Matchup of 1 vs 2 Goes to St Mary in 5
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 23, 2019
BATTLE CREEK – The Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central volleyball team didn’t mean to be prophetic when it made “I’ve got your six” its season motto.
But on Saturday, the saying’s original intent – that each team member had the other’s back – gained a new meaning as the Kestrels brought home the school’s sixth MHSAA Volleyball Finals title with a five-set victory against Schoolcraft.
St. Mary (50-2) won 25-27, 25-21, 19-25, 25-18, 15-12 at Kellogg Arena to claim the Division 3 championship, the program’s first since 2014.
“Being here last year and going through a five-set loss (in the Semifinals) really fueled us,” St. Mary coach Karen O’Brien said. “I just think to have that experience of playing in that gym with the lights and the fans helped us. We wanted this from Day 1. We knew this was our goal to be here. It’s great for the four seniors to be able to come back and win our sixth. I know the reporter Jeff Mead (Friday) asked, ‘Does that six mean the sixth state title?’ It never was intended to be that way. But it might be a coincidence.”
It’s the first title for the Kestrels under O’Brien, who previously coached at Eastern Michigan University. O’Brien underwent treatment earlier in the season for her third battle with ovarian cancer.
“I don’t want to do anything but coach them when I’m going through treatment,” O’Brien said. “Because it’s something to look forward to, and I can leave cancer (to the side).”
While going through treatment, O’Brien lost her hair and had a temporary tattoo on her forehead that symbolized the team’s other saying, “Allow your faith to be stronger than your fears.” She had one on her wrist Saturday, along with every member of the team.
“Last year when we were here, the fears got the best of us,” O’Brien said. “The tattoo is just a reminder to have faith, not only in God, but in our players and the coaches and the program. And it was really just a reminder of that.”
The Kestrels had to have faith Saturday, as the much-anticipated battle between the top two teams in the Division 3 rankings lived up to its billing. The teams proved to be very evenly matched, and any multi-point run seemed like a major victory.
“I think we played a great game, and if we play them again, maybe we beat them in five,” Schoolcraft coach Erin Onken said. “I think that matchup goes more sets than three every single time. We have a ton of respect for them, and we knew it was going to be tough.”
It was the No. 2 Kestrels who made the final run, winning the final three points. St. Mary senior Samantha Michael and junior Mikayla Haut combined for a block on Schoolcraft star Andelyn Simkins to close out the match.
“Coach O’Brien always says if you see a hitter moving in, you’ve gotta move with her,” Michael said. “We just got our hands up, we pressed the six and we got her. It was just like the best feeling. It felt unreal.”
Simkins led all players with 28 kills in her final match. She also had a team-high 23 digs for the Eagles (48-7-1).
“It’s definitely not easy (defending Simkins),” Michael said.
Schoolcraft raced to an 11-4 lead in the first set, but St. Mary came all the back and even led 20-19. A Simkins kill ended a back-and-forth finish to the set and gave Schoolcraft the initial match lead.
The second set was following the same back-and-forth path, until SMCC was able to open up a four-point lead at 19-15, forcing a Schoolcraft timeout. While the Eagles were able to match SMCC the rest of the way, they couldn’t get closer than three points and the Kestrels tied the match at a set apiece.
Simkins was a force in the third set, helping her team get a little bit of separation midway through. She had eight kills in the set, but that didn’t even cover the impact she made, as on multiple points she fired more than one spike at the SMCC defense to keep the Kestrels off balance. She closed out the set with a deft tip and put her team one set from a title.
The Kestrels had different plans, however, racing out to a 9-4 lead in the fourth set to force a Schoolcraft timeout. The Eagles fought back to within one at 14-13, as Simkins had four kills in a five-point stretch. But SMCC was able to stretch the lead back out and force the fifth and deciding set.
Haut led St. Mary with 27 kills and 24 digs, while junior Anna Dean added 12 kills. Senior Payton Osborne had 24 digs, junior Grace Lipford had 26 assists, and senior Sarah Reicker had 24 assists.
Schoolcraft junior Kayla Onken had 53 assists and 15 digs, while junior Anna Schuppel had 13 kills. Juniors Kelby Goldschmeding and Allie Goldschmeding added 21 and 16 digs, respectively.
PHOTOS: (Top) St. Mary’s Abby Costlow (4) winds up for a kill attempt during Saturday’s Division 3 Final. (Middle) Schoolcraft’s Maggie Morris (9) blocks a St. Mary attempt.
Block Party: 2025 Girls Volleyball Quarterfinal Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 17, 2025
There are 32 girls volleyball teams playing tonight for trips to the MHSAA Finals, including five teams which have reached championship week for the first time.
Below we preview all 16 Quarterfinals. Links to interactive brackets for all four divisions plus information on purchasing tickets is available on the Girls Volleyball page, and a list version of tonight's slate is posted on the Scores page – with green TV icons linked to broadcasts on the NFHS Network.
Tune back in Thursday as we'll preview all 16 teams headed to Kellogg Arena.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Detroit Country Day d. North Branch (23-25, 17-25, 25-15, 25-19, 15-13) In one of the most exciting matches of this entire postseason, reigning Division 2 champion and current No. 2-ranked Country Day (21-8-0) came back from two sets down to defeat No. 1 North Branch (41-9-0) in a Division 2 Regional Final.
2. Kingsley d. Roscommon (25-22, 28-26, 25-19) The Division 3 No. 3 Stags (54-4-1) posted the biggest win of Regional Semifinal night, avenging a pair of regular-season two-set sweeps by the top-ranked Bucks (45-3-0).
3. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central d. Hanover-Horton (25-22, 25-21, 26-24) The sets were close but reigning champion and current No. 5 SMCC (25-4-1) swept No. 4 Hanover-Horton (42-2-1) to clinch their Division 3 Regional Final.
4. Fowler d. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (16-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-11) Fowler (33-8-2) had fallen to Sacred Heart in four sets Sept. 11, and the No. 5 Irish (26-9-6) claimed the first set this time before the Eagles went on their run.
5. Mendon d. Battle Creek St. Philip (25-14, 23-25, 25-13, 25-10) The Division 4 top-ranked Hornets (36-6-1) claimed their first Regional title since 2019 by adding to a regular-season four-set win over the No. 8 Tigers (25-15-5).
Quarterfinals at a Glance
DIVISION 1
Trenton (30-10-0) vs. Farmington Hills Mercy (39-5-3) at Hartland
Mercy entered the postseason ranked No. 3 in Division 1 and has never been lower than No. 5 on the list. Senior 6-foot-4 middle Ella Andrews is a Miss Volleyball Award candidate and has a .355 hitting percentage this fall. Trenton has improved 11 wins from just a year ago and won its first Regional title to reach this week. Senior outside hitter Mia Hyde leads the team in kills (397), hitting percentage and is second in blocks and digs.
Byron Center (36-5-2) vs. Ann Arbor Skyline (28-9-4) at Richland Gull Lake
Byron Center won its first Regional title since 1993 and has just one loss since mid-September – and also a notable tie with Mercy coming just under a month ago. Junior outside hitter Mallory Johnson leads the honorable mention Bulldogs with 330 kills and 437 digs. Skyline is 10-0-2 since the start of October and will be playing in its first Quarterfinal since 2021 but fourth over the last seven seasons. Senior Ryann Brooks leads three Eagles hitters with at least 200 kills.
Bloomfield Hills (41-6-1) vs. Oxford (27-12-5) at St. Clair County Community College
No. 2 Bloomfield Hills also celebrated its first Regional title on the way here, and after entering the top 10 at the start of September has never ranked below No. 4. Senior 6-0 outside hitter Kayla Nwabueze is a Miss Volleyball candidate and has 664 kills. Oxford entered the postseason unranked but claimed its first Regional title since 1997. The Wildcats have won all four of their MHSAA Tournament matches in five sets, with junior outside hitter Brenna Mirovsky (322 kills, 311 digs) among those leading the way.
Traverse City Central (32-9-0) vs. Rockford (45-1-1) at Ferris State University
Central has won 20 of 22 matches since the start of October, and came back after losing the first set to Davison on Thursday to advance and set up this Quarterfinal rematch with Rockford – after the Rams swept last year’s with a 36-34 third-set win. The top-ranked Rams defeated three-straight top-10 opponents to get here. Senior Izzie Delacher (1,207 assists) sets a Rockford offense that includes 6-0 outside hitter Liv Hosford (428 kills), another Miss Volleyball candidate. Junior outside hitter Erica Heffner, with 403 kills, leads four Trojans hitters with at least 200.
DIVISION 2
Detroit Country Day (21-8-0) vs. Lake Fenton (23-15-0) at Mt. Morris
Senior 6-0 outside hitter Elise Hiemstra is a Miss Volleyball candidate and has team highs of 391 kills and 60 aces to lead Country Day, which is coming off the notable win over North Branch detailed above. Lake Fenton claimed its District title by avenging a Flint Metro League championship loss to Linden and has steadily moved up this season, entering the rankings as an honorable mention in mid-October. Senior outside hitter Jillian Ferrill leads the attack with 572 kills.
Grand Rapids Christian (26-8-0) vs. Tecumseh (55-2-0) at Richland Gull Lake
The Eagles entered the postseason ranked No. 3 and spent two weeks in October at No. 1, with their losses this season all coming to ranked or honorable mention teams in Division 1. Christian defeated three top-eight ranked teams in a row to reach this week, and 6-0 junior outside hitter Grace Goodyke (510 kills) has been a catalyst. No. 6 Tecumseh has been nearly unbeatable since falling to Country Day in last season’s championship match, losing this season only to Division 1 No. 6 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern and Division 3 top-ranked Roscommon. Senior Lily Gnodtke (1,044 assists) again sets the attack.
Ogemaw Heights (30-6-2) vs. Fremont (37-13-0) at Ferris State University
Both are playing in their first Quarterfinal. Ogemaw Heights clinched its first Regional title by avenging last year’s District loss to Essexville Garber with a five-set win Thursday after the teams had split regular-season matches. Senior middle Teagan Agren and junior outside hitter Aubrey Evans have both topped 300 kills. Fremont also advanced to championship week for the first time by avenging a loss, downing Fruitport in five sets in their Regional Final after losing their regular-season meeting Oct. 1. Junior middle Taylor DeKuiper is one of three hitters with at least 200 kills and she also leads in hitting percentage and blocks.
Flat Rock (35-7-0) vs. Ferndale (18-3-1) at Saline
These two also are enjoying historic tournament runs – No. 10 Flat Rock winning its first Regional title and Ferndale winning its first since 1978. Flat Rock avenged a pair of regular-season losses to Huron League rival Milan by winning their Regional Final match, and Ferndale advanced with a five-set Regional Final win over Harper Woods Chandler Park, avenging a loss in the Eagles’ regular-season finale. Outside hitters Abi Dutra and Mariah King start and are two of four seniors on Ferndale’s junior-dominated roster. Junior Sarah Giroux is a powerful presence for Flat Rock with 526 kills and a .340 hitting percentage.
DIVISION 3
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (25-4-1) vs. Plymouth Christian Academy (41-8-1) at Saline
These two met three times a year ago, including in a Regional Final as St. Mary went on to win the Division 3 championship. They have not met this season, and the Kestrels entered the postseason ranked No. 5 and Plymouth Christian No. 2. Junior Alexa Turner (632 assists) is again the primary setter for SMCC, which has lost only to Division 1 and 2 schools. PCA similarly has lost only once to a Division 3 opponent. Junior setter Anika Jaroszewski has 1,034 assists directing an Eagles attack with several options.
Traverse City St. Francis (32-16-0) vs. Kingsley (54-4-1) at Traverse City West
This will be the third meeting of these teams over the last month, with No. 3 Kingsley winning the first two. Junior outside hitter Jenna Middleton (669 kills) and senior setter Sarah Wooer (1,428 assists) both have qualified for the MHSAA record book in those statistical categories. No. 7 St. Francis finished Division 3 runner-up a year ago and again is paced by the offensive punch of senior outside hitter Quinn Yenshaw (415 kills, 79 blocks).
