Performance: Novi's Ally Cummings
November 23, 2016
Ally Cummings
Novi senior - Volleyball
As the lone four-year varsity player on Class A champion Novi's roster, the 5-foot-11 Cummings has played a special role in helping the program rise to elite. Cummings – the Wildcats' right-side hitter and the state's Miss Volleyball Award runner-up this fall – finished a memorable high school career by leading Novi to a second straight Class A title last week to earn the Michigan National Guard's "Performance of the Week."
Cummings chipped in eight kills and nine digs in Tuesday's Quarterfinal win over Bloomfield Hills Marian, then led the team with 13 digs (to go with 15 kills) in the Semifinal sweep of Fenton. She finished with 10 kills, 14 digs and four blocks in a 3-1 win over Rockford in Saturday's Final; the Rams took only one of seven sets given up by Novi this season, and Cummings had four kills and all four of her blocks over the final two sets as the Wildcats pulled away. All three matches exemplified how Cummings has worked to become an all-around player, while remaining the threat who, as coach Jennifer Cottrill explained, doesn't allow teams to defend only one side of the court because if they do, "she will terminate" from the right.
In addition to the two Class A titles and 54-1 record this fall, Novi also finished Finals runner-up in 2014 and finished a combined 198-20 during Cummings' four years on varsity. She had 510 kills on a .346 attack percentage, plus 317 digs and 59 blocks this season, and finished with 1,042 kills, 183 blocks and 628 digs over her career. Cummings played club with five of this year's other Miss Volleyball finalists and finished runner-up for the award to Corunna's Meredith Norris, coming in second by only one vote. Also an academic all-state selection with a 3.8 grade-point average, Cummings will study psychology and continue her volleyball career next season at Valparaiso University.
Coach Jennifer Cottrill said: “The first couple of years I was here (2012 and 2013), we lost to Northville in the District Finals and never advanced past that in the postseason, and Ally was around for that – she’s the only one that was, and as we wanted to change that, she was the voice of change for us. … She’s always played so well in Battle Creek, all three of her years that we were there. Last night at our banquet, (I said) that’s where she eats pressure for breakfast. It doesn’t faze her. Other players, you see them run around the court, they’re nervous and do things that are uncharacteristic to the norm. But not Ally. She’s so solid in pressure situations.”
Performance Point: “My role was just to play consistently and help everyone to stay calm during stressful moments – be someone in pressure situations who could put the kill down, but mostly just to stay consistent the whole game. We have to make sure we stay in the game, don’t think too far ahead, and if we’re down, work point by point and get down the deficit. I think the whole time, for the most part, we were pretty calm during the games. They were all super-duper tight games, and we hadn’t had anything like that during the season.”
Lasting legacy: “I just hope they can think of me as a really good friend on the team. Not so much how I played during these years, just think ‘she’s such a good captain,’ that I had a good positive attitude and that I was able to be someone they can talk to. When we started this season, we all had roles as captains, and mine was to stay consistent and lead by example. Throughout the year, I think all of our captains accomplished what we set out to do.”
Quite a ride: “Playing on the team the last four years, I think I’ve really gotten better staying mentally strong during the game. There definitely were games I just played awful, but you’ve got to get back up, go to practice and get ready to get better again so the next game you can play better. … It feels so long ago; freshman year was the last year we lost in the first round, in Districts, and every year since we went to Battle Creek. We did a lot of team-building activities, working on our chemistry (after freshman year), and when we came in sophomore year, we were all already family on that team. … My senior year, I can definitely look back and think it was a successful one. It’s not really about me individually, but our team played so well together. For my senior year, to know the team played as well as possible, it’s an amazing feeling.”
It’s an honor: “I’m just so proud that I was able to come so close to winning (Miss Volleyball) against such amazing athletes in that kind of race. Being able to play with five of the other candidates, that makes the perspective bigger. They’re just great people and athletes, and to be able to come in second in that, it’s insane to me.”
Ready to help: “I’ve just always wanted to help people, and I know psychology, and working with kids, is something I wanted to do as well. I wanted to have a profession where I could help people out, and maybe with sports psychology so I can continue in the athletic area working with kids and athletic people. Growing up, you should always have a good support system, because that’s how you’ll act the rest of your life – how you’re taught as a kid. I want to have that positive influence.”
