Finalists Named for Miss Volleyball
September 20, 2012
The Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association has announced its finalists for this season's Miss Volleyball award, which will be given to a senior during the week of the MHSAA Finals, beginning Nov. 12.
This is the 11th year of the award. Farmington Hills Mercy's Maddy Doyle was the 2011 recipient.
The following finalist bios are courtesy of the association's web site, MIVCA.net.
Tori Blake, 6-3, middle blocker, Midland: Setting school records in solo blocks, assist blocks and totals blocks she was the focal point of Midland's Class A state championship last season. Also a standout in track and high jump, she has a 3.7 grade-point average. She has verbally committed to play at Wisconsin.
Abby Cole, 6-5, middle hitter, Grand Haven: A second-team all-stater as a junior and a third-team as a sophomore, she earned a spot on this year Under Armor All-American Watch List. She also played varsity basketball and has a 3.7 grade-point average. She is committed to play at Michigan.
Allie Havers, 6-5, middle blocker, Mattawan: A first-team all-stater as a junior and a second-team as a sophomore, she is equally good - if not better - at basketball. A first-team all stater two years straight in basketball, she is committed to play basketball for Nebraska.
Ellen Hays, 5-7, Libero, Temperance Bedford: A second-team all-stater as a junior and a third-team as a sophomore, while leading Bedford in digs for two years. She is committed to play at Toledo.
Mackie House, 5-5, Libero, East Grand Rapids: Playing varsity for three years, she has been captain for two straight years. Miami (Ohio) and Michigan State are possible landing spots for her talents, she has a 3.5 grade-point average.
Amanda McKinzie, 6-0, outside hitter, Battle Creek St. Philip: She is a two-time first team all-stater and all-city player. A league MVP and a three-time all league, she has been on varsity all four years. She maintains a 3.87 grade-point average, and plans to attend Virginia Tech.
Leah Perri, 5-11, Middle blocker, Gull Lake: A first-team all-stater, she helped Gull Lake to a 2011 SMAC Conference Championship and 2011 Class A quarterfinals (MHSAA Regional & District Champions). She has recorded 192 aces, 1,223 digs and 321 blocks to date. She holds a 4.0 grade-point average and plans to attend Clemson.
Chloe Reinig, 6-4, outside hitter, South Lyon: A first team all-state, all-area (Player of the Year), all-county dream team, all-conference, all-tournament team and team MVP. As a freshman, she led Marian to a State Championship. She holds a 3.7 grade-point average and has committed to Michigan State.
Hope Rillema, 5-9, outside hitter, Whitehall: A first team all-stater last season, she helped Whitehall to a conference championship. She is team captain, a member of the national honor society, while maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average. She has committed to Morehead State.
Katie Schau, 5-9, setter, Gull Lake: A first team all-stater last season, as a junior she helped Gull Lake to two conference championships. She was first team all conference three years in a row. She is a member of the National Honor Society, maintaining a 4.1 grade-point average. She has committed to Minnesota.
PHOTO: Battle Creek St. Philip's Amanda McKinzie powers the ball past two Crystal Falls Forest Park blockers during last season's Class D Semifinals at Western Michigan University. (Click to see more at Terry McNamara Photography.)
Forest Park Returns to Championship Week Seeking to Continue 2-Month Winning Streak
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
November 18, 2025
L’ANSE — This has been quite a ride for the Crystal Falls Forest Park volleyball team.
The Trojans improved to 41-1 on Thursday, defeating Ishpeming 25-13, 25-18, 25-14 in a Division 4 Regional championship match.
“I didn’t imagine we would win 41 matches this season.” Forest Park coach Bobbie Jo Anderson said. “That’s beyond our expectations, although the girls worked hard.”
The Trojans will continue their postseason journey tonight when they meet Atlanta (36-1-2) in Quarterfinal match at 6 p.m. in Manistique.
The Regional championship was the third in four years for the Trojans, who fell to Hancock in straight sets in last year’s Regional Final at Baraga. Forest Park met Hancock in last week’s Regional Semifinal, this time winning 26-24, 25-23, 25-21.
“We didn’t like the outcome last year,” Trojans senior Ava Fischer said. “It’s absolutely a relief to win the Regional this year. We came into this season knowing we had a real good team. I’m so excited.”
Forest Park’s only loss took place Aug. 23 during a season-opening tournament in Mount Pleasant, where it dropped a 2-1 decision in the semifinals to Division 3 Saginaw Valley Lutheran, a team it had beaten in pool play earlier that day. Valley Lutheran also advanced to tonight’s Quarterfinals.
The Trojans had reached the Division 4 Semifinals twice in a row before last year’s earlier exit, and just missed reaching the 2023 championship match in falling to Leland in five sets at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena.
“After losing to Hancock last year, we knew we were going to come back stronger,” junior Tessa Bartoszek said. “We did morning workouts and open gyms during the summer. It’s awesome to be moving on.”
Bartoszek produced a key defensive play during the second set against Ishpeming, which featured Baylor recruit Mya Hemmer and finished this fall 23-6-2. The Hematites were trailing 14-11 when it appeared the ball was going to land on Forest Park’s side of the net. Bartoszek somehow prevented that from happening, dug up the ball and returned it to Ishpeming’s side, enabling the Trojans to go up 15-11 on a defensive error.
A seven-point service run by sophomore Harper Anderson also helped the Trojans get going in the opener.
“That was huge,” Coach Anderson said. “Volleyball is a game of momentum, and you want to keep that on your side.
“The first set definitely set the tone. The girls were able to relax a little more after winning that one.”
The Trojans have won their own invitational, ‘The Rock’ Invite at Gladstone, Escanaba Invitational and defeated Great Northern Conference champion Kingsford, Marquette and Calumet in a quadrangular at Kingsford during the regular season.
Forest Park also captured the Skyline Central Conference title prior to taking District and Regional championships.
Fischer is the team’s leading hitter with 467 kills this season, with five more Trojans totaling at least 100. Senior Elsie Williams and junior Vienna Price share setting duties, and Williams also is second on the team with 196 kills to go with her 502 assists. Fischer also leads the team with 351 digs, and Anderson has a team-high 89 aces.
Fischer and Williams are the team’s only seniors. Right behind Williams in kills is freshman Josie Anderson, one of three underclassmen in the primary playing group.
John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
PHOTO The Crystal Falls Forest Park girls volleyball team takes a photo after winning its District championship against Wakefield-Marenisco on Nov. 6. (Photo courtesy of the Forest Park school district.)