-6) had to go the extra mile in both sets to get past the Division 1 honorable mention Eaglets (16-15-3).
5. Portage Northern d. Battle Creek St. Philip (3-0, scores N/A) The Huskies (24-11-4) won both of their matches at the Coldwater mini, sweeping the Division 4 No. 4 Tigers (29-13-4) and Mendon.
Districts at a Glance
These could be among our most competitive brackets. Host sites are in bold, and top two seeds at each are noted.
DIVISION 1
Greenville
#1 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (34-13-1), #2 Lowell (29-17), Rockford (16-21), Greenville (26-7-1), Grand Rapids Northview (10-19), Cedar Springs (5-26-2).
Forest Hills Northern entered last week ranked No. 7 and Lowell No. 9, and if they meet in Saturday’s District Final it will be their first matchup of the fall – although both have played most of the rest of the best in Division 1 this season. To reach Saturday, FHN will face the winner of Cedar Springs and Greenville, while Lowell will take on the winner of Northview and Rockford. The Rams could present an intriguing challenge – all but three of their losses came to ranked or honorable mention teams in Divisions 1 and 2.
Mount Pleasant
#1 Midland Dow (40-8-5), #2 Traverse City Central (30-5-1), Mount Pleasant (31-15-2), Cadillac (31-12-1), Traverse City West (18-15).
None of these teams were ranked heading into the final week of the regular season, but all finished with winning records and Dow has several wins over teams ranked in Divisions 2 and 3. That said, a notable result to recall was Dow’s five-set win over Mount Pleasant on Sept. 17 that came down to 16-14 in the decider. They would see each other in a Wednesday District Semifinal, while Big North Conference rivals Central and Cadillac are lined up on the other side of the bracket that day and Central entering with a regular-season sweep of that series. If seeds play out and they meet again, Dow and Central played to a draw at Mount Pleasant’s invitational Sept. 19.
Romeo
#1 Utica Eisenhower (39-4), #2 Port Huron Northern (26-5), Romeo (15-11-1), Port Huron (28-3), New Baltimore Anchor Bay (20-20-1).
The No. 5-ranked Eagles are 3-1 this season against No. 10 Romeo and would see the Bulldogs in a Wednesday District Semifinal, and Romeo might be eager having won their most recent matchup Oct. 17. But Romeo also can’t look past Port Huron tonight; the Red Hawks have won 11 straight matches with a three-set sweep of Port Huron Northern in that mix. Notable on the other side of the bracket, one of Northern’s few other losses came to Anchor Bay early this fall. Northern won the rematch Oct. 24, and they face off Wednesday.
DIVISION 2
Hopkins
#1 Holland Christian (20-10-1), #2 Grand Rapids South Christian (26-7), Hamilton (22-9), Hudsonville Unity Christian (15-20-1), Hopkins (23-16-2), Wayland (12-19-2).
Holland Christian entered the final week of the regular season an honorable mention in Division 2, and South Christian was ranked No. 9 – and the Sailors won their lone meeting 2-1 on Sept. 1. To earn a rematch, Holland Christian will have to face a league rival, either Hamilton or Unity Christian, and is 2-0 against both. Hopkins is an intriguing contender on South’s side of the bracket; the Vikings have won 12 of their last 14 matches but did fall to tonight’s opponent Wayland in their only meeting this fall.
Parma Western
#1 Parma Western (47-1), #2 Marshall (29-13-1), Three Rivers (23-13-6), Vicksburg (22-17), Battle Creek Pennfield (26-13-1).
The Interstate 8 Athletic Conference was one of the state’s deeper leagues this season, and No. 3 Western, honorable mention Marshall and Pennfield were among reasons why. Western’s only loss came 2-1 to Portage Central on Oct. 24, but it’s also important to note that the Panthers’ lone match against Marshall, on Sept. 23, went five sets. Marshall has wins over Pennfield and Vicksburg and sees the former Wednesday, and Vicksburg opens tonight against Wolverine Conference foe Three Rivers having won their regular-season match in four sets.
Macomb Lutheran North
#1 Macomb Lutheran North (37-3), #2 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (28-17-6), Armada (10-27-1), Madison Heights Lamphere (18-9-1).
No. 6-ranked Lutheran North has enjoyed a fantastic campaign this fall, with its few losses to Division 1 Port Huron Northern and Division 2 No. 2 Detroit Country Day and No. 5 North Branch. The Mustangs have defeated this week’s first opponent Armada twice but haven’t seen the other two contenders in this bracket. Notre Dame Prep and Lamphere also will be facing each other for the first time, NDP on an 11-2-1 run and Lamphere 10-2-1 over its last 13 matches.
DIVISION 3
Clinton
#1 Grass Lake (27-5-3), Clinton (37-9-1), Manchester (13-22-4), Whitmore Lake (8-13), Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (4-16).
