Performance: Hudsonville's Kaylee Maat
October 11, 2019
Kaylee Maat
Hudsonville senior – Volleyball
The fourth-year varsity setter had 35 assists – including the 4,000th of her high school career – to lead the No. 2-ranked Eagles past No. 9 Grand Haven 3-1 in a matchup of top Division 1 teams, earning the MHSAA “Performance of the Week.” Maat became the 12th Michigan athlete to surpass that 4,000 milestone, and with 4,183 she’s up to seventh in state history for career assists since the introduction of rally scoring during the 2004-05 season.
Maat is averaging 7.6 assists per game this season and also has 22 aces for a Hudsonville team that is 36-2 as it pursues its first MHSAA championship in this sport. Two days before the Grand Haven match, Maat and the Eagles got past Division 2 top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian 3-2 to avenge its most recent of two defeats this fall. (Hudsonville also has twice avenged its first loss of this season, to Division 1 No. 3 Lowell). In addition to joining the varsity lineup as a freshman, Maat is a three-time team captain and earned all-state honorable mention last season to go with a number of other accolades during her career.
After growing up playing softball as well, Maat turned her full athletic attention to volleyball in high school and has helped the Eagles to District titles the last two seasons. She also carries a 3.3 grade-point average and will continue her academic and athletic careers at Ferris State University, where she plans to study sports communications in pursuit of a career in event planning for a sports franchise or athletic program.
Coach Teresa VanDerSchaaf said: “It has been a true honor to coach Kaylee over the last four years. She has developed into such an amazing leader that genuinely cares for her teammates and their success. She shares credit with her team and loves watching them succeed. Kaylee has time and time again stepped up in big matches as well as stepped up in leadership roles. She handles pressure situations really well. We place a lot of ownership on our captains, and for Kaylee to rise to that opportunity and care about her development, as well as her team’s, is something that is so amazing to see.”
Performance Point: “I've put a lot of work in. But my team gives so much back to me, whether it be feedback or great passes; it comes mostly from them,” Maat said. “I had kind of an idea (I was close to 4,000). Some of my favorite teachers were chirping about it, but I didn't know exactly where I was at. I think it's a milestone. … It's something I've been striving for for a while.”
A better way: “When I was a freshman, I was kind of a hot head. … That comes from just being super passionate about what I do. I want to win in everything that I do in life, whether it's in school – like I want to beat someone else out for a better grade – I'm always competitive about everything, and that's kinda where that came from. But it's directed in a better way now that I've grown up. Learning not everyone responds well to someone jumping in their shoes about something – through the coaches, through Hudsonville, I've learned that.”
Learning to lead: “When I was a sophomore, we went through a leadership book, all the different keys of leadership, and I think I really bought into that and every aspect of it. My sophomore year, I really grew that year because of going through that with my coaches and the other captains. … At the beginning of the year, it’s always a little rocky getting to know the new girls and talking about seeing how people respond to different things – that’s always something to learn. Always giving other people what they want is my top priority.”
More than a game: “I've gained so many friendships through (volleyball). Like yeah, we all love the game, but the relationships you gain through it is what I feel keeps everyone together and supporting each other. That's what I love – the game brings so many people together. Through high school, in my community, and other high schools, and during club I've met a lot of girls from different states. They're people that are exactly like me and love what they do every day.
Creative outlet: “I've always been super-organized – that's my thing – and creating stuff. I've always been into crafts, like when I was a kid I was always making something with my dad outside or in the kitchen with my mom or doing something fun with papers and crafts with my grandma. In my free time, I do a lot of journaling. … Writing all this stuff down in a creative way helps me process all of this stuff.”
– Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Past honorees
Oct. 3: Emily Paupore, Negaunee cross country - Report
Sept. 26: Josh Mason, South Lyon soccer - Report
Sept. 19: Ariel Chang, Utica Eisenhower golf - Report
Sept. 12: Jordyn Shipps, DeWitt swimming - Report
PHOTOS: (Top) Hudsonville setter Kaylee Maat (5) celebrates with her teammates. (Middle) Maat, in her fourth season starting for the Eagles' varsity, sets for one her team's hitters. (Photos by Robert McCulfor Photography.)
Block Party: 2025 Girls Volleyball Week 5 Report
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 24, 2025
Few sports dominate school-year weekends like girls volleyball does with its Saturday tournament schedules each fall.
This past week's again included several events, most notably the East vs. West Challenge (won by the East 11-9) at Brighton's Legacy Center. This weekend could be even bigger with teams from all four divisions locked up in elite competition; see below for plenty of notes referencing some of the best matchups to come.
Records and results are based on what is submitted to MHSAA.com for Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) that determine seeding of the top two teams in every District. Rankings referred to below reflect the latest polls posted by the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association (MIVCA).
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. South Lyon East d. Rockford (25-22, 25-22) Although South Lyon East (21-5-1) did also lose to Jenison at the East vs. West Challenge, the Cougars made the biggest wave by handing Rockford (20-1-0) its lone loss this season – and moved up to No. 8 in Division 1 this week.
2. Flat Rock d. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-11) Flat Rock (18-4-0) has won 15 of its last 16 matches and now owns its first win – ever – over Monroe St. Mary (13-2-1).
3. Farmington Hills Mercy d. Bloomfield Hills Marian (14-25, 25-22, 25-22, 27-25) These rivals should meet at least a few more times this fall, but Mercy (8-2-1) handed Marian (23-2-0) just its second match loss and despite falling in the first set.
