Block Party: 2026 Girls Volleyball Week 5 Report
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 23, 2026
We’re a little more than a month into this high school girls volleyball season, and although we often know going in several teams which should emerge as contenders, we’re also in the midst of many more beginning to rise from the 700-school statewide pack.
League play is picking up, several major tournaments are behind us and many more are on the way, and this week’s report highlights not just some of the expected elite but also a handful of teams pushing into the rankings during this fall’s first half.
Records below are those reported and tracked on this website, and rankings referred to below 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. Jenison d. Farmington Hills Mercy (20-25, 25-21, 15-9) East defeated West 13-10 at the East vs. West Showdown on Saturday, but Division 1 honorable mention Jenison (17-7-1) made the day’s biggest wave by downing the top-ranked Marlins.
2. Essexville Garber d. Kingsley (26-24, 25-17) The Division 2 honorable mention Dukes (20-7-4) finished 4-1 at their invitational, also defeating No. 10 North Branch but with this win over the No. 5 Stags (26-3-1) getting the slight edge for the Garber highlight of the day.
3. Calumet d. Crystal Falls Forest Park (16-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-10) The Copper Kings (9-7) lost the first set by a significant margin before coming back to win the next three by similarly notable scores over the Division 4 No. 7 Trojans (17-3-1).
4. Battle Creek Lakeview d. Battle Creek Harper Creek (25-23, 25-27, 15-9) Division 1 honorable mention Lakeview (21-3-2) finished a 6-0 day at the Battle Creek All-City Tournament with its only match to go three sets, defeating Harper Creek (20-9-1) for a second time to clinch the title.
5. Cass City d. Millington (28-26, 25-18, 26-24) This key Big Thumb Conference White victory didn’t come easily for Division 3 No. 6 Cass City (8-4-3) as the Cardinals (13-4) pushed the Red Hawks especially far in the first and third sets.
Watch List
With an eye toward November, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Bloomfield Hills Marian (21-3) The Mustangs remain ranked No. 2 in Division 1 coming off a 4-0 day at the East vs. West Showdown that included wins over No. 6 Hudsonville, No. 10 Lowell, honorable mention Jenison and Salem. Their only losses have been to Grand Rapids Christian and twice to Farmington Hills Mercy, the top-ranked teams in Divisions 2 and 1, respectively.
Zeeland East (18-2) The Chix are an honorable mention in Division 1 this week for the second straight with a pair of wins over Division 2 honorable mention Holland Christian and a single over Division 3 No. 8 Hart among most recent highlights. Zeeland East finished 22-10 two years ago, improved to 31-5 last season and is on pace to match and potentially surpass that win total with its only losses this fall to Allendale and No. 8 Grand Haven.
DIVISION 2
Kingsley (26-3-1) The Stags moved back into Division 2 this season after winning the Division 3 championship a year ago and sit No. 5 in the latest coaches poll after going 4-1-1 at Garber with a pair of wins over North Branch included. Last week they celebrated Jenna Middleton becoming the 34th player in MHSAA history to reach 2,000 career kills, and she’ll surely continue to be relied on as Kingsley faces multiple Division 3 contenders over the next month.
Macomb Lutheran North (19-1) The Mustangs have appeared on the verge of taking off the last few seasons, and they’ve been almost impossible to catch this fall with only Port Huron Northern in August dealing them a defeat. Lutheran North is up to No. 8 in Division 2 and succeeded in its toughest challenges to date with a five-set win over North Branch and four-setter over honorable mention Richmond.
DIVISION 3
Manton (13-7-1) The Rangers jumped from unranked last week to No. 7 in the latest poll after a close loss to Kingsley on Saturday and wins over Beaverton, Saginaw Swan Valley, Reed City and Lake City over those seven days. Manton fell to Roscommon in five sets Tuesday, the last two sets by two points apiece and could build on last year’s 32-12-2 finish – especially with Kingsley not lined up as a potential District stopper like a year ago.
