Block Party: 2026 Girls Volleyball Week 6 Report
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 30, 2026
League play is in full swing across Michigan, and several leagues include multiple teams earning statewide respect in the latest Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association polls as well.
As we gear up for the middle of this girls volleyball season, we’ll of course continue to feature many of the major tournaments taking place on weekends – we have several coming up this Saturday – but we’re also turning our eyes to some of these significant league matchups, including a few from last week and a few more coming up.
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. Parma Western d. Marshall (20-25, 25-15, 25-19, 23-25, 15-10) These Interstate 8 Athletic Conference rivals went the distance in a match that also had statewide interest with Western (21-0) ranked No. 3 in Division 2 and Marshall (18-7-1) No. 8.
2. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central d. Flat Rock (26-24, 15-25, 23-25, 26-24, 15-9) This Huron League matchup also carries intrigue extending past local play, with SMCC No. 8 in Division 3 and Flat Rock earning honorable mention in Division 2.
3. Bloomfield Hills Marian d. Lowell (25-19, 25-14, 25-12) Division 1 No. 2 Marian (25-3) went 3-0 at Grand Haven’s quad, also defeating Lake Orion and the No. 10 Bucs, but this win over the No. 9 Red Arrows (18-13) particularly stands out.
4. Edwardsburg d. Otsego (25-13, 14-25, 25-23, 23-25, 15-12) The Division 2 No. 7 Eddies (15-5) multiple times held off comeback attempts by honorable mention Otsego (9-6) to win a key Wolverine Conference match.
5. Hudsonville d. South Lyon (25-18, 25-21) The Division 1 No. 5 Eagles (20-2) finished 4-0 at their invitational, the highlight this sweep of the honorable mention Lions (18-9-1).
Watch List
With an eye toward November, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Midland Dow (34-4-4) The unranked Chargers earned honorable mention in the Division 1 poll during the season’s first month and are making a play to get that recognition back, with a 5-0 day at their co-hosted Charger/Chemic Challenge the latest success. Two losses were to No. 2 Bloomfield Hills Marian and Division 3 No. 4 Clinton, and victories over Division 2 No. 5 Kingsley, No. 10 North Branch, honorable mention Tecumseh and Division 3 No. 2 Roscommon stick out among several.
Utica Eisenhower (23-2) After reaching at least 33 wins the last two years, Eisenhower is on pace for the same and potentially more. The Eagles have won 14 straight matches dating back to the first day of September and with both losses to Division 2 top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian at the same August tournament. Victories over Division 1 No. 7 South Lyon East, No. 9 Lowell and honorable mentions Bloomfield Hills, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s and South Lyon all have contributed to Eisenhower’s No. 6 ranking.
DIVISION 2
Dearborn Divine Child (15-4) Divine Child is unranked but maybe not for long considering a nine-match winning streak that’s included a comeback win over honorable mention Tecumseh. The Falcons have won District titles and most seasons much more every year this decade and are lining up for another run with good losses to Division 1 No. 10 Grand Haven, honorable mention Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Novi and Plymouth and more competitive matches coming up – notably in Catholic High School League tournament play and against Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central on Oct. 14.
Tecumseh (19-5-2) Tecumseh is an honorable mention in the latest poll and enjoying an eight-match unbeaten streak, with a pair of tournament ties to Lansing Catholic and Williamston over the weekend – and a win over the Cougars at the same event. Tecumseh also owns two impressive victories over Division 3 No. 4 Clinton, and the losses have been strong, against No. 5 Kingsley and Midland Dow during the season’s first weekend, Linden, and No. 3 Parma Western and Divine Child before starting the current success streak.
DIVISION 3
Grass Lake (11-2-2) The Warriors are an honorable mention this week and climbing as well, as they haven’t lost since the season’s first weekend and have dropped only four sets during an eight-match winning streak. The losses came during the first week to current Division 2 honorable mentions Tecumseh and Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard, and that weekend they also earned draws with Gabriel Richard and Division 3 honorable mention Hanover-Horton.
Traverse City St. Francis (15-7-1) The Gladiators are another honorable mention and riding high after defeating Division 4 No. 4 Traverse City Christian in four sets Monday. That was their second win this season over the Sabres, and a loss to Division 3 No. 5 Elk Rapids two weeks ago is the only flaw during a current 8-1-1 run. St. Francis spent most of August and early September playing larger opponents, mostly from downstate, but wins over No. 7 Manton and Division 4 No. 10 Onekama closer to home also were highlights during that time.
DIVISION 4
Auburn Hills Oakland Christian (20-6) The No. 6-ranked Lancers opened the season with eight wins over two tournaments, and they’ve already surpassed last season’s 19 victories. They’ve powered through several opponents from Divisions 1, 2 and 3 especially during two weekends of Motor City Power Series play, during which they’ve gone a combined 4-4. A four-set loss to Division 3 honorable mention Plymouth Christian Academy on Tuesday was tough for league purposes, but they’ll meet again Oct. 22.
Baraga (17-0) The unranked Vikings no doubt are making a bid to join the elite list, as they’ve dropped three sets all season with two of those coming during a five-set win over Painesdale Jeffers last week. This run has included 5-0 days at the Copper Mountain Conference Tournament and Baraga Invitational, and circle a match at No. 9 Hancock on Oct. 8 as another great test of where the Vikings stand. Hancock ended Baraga’s 2025 run in District play.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these matches and tournaments coming up:
Wednesday – Essexville Garber (21-7-4) at Frankenmuth (16-0) – The Division 2 No. 6 Eagles must hold off the honorable mention Dukes in the Tri-Valley Conference Red after Garber won the matchup in five sets a year ago.
