Chemistry Super-Charges Valley Lutheran
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
October 14, 2020
Sydney Krause said she and her teammates on the Saginaw Valley Lutheran volleyball team don’t talk much about getting back to Battle Creek for MHSAA Finals weekend.
Even though it’s clearly the goal, the senior setter said when everyone is together, they’re more focused on the matches directly in front of them and respecting each opponent.
In private conversations, however?
“Between me and (senior outside hitter) Peyton (Bartnikowski) for example, we talk about it often,” Krause said. “We want to get back, and we’ll do anything to get back there.”
A year ago, the Chargers made their first Semifinal appearance, winning their first Regional title since 2011 along the way. A month into this season, they’re looking like a contender to do it again, as they are 19-2 and ranked No. 4 in the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association Division 3 poll.
“I've always had a lot of talent, and every year I feel like we’re in the running, but last year was the first year that I felt so confident about it that I told the girls, ‘This is what we’re going to do: We’re going to go to the Final Four, and this is how we’re going to do it.’” Valley Lutheran coach Jon Frank said. “This year, I told them we’re going to go to the Final Four, and then some. Hopefully.”
Frank said it took just one match this fall for him to realize his confidence in the team was well placed, as the Chargers have been able to get off to a flying start. Their two losses on the year came against perennial Division 2 power Pontiac Notre Dame Prep and Birch Run, a team just outside the top 10 in the Division 2 rankings. Valley Lutheran was able to take a set off Notre Dame Prep.
That fast start is being fueled by strong team chemistry, despite the Chargers losing six seniors from last year’s semifinalist – several of which played a prominent role, including all-state second-team libero Kelsey Vittitow. Eight players from last year’s squad are back, however.
“The people we have coming back from last year are great players, and they came back even better,” said Bartnikowski, who was an all-state third-team selection a year ago. “Our chemistry was the same as it was last year at the end of the season, and we just picked up where we left off.”
That chemistry is most visible in the connection between Krause and Bartnikowski, who are entering their third year playing together.
“I’m so thankful for the chemistry we do have,” Krause said. “I think it honestly came from having so many reps together. We’ve worked a lot in practice, and also in club in the past year. This year, it’s even stronger because we have all those touches together over the club season. We’re friends off the court, so we trust each other a lot.”
Bartnikowski said their friendship actually started off the court, as they had classes together as freshmen while she was playing on the varsity team and Krause was on JV. As sophomores, the on-court connection began to blossom.
“I think it’s so important, because that’s what gets you the points,” Bartnikowski said. “If you have a setter and hitter that don’t have that chemistry, you can still get the points, but it’s so helpful to have that chemistry where she can do all types of sets, and I know exactly where each set is going.”
With the season shortened by a few weeks because of COVID-19, Frank believes that chemistry will be an advantage.
“It’s huge,” he said. “These kinds of connections come over years, not even seasons. It’s just like anything else, reps matter to build that chemistry. Especially in a short season, for them to have the background reps is huge.”
Another advantage is the depth in the Valley Lutheran attack this season. While Bartnikowski is the focal point, fellow outside hitter Lexie Peplinski and middle hitters Ashlyn Martin and Olivia Grimpo are keeping defenses honest. It’s also providing Krause with an abundance of options.
“She has a lot of places to go,” Bartnikowski said. “I think it’s harder (for defenses) than what it is if someone is just setting it outside all the time. It gives us an easier pathway to get a kill. If the other team is just setting up outside, it catches them off guard.”
With returning defensive specialist-turned-libero Kya Bellil leading the back row, the Chargers are strong front to back, and certainly have the makings of a team that can get back to the Final Four the week before Thanksgiving.
If they do, they hope the experience gained a year ago can help them take another big step.
“I think it will be helpful, especially since we have a lot of returners and we’ve all been there,” Krause said. “Last year we were all taking it all in. We were there to play, but it was also a completely new experience. I think it will help us to focus more on the task at hand.”
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) Sydney Krause sets up a waiting group of Valley Lutheran attackers this season. (Middle) Middle hitter Ashlyn Martin connects on a spike. (Photos by Sonny Medina.)
Block Party: 2025 Girls Volleyball Week 4 Report
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 16, 2025
A significant reason we've been able to begin reporting on the weekly progress of Michigan's volleyball teams this fall was the addition of Michigan Power Ratings as a contributor to the sport's MHSAA Tournament format for the 2024 season.
MPR is used to seed the top two teams in every District, and requires all to report their schedules and scores throughout the regular season. Those ratings take into account not only a team's success but also its strength of schedule, and MPR is constantly updating as matches finish and results are published to the MHSAA website.
Check out the Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) page for more details, but also note that rankings referred to below instead 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. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart d. Fowler (25-19, 26-24, 11-25, 25-13) The Irish (11-3-3) were ranked No. 8 last week but have jumped two spots after defeating the formerly top-ranked Eagles (9-3-1).
2. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern d. Byron Center (25-16, 25-17) This Huskies win arguably sticks out most from a Makayla Kohn Memorial Tournament run that also included victories over Forest Hills Central, Traverse City St. Francis, Edwardsburg and host Caledonia, with the 5-0 day sending FHN to 16-5-0 overall.
3. Hudsonville d. Grand Rapids Christian (25-22, 26-28, 25-17, 20-25, 15-12) West Michigan is powerful as usual, and these are two of the best again with Hudsonville (9-2-0) an honorable mention in Division 1 last week and Grand Rapids Christian (7-4-0) No. 2 in Division 2.
