Irish Cap Dominating Run to Class B Win
November 23, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
BATTLE CREEK – Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball coach Betty Wroubel has won 772 matches over the last 20 seasons. She had brought one other team to an MHSAA championship game, the eventual Class B champion in Fall 2007.
But it’s a fair argument none of her best dominated quite like her Fighting Irish did this fall in finishing off their second MHSAA title – although they had to win one of their toughest matches to finish the run.
Notre Dame, the top-ranked team at the start of the tournament, beat No. 3 North Branch in Tuesday’s Quarterfinal, then No. 2 Wayland in the semi before surviving a late surge by No. 5 Grand Rapids South Christian to win the championship match Saturday in four sets, 25-15, 25-19, 19-25, 25-23.
After falling behind two sets to none, the Sailors (46-12-1) simply wouldn’t go away – and nearly drew even in the fourth after trailing by as many as five points.
But the Irish’s dominant front line was just a little too much to overcome as it finished with 60 kills – good to tie for eighth-most in MHSAA Finals history during the rally-scoring era.
“We’ve been through so many challenges and all of these teams that we’ve been playing, and our team chemistry is just so amazing; we can just trust each other and be confident with ourselves,” Notre Dame junior hitter Katherine Carlson said. “We finished because we can really just trust each other on the court. We were getting our passes, getting our sets (and) we could just go up, be confident, be aggressive and swing.”
Notre Dame’s only losses this fall were to Class A Semifinalist Temperance Bedford and honorable mention Lake Orion. But it wasn’t until the North Branch win Tuesday that Wroubel became convinced her Irish were prepared to finish the week with the program’s second title.
Carlson had with 25 kills Saturday, tying for ninth-most in an MHSAA Final, followed by senior Dani McCormick with 17 and junior Jenna Sassack with 12. The Irish (62-2-1) also had the sixth-most assists in a Finals, 58, and piled up 85 digs with four in double figures led by sophomore Emma Kowalkowski with 20 – tied for 10th most in Finals history.
In the last set alone, Carlson responded to five South Christian points with kills, while McCormick ended two rallies.
“What Katherine Carlson does just amazes me sometimes on the court. I don’t know how she has that court sense, how she knows sometimes where to put the ball. There’s some rallies, and the other team is getting some confidence, and she comes up and puts the ball on the floor and brings it back to us,” Wroubel said. “And Dani McCormick the last four to six weeks has been outstanding.
“In volleyball, if you have one good player out there, you’re tough to beat. You have a couple of them, and you’re going to have to play some darn good defense to knock them off.”
But as the match went on, South Christian’s strengthened. The record book will list a few Sailors performances as well – their 10 blocks make the list, with junior Ashley VanderHorst’s seven ranking among the top individual totals.
South Christian coach Allison Sagraves called Notre Dame the toughest team hers played in the tournament, but the Sailors hung tough after the disappointing start.
That was characteristic of the team’s season. It lost a key middle blocker for the rest of the fall on Oct. 24, which could’ve sunk the Sailors – but instead became a turning point. South Christian was in a bit of a lull at that point, but emerged and didn’t give up a set in the postseason until the championship match.
“I thought we kept fighting no matter what, and the end of Game 4 just showed what these girls have. Just because they had 24, that didn’t mean we were going to roll over and end it,” Sagraves said. “We fought right back, and we really believed we were going to come back and win.
“We talked about that in our timeouts: We’re fighters, and we’re not going to quit, and we’re going to force them to beat us.”
Five seniors started for South Christian, and hitter Taylor Wierenga finished her final high school match with 17 kills, while Cassidy Vredevoogd had 13 and middle Danielle Oeverman had 10. Senior setter Emily Blankespoor had 41 assists, and five Sailors had double-digit digs: Blankespoor and sophomore Abbie Porter with 14 apiece, Vredevoogd with 12 (along with five blocks) and senior Morgan Torres and junior Clarissa VanderHoning with 10 apiece.
Junior Ashley Knutson had 36 assists and 12 digs for Notre Dame, while Carlson added 13 digs and junior Bella Bucchi had 17. Junior Hannah Antosz added 20 assists.
PHOTOS: (Middle) Pontiac Notre Dame Prep hitter Katherine Carlson follows through as her teammates anticipate a kill during Saturday’s championship match. (Middle) The Irish celebrate their first MHSAA championship since 2007. (Below) South Christian’s Danielle Oeverman sends the ball toward the net as two Notre Dame blockers prepare to deflect it.
