Block Party: 2026 Girls Volleyball Regional Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 9, 2026
Matchups anticipated all season long decided Girls Volleyball District championships all over the state last week – and the intensity only ramps up from here for the 128 teams that have advanced to this next round.
Regional Semifinals in all four divisions will be played Tuesday and Regional Finals on Thursday. Links to interactive brackets plus information on purchasing tickets are available on the Girls Volleyball page, and a list version of this week’s slate is posted on the Scores page – with green TV icons linked to broadcasts on the NFHS Network.
See below for glances at District Finals that caused some of the loudest statewide buzz, and quick previews of three Regionals in each division that could provide the most talked-about highlights in the days ahead. Records, results and schedules below are those posted for teams on MHSAA.com, and rankings reflect polls posted by the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association (MIVCA).
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Rockford d. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (25-18, 29-27, 25-22) It was only a matter of time before the Rams (19-21) returned to their traditional spot among the Division 1 elite, and it’s fair to say they arrived with this District-clinching win over No. 7 FHN (35-14-1) on Saturday after advancing with a 3-1 victory over honorable mention Lowell.
2. Buckley d. Traverse City Christian (23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 15-10) The Bears (32-9) flew under the radar a bit most of the season, cracking the honorable mention list right before the start of the playoffs, but they made a loud statement with this Division 4 District Final win over No. 3 TCC (38-9).
3. Clinton d. Grass Lake (25-23, 25-19, 26-28, 25-13) These two Division 3 contenders played a few monster sets across their two matches over the last three weeks, and this time No. 7 Clinton (39-9-1) came back from dropping one to avenge its Oct. 22 defeat by the No. 5 Warriors (28-6-3).
4. Chelsea d. Tecumseh (14-25, 25-20, 21-25, 25-19, 20-18) Twice the unranked Bulldogs (15-10-3) came back after losing a set to emerge with the Division 2 District-clinching win in five, after losing twice to honorable mention Tecumseh (35-9-2) during the regular season.
5. Holland Christian d. Grand Rapids South Christian (18-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-22) No. 8-ranked South Christian (27-8) had won their lone regular-season meeting, but after losing the first set Holland Christian (22-10-1) came back to clinch a Division 2 District title.
Regionals at a Glance
These could be among our most competitive brackets. Host sites are in bold.
DIVISION 1
Bloomfield Hills Marian
Bloomfield Hills Marian (40-5) vs. Grosse Pointe South (8-27-2)
Detroit Renaissance (29-2-2) vs. Farmington Hills Mercy (28-3)
Renaissance claimed its first District title since 2019, and GPS came back from a tough regular season to advance to Regionals for the 13th straight season. They will try to break up an expected rematch of top-ranked Mercy and No. 2 Marian, who have played four times this season – Mercy with a 3-1 edge including winning their most recent meeting Oct. 24.
Holland West Ottawa
Hudsonville (36-5) vs. Rockford (19-21)
East Grand Rapids (27-9-1) vs. Grand Haven (32-11-1)
As noted above, Rockford has become a dangerous team – so despite losing twice previously to Hudsonville, including in their regular-season finale, the Rams can’t be overlooked. That said, Hudsonville’s losses all came to ranked opponents, and they picked up a pair of wins apiece against No. 10 Grand Haven and honorable mention East Grand Rapids along the way. EGR and the Bucs are seeing each other for the first time this fall.
Lake Orion
South Lyon East (39-7) vs. Clarkston (27-4-1)
Bloomfield Hills (33-11) vs. Brighton (28-10-1)
Clarkston and Bloomfield Hills both have won a Regional title over the last three seasons, while Brighton is seeking its first since 2001 and South Lyon East its first ever. Clarkston has wins over all three teams in this field but did lose a rematch to Bloomfield Hills on Oct. 17. All four of the Wolves’ losses came to ranked opponents, but the other three also have plenty of momentum: East has won 10 of its last 11 matches, Brighton 13 of its last 14 and Bloomfield Hills nine of its last 12.
