Unified Sports: Unified Goal, Unified Effort
By
Mark Uyl
MHSAA Executive Director
April 11, 2019
The following publisher's note and cover story were featured in this winter's edition of the MHSAA benchmarks magazine.
At its best, sport breaks down barriers and differences through promoting teamwork, inclusiveness and humility. At its worst, we’ve seen sport do the opposite.
Obviously those involved in school sports aim to create a culture within every school which fosters the best of what all of us can be. Those places that do this best have created a culture in every hallway, classroom, playing field and gymnasium filled with diverse students pulling for one another and working together regardless of the different backgrounds, races, religions, abilities, physical stature or academic acumen of each person. A culture of understanding and acceptance is what we strive for in each of our school communities.
On Nov. 24, such a scene played out on the grand stage of the playing surface at Ford Field in Detroit. In what we hope will be the launching pad for many more such events, Unified Sports competitors from four MHSAA member schools competed simultaneously in two games prior to the MHSAA Division 7 Football Final.
Unified Sports is an inclusive sports program within Special Olympics which pairs students with and without intellectual disabilities as teammates for training and competition.
From the time competitors walked through the tunnel to perform in front of family, friends, and the appreciative crowds from New Lothrop and Madison Heights Madison awaiting kickoff for the 10 a.m. game, the enthusiasm was unmatched.
Following competition these Unified teams were given tours of the facility, including a visit to the Detroit Lions locker room. We intended to deliver a day filled with an experience and memory for a lifetime for our guests, and feedback suggests that was accomplished. But, make no mistake, the session left lasting impressions on the staff here at the MHSAA, as well.
Brighton, Holt, Mason and Sparta – schools represented at the 2018 Football Finals – are among the 300-plus schools statewide which are Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools®, and it is our hope that the number continues to grow around Michigan and throughout the country.
The MHSAA and Michigan Special Olympics have a wonderful relationship, and we will continue to plan with our valued partner for future events as opportunities present themselves.
There is no limit to the benefits of these games and such a partnership. And, no limit to the enthusiasm of its participants who are helping to redefine school cultures by helping us break down barriers and build inclusive school communities around this great state.
***
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
The pass was lofted high, and floating toward the end zone nearest the tunnel where teams enter the playing surface at Ford Field.
As players from both teams converged, the intended receiver came away with the ball, clutching his prize and raising his arms in jubilant triumph.
It was arguably the best catch of the Thanksgiving weekend football feast in Detroit, and undoubtedly a memory this player will never forget. Moments later, the ear-to-ear grin remained as he high-fived spectators and family members on the way to the tunnel and up to the locker room.
And all of this happened before the second day of MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals kicked off Saturday, Nov. 24.
The play was one of many memorable moments to take place during the first-ever Unified Champion School event held in conjunction with the MHSAA Football Finals. If this year’s exhibition was any indication, it will be the first of many to come.
“The event far exceeded our expectations, and in discussions with the students, coaches and parents involved, I think it exceeded their expectations as well,” said MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl. “The feedback was positive, and the thanks and appreciation we received was overwhelming.”
Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® (UCS) is an education-based project that uses sports and education programs to activate young people to develop school communities where all youth are agents of change – fostering respect, dignity and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities.
Last summer, as Uyl was settling into his role as executive director at the MHSAA, Tim Hileman was acclimating himself to a similar role with Michigan Special Olympics. Both were replacing long-time leaders – Jack Roberts at the MHSAA and Lois Arnold at Special Olympics, who both had served their organizations for more than three decades.
The similarities brought Uyl and Hileman together, and they began to nurture seeds that had been planted by their predecessors.
“Mark reached out when the announcement was made that I was to become CEO of Michigan Special Olympics,” said Hileman. “We strongly believed in the benefits of a partnership between the two organizations. We talked about long-term plans and the goal of growing a culture of inclusion within our schools. A more immediate component was exploring existing opportunities to highlight a partnership, and what greater way to do that than at Ford Field during one of the most prominent weekends of the MHSAA sports season?”
The inaugural event included students from Brighton, Holt, Mason and Sparta school districts, each of which sponsor Unified teams.
