Block Party: 2026 Girls Volleyball Week 9 Report
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 21, 2026
It’s always tournament season for Michigan’s high school girls volleyball teams, but this moment in time seems to especially stand out.
This past Saturday, a total of 257 teams – almost 37 percent of the state’s varsities – played at least one match, the majority as part of multi-team events.
And this Sunday, Oct. 25, this season’s District brackets will be announced, including the top two seeds in each as determined by Michigan Power Ratings (MPR).
Below are highlights from the past week with more to come as the final calculations are made to set those postseason matchups.
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. Byron Center d. Grand Rapids Christian (25-12, 25-12) The No. 3-ranked Bulldogs (34-4) continued to cement themselves as contenders in Division 1 with the championship at the prestigious Beast of the East, sweeping Division 2 top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian (24-4) to finish a 6-1 day.
2. Traverse City Christian d. Kingsley (25-21, 25-21) Division 4 No. 3 Traverse City Christian finished 4-1 at the McBain Invitational, losing only to the host Ramblers but also becoming just the fifth team to defeat the Division 2 No. 8 Stags (40-5-1).
3. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern d. Bloomfield Hills Marian (25-22, 25-23) Division 1 No. 6 FHN (28-9) finished 3-1 at Beast of the East with a win as well over honorable mention Grand Haven but this one over formerly top-ranked-now-No. 2 Marian (31-4) was the most notable.
4. Tecumseh d. Adrian Lenawee Christian (17-25, 25-21, 15-10) Division 2 honorable mention Tecumseh (31-6-2) finished 6-0 at the Lenawee County Tournament, with Division 4 top-ranked Lenawee Christian (34-5) the only team to take a set during those matches.
5. Saginaw Valley Lutheran d. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (25-16, 25-20) Division 3 top-ranked Valley Lutheran (44-6-2) went 6-0-1 at the M3 Invitational, with this the only loss taken on the day by the Division 4 No. 2 Irish (30-7-3).
Watch List
With an eye toward November, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Bloomfield Hills (28-9) The Black Hawks graduated Miss Volleyball Kayla Nwabueze after last season, but have navigated some tough competition to remain among the highly-regarded. They are an honorable mention in the Division 1 poll and coming off a 3-1 day at the Novi Wildcat Showcase with a win there over No. 9 Clarkston. Bloomfield Hills followed that up Tuesday by downing Division 2 No. 2 Detroit Country Day 3-0.
Brighton (23-9-1) A four-set win over honorable mention Orchard Lake St. Mary’s last week was the latest boost for the also-honorable mention Bulldogs, who have won eight straight matches. Five losses and the tie have come against ranked or honorable mention teams in Divisions 1 and 2, and a 2-1 win over Division 1 No. 7 Hudsonville at the East vs. West Showdown on Sept. 19 was memorable as well.
DIVISION 2
Kingsford (21-3-2) The Flivvers nearly have matched last season’s 22-3 record thanks in part to a 3-0 Saturday at the Clash of the Divisions where they defeated Division 1 Marquette, Division 3 honorable mention Calumet and Division 4 No. 9 Crystal Falls Forest Park after finishing 1-2 against that group a year ago. The Calumet win avenged a Sept. 10 loss, and the other two defeats this season came during a 2-2 day at the Cadillac Fall Tournament.
North Branch (28-9-3) The Broncos have maintained their usual place among the Division 2 top 10 all season, but after multiple weeks in the No. 10 slot have built back up to No. 7 thanks to a 10-2 run that’s included wins over Division 1 No. 7 Hudsonville and Division 2 honorable mention Flat Rock. Earlier triumphs over Division 1 honorable mention South Lyon, Division 3 No. 1 Saginaw Valley Lutheran and Division 4 No. 2 Sacred Heart also pop off the page.
DIVISION 3
Hanover-Horton (26-8-5) The Comets climbed to No. 9 in Division 3 this week and have downed No. 5 Clinton, No. 7 Grass Lake and No. 3 Plymouth Christian Academy and tied Division 4 No. 4 Battle Creek St. Philip over the last two weeks. The Clinton and Grass Lake victories avenged earlier losses, and Hanover-Horton could see one of them again in Regional play next month.
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (24-2) Another annual contender – and Division 3 champion most recently in 2024 – St. Mary sits No. 8 in the coaches poll with its only losses both to Division 1 honorable mention South Lyon. SMCC finished 4-1 at Beast of the East after last week also finishing a sweep of Division 2 honorable mention Flat Rock amid a perfect run through the Huron League.
DIVISION 4
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (30-7-3) The Irish have reached at least the Regional Finals the last six seasons and could be headed back to Battle Creek with all of its losses coming to ranked or honorable mention teams in Divisions 2 and 3. The Irish are ranked No. 2 in Division 4 with wins over No. 3 Traverse City Christian, No. 7 Ubly and Division 3 honorable mention Morley Stanwood.
Onekama (24-6-1) The Portagers went 3-5 in August and have been on a 21-1-1 tear since with only three sets lost over their last 20 matches. They’ll see Division 3 honorable mention Manton on Saturday as they tune up for the postseason, where they’ll attempt to add to a string of six straight District championships.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these matches and tournaments coming up:
Thursday – Hillsdale Academy (21-6) at Battle Creek St. Philip (28-12-4) – This Southern Central Athletic Association crossover game features the Division 4 No. 4 Tigers facing honorable mention Hillsdale Academy.
