Block Party: 2026 Girls Volleyball Week 10 Report
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 28, 2026
We’re ready for the start of the MHSAA Girls Volleyball Tournament, and nearly 700 varsity teams across Michigan are making their final preparations as we begin to turn our attention to the beginning of District play.
Those brackets were announced Sunday, and we’ll be back Monday with our preview of next week’s opening rounds. In the meantime, there’s still plenty to report from the week that was, and the remaining few days of the regular season ahead.
MPR below refers to the Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) used to seed the top two teams in every District. Records are those reported and tracked on this website, 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. Farmington Hills Mercy d. Bloomfield Hills Marian (18-25, 25-19, 15-12) Division 1 top-ranked Mercy (31-5-1) ran its lead in this year’s series with No. 2 Marian (37-5) to 3-1 with this win at the Lowell East vs. West Challenge, and also defeated No. 3 Byron Center, No. 9 Lowell, honorable mention Battle Creek Lakeview and Midland Dow on the weekend.
2. Grass Lake d. Hanover-Horton (25-22, 25-19) Division 3 No. 6 Grass Lake (27-5-3) has won 10 straight matches since its most recent loss, Oct. 10 to No. 9 Hanover-Horton (28-9-5), and avenged it during a perfect run through the Cascades Conference Tournament.
3. South Lyon East d. Detroit Country Day (25-20, 25-21, 25-19) The Division 1 No. 3 Cougars (35-6) opened last week with this win over the Division 2 No. 2 Yellowjackets (14-8-1) and finished it with a 4-0 day at the Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.
4. Frankenmuth d. Roscommon (25-23, 22-25, 15-8) The Division 2 No. 4 Eagles (30-4) clinched their home invitational title with this win over the Division 3 No. 2 Bucks (38-9-5) after reaching the final by downing top-ranked Saginaw Valley Lutheran.
5. Plymouth Christian Academy d. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian (20-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-23) Division 2 No. 3 PCA (28-12-7) came back after losing the first set to finish a regular-season sweep of the Division 4 No. 5 Lancers (28-10).
Watch List
With an eye toward November, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
East Grand Rapids (24-9-1) The honorable mention Pioneers got a nice tune-up at Lowell’s East vs. West Challenge, defeating Rockford and Lake Orion, losing to No. 3 Byron Center and No. 6 Clarkston and tying honorable mention Orchard Lake St. Mary’s. They then defeated Division 2 honorable mention Grand Rapids Catholic Central in four sets Tuesday. All nine of East Grand Rapids’ losses came to teams ranked among the top 10 in Divisions 1 or 2, and the Pioneers rank No. 11 in Division 1 MPR.
Portage Central (32-10) The Mustangs enjoyed an 8-0 run last week, with a 4-0 day at the Mattawan Invitational that included wins over Division 2 No. 3 Parma Western and honorable mention Otsego and a 3-0 night at Tuesday’s Battle Creek Harper Creek quad that included a victory over Division 2 No. 10 Tecumseh. Central is unranked in the coaches poll but No. 13 in Division 1 MPR, with half its losses to either No. 4 Byron Center or honorable mention Jenison.
DIVISION 2
Flat Rock (24-9-1) The honorable mention Rams – last season’s Division 2 runner-up in Battle Creek – won the Lincoln Park-hosted News-Herald Invitational with a 4-0 run Saturday, and seven of their nine losses this season were to teams ranked or receiving honorable mention in Divisions 1, 2 and 3. A sweep of Grand Rapids Catholic Central at the end of September was notable, and that combination of success and tough competition has Flat Rock sitting No. 14 in Division 2 MPR.
Frankenmuth (30-4) The Division 2 No. 4-ranked Eagles opened this season with 18 consecutive wins, and those four defeats have come against Division 1 opponents including No. 9 Lowell on Tuesday. Frankenmuth, as noted above, downed Division 3 No. 1 Valley Lutheran and No. 2 Roscommon to win its home invitational over the weekend, and also owns notable victories over Division 2 No. 9 Grand Rapids South Christian and honorable mentions Essexville Garber and Marshall.