DIVISION 2
Clio
Essexville Garber (35-15-5) vs. North Branch (39-9-3)
Frankenmuth (33-4) vs. Alma (35-11)
There is plenty of familiarity here with honorable mention Garber, No. 4 Frankenmuth and Alma all from the Tri-Valley Conference Red and No. 5 North Branch formerly of that league but also a regular at this stage of the tournament (and beyond). While the Broncos lost in their Regional Final last season, they’re seeking a fifth trip to the Quarterfinals over the last six years. North Branch has played, and defeated, several ranked opponents, but Garber did win their lone matchup, Sept. 19. The Dukes also downed Alma twice but lost their lone match with Frankenmuth in four sets. The Eagles’ only losses this season came against Division 1 opponents, but they saw their 2025 run ended by Garber in a Regional Semifinal.
Dearborn
Flat Rock (28-9-1) vs. Dearborn Divine Child (26-6)
Dearborn Heights Robichaud (11-5-1) vs. Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (34-6-2)
Entering the postseason ranked No. 10, Divine Child is a sensible favorite this week. The Falcons have a pair of wins over honorable mention and league rival FGR and overall have only two losses since the start of September. But honorable mention Flat Rock was last season’s Division 2 runner-up and is riding a 10-match winning streak. FGR has won eight of its 10 matches since falling to Divine Child a second time, and both of those matches against the Falcons went five sets. And Robichaud enters with one of the postseason’s best stories, as the Bulldogs won a District title for the first time.
Plainwell
Holland Christian (22-10-1) vs. Edwardsburg (29-6)
Plainwell (18-20-1) vs. Grand Rapids Christian (29-7)
Top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian has reached the Semifinals at Kellogg Arena three of the last five seasons. The Eagles took over the top spot in the poll this fall at the end of August and never relinquished it, and all seven of their losses were to Division 1 teams – six to opponents ranked among the top eight entering the playoffs. But all three possible opponents this week have had success against teams in the polls. Plainwell avenged a loss to honorable mention Otsego from just two weeks prior on the way to winning its District. As noted above, Holland Christian got here with the win over South Christian, which was ranked No. 2 for most of September. Edwardsburg closed the regular season with wins over Division 1 honorable mentions Battle Creek Lakeview and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
DIVISION 3
Farwell
McBain (25-16-2) vs. Beal City (21-11-6)
Roscommon (40-9-5) vs. Hart (30-12-3)
Roscommon is the top-ranked team in this division, and its only losses over the last six weeks have come to ranked Division 1 and 2 opponents. But this week should provide plenty of challenges as McBain and Beal City were honorable mentions heading into the postseason and unranked Hart has been a top-10 team at multiple points. All but one of Hart’s losses were to Division 1 or 2 teams (with the other to Division 3 No. 4 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian). Like Roscommon, Beal City and McBain also are from the Highland Conference, with Beal winning its lone meeting with the Ramblers on Oct. 15 in five sets. Roscommon did sweep both during the regular season.
Mt. Morris
Saginaw Valley Lutheran (53-9-3) vs. Cass City (29-8-5)
Mt. Morris (31-18-8) vs. St. Louis (34-4-3)
Valley Lutheran spent most of this fall ranked No. 1 and ended the regular season at No. 2 after a late loss to Roscommon. All but one of the team’s other defeats were to Division 1 and 2 teams, and the Chargers are seeking a fourth straight Regional title. This will be the first time they’ve seen No. 9 Cass City in two years, but the Red Hawks ended Valley Lutheran’s tournament runs three seasons in a row from 2022-24 and have faced a similarly rigorous schedule with similar results. St. Louis is an honorable mention in the coaches poll and riding a 12-match winning streak, but has an intriguing opponent in host Mt. Morris, which is playing in Division 3 for the first time after formerly playing in Division 2. The Panthers continued to face several larger schools this fall and tied St. Louis in Sept. 12 tournament play.
