Performance: Fenton's Chloe Idoni
November 17, 2016
Chloe Idoni
Fenton sophomore – Volleyball
Despite entering the postseason with only five losses, Fenton was unranked in the final Class A poll – but the Tigers have made their presence felt over the last three weeks, and especially by defeating No. 10 Utica Eisenhower and then No. 2 Clarkston in last week’s Regional. Leading the way was 5-foot-11 outside hitter Idoni, who tallied 24 kills and 16 digs against Eisenhower and 32 kills against the Wolves to earn the Michigan National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
Fenton has since advanced to its first MHSAA Semifinal since 1992 as Idoni had 12 kills and 15 digs in Tuesday’s five-set Quarterfinal win over Midland that improved the Tigers to 46-5-3 this fall. She started at middle hitter as a freshman and this season until sliding outside before Districts began. That move has opened up more opportunities for her to make an impact; she's second on her team with 445 kills while leading with a .390 hitting percentage. She also leads with 108 blocks, 64 aces and is among top defenders on the team with 255 digs.
Idoni was a standout on the varsity basketball team that finished 18-7 and won a District title last winter, earning all-area honorable mention from the Flint Journal. She also played junior varsity soccer as a freshman, but is considering participating in track & field next spring; she was a high jumper in middle school and might do that event and throws. In addition, Idoni is a strong student – she carries a 3.9 grade-point average – and already is considering studying for a career in sports medicine when high school is done.
Coach Jerry Eisinger said: “As a freshman, it was pretty obvious that she is a very special talent. Last year and for much of this year, Chloe was a middle hitter for our team. And she was very dominant at that position, with powerful kills and strong blocking. But being in the middle, we were limited as to how much we could get her the ball. Later in this season we moved Chloe to outside hitter, where we could get her the ball more regularly, and since that time she has really become a force. It goes beyond the powerful kills. She has excellent court presence and knows when to tip and when to hit. Her defensive skills are also impressive as she has become one of our better passers and is a very good six-position player. Lastly, her attitude is a big reason for her success. Looking at her, you would never know if she is struggling or dominating, except for her “kill celebration.” Her competitive attitude and court maturity goes way beyond her age.”
Performance Point: “I knew our team could do it if we played together, played with heart, and we played together and accomplished our goal,” Idoni said. “I love being the underdog, not expected to win, because you don’t have all this pressure. You go out and give it your all, and as long as you give it your all you don’t have anything to look down on yourselves. … We knew (Clarkston) had an amazing team. They were ranked number 2 and we weren’t even ranked. We just have to play it play-by-play, do our thing and never give up. After the first (set), it just filled our confidence up. If we beat them once, there was no reason we couldn’t beat them again.”
Making the move: “I was a middle and got moved outside; I like it better. It gives me more opportunities, and I got to play all around recently too. I was an outside hitter for a couple of years until I moved to middle, so I had experience with it. I knew I’d be OK with it. … (And) I’ve been playing with Kiley (Aldred) my setter a really long time in travel volleyball, so we’ve had chemistry for a long time.”
Celebrate: “I have a lot of energy on the court, so when I get a kill I like to celebrate a lot, give my team more energy because it helps on the next play. Our cheer celebration, we don’t have a specific one. We just go to the middle and scream and yell.”
Whatever is in season: “(My favorite sport) really depends on the season. Right now, my favorite is volleyball in a way, but things change in basketball season. I go back and forth. In volleyball (I like that) you get to celebrate more with your team (after a point) instead of having to go right back on defense.”
Underclassmen can lead, too: “I like to try to be the best leader I can be for both teams. I help out my teams the best I can, to have more energy, get more excited and never get down on themselves. Most underclassmen might be a little intimidated, but I was never intimidated. I have lots of upperclassmen friends that I knew for a long time, and they’re all nice people, great teammates.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2016-17 school year, Second Half and the Michigan National Guard will recognize 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.
Previous 2016-17 honorees:
Nov. 10: Adelyn Ackley, Hart cross country – Read
Nov. 3: Casey Kirkbride, Mattawan soccer – Read
Oct. 27: Colton Yesney, Negaunee cross country – Read
Oct. 20: Varun Shanker, Midland Dow tennis – Read
Oct. 13: Anne Forsyth, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country – Read
Oct. 6: Shuaib Aljabaly, Coldwater cross country – Read
Sept. 29: Taylor Seaman, Brighton swimming & diving – Read
Sept. 22: Maggie Farrell, Battle Creek Lakeview cross country – Read
Sept. 15: Franki Strefling, Buchanan volleyball – Read
Sept. 8: Noah Jacobs, Corunna cross country – Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Fenton's Chloe Idoni (right) puts up a block during a match against Clio in 2015. (Middle) Idoni prepares to swing during Tuesday's Quarterfinal win over Midland. (Photos by Mark Bolen and David Troppens/Tri-City Times.)