Preview: Hopefuls Converge on Kellogg
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 14, 2018
There are important changes to note as we move into the final weekend of the 2018 Michigan high school girls volleyball season.
First, remember that Classes A, B, C and D are no longer. This weekend will see the first champions of Divisions 1, 2, 3 and 4.
And while Pontiac Notre Dame Prep and Bronson are seeking to repeat, only two more of the 16 teams from last season’s field will be joining them back at Battle Creek's Kellogg Arena. From this mostly-new group of contenders, nine teams are seeking their first championship in this sport and six are hoping to make the final day’s matches for the first time.
Below is this weekend’s schedule:
Division 1 Semifinals – Friday
Lake Orion vs. Farmington Hills Mercy, 4:30 p.m.
Northville vs. Rockford, 6:30 p.m.
Division 2 Semifinals - Thursday
Grand Rapids Christian vs. Lake Odessa Lakewood, 4:30 p.m.
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. Corunna, 6:30 p.m.
Division 3 Semifinals – Thursday
Unionville-Sebewaing vs. Traverse City St. Francis, Noon
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central vs. Bronson, 2 p.m.
Division 4 Semifinals - Friday
Mendon vs. Southfield Christian, Noon
Leland vs. Carney-Nadeau, 2 p.m.
Finals – Saturday
Division 1, 2 p.m.
Division 2, 4 p.m.
Division 3, Noon
Division 4, 10 a.m.
Click for links to all results from this season’s tournament plus ticket information and details on live broadcasts of all 12 matches this weekend on MHSAA.tv and MHSAANetwork.com. Below is a glance at all 16 contenders, with statistics through last week's Regional Finals unless noted.
Division 1
FARMINGTON HILLS MERCY
Record/rank: 52-2, No. 1
Coach: Loretta Vogel, 10th season (record N/A)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central
Championship history: Class A runner-up 2010.
Best wins: 3-0 (Regional Final) plus five regular-season sweeps of No. 6 Bloomfield Hills Marian, 2-0 and 2-0 over No. 2 Lake Orion, 2-0 over honorable mention Clarkston, 2-1 over honorable Temperance Bedford, 2-0 over No. 9 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 2-0 and 2-0 over Division 2 No. 1 Grand Rapids Christian.
Players to watch: Jess Mruzik, 6-1 jr. OH (377 kills, .416 hitting %); Julia Bishop, 5-11 soph. S (1,329 assists, .589 hitting %); Ella Loussia, 6-1 sr. OH (211 kills, .362 hitting %).
Finals forecast: Mercy, a semifinalist last season as well, hasn’t lost a match in two months and only seven sets this season. Only Lake Orion and Stoney Creek took match victories, and the Marlins avenged both defeats. Mruzik, a returning all-stater, will enter next season as the likely Miss Volleyball Award favorite. Sophomore Charlie Atiemo and senior Mallory Conrad are both 6-0, giving Mercy a stifling block in the middle – and Atiemo was third on the team with 205 kills entering the week and second with a .504 hitting percentage. Mruzik has committed to sign with University of Michigan.
LAKE ORION
Record/rank: 66-5, No. 2
Coach: Tony Scavarda, fifth season (276-48-2)
League finish: Second in Oakland Activities Association Red
Championship history: Class A runner-up 2011.
Best wins: 2-0 over No. 1 Farmington Hills Mercy, 3-0 (Regional Final) plus two regular-season wins over No. 9 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 3-0 (District Final) plus three regular-season wins over honorable mention Clarkston, 2-0 over No. 3 Mattawan, 2-0 over No. 6 Bloomfield Hills Marian, 2-0 over No. 8 Northville, 2-0 over No. 10 Portage Central, 2-0 and 2-0 over honorable mention Novi, 2-0 over Division 2 No. 1 Grand Rapids Christian, 2-0 over Division 2 No. 2 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep.
Players to watch: Paige Briggs, 5-10 sr. OH (679 kills, .396 hitting %, 83 aces); Wren Macaulay, 5-9 sr. S (1,539 assists, 94 aces, 84 blocks, 319 digs); Sydney Smith, 5-10 jr. OPP (277 kills, .323 hitting %).
