Mendon Seniors Hope to Add Volleyball Title to Historic Softball Success
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
October 7, 2025
MENDON – A few short months ago, Jadyn Samson, Cienna Nightingale, Gracie Schultz and Brook Gerth led Mendon to this spring’s Division 4 softball championship, the first MHSAA Finals title for the Hornets on the diamond.
Now those four seniors would like to finish their final volleyball season raising a trophy at Kellogg Arena as well.
But first the Division 4 top-ranked contender must clear an elusive hurdle at the Regional level.
As freshmen, Mendon's senior class got swept by Athens in the District opener. Since then, Mendon has captured two straight District trophies before getting swept by St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic in a 2023 Regional Semifinal and losing 3-2 to Concord in the 2024 Regional Finals.
Fourth-year head coach Kenny Herbert hopes Mendon's experience, chemistry and a rigorous schedule are enough to get the Hornets back to Finals weekend next month in Battle Creek.
Mendon captured two consecutive Division 4 titles under Heather Bowers in 2018 and 2019 and three Class D crowns under legendary coach Kathy Trenary in 1998, 1999 and 2001.
Before arriving in Mendon, Herbert, a native of St. Clair, served as New Haven's varsity mentor, and prior to that he was junior varsity coach at Beal City and Port Huron Northern. He also has served as a club coach for Michigan Elite and Deadfrogs.
"I love coaching in the small-town atmosphere. It really brings out the best in our athletes, especially here at Mendon because they have such a great tradition in all sports,” Herbert said. “Three of my four seniors this year were part of the varsity when I started here, and the other one joined the varsity her sophomore year. They have built on the tradition that's been set here and bought into the culture I wanted to instill and the standards that we've set. Day in and day out they're just hard-working kids who want to get better and win. They all care about one another, and that shows what Mendon volleyball is about.”
This year's Hornets (21-3-1) are fresh off a 25-18, 16-25, 25-16, 25-21 victory last week over No. 3-rated Battle Creek St. Philip.
Mendon began its season by winning the St. Joseph County Tournament, including earning a 25-18, 25-21 win over Three Rivers, a Division 2 school. The Hornets were 3-1-1 at the Cereal City Classic, won the Decatur quad and compiled a 3-2 record at the prestigious Division 3-4 Showdown on Sept. 27 at Schoolcraft College.
At the D3/D4 Showdown, Mendon lost in straight sets to Grass Lake before registering consecutive straight-set wins over Montrose, Division 3 honorable mention Cass City and No. 5 Pewamo-Westphalia before dropping its final match of the day in straight sets to No. 3 Plymouth Christian Academy.
Schultz, Samson and Nightingale are all four-year varsity letterwinners, while Gerth is in her third year on the varsity.
"Our seniors are leaders by example and with their voice. They run all our drills, and they know what it takes to win, Herbert said. “Right away they bought into what I wanted to do, and they've taken care of the team. We have two freshmen on our team this year, and our seniors make them feel at home like they've always been a part of the varsity.”
Schultz, a 5-foot-6 outside hitter, leads Mendon in kills with 249 to go with 49 service aces, 197 digs, 13 blocks and 18 assists.
"Gracie brings a lot of energy and is a six-rotation player who can put the ball away and command our defense – which is something we really pride ourselves on," Herbert said.
Schultz recently committed to play at Kalamazoo Valley Community College and plans to go into sports medicine.
"Having been on varsity all four years helps us in holding everyone accountable. We know what Coach Herbert's expectations are, and it helps the others follow those rules as well,” Schultz said. “We have the right team chemistry to make a run, and it’s been exciting to see the underclassmen develop since the beginning of the season.”
Nightingale, a right-side hitter, has produced 161 kills, 25 aces, 142 digs and nine blocks.
"Cienna is a very steady player who can also put the ball away. She is very composed in what she does and knows the ins and outs of the game," Herbert said.
Nightingale, the last of a talented athletic family at Mendon, plans to continue playing volleyball and possibly softball at the next level but hasn't decided what college she will attend.
"I really like playing right-side hitter because it's a super-important position with the blocking aspect, transitioning hard and attacking. I also enjoy being able to serve-receive and play defense as well because I feel I'm an overall solid player," Nightingale said.
Samson, the Hornets' starting libero, has 302 digs, 29 aces and 49 assists. The daughter of Patty and Mendon athletic director and multiple-sport coach Glen Samson, Jadyn will continue her volleyball career at Huntington College in Indiana.
"Jayden is the heart and soul of our defense. She never wants a ball to drop without going for it. She has a voice and is basically a third coach for us and understands the game better than most athletes," Herbert said.
Her voice is usually hoarse after matches as she takes that role of communicator to heart.
"Looking at the past few years, we've never came away with that Regional title. Right now that's our goal as seniors, and we know we can get that,” said Samson, who plans to study sports management. “So right now we are just showing up to the gym every day and growing together. Even with a few underclassmen on the team I think we all bond really well. We are a real scrappy team that never gives up. This is a very unselfish team.”
Freshman Lashell Blair, a 5-foot-10 middle blocker, also has been a force with 85 kills, 27 aces, 23 blocks and 34 digs. Freshman 5-8 middle blocker Sabrina Monroy has three aces, 36 kills and 21 blocks.
"Lashell is just a great athlete and another kid who can put the ball away. She understands the game very well and has done a great job of picking up the speed and tempo of the varsity game," Herbert said. "Sabrina is one of the best blockers on our team because she does a great job of reading the other side of the net.”