4. Northville d. Bloomfield Hills (25-22, 25-20) Although Northville lost to White Lake Lakeland on Saturday, downing Division 1 No. 3 Bloomfield Hills and also Division 2 No. 3 North Branch at the Motor City Power Series showed what the Mustangs (4-2-0) can do.
5. Battle Creek Lakeview d. Plainwell (25-23, 26-24) Lakeview (14-3-4) finished 3-0-3 at its invitational, with sweeps of Portage Northern and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep its other wins.
Watch List
With an eye toward November, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Bloomfield Hills Marian (23-1-0) Although No. 2 Marian did absorb its first loss of the season last week in three sets against No. 3 Bloomfield Hills, it also has a win over Bloomfield Hills this season and its opponents have won 62 percent of their matches this fall – making the entirety of Marian’s work even more impressive. The Mustangs also have wins over No. 5 Utica Eisenhower and No. 10 Brighton with their first meeting with No. 4 Farmington Hills Mercy set for Wednesday.
Grand Haven (21-3-0) The No. 6 Buccaneers opened this season with a loss to Brighton and have fallen only twice more, to top-ranked Rockford and No. 8 Forest Hills Northern. They also have a win over Forest Hills Northern and this weekend went 6-0 at their Grand Haven Invitational, defeating honorable mention Zeeland East in the championship match after losing the first set. The Bucs also have victories over honorable mention South Lyon East, Grand Rapids Christian and Division 2 No. 6 Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
DIVISION 2
Imlay City (17-4-0) The No. 5-ranked Spartans are coming off a 3-1 Motor City Power Series weekend, with wins over Division 1 Saline and Lake Orion and Division 2 Goodrich and the loss in three sets to South Lyon East. Their only other losses were to Brighton, Utica Eisenhower and Division 3 top-ranked Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, and they’ve also defeated Division 2 No. 7 Frankenmuth as they’ve powered up their schedule again this fall.
Tecumseh (19-1-0) A two-set loss to Division 3 No. 2 Roscommon is all that’s stood between the reigning Division 2 runner-up and perfection this season, with wins over honorable mention Parma Western and Division 3 No. 4 Kingsley among factors in Tecumseh’s No. 9 ranking this week. The Southeastern Conference power is coming off of a 6-0 run at the Mason invitational during which it didn’t lose a set.
DIVISION 3
Kingsley (21-4-0) After last season’s run to the Division 2 Regional Finals, Kingsley is ranked No. 4 in Division 3 and powering through its schedule with its only losses twice to Roscommon (see below), once to Tecumseh (see above) and to Flat Rock. The Stags finished 5-0 at their invitational over the weekend, highlighted by a two-set win over No. 9 McBain that included a 31-29 opener. Kingsley also has a win over Essexville Garber, which ended its season a year ago, an earlier three-set win over McBain and two-set victories over Division 3 honorable mention Manton and Division 4 No. 9 Onekama.
Roscommon (23-1-0) The Bucks have gone from losing their District opener in 2022 to reaching the Regional Finals the following season and Quarterfinals last fall, and they’re on the move again. Roscommon’s only loss this fall came in three sets to No. 7 Traverse City St. Francis on Sept. 4, and they have the wins over Kingsley noted above plus two more over McBain and Tecumseh. The Bucks won all five of their matches at Saturday’s Grayling Invitational comfortably.
DIVISION 4
Crystal Falls Forest Park (14-1-0) After reaching the Division 4 Semifinals in 2022 and 2023, Forest Park was stopped by Hancock in a Regional Final last season. The Trojans avenged that loss Saturday with a 25-17, 25-17 win over the Bulldogs in the championship match of The Rock Invitational at Gladstone. Only Division 3 No. 10 Saginaw Valley Lutheran has put up even 20 points against Forest Park this fall – once in the Trojans’ two-set win at the season opening Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart Invitational, and then one more time when Forest Park fell to Valley Lutheran in that tournament’s semifinals.
Suttons Bay (11-0-0) After finishing 17-13 a year ago, Suttons Bay has almost equaled that win total over this season’s first month. The Norsemen won the McBain Northern Michigan Christian Invitational to start this fall and most recently have four-set wins over Buckley and Frankfort, defeating the latter Monday after losing the first set. Onekama next week and Traverse City St. Francis next month will be among biggest tests as Suttons Bay continued to build on its fast start.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these matches and tournaments coming up:
Wednesday – Farmington Hills Mercy (5-1-1) at Bloomfield Hills Marian (23-1-0) – These rivals met three times last season, with Mercy sweeping all three matches.
Thursday – Calumet (4-3) at Hancock (12-2-2) – The Copper Kings swept both matches between these Western Peninsula Athletic Conference rivals last season.
Saturday – Cristi Curtis Memorial Invitation at Byron Center – The Division 1 honorable mention Bulldogs (14-3) will welcome a solid field that includes Division 2 honorable mention Edwardsburg (12-6), Fruitport (11-4-1), Mattawan (8-8) and Grand Rapids West Catholic.
Saturday – Battle by the Bay at Essexville Garber – The Dukes (12-6-2) will host Clare, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (11-3-3) and Beal City (14-2).
Monday – Flat Rock (16-4) at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (12-1-1) – The Rams haven’t gotten a lot of attention during their successful start, but could earn it with another impressive showing.
PHOTO A Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart setter passes to a teammate during the Irish's match against Carson City-Crystal earlier this month. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)