Thursday – Detroit Country Day (14-7-1) at South Lyon East (29-6) – The Division 1 No. 4 Cougars host Division 2 No. 2 Country Day in what should be an excellent postseason prep match for both.
Thursday – Auburn Hills Oakland Christian (26-8) at Plymouth Christian Academy (26-11-5) – The Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue is topped by this pair of ranked teams, PCA at No. 3 in Division 3 and Oakland Christian at No. 5 in Division 4.
Saturday – East vs. West Challenge at Lowell – The field includes No. 1 Farmington Hills Mercy, No. 2 Bloomfield Hills Marian and No. 3 Byron Center among six top-10 Division 1 teams, five more Division 1 honorable mentions, and Division 2 top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian.
Saturday – Frankenmuth Invitational – Another impressive field includes the Division 2 No. 6 Eagles and Division 3 top-ranked Saginaw Valley Lutheran, No. 2 Roscommon and honorable mention Manton.
PHOTOS (Top) A Bath hitter puts the ball over the net during a match against Lansing Christian this season. (Middle) Rockford’s Kendall Anderson (12) sets during a match against Grandville. (Bath/Lansing Christian photo by Click by Christine McCallister. Rockford/Grandville photo by Michigan Sports Media.)
Jenison Ace Enters Senior Season Fueled by Team's 2024 Breakout Success
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
August 28, 2025
JENISON – Karis Chatfield will remember last year’s Division 1 District Final against Hudsonville as one of the best days of her life thus far.
It was a day that erased several years of heartbreaking losses for the Jenison volleyball team.
“I will talk about that day forever because it was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” the senior standout said. “Some of the girls we played against were my best friends and they had beaten us the last two years, so to pull off that win in that atmosphere and to do that in front of that crowd and then to be able to play in the Regional Finals on our home court was just an awesome opportunity.”
Jenison swept rival Hudsonville 3-0 to claim its first District championship since 2013 and then defeated Mona Shores in the Regional Semifinals.
The season ended against Rockford in the Regional Finals, but that loss is fueling this year’s team.
“That's our goal again this year, but our goal is to get even further,” Chatfield said. “I think the loss to Rockford is going to light a fire under our butts. Not every girl plays at a super-high club level and hasn’t been in those situations to see those lights when the pressure is on you, so I think they learned a lot about what it takes mentally. I think that will help a lot this year.”
Chatfield, a returning all-state first-team selection who has committed to East Tennessee State, will be joined by several key returnees, including senior Charlee Cochran and juniors Ava Bush-Nelson, Rylee Paddock and McKenzie Thompson.
Wildcats coach Teran Peerboom-Vanderbroek said last year’s MHSAA Tournament run gave her team a taste of playing in pressure-packed moments against quality competition.
“Now that they’ve seen that and been there, they kind of got the feel for it and they know that they can do it,” she said. “Yes, the big stage was new to us, but we handled the pressure and we are ready to go this year. We beat Rockford twice last year, we beat Northville, so they’re excited for the opportunity to be on that platform again.
“We want to win and go further than last year, and I definitely think we have the potential and the talent to do so.”
Chatfield, an outside hitter, has emerged as one of the top players in the state and was named a finalist for Detroit Free Press Preseason Player of the Year.
As a junior, the 5-foot-11 Chatfield registered 518 kills, 470 digs, 62 assists, 73 aces and 39 blocks. She is among the program’s top three leaders in kills, digs and aces.
“Skill-wise, she’s just so talented and it’s her dedication to practicing, to the sport,” Peerboom-Vanderbroek said. “She’s playing non-stop year-round, trying to get touches and trying to improve. She doesn't want to be mediocre, she wants to be great, and she has a very high expectation for herself.”
Chatfield is taking all of the preseason hype in stride.
“Volleyball is still a game and what I love to do, so I don’t feel a ton of external pressure,” she said. “I’m just having fun with it and setting these goals for myself. If I achieve them then that’s awesome, but if I don’t then it gives me something to work harder for in the future.”
Chatfield had already eclipsed 1,000 career digs, and Tuesday night against West Catholic she reached 1,500 career kills.
“I came into my senior year with a lot of goals,” Chatfield said. “Some of these goals I already achieved and I’m just adding layers onto them, but for me it’s more of a team sport than an individual sport so I really want to focus on what my team has done for me and things that have allowed me to get where I am.”
Chatfield’s competitiveness can be attributed to her family background.
“We’ve always been super competitive, and that competitive edge in me just always wants me to be the best and make my teammates better,” Chatfield said.
The Wildcats, who shared the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green title last year with Caledonia, have opened the season with eight wins over their first nine matches.
“They’ve been playing well, and we are just figuring out what we are going to do with our lineup and trying to solidify that before conference starts because we have a lot of options,” Peerboom-Vanderbroek said. “A lot of our players are just so versatile and they can play multiple positions. We are just trying to figure out what is the best fit for our team this year, and I think that speaks to our players that they can play so many positions so well.”
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Jenison’s Karis Chatfield sets up for one of her more than 1,000 career digs. (Middle) Chatfield and her teammates celebrate their District championship last season. (Top photo by Robert McCulfor Photography.)