Gerth has 51 kills, 21 aces, 55 digs and 20 blocks. "Brooke has really matured the past couple years and come out of her shell. This year she transitioned from the middle to playing outside hitter and has embraced that role," Herbert said.
Junior setter Karyssa Holtz has done an effective job at setter with 468 assists to go with 45 aces, 46 kills and 107 digs. "Karyssa has grown tremendously into that setter's role. She takes control of running our offense and has done a good job with it," Herbert said.
Junior Michelle Gomez-Sanchez, a defensive specialist and outside hitter, has 14 aces, five kills and 74 digs. Sophomore Graye Lukeman, another defensive specialist and outside hitter, sports totals of six kills and 25 digs.
"Michelle will sacrifice herself to go after every ball. She always has a smile on her face and just wants to play and contribute to the team," Herbert said. "Graye continues to improve every day. She fits the mold of what our team is, and I'm excited to see how she benefits our team in the future.”
Rounding out the squad is junior right-side hitter Harley Stover. "Harley is a voice to our team and a teammate that anyone would ask for,” Herbert said. “She is very supportive of everyone and their success."
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Mendon senior right-side hitter Cienna Nightingale (9) attacks the net against a pair of Battle Creek St. Philip blockers last week. (Middle) Fourth-year Mendon head coach Kenny Herbert exchanges hi-fives with one of his players during a timeout. (Below) From left, Mendon four-year varsity volleyball letterwinners Nightingale, Jayden Samson and Gracie Schultz pose for a photo following the win over St. Philip. (Nightingale and Herbert photos by Nicci Plummer. Group photo by Scott Hassinger.)
Brown City Aiming High Following 1st Final
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
August 15, 2017
Kendal Muxlow offered nothing but praise when asked about the Brown City volleyball class of 2017, which left the school as the most successful in program history.
She raved about her graduated teammates’ leadership, work ethic and ability to raise up every player around them as they led the Green Devils to three Regional titles, two Semifinal appearances and a Class C runner-up finish over the past three seasons.
But while Muxlow was certainly fond of playing with Becki Krause, Alexia Mason, Breigha Donnelly, Jasmin Bender and Haley Bandemer, she’s less fond of constantly being reminded they’re gone.
“I have. I have heard (they’re gone),” the Brown City junior said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “In practice, they held us to that standard, they expected state-bound team stuff during practice. We all got along well in practice and everything, and as much as they wanted to succeed, they wanted everyone to be a part of it also.
“Since I’ve been a freshman, we’ve been trying to get lots of girls in the gym to get them excited to want to be part of the program. We had a lot of people come up and want to get in the gym. It’s a lot easier to get to where you want to go when you have girls that are excited about the program.”
For Brown City, that destination remains the same in the short-term: Kellogg Arena for the MHSAA Class C Final. That’s where the Green Devils, who hadn’t won a Regional title before 2014, landed a year ago for the first time before falling to Bronson in four games.
Taking a longer view, however, this season represents a chance for Brown City to keep working toward a larger goal: showing it’s a program that can consistently compete at the level it has for the past three seasons.
“I think that if that wasn’t my goal, I should probably step down from coaching,” said Brown City coach Jenna Welke, who is entering her fifth season directing the varsity. “I’ve told the girls all about building the program – not just a team, but a program. We have to show those younger girls what Brown City volleyball is all about and set that standard.”
Welke and her players do realize what they’re up against. They’ll be replacing 65 percent of their kills from a year ago, 94 percent of their assists, 67 percent of their blocks and 78 percent of their digs.
But they’re welcoming the challenge.
“We’re definitely a different team from last year,” Welke said. “They’re young, and yes, they’re inexperienced, but they’re willing to work hard. I think any coach is going take a more inexperienced team if they’re willing to work hard.”
Muxlow and Ann Schlaud return with the most experience, both having played significant roles throughout 2016, and taking the floor in the MHSAA championship game a year ago. While the other names and faces may be unknown to those outside the program, those within are confident they’re ready to step up.
“We have a lot of great players that were kind of not playing as much last year because of the key seniors we had,” Schlaud said.
The players are also confident in their coach, who happens to be a 2008 graduate of their biggest rival, Marlette, where she was a dominant athlete. Muxlow said the players don’t give their coach any grief about that, but Welke laughed when asked if she received any from elsewhere.
“I had such a great experience at Marlette, so I’ll always respect them – I think they have great programs,” Welke said. “I teach at Brown City now. I coach at Brown City now. So now I’m a Green Devil, but I’ll always have respect for them.
“I think it’s a friendly rivalry. We always respect each other, yet you don’t want to lose to them.”
Brown City is certainly happy to have her, as Welke, also a four-year player at Oakland University, has amassed a 144-43-18 record in four years, winning four Greater Thumb Conference East titles, four District titles and three Regional titles.
With results like those, it’s easy to see how players have bought into Welke’s system and the belief that building a dynasty in this small town is a possibility.
“She’s one of those coaches that in practice will push you to your absolute hardest, but also one of those coaches that if you have to sit down and talk with her about something, she will listen,” Muxlow said. “Since Coach Welke has been here, we’ve only been going up. She came and we’ve just been hanging more banners than we ever had.
“It’s easier when we have all these girls wanting to be part of the program, because she’s done that for the program.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Brown City’s Kendal Muxlow (7) unloads a swing during last season’s Class C Semifinal against Adrian Madison. (Middle) Ann Schlaud (8) puts up a block against Madison. (Below) Brown City coach Jenna Welke instructs her team during the trip to Kellogg.