O-G Overhaul Continues to Deliver as Bulldogs Clinch League Title Repeat
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
October 23, 2025
Barb Hellebuyck was honored to return to her alma mater and take on the challenge of rebuilding the Owendale-Gagetown volleyball program.
Having played for the legendary Judy Campbell, Hellebuyck knew what success at Owen-Gage looked like. With her granddaughter entering the program, she had an idea of the type of talent there was on hand to aid in the process.
She was not quite as aware of just how deep the rebuild would have to go, however.
“I remember, and I don’t know what team it was, they came to play a game at our gym and picked up the raggedy balls we had – the look on that girl’s face,” Hellebuyck said. “I went, ‘Oh heck no. We have got to do some upgrading here.’ These girls deserve to look good, to feel good, then that will help them play better when their confidence goes up. It started with new balls, then we got new carts, new uniforms, we have two new net systems now. Everything has been building for these girls, and they should have all that stuff.”
With its new equipment on hand, and its coach now in her fifth season, the Owen-Gage volleyball team is not only rebuilt but flourishing.
On Tuesday night, the Bulldogs clinched their second-straight Big Thumb Conference Red title, also their third in four years. Prior to winning the 2022 title, it had been 17 years since Owen-Gage had won a league championship.
That 2005 title was the last of 11 straight for a once-dominant program, constructed by Campbell as she built a 500-139-25 record over 20 seasons during the team’s infancy. From 1977 through 2008, Owen-Gage won 27 league titles, 21 District titles and five Regional titles. The school had nearly run out of room on the banner hanging in the gym.
Now, it finally has some numbers to justify getting a second one.
“It’s been very eventful – our team has really developed over the years,” said Owen-Gage senior Aubrey Hellebuyck, who joined the varsity team as an eighth grader in 2021. “We’ve really changed the program and turned it all around. We went from being last in the conference to being a championship contender. It’s really awesome to be a part of that.”
Aubrey Hellebuyck is one of three seniors on Owen-Gage’s eight-player roster this season, joined by Ayriona Maikrzek and McKenzie Baker.
They also happen to be the only three girls in the school’s four-student senior class. Owen-Gage is among the state’s smallest 30 schools in terms of MHSAA classification, with an enrollment of 41. The towns of Owendale and Gagetown have a combined population of less than 600 as of the 2020 census.
Because of its size, Owen-Gage can have eighth graders play varsity sports, as Hellebuyck did. They also have students as young as seventh grade playing on the JV team.
For some, that could be intimidating. But at Owen-Gage it’s been embraced.
“Having no experience, it was very hard,” Owen-Gage junior Jessica Bowers said. “We were going against teams that would have freshmen and sophomores, while I’m just a seventh grader who had never played before. But it made me develop faster because I had to lock in and focus when I’d be going up against people that were a lot bigger.”
A smaller school population also forces players to learn to become more well-rounded. Not only because of the small number of substitutes, but because there’s no guarantee the population will provide a player that fits a specific position.
“They are all phenomenal players in my mind, because we have a lot of them that play all the way around,” Barb Hellebuyck said. “They have to be good at the net, they have to be good in the back row. They’re really phenomenal players. They’re not always the tallest ones, but I have several players that do multiple things. We just have to.”
Again, it’s something Owen-Gage players have embraced.
“I’m a middle, and normally at other schools the middles never play all around,” Bowers said. “When I first started, all I focused on was hitting. Gradually I had to force myself to learn to dig a ball because no one could play back row for me. Eventually I got really good at it. On a bigger school team, I don’t think I would have to do that.”
With that buy-in, it’s no surprise that Owen-Gage has returned to its winning ways. This year’s team is 19-4-1 overall, having won 13 straight matches. It has not lost since Sept. 9.
The Bulldogs have two regular-season matches remaining before the District tournament, which begins Nov. 3. With a league title wrapped up, that’s the next goal, to end another 17-year drought and claim the school’s first District championship since 2008. In their way is Division 4 No. 2 Ubly.
“There’s a chance we could do that,” Aubrey Hellebuyck said. “It would be a huge upset, and it would be insane. We’re working toward that.”
That possible title would be made even more special by the fact it would be won in the Bulldogs’ home gym, as they are hosting. That’s another source of pride, just five years removed from side-eyed looks over the state of the program’s equipment.
“Barb puts a lot of work into that,” said Aubrey Hellebuyck, who added that she’ll go back to calling her “Grandma” after the season. “She’s a great coach, but she actually does a lot of fundraising just so our program has a lot of opportunity. We had one net, and it was horrible. Now we have two brand-new nets that are great. Our old ball cart, it was not a ball cart, I don’t even know what it was. But it’s not embarrassing to bring out our ball carts anymore for home games.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Owendale-Gagetown players celebrate during a match this season. (Middle) Jessica Bowers elevates to get to a ball. (Below) Aubrey Hellebuyck (5) enjoys a moment with her team. (Photos by Kaitlin Gunsell/Kaitlin’s Klicks.)