Gabriel Richard Achieves Volleyball Perfection
November 21, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
BATTLE CREEK – Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard finished the final set of the 2015 MHSAA volleyball season Saturday evening the same way it finished every match beginning in mid-August.
As the winner.
Gabriel Richard became the first undefeated MHSAA volleyball champion since Marysville in Class B in 1999, sweeping reigning champion North Branch 3-0 – 25-21, 25-14, 25-19.
The Fighting Irish – eliminated in a Quarterfinal a year ago – took on and beat many of the best in Michigan this fall. The perfect run included victories over five ranked teams in Class B and three of the top four in Class A including champion Novi.
"I remember our first practice when we made goals for ourselves: beat this team, make it to states. And I think we surprised ourselves to actually go through the season undefeated,” Gabriel Richard junior outside hitter Jurnee Tipton said. “We always had the talent last year, but I don’t think we knew what to do with it as much. This year, working on that and working on being focused, helped us.
“I think our talent was always there. We just needed to know how to work with it.”
And that said, Tipton admitted it still hadn’t sunk in what she and her teammates had accomplished. Coach Mayssa Bazzi said it might not for years to come.
That makes sense – the youngest Irish (42-0) might not have been born when Marysville completed its perfect 1998-99 run.
Gabriel Richard was among the final eight in Class B last season, finishing 22-7-1. But a series of wins this fall – first over Novi in the second tournament of the season, then over Class A semifinalist Grand Rapids Christian in the final at the Beast of the East tournament in October – convinced anyone watching that Gabriel Richard might have history-making in its future.
“My team has blown my expectations out of the roof,” Gabriel Richard senior Emily Tanski said. “I’m so thankful.”
The Irish lost only four sets all season and none during the MHSAA Tournament, even as expectations and anticipation continued to build.
“There’s been a little more pressure after each match this season. It just kept building and building and building,” Bazzi said. “The biggest thing is the composure of this team. I don’t think we take the pressure on the court with us. I think we feel it when we’re off the court and we’re anxious and we just want to play. When we’re on the court, we’re just in our element.”
In only three sets Saturday, Tipton had 26 kills hitting an incredible .658 with only one error. Tanski added 23 kills, and junior Emma Nowak had 50 assists – fifth-most in an MHSAA Final.
Junior Olivia Fike had 13 kills and freshman Allyson Severance had 11 to lead the Broncos (57-12-2).
North Branch coach Jim Fish said his team tried to leave other hitters open to persuade Gabriel Richard to go away from its big two. The Irish didn’t follow.
Gabriel Richard never trailed in a set by more than three points, and scored 14 straight points – the final five of the second set and first nine of the third.
“We played maybe the best we played all year, and we still couldn’t (stop them),” Fish said. “I’m glad we didn’t give up. I told them, that’s what they do. They just wear on you and teams give up. We’re not going to give up.
“We battled the whole time. We did not give up. That third game says a lot; we got back within four. We made them earn it. That is one of the best teams – I’ve been doing this a long time – one of the best teams I’ve seen. They’re just really good.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Gabriel Richard players rush toward coach Mayssa Bazzi as she presents the Class B championship trophy. (Middle) Emily Tanski (3) pushes a ball over the net for the Fighting Irish.
TC Central Upholding Program Standards with Eye on MHSAA Tournament Goal
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
November 8, 2024
Traverse City Central’s volleyball team is living the dream.
More aptly put, the Trojans are living the vision — that of third-year coach Emily Wilbert.
Central is 36-1-1 entering Saturday’s Division 1 District Final against Mount Pleasant and coming off a 25-22, 25-15, 25-13 win over crosstown rival Traverse City West. That was the Trojans’ fourth win over West this season and kept them on track to achieve perhaps their biggest goal – to advance in the playoffs farther than any volleyball team in the school’s history.
They are moving along living their vision clearly spelled out by Wilbert in a preseason letter to her team.
“I wrote a letter and read it to the 12 varsity players that made the 2024 varsity team the night we finished cuts,” Wilbert recalled. “In my letter I talked about standards. I talked to them about three things that were non-negotiable and that are all within their control – working hard, having a good attitude and supporting your teammates.”