Finals forecast: Lake Orion has held onto the No. 2 spot in Division 1 as one of only two teams statewide to take a win from Mercy this fall. Briggs was a Miss Volleyball candidate and has the Dragons back at the Semifinals for the first time since the runner-up finish in 2011, and after missing nearly half of her junior season with an injury. Four players had at least 70 blocks entering this week, with 6-2 sophomore middle Kendall Robertson the leader with 99 and third on the team with 233 kills. Lake Orion’s losses were to Mercy (twice), Northville, Stoney Creek and Grand Rapids Christian. Briggs will continue her career at Western Kentucky.
NORTHVILLE
Record/rank: 47-6-1, No. 8
Coach: Julie Fisette, third season (134-21-4)
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 2-1 over No. 2 Lake Orion, 2-1 over No. 10 Portage Central, 2-0 over No. 9 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 2-1 over No. 6 Bloomfield Hills Marian, 3-0 (District Final), 3-0 and 2-1 over honorable mention Novi, 3-1 (Regional Semifinal) and 2-1 over honorable mention Temperance Bedford, 2-0 over honorable mention Clarkston.
Players to watch: Clare McNamara, 5-10 jr. MB (353 kills, .309 hitting %, 85 blocks); Gabriella Fisette, 5-9 sr. S (817 assists, 190 digs); Hannah Grant, 5-7 sr. L (661 digs, 70 aces). (Stats include Quarterfinal.)
Finals forecast: The Mustangs will play in their third Semifinal in seven seasons but first under Julie Fisette, who took over three seasons ago but formerly coached for 17 at Novi. Northville ran into the eventual Class A champion Wildcats during the tournament the last three seasons, but prevailed in their meeting this time in the District Final. The team’s only defeats came to Lake Orion, Grand Haven, Clarkston, Bloomfield Hills Marian (twice) and Portage Central. Grant made the all-state second team last season, and McNamara earned honorable mention.
ROCKFORD
Record/rank: 46-11-1, No. 7
Coach: Kelly Delacher, 14th season (571-243-13)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Championship history: Class A champion 2011, runner-up 2016.
Best wins: 3-2 (Regional Semifinal), 3-0 and 2-0 over No. 5 Hudsonville, 3-2 (District Final) and 2-1 over No. 4 Lowell, 2-0 and 2-0 over No. 10 Portage Central, 2-1 over No. 3 Mattawan, 2-1 over Division 2 No. 1 Grand Rapids Christian.
Players to watch: Lindsay Taylor, 6-2 sr. OH (689 kills, 65 aces, 352 digs); Emmy Webb, 6-0 sr. MH (408 kills, .373 hitting %, 88 blocks); Emilee Karelse, 5-8 sr. S (1,412 assists, 77 aces, 250 digs).
Finals forecast: The Rams graduated two all-staters after last season but made it back to the Semifinals after ending 2017 in their Regional Final. Taylor made the all-state second team last season, while Webb made a brief appearance in the 2016 championship match. Rockford has won 15 of its last 16, avenging the lone loss of that string by beating Hudsonville in the Regional Semifinal. The team has only four seniors – the three mentioned above and 5-11 outside hitter Alyssa Judge, who was third entering the week with 236 kills and 315 digs and first with 95 aces. Taylor will play collegiately at Miami (Ohio).
Division 2
CORUNNA
Record/rank: 50-6-5, honorable mention
Coach: Kari Carnell, eighth season (251-125-28)
League finish: First in Genesee Area Conference Red
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 3-0 over honorable mention Kingsley in Quarterfinal, 3-1 over Mt. Morris in District opener, 2-1 over Division 3 No. 6 Unionville-Sebewaing, 2-0 over Division 3 honorable mention Pewamo-Westphalia, 2-0 over Division 3 honorable mention Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian.
Players to watch: Elizabeth Norris, 5-11 jr. MH/S (837 kills, 86 blocks, 388 digs); Alexa Mort, sr. S (1,533 assists, 72 aces, 341 digs); Ellie Toney, 5-11 fr. MH (301 kills, 92 aces, 417 digs).
Finals forecast: Coming off its third straight Regional title, Corunna has broken through to earn its first Semifinal berth. The Cavaliers have won 10 of their last 11 matches and also taken some strong defeats – the losses this fall came to No. 2 Notre Dame Prep, honorable mention Cadillac, Division 3 No. 3 Schoolcraft, Oxford and New Lothrop. Norris earned all-state honorable mention last season and in Tuesday’s Quarterfinal blew past her sister Meredith’s best kills season of 839 in 2016, when Meredith was named Miss Volleyball.