DIVISION 3
Beal City (19-11-6) The Aggies moved into the Division 3 honorable mentions this week and rank No. 13 in Division 3 MPR with all but two of their losses to ranked or honorable mention teams in Divisions 1, 2 and 3 – and those two remaining defeats came against Division 4 No. 10 Onekama on Saturday at Beal City’s invitational. The Aggies have hit their stride over the second half of the season, going 14-5 since late September.
St. Louis (31-4-3) The Sharks joined the honorable mentions two weeks ago amid a run of 10 straight wins, and they’ve lost only one set over their last eight matches – to honorable mention Bath during a 5-0 Saturday hosting their Spirit of St. Louis Invitational. The Sharks also have defeated two of the opponents they’ve lost to – Alma and St. Johns – and the others came during a 4-2-2 start to the season.
DIVISION 4
Battle Creek St. Philip (29-12-4) A four-set win over honorable mention Hillsdale Academy last Thursday was the latest of 10 straight victories for the Tigers, who also started this season with eight wins during the first week before navigating several larger opponents through the middle of the season. Three losses came to Division 1 honorable mention Battle Creek Lakeview, and St. Philip also went 0-1-2 against top-10 Division 3 teams at the Oct. 10 Hanover-Horton Invitational – all solid prep as St. Phil seeks to build on three straight trips to the Regional Finals.
Buckley (28-8) The Bears are unranked in the coaches poll but No. 13 in Division 4 MPR and 13-3 in October with those three losses to No. 10 Onekama (twice) and Division 3 honorable mention Manton – two coming during a quad last week. Buckley opened this week sweeping Division 4 honorable mention Suttons Bay and downing Division 4 No. 3 Traverse City Christian 2-1, and the Bears could see the TC Christian again in a District Final next week after seeing their last two seasons end against the Sabres.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these matches and tournaments coming up:
Thursday – Battle Creek Lakeview (32-7-3), Edwardsburg (25-5), and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (16-14-3) at Marshall (28-12-1) – Division 2 honorable mention Marshall will host a strong playoff tuneup featuring Division 1 honorable mentions Lakeview and St. Mary’s and Division 2 No. 7 Edwardsburg.
Thursday – Cass City (25-7-5), Leland (7-21-1) and Traverse City St. Francis (27-15-2) at Kingsley (43-5-1) – The Division 2 No. 8 Stags will welcome some final postseason prep with Division 3 No. 5 St. Francis, No. 10 Cass City and the longtime rival Comets.
Thursday – Fremont (32-17), Morley Stanwood (24-11) and Whitehall (6-24-1) at Big Rapids (20-15-3) – Morley Stanwood is an honorable mention in Division 3, and Fremont was the same in Division 2 until the last few weeks.
Thursday – Zeeland East (26-5) at Zeeland West (22-14) – The Dux of West are seeking their first win in this rivalry since 2023, with East taking the last six matchups.
Saturday – Temperance Bedford Spooktacular – Division 4 top-ranked Adrian Lenawee Christian (35-5) and Division 3 No. 9 Hanover-Horton (28-9-5) are among teams joining the Kicking Mules (19-12) for this regular-season finale.
PHOTOS (Top) Fowler players celebrate Saturday during a league tournament match against Pewamo-Westphalia. (Middle) LeRoy Pine River, left, and Shelby players contend for a ball at the net during a September match. (Fowler photo by John Johnson. Pine River/Shelby photo by Tonya Holmes Photography.)
Shelby's Gauthier Ascends to Top of State, National Volleyball Record Lists
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 12, 2025
Navea Gauthier concluded her Shelby career in 2024 with 16 record book listings – and the much sought-after record for career kills both in Michigan and nationally.
