Senior-Led Lake Orion Earns 1st Title
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 17, 2018
BATTLE CREEK – With 10 seniors on the roster, it’s fitting this year’s version of the Lake Orion volleyball team was the one to bring the school its first MHSAA volleyball title.
And while they’re plenty talented, that group brought a trait coach Tony Scavarda said was the difference in getting his program over the top:
Grit.
“We’ve been in situations this year several times where we were down late in sets, and they don’t stop playing,” Scavarda said. “Even the set we lost tonight, they could have just said, ‘Eh, we’ll win the next set.’ But no, they came back, it was 23-24, and fought even to the very end of that set. They’re very resilient, gritty, and they don’t let any set go without a fight.”
Lake Orion defeated Rockford 25-18, 25-23, 23-25, 25-16 on Saturday at Kellogg Arena to claim the Division 1 title. It was the program’s second trip to the final game, with the first ending with a loss against Rockford in 2011.
Thanks to a 30-kill effort from senior Paige Briggs and a 50-set effort from senior Wren Macaulay, it was clear there wouldn’t be any heart break this time.
“Honestly, it just feels unreal,” Macaulay said while hugging the championship trophy. “Being here for four years and on the team and losing the last three years, it feels so good to end on a winning streak and not with tears this year. It’s exciting, it’s really exciting. It still hasn’t hit me yet.”
The Dragons (68-6) not only brought home the first state title in school history, but became the first team from the Oakland Activities Association to win at the Finals level, something Scavarda learned at the post-match press conference.
“We knew it was the first ever for Lake Orion, which was a pretty big accomplishment. But to be the only one from the OAA, seeing that it’s one of the toughest leagues year in and year out in the state, that’s surprising,” Scavarda said. “But I knew these guys had it in them. It was just a matter of putting it together at the right time.”
After controlling much of the first set, Lake Orion found itself trailing for much of the second. That’s when it decided to lean a bit more on Briggs, who had 10 kills in the frame.
“My whole thought was Wren really likes to spread the ball around, and it opens Paige up a lot of times,” Scavarda said. “I specifically told her though, I don’t care if Paige’s legs fall off tonight, I want to take this in three. She can rest tomorrow and the next day. We gotta get that second set. That’s a big momentum thing; even though they got that third set, we knew that we were still up 2-1. It’s still a nice little cushion to have.”
Rockford (47-12-1) didn’t relent in the third, leading for much of it before holding Lake Orion off late.
“We’ve been in that situation a couple times before, and they handled themselves very well,” Rockford coach Kelly Delacher said. “They continued to fight throughout that third set, and did a good job of squeaking out a win there.”
But Lake Orion grabbed control of the fourth set early, and kept Rockford at arm’s length throughout before closing the match, fittingly, with a kill by Briggs, assisted by Macaulay.
“I feel like our team is really good at being calm in those tough situations,” Lake Orion senior middle blocker Leigha Boes said. “Especially when it’s close, we really don’t hear the cheering and the crowd and the other team.”
Senior libero Ciara Livingway had 13 digs for the Dragons, while Boes had nine kills. Kendal Robertson added six kills and four blocks, while Sydney Smith had seven kills and 11 digs.
Senior Lindsay Taylor led Rockford with 20 kills and 14 digs. Emmy Webb added 12 kills, while Emilee Karelse had 36 assists.
“I’m super proud with how my team played,” Delacher said. “It’s not an easy thing coming out and playing under bright lights and cameras and a big, huge crowd from your school, and I thought they performed very well under the pressure throughout the whole tournament. Lake Orion is a very good team, and they’re a very deserving champion.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Lake Orion hoists its first MHSAA championship trophy Saturday at the Kellogg Arena. (Middle) Dragons Wren Macaulay (10), Leigha Boes (13) and Paige Briggs put up a block as Rockford’s Emmy Webb sends a kill attempt through.
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.)