Grass Lake is ranked No. 6 and Clinton is No. 7 in Division 3, and they faced off just once, Oct. 22, with Clinton winning the first set but Grass Lake winning the next two 25-22 and then 31-29. Both were eliminated last season by Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, Clinton in SMCC’s District and Grass Lake in a Regional matchup, and the winner this week could very well be earning the opportunity to potentially see SMCC again in next week’s Regional at Ottawa Lake Whiteford.
Mancelona
#1 Traverse City St. Francis (27-17-2), #2 Elk Rapids (17-10-3), Johannesburg-Lewiston (30-5-9), Maple City Glen Lake (18-13-2), Mancelona (15-15-1), Grand Traverse Academy (1-16).
St. Francis is the only ranked contender in this bracket at No. 5, but there are plenty of teams to push the Gladiators as they seek a fourth-straight District title. Elk Rapids won their Sept. 17 match in five sets before St. Francis won the rematch in a sweep two weeks later. The Elks will play for another opportunity but sit on the same side of this bracket with Glen Lake and Johannesburg-Lewiston; those two face off tonight, and Elk Rapids’ lone match against either was a five-set win over Glen Lake just last week.
McBain
#1 Manton (27-12-1), #2 McBain (23-16-2), Lake City (21-19-3), LeRoy Pine River (19-20-1), Evart (4-24).
Manton and McBain are both honorable mentions in the most recent Division 3 coaches poll, and all five of these teams play in a Highland Conference that also includes top-ranked Roscommon and another honorable mention in Beal City. McBain won the lone meeting this season with Manton, just last Tuesday, in four sets after Manton won the first. Those two both went undefeated against the other three teams in this bracket, but with familiarity abounding it will be intriguing to see if one of those three can shake things up.
DIVISION 4
Baraga
#1 Hancock (28-2-1), #2 Baraga (26-1), Lake Linden-Hubbell (16-6), Dollar Bay (13-12-1), Calumet Copper Island Academy (14-19-4), L’Anse (9-15-2), Chassell (9-16-4).
Hancock is No. 10 and Baraga an honorable mention in the latest coaches poll, with Hancock dealing the Vikings their lone defeat Oct. 8, 3-0. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs’ only losses this season were to Division 2 Kingsford, both during an Oct. 22 tournament hosted by the Flivvers – and Hancock is a combined 5-0 against the rest of this field while Baraga is 14-0 against those five teams – but has battled through some tough sets against Lake Linden-Hubbell in multiple matches.
Central Lake
#1 Bellaire (33-7-2), No. 2 Suttons Bay (18-12-2), Central Lake (16-15-4), Leland (7-23-1), Lake Leelanau St. Mary (2-20).
Bellaire opened this season 13-1-1, and aside from an 0-3 night at the Buckley quad on Oct. 22 hasn’t slowed down, coming back to cap the regular season with a 7-1-1 string. The Eagles are unranked and haven’t seen Suttons Bay, which earned honorable mention in the most recent coaches poll and started this season 9-0 but has endured a difficult stretch of late but while facing multiple Division 3 teams and falling to Division 4 No. 3 Traverse City Christian twice last week. Central Lake has lost twice to Bellaire but took a set the second time and will have to defeat Suttons Bay to earn another opportunity.
Wyoming Tri-unity Christian
#1 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep (21-6-3), #2 Grand Rapids Sacred Heart (28-4-1), Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (22-8-1), Martin (8-16), Byron Center Zion Christian (14-18-2), Grand Rapids Wellspring Prep (2-21).
Hackett and Sacred Heart are both honorable mentions in the latest rankings and would meet for the first time if both reach Saturday’s District Final. Hackett is 9-1 since the start of October, with five losses this season to Division 2 teams and the sixth to a Division 3 opponent. Sacred Heart also has losses to Division 2 and 3 opponents, but did take an early defeat against Tri-unity Christian and another against Martin – although both of those during the first month of the season. Sacred Heart and Tri-unity could meet again in a Thursday District Semifinal.
PHOTO Marquette’s Grace Filizetti (13) winds up for a kill attempt during a sweep last week of Calumet Copper Island Academy. (Photo by Randy Ritari Photo.)
Undefeated Manistique Makes Banner Run
November 9, 2015
By Dennis Grall
Special for Second Half
MANISTIQUE – Finally, the time has arrived to put volleyball on the sports map at Manistique High School.
The Emeralds will play in their first Regional tournament Tuesday when they face perennial power Calumet in Class C at Gladstone High School. They achieved that pinnacle by upending Gwinn 3-1 Thursday, in Ishpeming.
Under coach Amy Nixon, the Emeralds take an 18-0 record into the Regional. Their first District title came on the heels of their first Mid-Peninsula Conference championship, which means a volleyball banner finally will be hung in the high school gym and a couple of trophies will be displayed in the school's trophy case for the first time.