Ottawa Lake Whiteford
Hanover-Horton (33-10-5) vs. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (31-3)
Clinton (39-9-1) vs. Quincy (31-9-1)
This is another impressive group with Clinton ranked No. 7, St. Mary No. 8 and Hanover-Horton No. 10, and Quincy unranked but 24-4 since losing to St. Mary in tournament play in mid-September. The Kestrels have won nine straight Regional titles and reached the Semifinals in Battle Creek again last season, and their only losses this fall were to South Lyon twice and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep – and St. Mary also defeated NDP in tournament play that same day. Hanover-Horton will be seeking to avenge last year’s Regional Final loss to the Kestrels, and the Comets have seen their share of strong opponents as well – with a split against Clinton, which is noted above and has taken all of its losses and the tie from ranked opponents and also has wins over Roscommon and Beal City.
DIVISION 4
Athens
St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran (32-10-1) vs. Battle Creek St. Philip (32-13-4)
Mendon (24-12-4) vs. Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep (23-6-3)
One of the strongest overall groups in any division might be this one in Division 4, with St. Philip ranked No. 4, Michigan Lutheran No. 7, Hackett No. 10 and Mendon last season’s Division 4 runner-up. St. Philip was stopped by the Hornets last season and is seeking its first Regional title since its most recent Finals championship year of 2021. The Tigers haven’t lost to a Division 4 opponent this season – and defeated Mendon on Sept. 29 – but Michigan Lutheran has won eight of its last nine matches and has plenty of experience against larger teams as well as it pursues a first Regional title. Hackett has won 11 of its last 12 matches and is hoping to break through for its first Regional championship since 2001.
Concord
Concord (25-8-3) vs. Adrian Lenawee Christian (41-6)
Hillsdale Academy (23-8) vs. Fulton (24-13-4)
Top-ranked Lenawee Christian has held down the top spot all but one week this season, and the Cougars have certainly impressed with wins over Division 3 ranked Clinton, Traverse City St. Francis and Plymouth Christian Academy. Lenawee Christian has a solid pair of wins as well over honorable mention Hillsdale Academy, which otherwise has lost this season only to Clinton and Battle Creek St. Philip. Concord also is an honorable mention and has won 13 of its last 14 matches as it seeks a second Regional title in three years. Fulton is seeking its first ever but is another great story coming off claiming its first District championship since 2015.
Ishpeming
Hancock (30-2-1) vs. Ishpeming (18-8-2)
Crystal Falls Forest Park (36-4-1) vs. Ewen-Trout Creek (14-8-2)
Hancock defeated Forest Park to win their 2024 Regional, and Forest Park returned the favor last fall in a Regional Semifinal before advancing to championship week with a clincher against Ishpeming. Hancock’s only losses this season came to Division 2 Kingsford during the season’s first tournament, and the Bulldogs won their only meetings with Forest Park and the Hematites. Forest Park will be seeing Ewen-Trout Creek and potentially Ishpeming for the first time this fall but defeated E-TC in District play a year ago. Ishpeming has come on over the last month with 10 wins and a tie over its last 12 matches, and E-TC’s District-clinching win over Ontonagon avenged an Oct. 14 loss.
PHOTOS (Top) Allendale (red jerseys) and Fruitport players focus on a hit from Allendale’s back row during the Falcons’ Division 2 District-winning victory Thursday. (Middle) Lansing Catholic’s Katherine Partin (12) sends a kill attempt toward a Williamston block during the Cougars’ Division 2 clincher Thursday. (Allendale/Fruitport photo by Michigan Sports Media. Lansing Catholic/Williamston photo by TCP Photography.)
Grand Rapids Christian Returning to Semifinals, Ready for Next Challenge
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
November 20, 2025
GRAND RAPIDS – A Regional exit from the MHSAA Tournament last year wasn’t necessarily the norm for the Grand Rapids Christian volleyball program.
The returning players aimed to change that and get the Eagles back where they are typically found during the final weekend of the season.
Grand Rapids Christian will make its return to the Semifinals in Battle Creek after defeating Tecumseh 3-2 in Tuesday’s Division 2 Quarterfinal.
