Southwest 10 Conference Welcoming Volleyball Athletes as Legacy Officials
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
November 13, 2024
Instead of just hitting a volleyball, Gracie Smith now finds herself enjoying the larger picture.
The Decatur senior has spent the last six years playing volleyball at different levels. But thanks to an innovative new program undertaken by the Southwest 10 Conference, Smith now sees the sport through an entirely new light.
She's one of 13 varsity volleyball players at three schools who've added another paragraph to their resume: officiating.
The players have become MHSAA-registered officials cleared to work Southwest 10 Conference middle school and freshman matches as part of the MHSAA Legacy Program. Smith said the program has contributed much to her love of the game by helping her better understand the officials during her own varsity matches and providing her opportunities to give back to the community and help out a sport in dire need of new officials – in addition to adding a bit of spending money to her budget.
"I am excited about trying this," Smith said. "I can make some extra cash, be at the same level of officials who do our games and take what I've learned on the court and put that knowledge to use.
"I definitely think I'll do this again next year. I can earn a few extra bucks, and I can give something back to the game"
Eric Frohriep, president of the All-Star Officials Association and assigner of officials to Southwest 10 matches, said the project was borne out of a necessity to attract new officials to the sport.
He sent inquires to conference schools looking for high school-aged players willing to undergo officials training that included viewing a video and power point zoom presentation on YouTube. Twenty-three players wound up attending a clinic this past summer, and 13 from Centreville, Decatur and White Pigeon took the next step by registering as officials. They were eligible to work mostly middle school games this fall.
Frohriep hopes the numbers will grow but is more than content with the program's initial steps. He said volleyball is in critical need of attracting new officials to replace those retiring or moving on. He estimates the average age of volleyball officials to be about 60, and the existing cadre of officials is being spread too thin, including a dwindling number of Southwest 10 Conference officials willing to work several nights a week plus weekend tournaments.
"We absolutely have to," he said of attracting new officials. "For those who retire, we're not replacing them fast enough. We've got to lure new officials to maintain the amount of officials we need."
If the new recruits' reactions are any indication, the program is off to a solid start. Decatur senior setter Sienna Potter said it beats other teenage money-making endeavors from babysitting to working at the mall, plus keeps athletes around a sport they love.
"It was fun," said Potter, who worked a handful of both middle school and freshman matches this fall. "I definitely think officiating can be in my future. There's a big need for referees, and I think this was a good idea. I like the money, but I think it also builds my skill in talking to officials at our games. I liked it a lot. It's something interesting, and the money helps out."
Decatur senior Abby Baushke, who has played volleyball competitively for eight years, worked four middle school matches this fall. The experience left her with a more insightful view of the officials she sees at her own varsity matches.
"Plus it helps me give back to the community and helps players understand the sport better," said Baushke, a Wayne State volleyball commit. "I think (officiating) is easier for us because we've played the game. I've learned that it's hard to make quick calls because the game goes so fast. I've played club for four years, and this definitely can be useful to me besides making money."
White Pigeon athletic director Brooke McClure, a former volleyball official, said the program was successful enough that the Southwest 10 elected to start similar programs in basketball and wrestling this winter. Baseball, track, softball and soccer will follow in the spring.
"It's definitely win-win," she said. "There is a shortage of referees and I think, No. 1, these girls are thinking about the game they love and can see the value in that. They're going to learn what it's like to spend a day in officials' shoes. If we can get more girls involved, then this is our contribution to that."
White Pigeon junior Mercede McDaniel, who has played the sport since fourth grade, admits there was a bit of trepidation as she eased into the program, but that was quickly replaced with the confidence of being a registered official.
"It's a nice way to see volleyball," she said. "I was a little nervous at first in trying this, but I love the game. I definitely liked it."
PHOTO Centreville’s Mary Stears stands adjacent and above the net as she officiates a match this fall. (Photo courtesy of the Centreville athletic department.)
Block Party: 2025 Girls Volleyball Week 9 Report
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 22, 2025
A volleyball season full of weekend excitement will again enjoy one of its most attention-grabbing highlights Sunday.
More than two months of matches will boil down to the selection of first and second seeds for every District bracket, with MHSAA Tournament play set to begin a week later on Nov. 3.
Seeds are determined by Michigan Power Ratings (MPR), and as noted previously you can follow how teams stack up statewide, in their respective divisions and even in their respective Districts on the MPR page. The formula for determining the rest of the District is posted here.
Records, results and schedules below are those posted for teams on MHSAA.com, and rankings reflect polls posted by the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Kingsley d. Traverse City St. Francis (25-22, 25-15) The Division 3 No. 3-ranked Stags (44-4-1) went 5-0 at the McBain Tournament, defeating honorable mentions McBain and Beal City as well but topping the day with this sweep of the No. 8 Gladiators (24-14-0).
2. Hudsonville d. Grand Haven (25-20, 27-29, 20-25, 25-18, 15-11) The Division 1 No. 9 Eagles (27-8-1) prevailed after falling behind 2-1, avenging a pair of previous losses to the No. 8 Buccaneers (33-9-0) from Sept. 25 and Oct. 4.
3. Crystal Falls Forest Park d. Kingsford (25-15, 25-14, 25-21) The Division 4 No. 5 Trojans (35-1-0) continued to justify their status among the Upper Peninsula’s best regardless of division, with this win over the Division 2 honorable mention Flivvers (19-2-0) – during a 3-0 day at the Clash of the Divisions – one of their most impressive this fall.
4. Grand Haven d. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (25-17, 25-19) Three days before the Hudsonville loss, Grand Haven went 4-0 at the Mattawan Invitational with this win over the Division 4 No. 5 Cougars (30-10-1) arguably the best although the Bucs also downed Division 1 honorable mention Byron Center.
5. Hancock d. Lake Linden-Hubbell (25-12, 22-25, 25-14, 27-25) The Division 4 No. 8 Bulldogs (23-3-2) followed up a big sweep of Ishpeming with this win over Lake Linden-Hubbell (22-5-0) to further firm up their place among the best in the Upper Peninsula and Division 4 as a whole as well.
Watch List
With an eye toward November, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Brighton (25-6-2) The Bulldogs are holding onto an honorable mention in the latest Division 1 rankings with a run of nine wins over their last 12 matches and their losses this season coming to an incredible group of No. 1 Rockford, No. 2 Farmington Hills Mercy, No. 3 Bloomfield Hills Marian, No. 7 Utica Eisenhower (twice) and honorable mention Jenison. Brighton clinched the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West title and will play Northville in the KLAA Gold Tournament championship match Saturday. The Bulldogs also are slated for a top seed in their District.
South Lyon East (30-7-1) The No. 10-ranked Cougars finished 4-0 at the final Motor City Power Series last weekend, highlighted by a 2-1 win over Division 2 No. 3 North Branch. All but one of their losses have come to a top-10 or honorable mention team in Division 1 as well, and they remain the only team to defeat top-ranked Rockford. East followed up that Sept. 20 win by defeating Division 2 No. 2 Detroit Country Day as well, and is tied for first in the Lakes Valley Conference with the league tournament coming up Saturday.
DIVISION 2
Flat Rock (22-6-0) A Sept. 22 win over Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central – the program’s first against the Huron League foe – put Flat Rock into the spotlight this fall, and it has received honorable mention again this week in the Division 2 poll. But the Rams have much more to boast, including a victory over Kingsley, and have also built up their experience in losses most recently to No. 6 Tecumseh and honorable mention Milan. Tune in for tonight’s for the rematch with the Kestrels.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central (30-10-1) After opening this season with three losses at the Traverse City West Invitational, the Cougars have strung together plenty of success including 13 victories over their last 15 matches. They did fall to Grand Haven over the weekend at Mattawan but defeated DeWitt, Portage Central and Division 3 No. 7 Kalamazoo Christian and moved up a spot to No. 4 in this week’s Division 2 rankings. They’ve already far surpassed last year’s 23-22-2 finish, with a likely top seed awaiting in their District as the only team in the bracket with a winning record.
DIVISION 3
Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep (17-3-2) The Fighting Irish are not ranked currently but may draw some notice with a 9-1-2 run that’s included a 25-23, 28-26, sweep of Division 4 No. 6 Battle Creek St. Philip and just a three-set loss to Division 2 Buchanan after Hackett won the first set. The Irish are lined up right now as the likely second seed in their District opposite No. 7 Kalamazoo Christian, which defeated Hackett in last year’s District Final and this season on Sept. 23. The only other loss this fall came to Delton Kellogg.
Pewamo-Westphalia (24-7-3) The 2022 Division 3 champion – and a quarterfinalist the last two seasons – No. 6 P-W is riding a seven-match winning streak as it gears up for another potential run. The best win over these last few weeks was a 2-1 comeback victory over No. 2 Plymouth Christian Academy at the Mt. Morris Tournament, and wins over No. 7 Kalamazoo Christian, No. 9 Saginaw Valley Lutheran and Division 2 No. 10 Battle Creek Harper Creek also stick out from this season’s overall work.
DIVISION 4
Midland Calvary Baptist (23-5-1) The Kings need two more wins to equal the total from last year’s Regional finalist team, and on Saturday went 4-1 at the Tawas Tournament with especially notable victories over Division 3 Johannesburg-Lewiston and Alcona and the loss to Division 2 Ogemaw Heights. All of Calvary Baptist’s defeats and the one tie came against Division 2 or 3 opponents, and as of today the Kings are slated to be the top seed in a District bracket that also includes No. 6 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart.
Onekama (23-7-2) The Portagers are 9-2-2 over the last two-plus weeks and an honorable mention in this week’s rankings as the prepare to attempt next month to extend a five-year District title streak. They went 3-1-1 at the Farwell Paula Sullivan Tournament over the weekend, tying and then falling to Division 3 No. 10 Manton. But Onekama has solid wins over honorable mention Suttons Bay and Manton from earlier this season and plenty of other tough losses as well.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these matches and tournaments coming up:
Wednesday – Davison (24-4-0) at Mount Pleasant (25-6-1) – Both went undefeated in their divisions and earn their spots in this overall Saginaw Valley League championship match.
Wednesday – Carrollton (27-1-2) at Saginaw Valley Lutheran (35-8-3) – This is a winner-take-all matchup for the Tri-Valley Conference Blue regular-season championship.
Saturday – Lowell East vs. West Challenge – The 16-team field includes Division 1 top-ranked Rockford, No. 2 Farmington Hills Mercy, No. 3 Bloomfield Hills Marian, No. 4 Bloomfield Hills, No. 5 Lowell, No. 7 Utica Eisenhower and honorable mentions Jenison, Byron Center and Clarkston among several others.
Tuesday – Detroit Country Day quad – The Division 2 No. 2 Yellowjackets (13-7-0) will welcome Marian (34-4-0), Eisenhower (30-3-1) and Fenton (15-10-0).
Tuesday – Beal City (28-7-0) at Roscommon (42-2-0) – Division 3 top-ranked Roscommon can finish a perfect run through the Highland Conference, but honorable mention Beal City hopes to stand in the way.
PHOTOS (Top) Mount Pleasant's Tessa Ervin (2) digs the ball during a match against Saginaw Heritage. (Middle) East Grand Rapids' Heidi White (1) elevates to get to the ball against Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central. (Mount Pleasant/Heritage photo by High School Sports Scene. East Grand Rapids/Forest Hills Central photo by Michigan Sports Photo.)