Saginaw Valley Lutheran (25-4-1) The Chargers have been ranked No. 1 in Division 3 since the season’s start coming off their third-straight Regional title and a trip to the Semifinals last fall with the same roster. They’ve faced several larger opponents already this season, with their losses to Division 1 Plymouth, Division 2 Yale and North Branch and Division 4 No. 3 Traverse City Christian, and a notable win Saturday over Division 4 No. 4 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart.
DIVISION 4
Adrian Lenawee Christian (14-3) The Cougars brought a five-year District championship streak into this season and moved back into the No. 1 spot in Division 4 this week after one week at No. 2. The schedule has been filled almost completely with larger opponents and the losses have come to Division 1 Mason, Division 2 No. 4 Parma Western and over the weekend Division 3 No. 5 Clinton, and Lenawee Christian also has a win over Mason.
St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran (15-2-1) The Titans are another returning District champion and most recently went 6-0 at the Bridgman Invitational with a notable sweep of Three Oaks River Valley – which had defeated, lost to and tied Michigan Lutheran during the season’s first week. Only one other opponent, Division 2 South Haven, has taken a set off the Titans all season, doing so in dealing them their only other defeat.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these matches and tournaments coming up:
Wednesday – Marshall (17-5-1) at Parma Western (20-0) – This Interstate 8 Athletic Conference battle also features the No. 7 and No. 4 teams, respectively, in Division 2 statewide.
Wednesday – Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (8-6-1) at Bloomfield Hills Marian (21-3) – St. Mary’s is an honorable mention this week and has been climbing the last few seasons and would love to take the next step as it attempts to avenge an opening-weekend loss to the Mustangs.
Thursday – Onekama (13-7) at Traverse City Christian (22-3) – Christian is ranked No. 3 in Division 4 and Onekama is an honorable mention, and Christian also won their Regional Final matchup last season.
Saturday – Hudsonville Tournament – The Division 1 No. 6 Eagles (15-2) host Division 2 No. 1 Grand Rapids Christian (16-1), No. 7 Marshall (17-5-1), South Lyon (14-8-1), Battle Creek Harper Creek (20-9-1), Vicksburg (14-8), Grand Rapids Northview (3-10), Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (8-13) and Hudsonville Unity Christian (6-9-1).
Saturday – Motor City Power Series at UWM Sports Complex – Arguably the most intriguing pool this weekend includes Division 1 honorable mention Bloomfield Hills (15-5), Canton (6-13-2), Division 2 honorable mentions Flat Rock (11-2-1) and Grand Rapids Catholic Central (15-5-1), and Ionia (9-6).
PHOTOS (Top) Allendale’s Josie Brose (6) winds up for a kill attempt while facing Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at East Grand Rapids’ Rally on Reeds on Aug. 19. (Middle) DeWitt and Lansing Catholic face off during the Cougars’ Volley Turf Takeover on Aug. 20. (Allendale/FHC photo by Michigan Sports Photo. DeWitt/Lansing Catholic photo by TCP Photography.)
Despite Challenge of New League, Adrian Madison Continuing on Title Track
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
October 24, 2023
ADRIAN – Shopping. Dinner. Ice Cream.
That might be the secret formula that has the Adrian Madison volleyball program on the brink of winning its eighth consecutive league championship.
“The first week of the season, we went to Houghton Lake,” said Madison senior and four-year starter Jillian Kendrick. “We stayed there three or four days in a house. As a team, we went shopping and were together all the time. That was a really good time for us. We bonded.
“Now, we all kind of hang out outside of practice. We just find little ways, here and there, go to dinner or get ice cream. We find ways to stay together.”
That trip to Houghton Lake, which included a volleyball tournament, was the springboard to another great season for Heather Lanning’s Trojans. Madison is 36-8-3 overall heading into the Lenawee County Athletic Association jamboree Tuesday. The Trojans are 11-0 in conference play and can wrap up the league title with two victories.
