Block Party: 2026 Girls Volleyball Week 7 Report
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 7, 2026
Just as the girls volleyball regular season begins speeding toward its conclusion, clicks on our Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) page are sure to accelerate over the next three weeks.
District play begins Nov. 2, and brackets will be announced eight days earlier on Oct. 25. MPR is used to seed the top two teams in every District, and although there’s only one example below, references to how teams stack up on those lists will become more prevalent in our weekly reports as we close in on the start of the playoffs.
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. Saginaw Valley Lutheran d. Plymouth Christian Academy (25-21, 25-17) The Division 3 top-ranked Chargers (36-4-1) finished 6-0 at the D3/D4 Showcase, with this win arguably the most notable as Valley Lutheran remains No. 1 statewide this week but PCA (21-6-4) bumped up from honorable mention to No. 2.
2. Grand Rapids Christian d. Hudsonville (25-19, 25-19) Division 2 top-ranked Christian (22-3) avenged a pool play loss to Division 1 No. 5 Hudsonville (26-3) at the Jenison Invitational to win this rematch in the championship round.
3. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s d. Detroit Country Day (25-19, 25-16, 25-23) The Division 1 honorable mention Eaglets (13-8-1) continued their climb with a sweep of the two-time reigning Division 2 champion and current No. 2 Yellowjackets (12-6-1).
4. Kingsley d. Elk Rapids (25-15, 25-17, 25-11) This Northern Shores Conference matchup saw a pair of ranked teams face off and the Division 2 No. 5 Stags (29-3-1) prevail over the Division 3 No. 5 Elks (13-7-3).
5. Muskegon Western Michigan Christian d. Hart (24-26, 27-25, 25-18) While Division 3 No. 3 WMC went on to defeat Fruitport and Muskegon Mona Shores to win the latter’s Best of the West tournament, this win over No. 10 Hart (19-10-3) sticks out as well as the Warriors (23-2) came back after losing the first set.
Watch List
With an eye toward November, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (22-8) The honorable mention Huskies opened this week with a notable four-set victory over honorable mention East Grand Rapids, which is listed ahead of FHN in Division 1 MPR. Six of Forest Hills Northern’s losses have come against top-10 teams in Division 1, and six wins have come against opponents ranked or honorable mentions in Divisions 1 or 2, including Division 1 No. 4 Byron Center.
Hudsonville (26-3) The No. 5 Eagles were runners-up at the Jenison Invitational thanks to a split with Division 2 top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian, but that championship match defeat broke a 13-match winning streak. The Eagles’ only other losses have come versus Brighton and Division 1 No. 2 Bloomfield Hills Marian, and Hudsonville has defeated No. 8 Lowell, honorable mention Forest Hills Northern twice, No. 4 Byron Center, No. 9 Grand Haven, No. 7 South Lyon East, honorable mention South Lyon twice and GR Christian another time as well.
DIVISION 2
Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (25-3-2) The Irish are an honorable mention in Division 2 and finished second in the Catholic High School League AA to Dearborn Divine Child, thanks to early-September back-to-back league losses to the Falcons and Jackson Lumen Christi. FGR’s only other defeat came to No. 3 Parma Western during opening weekend, and the Irish have won 16 straight matches and their last three tournaments.
Edwardsburg (21-5) The No. 7 Eddies defeated honorable mention Marshall and Division 1 honorable mention Zeeland East over four wins to claim the Portage Central Tournament title on Saturday, and their win over the host Mustangs also avenged Edwardsburg’s most recent loss from Sept. 19. A championship at the Gull Lake Invitational to start this season included a win over Niles, which ended the Eddies’ 2025.
DIVISION 3
Calumet (14-9-1) After opening the season 0-4 at the Cadillac Invitational – which included defeats against Division 1 honorable mention Zeeland East, Division 3 No. 8 Cass City and honorable mention Manton – the honorable mention Copper Kings are 8-2-1 against in-state opponents. They’ve defeated Division 4 No. 7 Crystal Falls Forest Park and went five sets before losing to Division 4 No. 9 Hancock, and they saw more of the state’s best taking a loss but also tying Division 3 No. 2 Plymouth Christian Academy at the D3/D4 Showdown.
