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.)
'Better' Plymouth Christian Becomes Best
November 19, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
BATTLE CREEK – “Better the ball” as a volleyball phrase means adding something to improve a volley with every touch.
But it also was appropriate as Plymouth Christian’s adopted rallying cry this fall.
The Eagles came to their second straight Class D Semifinals at Kellogg Arena this weekend ranked No. 1 for the second year in a row. Last year, they didn’t make it to Saturday. But this time Plymouth Christian did advance – and then “bettered” itself one more time on the final day of this season.
Facing a familiar foe in friendly league rival Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, the Eagles clinched an unexpected deciding match in their season series – and with it, their first MHSAA championship by a score of 3-1.
“Last year, it was kinda new and it was more stressful because we’d never been in this situation before. So this year, we knew coming into it how our attitudes should be – that we should just treat it like any other game and give our all on everything,” Plymouth Christian junior hitter Grace Kellogg said. “We just needed to side out on the key points and not fall down or get down in tough situations or (over) things that we mess up. Just stay strong and tough the whole time.”
Plymouth Christian (35-11-3) had played in a championship match once before, falling to Battle Creek St. Philip in the 2010 Class D Final. In fact, the Eagles on Saturday became the first other than St. Philip or Leland to win Class D since 2004.
Last season they fell in a four-set Semifinal to St. Philip, with three of those sets decided by two points each.
“Last year, that’s what we ran into: experience,” said Plymouth Christian coach D.J. Kellogg, who’s also the father of Grace and freshman middle Gabriella Kellogg. “Had we gotten three points to go a different way last year, the match was ours.
“It came down to serving, and tipping and playing not to lose. This year the focus was, knowing that, let’s not come back with the deer in the headlights (look). Let’s go out and be aggressive.”
That started with aggressive scheduling. Ten of the 11 losses came to Class A or B schools, including Class A No. 1 Novi and No. 2 Clarkston and Class B No. 3 North Branch (and the Eagles beat Class B No. 2 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep). All of that helped prepare them for a Class D tournament run that included wins over No. 2 Mendon, No. 4 Lansing Christian and No. 10 North Adams-Jerome.
“We knew technically we had what it took,” Kellogg added. “It’s going to be more having the slight edge and a mental edge; that was going to be the thing that would push us over.”
Oakland Christian (43-5-5), of course, was the only non-A or B opponent to deal the Eagles a loss. After falling to Plymouth Christian 3-1 in their first meeting, the Lancers took the second 3-2 to force a shared title in the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue.
After Plymouth Christian won the first set 25-18 on Saturday, Oakland Christian tied it up by claiming the second 25-22. But the Eagles found their "edge" after that, winning the third and fourth sets by identical 25-19 scores.
“It’s a little bit intimidating, having the past with them. … I think we both came in a little nervous, but pretty confident overall,” Oakland Christian senior Alexandra Gudobba said. “We respect each other as a team, and if anyone had to win, I guess I’m happy it’s them.”
Part of that “edge” Kellogg spoke of was anticipating better the variety of shots Oakland Christian has used – Kellogg called the Lancers one of the smartest teams his has faced because of its ability to find corners and tips. Senior libero Divna Roi played the biggest part in foiling those well-placed shots, finishing the match with 24 digs, tied for sixth-most in MHSAA Finals history.
The Kelloggs – who got their training “breaking stuff for years around our house playing volleyball,” according to Dad – led the offensive attack. Grace had 21 kills and Gabriella 13 taking passes from senior Jessica Paulson (18 assists) and junior Abigail Pray (26).
Gudobba led the Lancers with 14 kills and 16 digs, and senior Samantha Morse had 28 assists.
Although not in victory, the match provided a successful end for longtime Oakland Christian coach Priscilla Larned, who will retire with a record of 989-459-81 over 32 seasons. She also coached basketball, softball and soccer at the school, with Saturday’s the first championship match ever for her volleyball team. Oakland Christian entered this tournament ranked No. 6 in Class D.
“I was thinking about all the Saturdays I’m going to sleep in,” Larned joked after. “I’m sorry. I’ve got to make a laugh here somehow.
"It’ll be different. I’m a coach who never got to play in high school, and it’s been a great time coaching. It’s been a great era to coach. But I see the need for me to go on, and somebody else come in and bring more enthusiasm and get it going again.”
After last season’s near-miss, Plymouth Christian tried hard to not make a return to Battle Creek the goal for this fall. Coach Kellogg reasoned that if the Class D title were the goal, his players could feel like it was slipping away if they hit a lull during the four-month season.
Instead they focused on the process – bettering the ball daily to be the best at the end.
“Every interaction we have with our team, every touch of the ball on the court or off the court, every contact that we have we should be adding value to each other and adding value to the game and to the team,” Kellogg said. “And this team’s done that.
“This is the by-product. … They’ve had each others' backs the entire time, and that’s the kind of team that wins.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Plymouth Christian hoists its first MHSAA volleyball championship trophy Saturday. (Middle) Grace Kellogg goes for a kill for the Eagles with Genna Castillo (13) and Samantha Morse (16) defending the net for Oakland Christian.