Central wears a warm-up T-shirt every game with the words “WORK, ATTITUDE, SUPPORT.” The shirt was designed by captains Elyse Heffner and Marley Richmond, the only seniors on the squad, which is also coming off a third-straight Big North Conference championship. A third-straight District title is now in immediate site.
“We are starting to reap the benefits of our culture and our process,” Wilbert said this week as the Trojans entered postseason play. “We are committed to excellence in all we do. We are disciplined to the process and committed to the team – if we do these things, the results we want will follow.”
The Trojans will play one game at a time, but the result they really want is to win a Regional title for the first time. If they do that, they could get a chance to meet one of the teams that knocked them out of the playoffs the last two years – Rockford, which won its District again this year. Grand Haven, which knocked the Trojans out last year, already has been eliminated this week.
“We’ve made it to the Regional Final once before and our coach has told us our school, our volleyball team, has never won a Regional Final,” said Heffner, a dominating outside hitter for the Trojans. “We can’t look ahead. We have to focus on the games in front of us. We still have Districts.”
Heffner led the Trojans over West with 15 kills, 11 digs, one ace and one block. Richmond, the team’s setter, had 31 assists, 10 digs and two kills.
Central’s lone loss this year was to Rockford in an early-season tournament. While trying not to look ahead, a postseason win over the Rams would be special.
“I think it would be cool to get a chance to play Rockford again,” admitted Richmond. “Our previous times playing them, we haven’t been fully ourselves.”
The only other time Central was not victorious this year was in pool play of a tournament against Grand Rapids Catholic Central. Both teams took a game for a two-set draw, but Central advanced out of the pool play. The two teams met again later this season in another tournament pool play match, and the Trojans won both games.
Coming off an undefeated conference season, the Trojans are concentrating again on Mount Pleasant. They defeated Mount Pleasant 25-17, 25-20, at their home quad late last month. The District Final will be played back at Central. The Oilers defeated Cadillac in their semifinal at Cadillac. Central’s semifinal was at West.
The Trojans have won all of their matches at home this year. They’re excited to get back on the home court, where their coach also played for the Trojans. Wilbert enjoys coaching in the Trojans’ gym as much as she enjoyed playing there; it’s her favorite place to play.
“I love being a TCC Trojan alumni,” Wilbert proclaimed. “It feels special to have been part of this program, played four years on varsity and now to be coaching the varsity team.”
Wilbert started coaching JV volleyball at Central in 2010. When you add in the time watching her sister also play for Central, she’s been “connected to the program for over 25 years.”
During those 25 she also coached some JV at West and took a break to have twins, daughter Avery and son Grady, now age 6. She has hopes Avery will someday play volleyball for the Trojans.
Wilbert measures Central’s success by more than victories, although she’s quick to point out she’s a competitive person who likes to win.
“Coaching gives me the chance to unlock a young person’s potential to maximize their growth, teach them the skills and give them the tools to be successful as a student-athlete and beyond,” Wilbert said. “I encourage them and believe in them so they can believe in themselves and create memorable moments and memories they will cherish for a lifetime.”
Heffner and Richmond have provided strong leadership for the Trojans both on and off the court. Coming into District play, Heffner led the team in serving aces (70) and kills (456). She was also second in digs with 253. Richmond was tops during the regular season in assists with 889 and second in aces at 50.
Erica Heffner, a sophomore, came into the postseason with 252 kills and 230 digs. Junior Sydney Richmond was leading the teams in digs at 265. The Trojans were also getting strong serving from freshman Macaire Kudary.
Win or lose in the days ahead, the Trojans will hold their heads high and recall a fun season.
“We’ve had an incredible season,” Wilbert said. “It’s got to be fun. When your work hard and put in the time, the results sort of come.”
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Traverse City Central players, including Elyse Heffner (6), Adelae Nelesen (10) and Bella Hernalsteen (11) huddle before the start of a match this season. (Middle) Central’s Macaire Kudary (12) attempts to put a ball over a Cadillac block. (Below) The Trojans’ Marley Richmond (2) attempts a one-handed block against Gaylord. (Photos by Ryan Hernalsteen Photography.)