She totaled 3,706 over four seasons, moving past legendary Alisha Glass from Leland on both lists. Gauthier also made the single-season kills list all four of her seasons, with her 1,034 as a junior in 2023 ranking third and her 987 as a sophomore ranking fifth. Her career total will be submitted to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) as a national record as well.
Gauthier is continuing her career at Ohio State.
See below for several recently-added listings to the girls volleyball record book, and click the heading to see the record book in full. Several more applications have been received and are in the process of being confirmed.
Girls Volleyball
Fremont 2023 graduate Carle Bruggema earned 10 record book entries over her four seasons and finished on career lists with 2,781 assists and 368 aces, both over 464 games played. She also made the single-season aces list twice with 115 as a junior and 116 as a senior and is listed six times for either single-match aces or assists. She’s playing at Goshen College in Indiana.
More than a decade later, Mallory Lenhart has moved to the top of the list for single-season assists for the 1,874 she totaled as a senior in 2010 in leading Temperance Bedford to the Class A Semifinals. She went on to play at Lourdes University in Ohio.
Calumet’s Helen Beiring and Laina Kariniemi led their team through a five-set Regional Final win over Elk Rapids in 2022 – both making the record book in the process. Beiring, then a senior, had 40 kills, while Kariniemi, a junior, tied for seventh-most assists in one match with 65. Beiring is continuing at Northern Michigan.
Indian River Inland Lakes’ run to the Division 4 Quarterfinals in 2022 featured several noteworthy individual performances, led by senior Natalie Wandrie’s 616 kills to make the single-season list in that category. Then-senior Hannah Robinson, then-junior Erica Taglauer and then-sophomore Brooklyn LaBrecque also were added for single-match accomplishments. Wandrie is playing volleyball and softball at Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.), and Robinson competed in track & field at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.)
Fenton’s Eva Long was added a second and third time to the single-match aces list, with 10 in a three-set match against Holly and then 12 in a three-set match against Flint Kearsley both in 2023 as a sophomore after making it originally with 12 aces during a match her freshman year. She recently completed her senior season and will continue at North Carolina State.
Jayden Marlatt capped her four-season Johannesburg-Lewiston varsity career in the fall of 2023 on the MHSAA all-time kills list with 1,614, including 34 in a match. She’s joined among recent additions by then-sophomore teammate Lexi Hogle, who had 52 assists in the same four-set league-clinching match against Fife Lake Forest Area on Oct. 17, 2023. Then-senior Brooklyn Latuszek was added twice for aces in one match, with 12 and 10, and 2023 graduate Serena Hogle was added with 48 assists in a 2022 match. Madison Peppin joined the list of players with at least 10 aces in a match when she totaled that number in a sweep of Gaylord St. Mary in 2024. She just finished her junior season. Marlatt plays softball at Ferris State, and Latuszek played at Alpena Community College.
A pair of Marlette four-year standouts were added, one for a high-achieving match in 2023 and the second for a career accomplishment. Senior Emma Heussner made the single-match assists list for 47 in a four-set win over Ubly that fall. Gabby Martinez, also a senior that season, reached the aces career list with 308 and plays at St. Clair County Community College.
Senior Ashley Strefling became the first Three Oaks River Valley player in the volleyball record book, finishing her four-year varsity career in 2023 with 2,680 assists. She posted a career-high 812 as a junior. She plays at Florida State College at Jacksonville.
Saginaw Swan Valley’s Marli Robinson added two more record book listings as a senior in 2023 to finish her career with three. She had 46 assists in a match for the second time and finished her three-season career with 2.,745 assists over 365 games and three seasons.