"The girls have become almost like rock stars," said Manistique athletic director Rob Ryan, noting the sport had very little success during the previous 20 years. "It's been a great journey. They now have crowds that are similar to boys and girls basketball, and the community is getting involved."
A fan bus of 50 students attended the District title game, which was a two-hour drive each way. Nixon was told by several people at Ishpeming that her student section was the loudest they had ever seen in Ishpeming. The team received a police escort back into Manistique late Thursday night.
"I'm proud of our students, family and friends," said Nixon. To which Ryan added, "everyone in the community is buzzing about it."
The success is a much-needed boost for the school and the community. The area is still reeling from the closure of its paper mill, its' biggest employer, earlier this year. And athletic success has been rare in most sports over the years as the Emeralds compete in the M-PC, regarded as one of the most competitive conferences in the state, in all sports.
Football was 1-8 in the fall, so volleyball has provided the important ingredient of success in Manistique. "Volleyball is something everybody is talking about," said Ryan.
"For 10 years volleyball has not been on the map at Manistique. We just were not competitive. It was very quiet in the gym. It was dark and depressing. Now we have raucous crowds. It has really done a 360. It is unbelievable."
With seven seniors on the team, including three-year starters Lexi Carlson, Machaela Hinkson and Sydney Chartier, the Emeralds have been groomed to succeed this fall. Carlson, a first-team M-PC standout, had 13 kills and three blocks Thursday while Chartier had 20 assists and Brooke Whiskin had 23 of Manistique's 91 digs.
"Our defense has improved so much," said Nixon, indicating the Emeralds changed formations from a man-up defense to a rotation system this year. "We don't let a whole lot of balls drop to the floor," said Nixon.
While Carlson, who joined the varsity late in her freshman season, is the leader, Nixon said, "we are a complete team. We are so strong mentally and physically. They have each other's back. There is no girl drama. This is really a well-rounded team. We have five hitters who get kills on a consistent basis.
"We are a tough-attacking offensive power."
Nixon, in her eighth season at the helm, is a native of Kingsford and spent two years as volleyball coach at Gwinn before coming to Manistique. She was a student assistant on the Northern Michigan University volleyball team and has used her experience, along with attending clinics, to instill success in Manistique.
"It's been an amazing ride," said Nixon, indicating the journey began with a five-set loss to Gwinn in the Class C District a year ago. "The girls were heart-broken when they lost last year," she said.
With nine returnees from that team, Nixon got the girls together in April and discussed goals and what the future could look like if the players were willing to put in the time and effort.
With her husband Tim conducting strength and conditioning programs, the girls began to reach for this season's success with the help of open gyms and small-scale skill sessions during the four months prior to official practice starting in August, when they "hit the ground running," said Nixon.
"It has been grueling," said Nixon, noting team bonding has been a focus. "For six months, volleyball has been our life. Their hearts have been 100 percent in it every day. They have been so determined to make it happen. They focused on achieving something great this year."
Changing the mind-set after so many years of struggling was vital. "I set high expectations for my team. I would not accept being mediocre," said Nixon, who strived to have the players give their best effort at all times. As the triumphs began building this season, Nixon said, "it proved to them what they were capable of doing."
The experienced core of the team has helped give the Emeralds an edge this season. "Their court vision is very cool for me to see," said Nixon. After being previously happy to just get the ball over the net, now the Emeralds set targets for their shots.
"They put it in specific spots. Their instincts are so good," said Nixon.
Ryan said this squad's success also occurs off the court, noting their team GPA is 3.7 or 3.8. "This is a great group of girls. They never have a discipline problem. They deserve everything they are getting,” he said.
"Getting that first volleyball banner on the gym wall will be very emotional. To finally clear this hurdle (District title) is really rewarding."
The Emeralds have not seen Calumet this season, but Manistique hosted the Copper Country power in the Class C Quarterfinal last year and received some insight into the team.
"The girls are really focused and will stay the course," said Nixon. "We had a motto (when practice began), Battle Creek or bust," she said of the MHSAA Finals site. "It started out as a joke, but as we have experienced success the motto is not so much a joke. It is reality."
Denny Grall retired in 2012 after 39 years at the Escanaba Daily Press and four at the Green Bay Press-Gazette, plus 15 months for WLST radio in Escanaba; he served as the Daily Press sports editor from 1970-80 and again from 1984-2012. Grall was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and serves as its executive secretary. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for the Upper Peninsula.
PHOTOS: (Top) Manistique senior Allie Nagy follows through on a kill attempt during a victory this season over Iron Mountain. (Middle) Lexi Carlson (7) goes high to set up a block. (Below) The Emeralds celebrate during their victory. (Photos courtesy of Manistique athletic department/Jeffrey Bolm.)