Brighton, which has been in the game since 2016-17 and involves a combined 75 general education students and students with intellectual disabilities (I.D. students), recently earned national recognition for its Unified program.
“Andy Doupe, a faculty member who teaches special education here, brought the initiative to our district and it was a no-brainer that we needed to implement the program,” said John Thompson, athletic director at Brighton High School and a member of the MHSAA Representative Council. “It was a great opportunity to be supportive of all students in our community.”
Brighton Unified coach and faculty member Jody Renicker has helped take the lead.
“The foundation of Unified Sports is pretty simple,” Renicker said. “It's the idea that training and competing together is one of the fastest ways to friendship and understanding. The students discover that they are much more alike than they are different. This helps to dissolve the preconceptions and stereotypes often associated with people with disabilities.”
Just up the road in Holt, that community was gaining its own recognition, bringing home the Gold Medal from the USA Flag Football Championships in Seattle last summer. The lessons and experiences proved even more valuable.
“Athletes roomed with UCS partners,” said Val Suszko, a coach for the Holt/Mason program, which involves roughly 80 students with and without disabilities and is in its sixth year of existence. “The friendship that they developed over those 10 days was priceless. They are friends for life. They care for and protect each other. Without this experience, they wouldn’t have ever met.”
That’s the overriding goal of Unified athletics: to break down barriers within schools and communities while introducing young people to those with various challenges, offering opportunities to lead and assist.
“The inclusion of special needs kids and how it makes them feel is a wonderful part of the school community and program,” Thompson said. “We have a young lady with a prosthetic leg who never wore shorts because she was embarrassed. Now, being part of our basketball team, she wears shorts all the time.
“Naturally there’s a huge upside for the special needs students, but the general ed kids are being provided an opportunity to grow and develop leadership skills. The experiences open some eyes and break down some divisions that exist to make for an improved culture throughout the school. The melding of kids with different backgrounds of any kind is always good for perspective.”
Unified programs offer increased participation opportunity for the general education population as well as the I.D. students. For students who may not make the cut for school teams, or prefer to focus on academics or part-time jobs, the Unified option provides just what they are seeking. Others are varsity athletes looking for competition outside their preferred sport seasons.
“We receive a lot of interest from those partners who might have wanted to play on freshman, JV, or varsity teams but couldn’t meet the eligibility requirements or physically do not make the cuts at those levels of team tryouts,” said Renne Wyman, Unified coach at Sparta High School. “So they wander into the gym and join us. What happens is, the level of play ratchets up a notch or two. These kids initially come here to play, not necessarily help the intellectually disabled kids.
“But, then they start giving shooting advice, or directing them where to move offensively or whom to cover defensively. Suddenly they are talking to each other, and no adult staged the mentoring. It carries on between quarters, at halftime, before games and practices. They start texting and offering a seat in the cafeteria at lunch. I’m talking about major culture change in our building.”
This type of interaction serves to reduce the number of negative incidents in the hallways.
“Statistics show that these programs have proven to reduce bullying of the intellectually disabled population,” said Suszko of Holt/Mason. “To have an organized sports team and school support team is invaluable. The students with intellectual disabilities gain so much. They train together, play together and develop friendships through sports with the general school population.”
With such important life lessons in the balance, and 300-plus schools around Michigan sponsoring school programs, the time was right to further shine a spotlight on the product. In the past, Unified basketball events have been showcased during MHSAA Hoopfest events in conjunction with the Boys Basketball Finals, and it was time to take the next step.
“A partnership between the MHSAA and Special Olympics is a natural fit, and our goal is to assist in promoting inclusiveness and leadership components of Unified Champion Schools as opportunities at our tournaments allow,” Uyl said. “These are such worthwhile endeavors, and the student-athletes involved truly symbolize the best in school sports.”
The Ford Field event provided a chance for some serious competition on the field, along with countless smiles – and some tears – from onlookers and support groups following the action.