Plymouth Christian Academy (21-6-4) The Eagles returned to the Quarterfinals a year ago and are in the midst of an 8-1-1 surge this fall that’s sent them back up to No. 2 in the weekly coaches poll. Their D3/D4 Showdown weekend included the above-noted loss to No. 1 Valley Lutheran but also wins over No. 5 Clinton, No. 8 Cass City and honorable mention Calumet among others. Only two other losses this season came to Division 3 or 4 opponents.
DIVISION 4
Crystal Falls Forest Park (26-3-1) The Trojans reached the Semifinals last season for the third time in four years and haven’t slowed down, falling only to No. 4 Traverse City Christian, No. 9 Hancock and Division 3 honorable mention Calumet. They’re up to No. 7 in the Division 4 rankings while riding a 14-match winning streak and coming off a 6-0 day at the Escanaba Invitational. An opening-weekend trip downstate included the loss to TC Christian but also a win over No. 10 Onekama and tie versus No. 3 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart.
Traverse City Christian (23-5) The No. 4-ranked Sabres have strung together two straight trips to the Quarterfinals and won their first 10 matches this fall including a three-setter over Division 3 top-ranked Saginaw Valley Lutheran. The losses are pretty impressive as well, to Division 3 No. 3 Roscommon, twice to Division 3 No. 7 Traverse City St. Francis, and then to Division 4 No. 3 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart and No. 10 Onekama. A home match against Division 3 No. 5 Elk Rapids on Oct. 15 will be another important test.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these matches and tournaments coming up:
Thursday – Baraga (19-0) at Hancock (17-2-1) – The undefeated Vikings have an opportunity to establish themselves among Division 4 teams to watch with this trip to meet the No. 9 Bulldogs.
Saturday – Motor City Power Series Championship at UWM Sports Complex – The finale of this season’s series begins with power brackets, and the most intriguing includes Division 1 No. 6 Utica Eisenhower, honorable mention Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Rochester Adams and Division 2 No. 9 North Branch.
Saturday – Hanover-Horton Invitational – An impressive field of 12 teams includes Division 2 No. 3 Parma Western, Division 3 No. 2 Plymouth Christian Academy, No. 6 Grass Lake, No. 7 Traverse City St. Francis and the honorable mention Comets, and Division 4 top-ranked Adrian Lenawee Christian and No. 2 Battle Creek St. Philip.
Monday – Roscommon Quad – Mount Pleasant (20-8-2), Essexville Garber (22-11-4) and Division 3 No. 7 Traverse City St. Francis (21-9-1) will join the No. 3-ranked Bucks (26-6-5) for a high-powered night.
Monday – Midland Dow Quad – Another impressive group will visit the Chargers (31-4-4), with Bay City Central, Division 2 No. 4 Frankenmuth (17-0) and Division 3 No. 1 Saginaw Valley Lutheran (36-4-1) taking the court.
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Country Day’s Sienna Musachio (14) gets positioned to play the ball during her team’s sweep of Macomb L’Anse Creuse North on Monday. (Middle) A pair of Mount Pleasant blockers rise above the net during an outdoor match against Alma this fall. (Country Day photo by TCP Photography. Mount Pleasant/Alma photo by High School Sports Scene.)
Nine Just Fine for Record-Setting St. Phil
November 22, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
BATTLE CREEK – Emily Schaub has grown up in Battle Creek St. Philip’s volleyball tradition, her mother a member of the Tigers’ 1989 Class D championship team.
The last two seasons, Amy (Nelson) Schaub’s daughter also set St. Philip squads that weren’t supposed to continue the program’s near-decade of MHSAA Finals dominance.
But No. 1 in the regular-season rankings doesn’t mean much compared to number nine in the record book.
St. Philip, ranked No. 3 in Class D at the start of the postseason, defeated No. 2 Mendon in a Quarterfinal and then top-ranked Leland in Saturday’s Final 25-18, 25-18, 23-25, 25-17 to claim a record ninth consecutive MHSAA championship. The Tigers had entered this fall tied with the Marysville teams of 1997-2004 for the longest title streak in MHSAA volleyball history.