GRAND RAPIDS CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 44-5, No. 1
Coach: Tiffannie Gates, eighth season (378-79)
League finish: First in O-K Gold
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 3-0 over No. 6 Hamilton in Quarterfinal, 3-0 over honorable mention Spring Lake in Regional Final, 3-0 over No. 8 Coopersville in Regional Semifinal, 3-0 (District Final) plus three regular-season sweeps of honorable mention Grand Rapids South Christian, 2-1 over No. 7 Fruitport, 3-2 over Division 1 No. 5 Hudsonville, 2-0, 2-0 and 2-1 over Division 1 No. 10 Portage Central, 2-0 over Division 1 No. 2 Lake Orion, 2-0, 2-1 and 2-0 over Division 1 No. 7 Rockford.
Players to watch: Addie VanderWeide, 6-0 soph. OH (482 kills, .332 hitting %, 351 digs); Maria Bos, 5-9 sr. OH (391 kills, 313 digs); Jordyn Gates, 5-11 jr. S (1,260 assists, .321 hitting %, 368 digs). (Stats include Quarterfinal.)
Finals forecast: Grand Rapids Christian is seeking its first championship in this sport after making the Class A Quarterfinals three times this decade including last season, and reaching the Semifinals most recently in 2015. Gates made the Class A all-state second team last season and VanderWeide made the third team, and they lead a lineup with only two seniors – Bos and 5-11 middle Olivia Nedd (206 kills, .315 hitting percentage). The Eagles have seen most of the best in Divisions 1 and 2, falling this fall only to Mercy (twice), Rockford, Lake Orion and Division 1 No. 3 Mattawan.
LAKE ODESSA LAKEWOOD
Record/rank: 46-8-2, No. 3
Coach: Cameron Rowland, first season (46-8-2)
League finish: First in Greater Lansing Activities Conference
Championship history: Class B champion 2012, four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 3-1 over No. 5 Wixom St. Catherine in Quarterfinal, 3-0 over honorable mention Parma Western in Regional Semifinal, 2-0 over No. 7 Fruitport, 2-0 over No. 8 Coopersville, 2-1 over Division 1 No. 4 Lowell.
Players to watch: Patsy Morris, 5-5 sr. L (692 digs, 365 assists, 108 aces); Aubrey O’Gorman, 6-3 soph. MB (353 kills, .451 hitting %, 140 blocks); Maradith O’Gorman, 6-1 fr. RS/S (452 kills, .393 hitting %, 404 assists, 95 aces, 122 blocks, 300 digs).
Finals forecast: Longtime coach Kellie Rowland retired after leading the Vikings to a third runner-up finish in four seasons last fall. In stepped her son Cameron, who grew up in the program and previously served as a graduate assistant at Western Michigan University. He’s brought the Vikings back for their fifth Semifinal in seven seasons, and with a returning first-team all-stater in Morris and third-teamer in Aubrey O’Gorman. Five players had at least 100 kills entering the week, and sophomore Sophie Duits with 499 assists led three players with at least 365. St. Catherine was the first of six postseason opponents to win a set, and the Vikings are 15-0-1 over their last 16 matches.
PONTIAC NOTRE DAME PREP
Record/rank: 63-5, No. 2
Coach: Betty Wroubel, 25th season (1,057-221-94)
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Championship history: Three Class B titles (most recent 2017).
Best wins: 3-0 over No. 4 North Branch in Regional Final, 2-0 over honorable mention Corunna, 3-0 over Division 1 No. 6 Bloomfield Hills Marian, 2-0 over Division 1 honorable mention Battle Creek Lakeview, 2-0 over Division 3 No. 2 Bronson.
Players to watch: Maddy Chinn, 6-3 sr. OH (628 kills, .463 hitting %, 134 blocks, 493 digs); Natalie Risi, 5-11 sr. OH (532 kills, .449 hitting %, 178 aces, 444 digs, 147 assists); Aly Borellis, 5-5 fr. S/RS (74 aces, 700 assists). (Stats include Quarterfinal.)