- 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. 17: Chloe Idoni, Fenton volleyball – Read
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) Novi's Ally Cummings follows through on a kill attempt during Saturday's Class A Final win against Rockford. (Middle) Cummings takes her turn serving against the Rams.
Kingsley Scores Final Point of 2025 Season to Clinch Program's 1st Finals Title
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 22, 2025
BATTLE CREEK – For a set and a half Saturday, it was clear Kalamazoo Christian was the team with a championship experience edge in the Division 3 Volleyball Final against Kingsley.
The Comets were playing at Kellogg Arena for the fourth straight year, having won a title in 2023, finished runner-up in 2022 and reached the Semifinals as well in 2024.
But apparently that set and a half was all the time Kingsley needed to become comfortable in the moment, as the Stags rallied for a 22-25, 26-24, 25-15, 25-12 victory, claiming the program’s first Finals title.
“We got hammered the first game, just didn’t play well,” Kingsley coach Dave Hall said. “Just error after error, tight, and just out of nowhere they find it in them. In the second set we were down again, set point, and somehow they find a way to score a point and tie it. We’ve been in 25 of those this year, and have probably won 23 of them. They just don’t get rattled. I’m chewing my fingernails off and can’t look half the time, and they just play volleyball. It’s amazing.”
Hall’s illustrious career has spanned nearly three decades at Kingsley, as he’s won 1,230 matches in his 27 years with the program.
It was the second time he had taken a team to the final day of the season, with the previous for the Class C Final in 2004.
“It’s surreal,” he said. “I just told somebody that it’s probably going to be tomorrow before I realize what just happened. We’re just enjoying the win right now. … My daughter was just telling me she was 7 years old last time we were here. She’s 28 now, married. It’s awesome. I don’t even know if I have words right now to describe the feeling.
“Honestly, these kids have worked so hard. They got knocked out in the Regional Final in four sets (a year ago), and their goal was to come back and go further. Our motto has been one more day, one more day, just try to get to the end of the season. I said, ‘We’re going to play the last point of the volleyball season in the state of Michigan today, and it’s going to be match point and we’re going to win this thing.’ Thank goodness it worked out that way.”
It didn’t look that way early, as Kalamazoo Christian led from 4-3 on in the first set to take early control of the match. It then weathered a fast Kingsley start to the second before going up 24-22 with a chance to take complete command.
“I think we were playing really loose,” Comets coach Carlie Southland said. “Having a lot of fun and playing really disciplined in our passing, blocking and serving.”
Kingsley (57-4-1) would win the next four points, however, and never let go of the momentum, as Kalamazoo Christian (30-12-3) would never have another lead in the match.
“I think we were just kind of nervous at the start,” Kingsley senior setter Sarah Wooer said. “Then in the second set we realized that we were really in it, we just had to play hard. Once we realized that we were doing well and we could win, we just kept playing hard and we were able to pull it off.”
The lone glimmer of hope for Kalamazoo Christian came late in the third set, when it cut a 15-7 Kingsley lead down to 16-11. But a wild rally that included diving saves from Wooer, Isabelle Seitz and Aizlyn McKinley ended with a Jenna Middleton kill, and Kingsley rolled from there.
The play was a great representation of how the Stags played throughout much of the match.
“I think we all just read the hitters really well,” Wooer said. “We knew they had really good hitters, and we were able to adjust our block really well. Our blockers played a big part in it. Our defense played well, and we were able to just keep the ball off the floor, that’s all we try to do.”
Seitz led Kingsley with 28 digs, while Aizlyn McKinley had 22, Middleton had 15 and Ariyah McKinley had 14.
Wooer finished with 48 assists on the day, with Middleton coming in at 19 kills, Aizlyn McKinley at 15 and Delaney Case at 12.
Elliana VanDusen led the Comets with 18 kills, while Eliana Keller had 13. Lily Manion finished with 28 digs for Kalamazoo Christian, Ellory Zuiderveen had 11, and Reagan Zuiderveen had 36 assists.
PHOTOS (Top) Kingsley’s Sarah Wooer (6) sets for teammate Jenna Middleton (11) on Saturday as Kalamazoo Christian’s Elliana VanDusen prepares to defend. (Middle) Kingsley’s Aizlyn McKinley sends a kill attempt toward the net and Kalamazoo Christian blockers Ashlyn Triemstra (14) and Lydia Boley (7).