BATTLE CREEK – There are so few chances anymore to become the first athletic program at Detroit Country Day to accomplish something.

But Saturday, Olivia Grenadier and her teammates finished off a career of firsts with the big one, sweeping Tecumseh at Kellogg Arena to claim the school’s first Volleyball Finals title.

“My freshman year it was the first Regional championship, so that was really fun,” Grenadier said. “This year it was the first time we beat (Pontiac Notre Dame Prep), first time state championship, so it was just amazing going out like that. Very cool.”

This weekend was the first ever trip to the Semifinals for Country Day, which finished the season 36-1. It won 25-18, 25-21, 25-17 in the Division 2 Final and dropped just three sets during its postseason run, needing a fourth to get by rival Notre Dame Prep in the District final and five to get by two-time reigning champ North Branch in the Quarterfinal.

“I think we were prepared – they were ready,” Country Day coach Kim Lockhart said. “Both of our games this weekend were the last games (of the night), so we kind of were watching other teams play, keeping our minds in the right place. We knew we had to just come out tonight and do what we’ve been doing all season and just take care of the ball.”

The Yellowjackets attack, led by Grenadier and junior Elise Heimstra, and orchestrated by freshman setter Payton Woodruff, proved too much for Tecumseh on Saturday. 

Woodruff finished with 47 assists on the night, with Grenadier and Heimstra each getting 21 kills.

“Offensively, we watched a little bit of film on them earlier, and as the game went on, we knew Elise, she had middle back,” Grenadier said. “Payton puts us in such good spots to where we can honestly hit anywhere. She’s a great setter who puts us in great spots.”

It wasn’t just the volume of kills from Country Day hitters that gave Tecumseh trouble, it was also the efficiency. Both Grenadier and Heimstra finished with a .486 attack percentage.

“The girls, they came to play, and for Olivia being the last match of her career here in high school, I feel like she made a statement,” Lockhart said. “This was her comeback season, especially coming from that injury (which ended her junior season early), and what a comeback it was. I’m so proud of her. And Elise, just fearless, and confident and consistent with our setter Payton just running the show like usual. She was just locked in, and I couldn’t be more proud.”

Morgan Anderson led the Country Day back line with 12 digs, while Grenadier had 11.  

Tecumseh coach Morgan Skelton couldn’t help but be impressed with what she saw from her team’s opponent.

“I think if we play them 10 times, we’d be lucky to pull out a win,” Skelton said. “They’re very, very tough. It’s not anything against my girls at all, but (the Yellowjackets) have way more experience, and it shows. I think today, for the girls, there were nerves earlier, but today the moment was just because of the finality of it all. It’s ending, we made it to the end, so I think that’s where the emotion came from. That team was great, and I’m not disappointed by how we played at all.”

Junior Emma Eldred led Tecumseh with 12 kills, while junior Maddy Vanblack had seven kills and nine digs. Junior setter Lily Gnodtke finished with 21 assists.

For Tecumseh, this Finals appearance was the first since a 2011 runner-up finish, as it, too, was looking for its first championship. Tecumseh finished the season 48-2-1.

“I don’t know if I could have dreamt this at the beginning of the season,” Skelton said. “I knew we were going to be good, but to me, all season long I was like, ‘OK, now we’re 20-1’ or this and that, so I knew we were going to be good, but I didn’t know how good we were going to be. So, as the numbers start going down, teams start dropping like flies and we’re still in it – we had so much fun this season.”

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Country Day players raise their championship trophy Saturday night at Kellogg Arena. (Middle) The Yellowjackets’ Payton Woodruff (15) and a pair of Tecumseh blockers contend for the ball. (Below) Country Day’s Grace Lu launches a serve. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)