Thursday – Concord (11-3-3), Grass Lake (11-2-2) at Hillsdale Academy (13-5) – This high-powered set features the host Colts ranked No. 8 in Division 4, with Concord an honorable mention and Grass Lake an honorable mention in Division 3.
Saturday – Jenison Invitational – A strong field includes mostly west-side teams including Division 1 No. 5 Hudsonville and No. 10 Grand Haven and Division 2 top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian, but with Division 1 honorable mention South Lyon also making the trip among 11 schools total.
Saturday – D3/D4 Showdown at Trinity Health Sports Center – This annual event’s field is filled with several strong small-school teams.
Saturday – Best of the West at Muskegon Mona Shores – The Sailors will host eight teams including Fruitport, Division 2 honorable mention Fremont, Division 3 No. 3 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian and No. 10 Hart.
PHOTOS (Top) East Grand Rapids lines up for a kill attempt during a match this season against Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern. (Middle) Breckenridge and Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart blockers and hitters meet at the net. (EGR/FHN photo by Michigan Sports Photo. Breckenridge/Sacred Heart photo by High School Sports Scene.)
Veteran Madison Aiming for Repeat Run
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
September 8, 2017
By Doug Donnelly
Special for Second Half
ADRIAN – Last November, Kiarah Horn was part of the first Adrian Madison volleyball team to reach the MHSAA Semifinals in more than 25 years. She’d like nothing more than to do it again.
“It was an awesome experience,” said the Madison senior. “We all want to get back to where we were last year. We are excited about it.”
If the first few weeks of the 2017 volleyball campaign are any indication, the Trojans from Lenawee County could be knocking on the door again come MHSAA tournament time.
Madison went 57-4-2 last season, including a perfect 14-0 in the Tri-County Conference, and was a surprise winner over Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central in the Class C Regional Final. The Trojans beat Allen Park Cabrini to advance to the Semifinals at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek before losing to Brown City. It was Madison’s first Semifinal run since 1993 when current head coach Dawn Opsal’s sister was a member of the Trojans team.
“It was so rewarding last year for the girls to get there,” said Opsal, who is a Madison graduate in her 20th season leading the program. “They worked so hard. To beat SMCC, to get to the Semifinals, that was a great experience for everyone. It kind of showed them that, ‘Hey, we can compete.’”
SMCC was the top-ranked team in Class C and a 2015 Class C runner-up when Madison knocked it out of the 2016 tournament.
Opsal, who works in the business office at Madison, was a four-sport athlete in high school and has been around Madison nearly all of her life. The school held a ceremony retiring her number a couple of seasons ago, but she is still going strong. Madison has steadily climbed the volleyball ranks since she took over the program in 1999, a season that saw Madison win just 10 matches. She now owns four TCC championships and six District titles since 2008. She has more than 500 wins.
This year, Opsal created a more rigorous summer schedule and beefed up the regular-season schedule. Topping the school wins record is the last thing on her mind.
“The 57 wins just sort of happened,” she said. “That wasn’t our goal. We just got on a roll and it happened. For me, it’s not about a record or number of wins. I want the girls to play hard, to work hard and get better and, when the time comes, be ready for the (MHSAA) tournament.”
Horn, the senior setter, said the summer schedule was good for her and her teammates, who had to replace three key players, including Ysabela Soto, now playing at Oakland Community College in Auburn Hills.
“We played a lot of bigger schools,” Horn said. “It was a challenge.”
The regular season has been kind to Madison so far. The Trojans are 14-3-1 after winning Thursday’s match against TCC opponent Britton Deerfield. That also includes winning the Addison Tournament, advancing to the finals of the Tecumseh Tournament before losing to Ann Arbor Huron in the championship match (25-23, 25-19) and making it to the semifinals at Schoolcraft College before bowing out to Detroit Cass Tech, 25-22, 22-25, 15-8.
Madison played in summer leagues at Siena Heights University and Schoolcraft College, plus got into some games at Spring Arbor University.
“We have had a good start to the season,” libero Kia Rainey said. “We’ve played against some bigger schools. That will help us later in the season.”
Opsal said the schedule is by design.
“I kind of wanted to see some different schools and see how we competed with them,” she said. “I want to show this team right where we need to be.”
Seven players from last year’s team are on this season’s roster, including Rainey and Horn, Rachel Isom (opposite/middle blocker), Emma Freshcorn (middle blocker), Mahala Raleigh (opposite, middle blocker), and outside hitters Laura Teunion-Smith and Kaiya Wall. Wall, who is approaching 1,000 career kills, was second team all-state last season while Horn was an honorable mention choice.
Of the 10 girls on the varsity roster, five are seniors and five are juniors. Jersi Garza, Taylor Jordan and Kaitlyn Svoboda are the three newcomers.
“I’m excited with all of the returning players and the young ones coming up,” Opsal said. “I know the team has great hope. Last year was a great experience, but we want to make that repeat again and again. We’ve got a lot of little things to work on, but there is time.”
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 Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Madison all-stater Kaiya Wall puts down a kill past two blockers. (Middle) Trojans coach Dawn Opsal (facing, third from left) huddles with her team during last season’s Semifinal against Brown City. (Top photo by Joni Cabello Ehinger.)