It will be the Eagles’ fifth Semifinal appearance over the last seven years, but last season’s five-set loss to South Christian in a Regional Final has provided the fuel for this year’s tournament run.
“After that loss last year, it definitely wasn’t what we expected or wanted, and I think from the moment we lost that game all the returners just felt a different kind of hunger for next season,” Grand Rapids Christian junior standout Grace Goodyke said. “We were already talking about our plans and what we wanted to change and keep going forward with.
“I think we knew this was the season that we had the talent, and all the girls had a love for each other that was super special and we had the opportunity to go far. It came down to the work we were ready to put in.”
Eagles coach Amy Huisken, who returned eight players, said expectations were high coming into the season.
“This is one of the goals that our team set way back in the beginning of the season,” she said. “So this is where we expected to be and wanted to be. Every win and every loss was for this purpose.”
Goodyke, a three-year varsity player, has led the Eagles’ charge and amassed more than 500 kills.
She understood the winning tradition of the program as an incoming freshman. The Eagles won three consecutive Division 2 championships from 2018-20.
“I had to buy into the culture pretty quickly, and I think our upperclassmen did a great job of showing me about the legacy that they came into,” Goodyke said. “This season we talk a lot about playing for each other and just trusting everybody to do their roles. We are just super close, and we use that to our advantage.”
The Eagles have played this season without senior Mallory Bremer, who tore her ACL and MCL during club season. But a core of key players has stepped up to lead the way.
Junior captain Piper Cebulski has 490 assists and is nearing 1,000 for her career, while junior Taylor Frost has provided leadership on the court while reaching 1,000 assists during Districts.
Sophomore Mya McKinnon is a two-year starter in the middle and has a hitting percentage over .400.
“We obviously have talent, but if you don’t have anything to back talent then it doesn't take you too far,” Huisken said. “The girls know who they are playing for, and it's the person next to them. Everyone works so hard in their role, knowing it's what the team needs to be successful. No selfishness and everyone working for each other.”
The Eagles tied for the championship in the Ottawa-Kent Conference White, facing the likes of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, East Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
Grand Rapids Christian also has played against the top teams from the other side of the state.
“It makes us a battle-tested team, so we’re ready for tough moments,” Huisken said. “We do that on purpose, and we understand that our end result isn't going to say we're 25-0. But the losses are part of our story and how we got here. It's important for us to have that tough schedule, and we've had it throughout the tournament, too. There’s only one team we’ve played that hasn’t been ranked.”
The Eagles (36-9) will clash with reigning champion Detroit Country Day (27-9) in Friday’s Semifinal.
“They are a very good team,” Goodyke said. “I think we expect it to be a highly-competitive match. We do know that our coach has scheduled us against top teams in the state all season long, and our conference is pretty difficult so that prepares us as well.
“Those are the types of games we like. We’ve trained for those types of games, and I think we are ready to go out and just have fun and show the work that we’ve put in.”
Two more West Michigan teams advanced to this weekend.
Byron Center is in the Semifinals for the first time in 32 years after sweeping Ann Arbor Skyline 3-0 in a Division 1 Quarterfinal.
“This team is very special and their team chemistry is as good as any team I have ever coached,” Bulldogs coach Missy Ritz-Johnson said. “They are exceptional teammates that work very hard together, and their success is largely due to who they are as people and how much they care for each other. I couldn’t be more proud of this team.”
The Bulldogs (37-5-2) will face Farmington Hills Mercy (40-5-3) today at 4:30 p.m., while Rockford (46-1-1) meets Bloomfield Hills (42-6-1) in the other Division 1 Semifinal.
The Rams, who lost to Northville in last year’s championship match, defeated Traverse City Central 3-0 in a Quarterfinal.
All four Finals are slated for Saturday.
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Grand Rapids Christian takes a photo with their newly-won Regional championship trophy last week. (Middle) The Eagles’ Grace Goodyke gets up for a kill attempt against Tecumseh during Tuesday’s Quarterfinal. (Photos courtesy of the Grand Rapids Christian girls volleyball program.)