Finals forecast: Notre Dame Prep won its second Class B title in five seasons a year ago, and this week saw Chinn named the Miss Volleyball Award winner – with Risi also among the 10 finalists. They and setter/outside hitter Maria Famularo (597 assists, 435 digs, 276 kills, 97 aces) are the only seniors on the team and three of only five upperclassmen. After taking tough losses early to strong Division 1 teams Clarkston, Marian, Lake Orion, Flushing and Sterling Heights Stevenson, the Fighting Irish have strung together 53 straight wins. Chinn will continue her career at Purdue University and Risi with Ball State, while Famularo will play at Division II Slippery Rock in Pennsylvania.
Division 3
BRONSON
Record/rank: 56-6, No. 2
Coach: Jean LaClair, 19th season (892-307-75)
League finish: First in Big 8 Conference
Championship history: Four Class C titles (most recent 2017), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 3-2 (Regional Final) and 2-0 over No. 3 Schoolcraft, 3-0 over No. 9 Centreville in Regional Semifinal, 3-0 (Quarterfinal) and 2-0 over honorable mention Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, 2-0 over honorable mention Muskegon Western Michigan Christian, 2-1 over Division 1 honorable mention Battle Creek Lakeview, 3-0 over Division 4 No. 2 Mendon.
Players to watch: Keona Salesman, 6-1 jr. OH (707 kills, .394 hitting %, 114 aces, 525 digs); Kiera Lasky, 5-5 sr. L (662 digs, 92 aces); Ashton Wronikowski, 5-11 sr. MH (392 kills, 109 blocks, 135 aces).
Finals forecast: Bronson won the last three Class C championships and might be the favorite this weekend if not for an early loss to Monroe St. Mary. Lasky made the all-state first team last season and was a Miss Volleyball finalist, while Salesman and Wronikowski also made the Class C first team a year ago and now-senior hitter Jolie Smoker (331 kills) earned honorable mention. Sophomore Meagan Lasky has taken the reigns of the attack with a record book-qualifying 1,640 assists heading into this week. Bronson also has wins over Division 2 honorable mentions Parma Western, Niles and Edwardsburg and Division 4 No. 3 Camden-Frontier and No. 5 Battle Creek St. Philip, with their defeats to St. Mary, Division 1 No. 3 Mattawan, Battle Creek Lakeview (twice), Notre Dame Prep and Ann Arbor Skyline.
MONROE ST. MARY CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 45-3, No. 1
Coach: Karen O’Brien, fourth season (151-36-3)
League finish: First in Huron League
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2014), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 2-0 over No. 2 Bronson, 3-2 over No. 5 Manchester in Quarterfinal, 3-0 (Regional Final) and 2-0 over No. 10 Brighton Charyl Stockwell, 3-0 (District Final) and 2-0 over No. 4 Riverview Gabriel Richard, 2-0 over Division 2 No. 8 Coopersville, 2-0 and 2-1 over Division 1 honorable mention Temperance Bedford.
Players to watch: Mikayla Haut, 5-10 soph. OH (536 kills, .405 hitting %, 95 aces, 71 blocks, 364 digs); Abby Jackson, 5-7 sr. L (548 digs); Maddie Haut, 6-0 sr. MH (244 kills, .477 hitting %, 119 blocks).
Finals forecast: St. Mary is back at the Semifinals for the sixth time in eight years after falling in a Quarterfinal to eventual champion Bronson a year ago. The Kestrels have returning all-state first-teamers Mikayla Haut and Jackson and third-teamer Maddie Haut highlighting a roster with four seniors total but three who start. The third, setter Jessica Long, had a team-high 799 assists entering this week, and 5-8 sophomore Anna Dean (263 kills) is another key hitter. St. Mary also owns wins over Division 4 No. 5 Battle Creek St. Philip, No. 6 Plymouth Christian and Division 2 honorable mention Parma Western, with its losses to Brighton, Dexter and Mattawan.
TRAVERSE CITY ST. FRANCIS
Record/rank: 34-13, No. 8
Coach: Matt Witczak, first season (34-13)
League finish: First in Lake Michigan Conference
Championship history: Class C runner-up 2012.
Best wins: 3-1 over honorable mention Beal City in Quarterfinal, 3-1 over Rogers City in Regional Semifinal, 2-1 over Division 2 honorable mention Kingsley, 2-0 over Division 4 No. 1 Leland.
Players to watch: Molly Mirabelli, 6-1 sr. OH (408 kills, 129 digs); Brenna Poole, 5-10 sr. M (332 kills, 94 blocks, 136 digs); Hannah Sidorowicz, 5-8 soph. S (812 assists, 74 aces).
