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.)
Kubiak Comes Back, Twice, to Lead Mustangs
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
September 20, 2016
PORTAGE — Mikaela Kubiak is a fierce competitor on the volleyball court. But the Portage Central senior setter had an even harder fight off the court her first two seasons.
Kubiak, who has been instrumental in the Mustangs’ run to a 23-3 start and No. 5 ranking in Class A, spent her first two seasons rehabbing from injury.
A starter on varsity as a freshman and sophomore, Kubiak tore her anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee, not once but twice, and endured two separate stints of grueling physical therapy.
Looking back, the personable Kubiak remembers every detail.
“It was our first home match against Kalamazoo Central and all my family and friends were here watching,” said Kubiak, who came to Portage from Central as a freshman and whose father Bob Kubiak had coached Kalamazoo Central football from 1993-2003.
But her first home volleyball match wasn’t even close to what she envisioned.
“It was in warm-ups and the second ball I hit, I came down and I blew my knee,” she said.
“Not a very good start. It was our first home varsity match, and I think it was the first or second week of school.”
Her first thoughts were that she could walk it off and continue to warm up.
“Then I was like, whoa, this is way more serious than I thought,” she said. “I couldn’t get up. I kept walking, then I just sat down on the ground. It was throbbing and I was in pain.
“I was just super mad, super mad at myself that it happened. Of course, that game it would have to happen to me.”
She had knee surgery and spent nine months in recovery, including physical therapy at least three times per week.
“I wasn’t surprised she came back (after the first injury). I was surprised she got hurt again,” said Dawn Jaqua, who has coached the Mustangs for the last 18 years. “I was actually surprised she got hurt the first time because she’s such a strong kid, physically, so that was a shock.
“She is hugely determined and loves the sport. You can’t help but beat yourself up when you’re a coach and any kid gets hurt on your watch.”
After missing her first season, Kubiak was raring to go as a sophomore.
The team’s setter was Madison Jaqua, who earned all-state first-team honors that year, so Kubiak was once again a hitter.
“Mattawan was like our big rival,” Kubiak said. “We were in the middle of our third set. It was a nitty-gritty, tight match. It was point after point after point, back and forth.
“Madison set me a ball and I came down and just overran it too much and I blew it out again. I knew right away because my knee moved on me.
“I was like, ‘Oh great.’ I think I was even more mad at that. It was like a pin dropped in the room and I was so frustrated. I technically tore it twice in the same year. I actually tore it on 9-11 my freshman year and 9-9 my sophomore year.”
Once again, Kubiak missed the rest of the season. But this time she knew what to expect from the physical therapy and did a lot of work on her own to supplement the workouts.
Giving up volleyball was not an option.
“I was more comfortable going back my junior season because I was back in my original position (as a setter with Madison Jaqua graduating) and I had a huge brace on. I didn’t have a brace my sophomore year.”
Dawn Jaqua said Kubiak’s role changed as a junior.
“She was setting for us,” she said. “The biomechanics are way different. We didn’t have her play front row last year. She set from the back row. We ran a kind of modified system for that.
“Then she started playing front row a little bit for us at the end of the season. We let her block in controlled situations, and by the end of the season last year, we were running a 5-1 with her.”
The coach’s daughter, senior Devin Jaqua, who has been playing volleyball with Kubiak since seventh grade, was not surprised she returned stronger than ever.
“She’s always been a strong leader, and she’s always worked really hard,” the senior said. “She has a really big passion for the game, so I knew she’d always come back.
“She leads almost like the team mom. You can always depend on her, and she always plays her best. She always knows what to do and when to do it.”
In spite of losing two seasons of both high school and club volleyball, Kubiak earned Class A all-state honorable mention last season.
In November, she will sign to play collegiately with Division II Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Dawn Jaqua said Kubiak is the complete package.
“It’s all the components: her athleticism, her consistency, her decision making,” she said. “But at the end of the day, it’s about her will to want to win. She’s a great leader.
“She is a great problem solver. She’s demanding, but she does it in a very calming way. She’s very controlled. When things aren’t going well, she does a great job figuring out a different way to win. That’s her job.”
Devin Jaqua said this is a special year for the seniors.
“There’s five seniors, and it’s our last year,” she said. “Mikaela and Janell (Williams) are the only two so far going to play in college, so the rest of us really want to make it a memorable last year.”
Williams will sign with Western Michigan University. Jaqua will play soccer collegiately at Michigan State.
Talking from experience, Kubiak offers some advice: “For any other volleyball players out there, work hard all the time because you never know when it can be taken from you.
“Cherish every moment you have on the court with your teammates because it really does fly by.”
Other seniors on the team are Rebecca Barnes and Maddie Goodman. Juniors are Maddie Wojcik, Sara Denison, Olivia Harning, MacKenzie Zook and Jessie Zesiger. The sophomore is Ryann Jaqua and the freshman is Maizie Brown.
Pam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Mikaela Kubiak tips the ball over the net during a recent match against Richland Gull Lake. (Middle) Kubiak and Portage Central coach Dawn Jaqua. (Below) Kubiak sets for teammate Janell Williams. (Photos by Pam Shebest.)