4. East Grand Rapids d. Grand Rapids Christian (25-19, 25-20) The Pioneers (20-5-0) finished 5-0 at the Lake Odessa Lakewood Invitational, with this win over last week’s No. 2 team in Division 2 likely helping to jump them onto the Division 1 honorable mention list.
5. Brighton d. Northville (25-16, 25-22, 25-22) In a matchup of Division 1 honorable mentions, Brighton (18-3-0) defeated reigning champion Northville (6-6-0) for the first time since 2019.
Watch List
With an eye toward November, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Farmington Hills Mercy (8-2-0) The Marlins – Division 1 champions most recently in 2023 and ranked No. 3 this week – are again among the elite coming off a 2-1 run at the East vs. West Challenge. Mercy defeated Division 1 honorable mention Lowell and Muskegon Mona Shores and lost to top-ranked Rockford there, but its only other defeat came to Division 1 No. 2 Bloomfield Hills a month ago. Mercy opened last week with the big Marian victory noted above.
Jenison (19-2-0) A 4-0 run through the East vs. West Challenge included sweeps of Brighton, Northville, South Lyon East and Grosse Pointe South as Jenison moved up to No. 5 in Division 1. The Wildcats – Regional finalists last season – also have downed Division 1 honorable mention Byron Center and Division 2 No. 8 Grand Rapids South Christian and split with Division 1 No. 9 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, the other defeat coming to Division 2 No. 3 Grand Rapids Christian.
DIVISION 2
Lansing Catholic (13-1-1) The Cougars received an honorable mention in the Division 2 poll this week coming off a 4-0 run through the Mt. Morris Invitational. Lansing Catholic also went 3-0-1 at the Bay City Western Tournament to start the season – getting a win over Midland after previously tying the Chemics that day. Lansing Catholic suffered its first loss Tuesday, to Portland.
North Branch (21-2-0) The 2022 and 2023 Division 2 champion reached the Quarterfinals last year and is blasting through another tough schedule in preparation for another potentially big run. The Broncos moved up a spot to No. 2 in the rankings this week after defeating Mona Shores, Lowell and Grand Rapids Northview at the East/West, and their only losses this season were to Northville and Bloomfield Hills the weekend before. They’ve downed Division 2 No. 7 Frankenmuth and Division 3 top-ranked SMCC among several others.
DIVISION 3
Hanover-Horton (16-1-1) A 6-0 run through the weekend’s Spring Arbor University Invitational was topped off by the No. 7 Comets sweeping Division 2 honorable mention Parma Western in the clincher. That actually also avenged Hanover-Horton’s only loss, in three sets, during the season-opening Chelsea Invitational where the Comets went 2-1-1 against Division 1 and 2 teams. They also count a pair of wins over Division 4 Concord among their most notable.
Plymouth Christian Academy (18-5-0) The Eagles are holding steady at No. 3 in Division 3 coming off a 4-1 run against Division 1 and 2 opponents at the weekend’s Portage Northern Invitational. A Regional finalist as well a year ago, PCA opened this season with a championship at the Leland Invitational against a field that also included Division 2 honorable mention Marshall, and got more valuable matches against Division 1 and 2 opponents at two more tournaments.
DIVISION 4
Lake Linden-Hubbell (17-2-0) The Lakes have won the Copper Mountain Conference Preseason Tournament and finished second at the Baraga Invitational on the way to already approaching last season’s 22-12-0 record. The lone losses came to No. 10 Hancock in four sets and Chassell at the Baraga event, and they’re set to see both again at least once more – home against Chassell next Monday and at Hancock on Oct. 21. All three are in the same District as well.
Ubly (10-2-2) The Bearcats jumped three spots to No. 2 in Division 4 this week as they seek to build on last season’s 37-8-0 finish and Quarterfinal run. Ubly went 4-0-2 at the weekend’s Eaton Rapids Tournament, twice defeating then-No. 2 Fowler plus honorable mention Adrian Lenawee Christian, which jumped to No. 4 this week. The defeats this season were solid as well, both coming during the opening weekend at the Cadillac Invitational to the Division 2 Vikings and Division 3 No. 8 Traverse City St. Francis.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these matches and tournaments coming up:
Thursday – Onekama (12-4-0) at Suttons Bay (13-0-0) – Both are honorable mentions in Division 4, and the winner could push for a spot among the top 10.
Saturday – Motor City Power Series at UWM Sports Complex in Pontiac – A total of 28 teams will play as the Power Series reconvenes, including a pool with Division 1 No. 3 Mercy, No. 6 Utica Eisenhower, honorable mention Brighton, Traverse City Central and Division 2 No. 2 North Branch.
Saturday – D3 & D4 Showdown at Schoolcraft College in Livonia – This bracket will feature Division 3 No. 5 Pewamo-Westphalia and honorable mention Cass City, and Division 4 top-ranked Mendon and No. 2 Ubly among others.
Saturday – Battle Creek Lakeview Invitational – Division 2 No. 6 Grand Rapids Catholic Central might be the headliner, but host Lakeview, Detroit Renaissance, Otsego and Coldwater are among other intriguing teams in the field.
Tuesday – Hancock (14-2-2) at Negaunee (11-4-2) – These two split at the season-opening Kingsford Invitational, and this matchup will mean more with Western Peninsula Athletic Conference ramifications.
PHOTO Bloomfield Hills Marian and Farmington Hills Mercy faced off last week for the first time this season. (Photo by Kristina Sikora/KMS Photography.)