League titles have become the norm for Madison. The Trojans won the last seven Tri-County Conference championships – with Lanning, who took over in 2021, the program’s third coach during the run – going undefeated in league play several of those years. This fall, however, Madison moved to the LCAA, a larger conference in southeast Michigan.
“It’s a very tough volleyball league,” Lanning said. “A lot of our competition has been tough. We play Clinton, Onsted, and Dundee Tuesday, which are three of the toughest teams. They’ve taken a set from us every time we’ve played them. Clinton beat us in a tournament.
“We knew this year was going to be difficult, but we have buckled down the last few weeks. Our No. 1 goal was to win the LCAA. We are close to that.”
Lanning said the difference in the leagues is the consistent intensity.
“The intensity is high,” she said. “I thought we were going to be good with so many returning players, but I did not necessarily expect us to be 11-0. This is what we’ve been striving for.”
Lanning is a Britton graduate in Lenawee County who got the coaching bug from her dad, former Britton football coach and athletic director Randy Salisbury. She started her coaching career as a middle school coach at Britton and moved up. She became the Madison junior varsity coach while the varsity was in the middle of the streak of winning TCC titles. When the previous varsity coach, Kelsey Cortright, stepped down due to a job shift, Lanning was named the head coach.
The league championships have continued.
“She’s great,” Kendrick said. “I like a coach that is about volleyball and helps you improve in volleyball but also makes it fun. We can have a serious practice but laugh and enjoy our time. She is focused on team bonding a lot and being one as a team.”
Lanning said she’s not afraid to have a little fun at practice.
“I like to laugh,” she said. “I like to have fun. If they are not having fun, it’s not worth it to me. I want to make sure the girls are having fun.”
The Trojans can be disciplined, too.
“We have a lot of dedicated players,” Lanning said. “We work hard in the offseason and all summer long. They know what the expectations are and the goals. We start young and we have a lot of girls who play club, who just love the sport of volleyball. Most of my players on the varsity team don’t just pick up a ball once a year during the season. They play year-round.”
Madison has eight returning seniors, including Kendrick, who recently recorded assist No. 3,000 in her career.
“A lot of people get 2,000 assists in a career, but 3,000 is a pretty big deal,” Lanning said.
Kendrick is a leader on and off the court, Lanning said.
“She’s been captain on the court for two years,” she said. “She brings the team together. She boosts confidence in the team and helps the younger girls along. She has a heart of gold.”
In addition to bringing back eight seniors, Lanning also brought up freshman Lilly Pharion and sophomore Kianna McKinney to the team.
“Jillian spends time with them,” Lanning said. “All of the girls do.”
Kendrick said she wants the younger players to be comfortable on the team.
“I know when I was a freshman, I was shy and scared,” she said. “It was intimidating. I try and put more thought into making them feel welcome and more confident.”
Seniors like Veronica Flores, Courtney Gauna, Tatum Wilson, and Caylan Sower have made huge impacts on the team this year as well.
“Tatum is in the top four in kills in the county. Veronica and Caylan dominate in the back. Kianna is a defensive specialist who reads the floor well. We have weapons,” Lanning said. “I knew going into the season we had something special, but it's still tough to keep it going. We didn’t know exactly what to expect from the LCAA.”
Kendrick said the team just keeps staying together and improving.
“We definitely knew the competition was going to be good, and it would be a challenge,” she said. “We just go into every game wanting to win and maintain that mindset. We like the challenge.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Adrian Madison’s Jillian Kendrick (4) lines up to pass during a match this season. (Middle) Coach Heather Lanning took over the program in 2021 and has continued the varsity’s league title run. (Below) Kendrick celebrates her 3,000th career assist. (Top and middle photos by Deloris Clark-Osborne; below photo courtesy of the Madison athletic department.)