“Growing up and watching them, it was always great to say ‘I want to be out there one day.’ And just having that experience, being around that all my life, has pushed me harder to want to be like that,” Schaub said. “Going out there and doing that, … it feels good to prove we’re just as good as the other teams. Just to show we’re a great program, even when considered in a rebuilding year, just to show we’re still a fighting team and we’re here to stay.”
In 40 seasons of MHSAA volleyball, St. Philip has made the Semifinals 32 times, played in 28 championship games and won 20.
The eighth-straight title last season meant something personally to St. Philip coach Vicky Groat, who took over the program from her late mother Sheila Guerra and tied her mom’s career total of nine championships won.
But Saturday’s crowning victory will serve as one of the brightest points of pride for a community that turned out again to celebrate success.
“Ask every single one of these girls if they were in the stands for championship runs or Final Fours. They were in the stands watching, and they want to be part of that team,” Groat said. “That’s what it is. These kids, they have that. They want to play for St. Phil. They want that experience. As a coach, I want to make sure to give every single one of my kids who play for me the chance at a Final Four or to play for a championship.”
And, as Groat added, there was something to be said of claiming number nine “with this group of girls.”
St. Philip graduated all-state hitter and Miss Volleyball winner Amanda McKinzie after the 2012 win, and another all-state hitter and Miss Volleyball candidate Sierra Hubbard-Neil after last fall.
The Tigers this season had only two hitters who saw time in the 2013 Final, when Hubbard-Neil had 19 of the team’s 31 kills.
But on Saturday, junior Abby McKinzie had 13 kills and senior Megan Parker added 12 as seven St. Philip players scored. Schaub had 32 assists and was one of five with at least 14 digs – sophomore libero Kameron Haley led with 21, tied for 11th most in an MHSAA Final during the rally scoring era that began in 2004-05.
St. Philip claimed the first two sets before Leland stormed back in the third. The Comets played the Tigers to 15-15 in the fourth set before St. Philip ended on a 10-2 run.
“She is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had in my life, and to be able top get this record for her is unexplainable,” McKinzie said of Groat. “I’m so happy to have won it for her.”
It came against a program that could be considered a distant part of the St. Phil family. Leland coach Laurie Glass coached against Guerra, and Glass’ players stay with Groat each year when they play in the Tigers’ tournament. Groat’s players stay with Glass each summer during the Comets’ camp.
Leland certainly had the Tigers wary of a comeback. Leland had fallen in its first Semifinal set to Onaway before winning the next two, losing the fourth and then shutting out Onaway 15-0 in the decider.
When Groat and Glass crossed paths after Leland claimed the third set, Groat did mutter a little something about a possible repeat of Thursday.
“We were certainly hoping to give her another run at that time, at least make it go to a fifth,” Glass said. “I thought they really started serving really well at that time (in the fourth), we started making passing errors and got a little tighter. We made a couple hitting errors, unforced errors on our part that gave them the momentum for that 3-4 point swing that put them ahead.”
Junior Maddie Trumbull led the Comets with 16 kills, and senior Jessica Fleis had 37 assists. Senior Miranda Harrison’s 24 digs ranked sixth for an MHSAA Final. The Comets' runner-up finish was their best since 2006, and they finished 43-13-4.
St. Philip finished 53-12-4, with a few more losses than the last couple of seasons. The Tigers finished 1-3 at the Rockford Invitational on Oct. 25, but that day Groat saw a championship-level surge beginning to build.
“At the start of the season, we were doubtful. Ask every single (player), we were doubtful,” Groat said. “(We thought) we’re going to have to do our best as coaches, but it’s not only coaching. It’s players, and they bought into it.
"They believed they could do it, and the power of believing is awesome.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Battle Creek St. Philip players celebrate claiming their ninth straight MHSAA title trophy. (Middle) St. Phil’s Abby McKinzie drive a kill while Leland’s Vianna Hennig (13) and Erica Ongaro prepare to block. (Click for action photos and team photos from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
HIGHLIGHTS:
COMETS ACE FOR SET THREE VICTORY - Down 2-0, Leland took the third set against Battle Creek St. Philip on this service ace by Eva Grobbel.
WINNER TIMES NINE IS FINE - Battle Creek St. Philip clinched its ninth straight Class D Girls Volleyball title on this kill from Abby McKinzie, which gave the Tigers a 3-1 decision over Leland.
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