Finals forecast: St. Francis won its third Regional title in four seasons and will play in the Semifinals for the first time since 2015. The Gladiators have come on strong with 20 wins over their last 21 matches, including a late victory over Leland after two earlier defeats. Mirabelli made the all-state first team last season and played in the 2015 Semifinal loss to Bronson. Along with Brenna Poole, sophomore Kaylin Poole provides additional hitting with 284 kills and a team-high .350 hitting percentage entering this week. Mirabelli will play collegiately at Miami (Ohio).
UNIONVILLE-SEBEWAING
Record/rank: 43-4-4, No. 6
Coach: Teresa Rose, 11th season (373-105-46)
League finish: First in Greater Thumb Conference West
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 3-2 (Quarterfinal) and 2-0 over Brown City, 2-1 over No. 9 Centreville, 3-0 over honorable mention Harbor Beach in the District Final, 2-0 over honorable mention Pewamo-Westphalia.
Players to watch: Rylee Zimmer, 5-10 sr. MH (782 kills, .384 hitting %, 517 digs, 127 blocks); Nichole Schember, 5-9 sr. S (1,616 assists); Allyson Kemp, 5-10 jr. OH (351 kills). (Stats include Quarterfinal.)
Finals forecast: After falling in a close Quarterfinal a year ago, USA took the next step to return to the Semifinals for the first time since 2014. Zimmer was a Class C all-state second-teamer last season, and she and Schember are the only seniors on this fall’s squad. Both have posted numbers eligible for inclusion in the MHSAA record book, and freshman Megan Gross (252 kills) and sophomore Grace Williamson (279) also are key hitters. The Patriots’ only losses were to larger schools – Grand Blanc (twice), Mason and Corunna. They’ve lost only 22 sets this season, including the eight from those four defeats. Zimmer will continue her career at Saginaw Valley State.
Division 4
CARNEY-NADEAU
Record/rank: 26-3-1, No. 9
Coach: Steve Kedsch, 17th season (279-196-38)
League finish: First in Skyline Central Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 3-2 over honorable mention Onaway in Quarterfinal, 3-1 (Regional Final) and 3-2 over Munising, 2-0 over No. 10 Rudyard.
Players to watch: Taylor Kedsch, 5-8 soph. OH (216 kills, 62 aces, 239 digs); Talisha McCullough, 5-4 sr. S (364 assists, 207 digs); Layla Blahnik-Thoune, 5-7 sr. S/RS (222 assists, 65 aces, 201 digs).
Finals forecast: Carney-Nadeau has followed up its first Regional title in this sport with its first trip to the Semifinals, after winning its third straight District and second straight league titles earlier this fall. The Wolves only losses were two early to Wisconsin teams and the most recent later to larger Sault Ste. Marie – they’ve lost only 15 sets all season. Senior Ashlyn Hansen and sophomore Liana Blahnik are 5-11 and 5-10, respectively, and provide an effective blocking tandem in the middle, together averaging nearly three blocks per match.
LELAND
Record/rank: 46-10-1, No. 1
Coach: Laurie Glass, 24th season (956-279-90)
League finish: First in Northwest Conference
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2015), six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 3-0 and 2-1 over Division 3 No. 8 Traverse City St. Francis, 2-0 over Division 2 honorable mention Cadillac, 3-2 over Division 2 honorable mention Kingsley.
Players to watch: Ella Siddall, 5-5 sr. S (1,019 assists, 80 aces, 229 digs); Allie Martin, 5-7 sr. OH (493 kills, 113 aces, 386 digs); Hanna Elwell, 5-9 sr. OPP (310 kills).
Finals forecast: Leland is back for its fourth Semifinals in five seasons after falling in the Regional a year ago. Siddall is capping a career that has seen her set for the 2015 championship team and 2016 semifinalist, while Martin also was a key contributor in 2015 and Elwell played a big part in 2016. Siddall made the all-state first team last season, while Martin made the second, junior middle/defensive specialist Maddie Grosvenor made the third and senior libero Margie Stowe earned honorable mention. Siddall will play collegiately at DePaul.
MENDON
Record/rank: 47-6-3, No. 2
Coach: Heather Bowers, first season (47-6-3)
League finish: First in Southwest 10 Conference
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2001).
Best wins: