New Coach, Same High Standard at Calumet
October 12, 2017
By Dennis Grall
Special for Second Half
ESCANABA – A new coach is at the helm, but the tradition of excellent volleyball has carried on at Calumet High School.
The Copper Kings (27-6-2) are ranked sixth in the Class C state coaches poll this week as Matt Laho has added to the success established over the past 20 years by Lisa Twardzik. Calumet was Class C runner-up in 2008, a semifinalist in 2007 and 2016 and has won the past five Regional titles.
Calumet is the heart of a powerful volleyball program in the Copper Country, the northern-most region of the state. "We're not at the hockey status, but in the fall volleyball is a pretty big deal," said veteran Houghton volleyball coach John Christianson.
"Volleyball has become the in thing to do at schools up this way."
The two programs set the pace throughout the Upper Peninsula. They met recently with Calumet taking the decisive fifth match 15-11, and they meet again Tuesday at Houghton. They will also play in the Houghton tournament Saturday.
Laho, an assistant to Twardzik last year after spending several coaching and teaching in Wyoming after his graduation from Finlandia University, has put some of his own touches into the program while building on the foundation established by Twardzik.
"I soaked up as much as I can. She built Calumet into a volleyball powerhouse, and I want to continue that and try to keep that tradition alive," the Calumet fifth grade teacher said of trying to fill Twardzik's huge shoes.
He runs a middle-middle defense but said the emphasis is in different areas. "I have principles and philosophies and I build offense and defense systems around the players," Laho added.
Laho said Twardzik coached the "whole athlete, volleyball and academics and coached young women with fundamentals.
"Lisa always did a great job focusing on positive reinforcement. I do that too, but then I tell them here is where we go next," he said. His approach "lets them know things will be different. I let players know I will be open-minded."
The Copper Kings won an early-season tournament in Kingsford and last weekend won their pool at a 16-team tournament in Suttons Bay. "I'm very happy where we are at this point of the season," Laho said. "We have exceeded where we want to be at this point."
Laho said the team's strong suits are ball control, transition passing, defense and serving. "Our attacking, while not a weakness, can be more effective," he said.
Laho prefers everything "to be as simple as possible. I want things to become natural rather than to think about it on the floor."
Meanwhile, he takes a technical approach and gets a lot of individual feedback. "I have given them tiny tweaks to help them get better," he said.
"One thing they are noted for is defense, extremely disciplined defense," said Christianson. "Trying to find holes in their defense is difficult. And they are fundamentally really, really sound. They play with a mental focus, and they focus on the task at hand. And they have been blessed with some big, athletic girls, competitive girls."
A key player has been senior power hitter Lea Bjorn, "your prototypical hard-working athlete," said Laho. "She is a six-rotation player."
Other key players are seniors Ninia Anderson and Brea Johnson and juniors Celia Kiilunen and Brooke Kariniemi.
That group is following in the footsteps made by current Northern Michigan University spikers Janie Torola and Hailey Wickstrom.
This is also a tough team for opponents to dislike. "Their players are really nice people," said Christianson. "Their parents have raised them to be really nice ladies. It is a very good program with very good people."
Their reputation has spread across the Upper Peninsula and downstate as well.
"No doubt any place they go in the U.P., they are the standard bearer," said Christianson. "They set the bar, and the rest of us try to get there."
Denny Grall retired in 2012 after 39 years at the Escanaba Daily Press and four at the Green Bay Press-Gazette, plus 15 months for WLST radio in Escanaba; he served as the Daily Press sports editor from 1970-80 and again from 1984-2012. Grall was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and serves as its executive secretary. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for the Upper Peninsula.
PHOTOS: (Top) Calumet celebrates winning the Kingsford Invitational in coach Matt Laho’s debut. (Middle) A pair of Calumet players puts up a block against Lake Linden-Hubbell last month. (Photos courtesy of Calumet’s athletic department.)
Performance: Lake Orion's Paige Briggs
November 21, 2018
Paige Briggs
Lake Orion senior – Volleyball
The Dragons outside hitter was one of the state’s top players this fall, and led her team to an unprecedented accomplishment. Briggs put together back-to-back unforgettable performances during last weekend’s Division 1 Semifinals and Final to lead Lake Orion to its first MHSAA championship in volleyball and earn the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
In Saturday’s Final against Rockford, a 25-18, 25-23, 23-25, 25-16 victory, Briggs had 30 kills on 53 attacks – good for a .491 hitting percentage. She also added nine digs, as she was all over the court for the Dragons, who were making their first appearance in a title match since 2011. Amazingly, that performance may have been second-best on the weekend for Briggs, as she had 43 kills on 84 attacks in Lake Orion’s five-set Semifinal win over top-ranked Farmington Hills Mercy. The 43 kills tied for fifth-most in one match in MHSAA history. Lake Orion entered the postseason ranked No. 2 in Division 1 by the state coaches association and finished 68-5.
After missing four months including half of last season with a broken vertebrae, Briggs came back this fall to become a finalist for the Miss Volleyball Award, and she finished fifth among 10 finalists. On the season, she tallied a record book-qualifying 767 kills, averaging 4.7 per set, with a .408 hitting percentage. Briggs is still deciding what she will study after high school, but she’ll attend Western Kentucky University on a volleyball scholarship.
Lake Orion coach Tony Scavarda said: “I’ve watched a lot of high school volleyball, and I haven’t seen too many kids just take over games at this level of a tournament the way she has (Friday and Saturday) against that type of competition – such high-level teams. She’s been great all year, but she took her game to a whole new level in the Finals here. It was incredible.”
Performance Point: “As a team, we could clean things up, but we played flawless,” Briggs said after Lake Orion’s title-winning performance. “We played together as a team. You could feel it, almost. As a player, I loved the way I played, but you always want to do better, I guess.”
Taking control: “I ask for the ball all the time – I love hitting,” Briggs noted, explaining the team’s strategy of shifting to set her whenever possible during the final. “Those were some good stats, but I have to give it to my team, though. They helped me through this.”
Bouncing back, no pun intended: “Leaning back hurt – I was happy to get back.”
Peaking at the right time: “We all pulled together. We really wanted this. Going into Districts, we were watching film and doing the most we could possibly do to win this, because we all wanted it. We had multiple team talks, and they were really beneficial. It laser-focused everyone, and we got on the same page. It was really great.”
Next step: “I’m so excited for college. (Western Kentucky) is doing great, and I just can’t wait to be a part of it, and kind of try it on my own.”
- Paul Costanzo, Second Half contributor
Every week during the 2018-19 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard recognizes a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Past 2018-19 honorees
November 15: Hunter Nowak, Morrice football - Read
November 8: Jon Dougherty, Detroit Country Day soccer - Read
November 1: Jordan Stump, Camden-Frontier volleyball - Read
October 25: Danielle Staskowski, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep golf - Read
October 18: Adam Bruce, Gladstone cross country - Read
October 11: Ericka VanderLende, Rockford cross country - Read
October 4: Kobe Clark, Schoolcraft football - Read
September 27: Jonathan Kliewer, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern soccer - Read
September 20: Kiera Lasky, Bronson volleyball - Read
September 13: Judy Rector, Hanover-Horton cross country - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Lake Orion's Paige Briggs serves during Saturday's Division 1 Final against Rockford. (Middle) Briggs prepares to hit during a Semifinal win over Farmington Hills Mercy.