Pewamo-Westphalia (31-11-3) vs. Kalamazoo Christian (28-12-3) at Vicksburg
This will be the fourth-straight postseason these two have met; Kalamazoo Christian has defeated the Pirates in Quarterfinals the last two years after P-W won their Division 3 championship match in 2022. They also split a pair of matches at this season’s Muskegon Western Michigan Christian Invitational on Oct. 23. The No. 9 Pirates start all seniors including outside hitter Annika Platte, an all-state second teamer last season. The No. 8 Comets’ attack runs through senior setter Reagan Zuiderveen, who has 966 assists and is a returning all-state third-teamer.
Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (18-15-1) vs. Saginaw Valley Lutheran (50-10-3) at Mott Community College
Lutheran Northwest has taken another step this season reaching the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2019 and after falling in the Regional Final a year ago. The Crusaders avenged last year’s loss to Cass City to advance to this week. No. 6 Valley Lutheran is making a third-straight trip to the Quarterfinals and can get coach Jon Frank to 700 wins if the Chargers reach Saturday. Junior Kate Belt sets the Valley Lutheran offense and has 1,271 assists, while sophomore Becca Pavlik sets Lutheran Northwest’s attack.
DIVISION 4
Traverse City Christian (29-16-2) vs. Fowler (33-8-2) at Clare
Traverse City Christian will play in a Quarterfinal for the second-straight year. The Sabres entered the postseason amid a rough stretch but then avenged two recent defeats and downed No. 9 Onekama in the Regional Final. Freshman Promise Bouwmeester is part of a two-setter attack and leads with 457 assists and 85 aces. No. 2 Fowler avenged the regular-season loss to Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart to win its first Regional title since 2020. Senior Paige Thelen leads six hitters with triple-digit kills at 440.
Crystal Falls Forest Park (41-1-0) vs. Atlanta (38-1-2) at Manistique
Both of these teams have been near-perfect this fall and bring championship-level experience into this week. Atlanta is playing in a Quarterfinal for the second-straight season and lost only to Hale during its league tournament. No. 4 Forest Park is back with its third Regional title over four seasons and its only loss coming Aug. 23 to Saginaw Valley Lutheran. Senior Ava Fischer leads the Trojans attack with 467 kills and also has a team-high 351 digs. Senior Alliyah Hagemeister has dominated the middle for Atlanta with 610 kills and 94 blocks.
Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (26-12-2) vs. Ubly (29-10-4) at Mott Community College
Inter-City Baptist entered the postseason an honorable mention in the latest coaches poll and hasn’t lost a set during the playoffs – and allowed only one of four opponents to even reach 17 points. Sophomore 6-1 middle hitter Daneris Gomez leads up front with 224 kills and 67 blocks. Ubly is making a repeat trip to the Quarterfinals and is riding a 9-1-1 stretch as it seeks to make the Semifinals for the first time since 2007. Junior Waverly Hagen also stands 6-1 in the middle for the No. 3 Bearcats and has 425 kills and 66 blocks.
Mendon (36-6-1) vs. Hillsdale Academy (25-11-1) at Coldwater
Top-ranked Mendon is seeking to make the Semifinals for the first time since its most recent Division 4 championship season of 2019. Three hitters have topped 200 kills, led by senior Gracie Schultz with 449 to go with her 81 aces and 354 digs. Hillsdale Academy is seeking its first Semifinal trip and is playing in its first Quarterfinal since 2013. The Colts have defeated both No. 6 Concord and No. 7 Adrian Lenawee Christian on the way to this week, in part on the setting of senior Elizabeth Andaloro (657 assists).
PHOTO Rockford’s Mallory Wandel (16) and Grace Crelly (12) put up a block during the Rams’ Division 1 Quarterfinal win over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern. (Photo by Michigan Sports Photo.)