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 Eagles Soar to 1st Semi since '79
November 18, 2015
By Dean Holzwarth
Special for Second Half
GRAND RAPIDS – The Grand Rapids Christian volleyball team has enjoyed one of its best seasons in school history.
One main reason for the Eagles’ unbridled success: Experience.
Grand Rapids Christian entered this fall with a wealth of it, including one four-year varsity player and a core of three-year varsity players.
“We have six seniors on this team and they have a lot of experience,” Eagles fifth-year coach Tiffanie Gates said. “They have played together for a long time, in club and high school.”
The veteran leadership has been beneficial in their historic run to the Class A Semifinals. Thursday’s match against top-ranked Novi will be No. 3 Grand Rapids Christian’s first at this late round of the MHSAA Tournament since 1979.
Grand Rapids Christian (49-4) defeated No. 2 Mattawan 3-1 (25-21, 18-25, 25-23, 25-21) in Tuesday night’s Class A Quarterfinal at Caledonia High School.
“This season has been a blast,” said senior outside hitter Sam McLean, who’s been on the varsity all four years and earned all-state second-team honors last season. “We’ve been playing so well together as a team, and we’ve been playing some of our best games lately. It’s fun because we’re super close, and we’re friends outside of the court. It’s been a real good time.”
The seniors, which also include returning all-state first-team outside hitter Dylynn Otte, plus Ellen Long, Jessa VanderWeide, Maria Bolt and Megan Noordewier, have provided a calming influence to the underclassmen.
When things have gotten tough, they’ve persevered and proceeded with a confident demeanor.
“Any outside factors that get in our way, like a huge crowd or a team that is good, our seniors have calmed our players down,” McLean said. “We emphasize to our younger players to focus on us, and when we’re down or struggling, our seniors have been huge in helping our team out.”
The biggest evidence of a senior-dominated team has been its ability to not give an inch. They’ve developed a killer instinct, refusing to let other teams gain momentum.
The Eagles didn’t drop a set through 10 conference matches en route to an Ottawa-Kent Conference White championship and have lost only one set during the MHSAA Tournament.
“In this sport, it is whoever finishes and sees matches through,” Gates said. “I attribute that to our senior leadership with not letting up and not riding that rollercoaster that you see sometimes in high school volleyball.”
In last week’s Regional Final against No. 9 Hudsonville, the Eagles were up 2-0, but on the verge of losing the third set down 21-18.
“They rallied and finished it in three,” Gates said. “We’ve had conversations about not expecting it to go that way from here on out and the further you go the harder it gets, so they are prepared for it not to be that way. They have definitely worked hard to finish strong every time.”
Grand Rapids Christian has drawn motivation from two straight years of early exits in District play. They have refused to allow history to repeat itself.
It has changed their mental approach to every match.
“It’s been our theme,” McLean said. “We even break it down to one point at a time and one set at a time. Last year I think we looked ahead too much, and that’s why we ended so early. This year we’ve barely looked at the state finals.
“We’ve only looked at the next game and what we have to do to win the next one and the next one. That’s all we’ve been focusing on, and it helps a ton.”
The seniors have dedicated themselves to making this season a memorable one.
“It’s a special year for all of us, and we want to go as far as we can,” McLean said. “A lot of the seniors won’t play in college, so this is their final games. I love our underclassmen because they want to do well for us. It’s really cool to see.”
Added Gates: “The core group have been playing club together since they were 11 or 12, so it’s been a dream for them since they were little. You see it coming to fruition now, and it’s pretty neat. They are definitely motivated and driven.”
On the court, Grand Rapids Christian doesn’t have a lot of weaknesses. A balanced group of big hitters and solid blocking at the net have paced their attack.
“We have good ball control and defense,” Gates said. “And we’re pretty deep offensively. It’s difficult for teams to camp out on one hitter. We can definitely mix it up. I don’t think there’s a hole in our game so far.”
The Eagles overcame a major hurdle when they swept perennial state powerhouse Grand Haven in the Regional Semifinal.
The Bucs knocked Grand Rapids Christian out in the Quarterfinals in 2012 and entered this postseason ranked No. 5.
“We split with them in the regular season in tournament play so we knew their game and practiced for it,” Gates said. “It’s a fun little rivalry with them because it’s always been back and forth. It was an exciting and emotional match for us.”
Dean Holzwarth covered primarily high school sports for the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years and more recently served as sports editor of the Ionia Sentinel and as a sports photojournalist for WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Grand Rapids Christian players and coaches pose last week with their Class A Regional championship trophy. (Middle) Jessa VanderWeide, one of six seniors, prepares to unload a serve during a match earlier this fall. (Photos courtesy of Grand Rapids Christian High School.)