Several Croswell-Lexington standouts from the last decade reached the record book, including setter Annalise Weeder who was added for six single-match assists totals, 1,203 during her junior season and 3,356 over her four-year varsity career from 2020-23. Standout hitter Brooke Smith was added 37 kills in a 2014 match, 747 kills total that season and 1,582 over her three seasons from 2012-14. Makayla Shell was added for 159 blocks as a senior and 455 over her career. Additionally, Morgan Moore and Danielle Ripenbark were added for single-match accomplishments and Rachel Soper for 1,254 assists in 2014. Smith went on to play at Grand Valley State, Shell at Wayne State and Moore at St. Clair County Community College.
Kara Vyletel has reached the record book for a big-hitting season as a senior at Ann Arbor Huron in 2014. Vyletel had 805 kills over 145 games, which at the time would’ve ranked 15th since the start of the rally scoring era. She went on to play at Hillsdale College.
Setter Mady Pahl and hitter Molly Gerow played significant roles in making Beaverton a force during their four-year varsity careers from 2017-2020. Both were added to the records for multiple accomplishments, Pahl most notable for 2,817 career assists and Gerow for 2,106 career kills, including a high of 675 as a sophomore. Pahl played softball at Hope College.
A pair of Big Rapids Crossroads Academy servers earned the first listings for their school and this sport in 2024. Junior Dani Nostrant had 16 aces during the second game of a match against Walkerville, tying for the fourth-most aces in one set and with her 18 for the match ranking 10th all-time. She also had 13 in a four-set match against Holton that season. Senior Kristy Warczinsky also was added to the single-match aces list with 12 against Walkerville that fall.
Three Rivers’ Southland sisters both made their ways into the record book over the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Jenna Southland, a hitter who graduated in 2024, was added three times including for 671 kills as a senior and 1,490 over three varsity seasons. Miley Southland, a setter, was added four times and is on the career list with 2,952 assists not counting what she added this fall as a senior. Jenna Southland is playing at Hillsdale College.
Braylyn Hernandez starred in multiple sports for Burr Oak and reached the volleyball record book with 342 career aces through her final season in 2024. She actually began her varsity career in the sport in eighth grade, although her aces from that season are not counted in the total for record book purposes. She’s playing volleyball, basketball and softball at Glen Oaks Community College.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern setter Lexie Stotenbur already ranked on the career assists list with 2,727 through three seasons and entering this fall. She’s also in the record book for 1,320 assists as a sophomore in 2023 and 49 in a five-set win over Grand Rapids Christian that season.
Rudyard’s Lily Kwiatkowski earned a listing with 34 kills during a five-set match against St. Ignace on Nov. 12, 2024. She just completed her senior season.
Zeeland East’s Lizzie Risdon also made the single-match kills list, as a sophomore, with 34 during a five-set win over Hamilton on Oct. 3, 2024. She’s committed to Ohio University.
A pair of Caledonia standouts were added – Jessica Maier for 54 assists in a 2023 match against Grandville, plus 1,245 assists as a junior that fall and 2,601 over her three-year varsity career, and Aubrey Reynolds for 17 aces in a 2024 match last season against Muskegon. Maier is playing at Roosevelt University in Chicago, and Reynolds is a junior.
Lansing Catholic’s Leighton Marlan reached the record book with 111 aces as a sophomore in 2024, becoming the Cougars’ first athlete to make a list in this sport.
Grayling’s Cali D’Amour had already made the MHSAA records in softball and is playing that sport at Davenport. She added a volleyball listing as well as a senior in 2024 with 31 kills in a match against Harbor Springs.
Nearly two decades later, Yale setter Cydney Biessel has been added for 4,076 career assists, which rank 11th. She finished her four-year high school career in 2008 and went on to play at Wayne State.
A pair of Niles setters made the single-match assists list in successive seasons. Then-senior Kaydence Jacobs did so with 52 assists in a 2024 match against South Bend Adams (Ind.), and freshman Mena Hover set the school record and made the list with 54 this fall against Sturgis. Jacobs plays now for Lake Michigan College.
PHOTO Shelby's Navea Gauthier goes up for a kill attempt during a 2022 match. (Photo by Farmer's Fotos.)