“My favorite story from that day came as Mark (Uyl) was addressing the group in the Lions locker room and thanking them for being there,” Hileman said. “I looked into the corner of the room and there’s a man – pretty good sized, tough-looking – standing there with his wife, and they’ve got tears in their eyes. The dad came up and told me, ‘I never thought I’d see my son play any kind of sport, and here he is at Ford Field. I’ll never forget this, and never watch a Lions game without thinking of this.’
“So many of our athletes are told what they can't do. Special Olympics is about showing what they can do.”
For Suszko, the highlights began earlier in the morning.
“The most memorable moment for me was watching the expressions on all of the athletes’ faces as they walked through the tunnel onto the field,” she said. “What a great opportunity. The hospitality that Mark Uyl, Nate Hampton, and the rest of the staff gave us was appreciated so much. The parents were excited. They loved seeing their athlete participating alongside the other high school football teams. Watching barriers being broken and teamwork being established is what inclusion is all about.”
There were plenty of emotions to go around, from the guests and the hosts.
“The kids and parents were over the moon when the invitation came. Ford Field, the MHSAA Finals, it really resonated with the kids, the school and families,” Thompson said. “Nate and Mark and all staff involved went out of their way to make it a wonderful and meaningful experience. They did more for the families and kids than anyone expected. We are very appreciative of the MHSAA continuing to work toward inclusion, and events like these help to spread the word.”
Spreading the word will help bolster an already strong movement both in Michigan and nationally. Hileman is excited for the future in partnering with the MHSAA for events like the one in November, which generate a high level of enthusiasm. In the near future, he has some more immediate goals.
“We are concentrating on expanding league play. That’s what sports are; athletes competing, and our athletes want to compete,” Hileman said. “We have league play in the O-K Conference, and in the Lansing area. Our goal and vision is to continue to build on the Unified conference experience; more competitions during the season.”
The Sparta program has been in place for four years, and numbers have increased from a handful to a total of 60 partners and Special Olympics athletes combined. Volunteers are a vital part of the initiative, and Wyman says hundreds of people donate their time at affiliated service projects held twice yearly. The school offers Unified flag football at the league/conference level each fall, Unified ski/snowboard on a smaller scale, Unified basketball at the league/conference level in the winter, and is looking to add Unified track & field at the league/conference level this spring.
Make no mistake; athletes of all kinds like to compete.
“My kids are learning the game like they never did before. The partners don’t dumb down the vocabulary or slow down what they teach. This occurs in real-time scrimmaging with a need to adjust quickly,” said Wyman. “So our Unified athletes are being coached and challenged to increase their skill and conditioning at a level I just can’t replicate in my Special Olympics Physical Education class where no partners are present.”
One also cannot replicate the related successes outside the gyms and away from the fields, where Wyman reports that I.D. students are now being offered rides to school for dances and athletic events, improving their grades to be eligible to participate in the program and becoming healthier through the activities, all while gaining confidence in themselves.
Renicker believes that seeing is believing, and encourages people to attend events in neighboring communities. The impression will likely spur action.
“My No. 1 suggestion would be to come and witness how special a Unified Game is,” Renicker said. “It will give you hope for our future and highlight some pretty amazing things that are going on in schools every day that don't make the front page of the newspaper. I feel so lucky to be part of a school community that values this program and the culture it has created.”
Hileman recently attended a national Special Olympics event and heard International Chairman of Special Olympics Dr. Timothy Shriver proclaim his dream: that just as every high school sponsors boys and girls athletic programs, he hopes that one day every high school in the country will become a Unified Champion School.
It is a big dream, but the slightest nudge can put things in motion, as Wyman has seen.
“It can start small. You only need one or two partners to commit and you can get something going,” Wyman said. “A lot of kids would love to help in supporting roles, whether it’s running sporting events, officiating, keeping stats, designing, or organizing. In the beginning, it is one person reaching out to one school seeing if they can get together and play the game.”
With that, the guidance of Special Olympics, and assistance from partners like the MHSAA, maybe the ball can keep rolling all the way around the state.
***
Inclusion is Primary Mission of Special Olympics UCS
Team sports bring people together. Special Olympics Unified Sports® teams do that, too, and much more.
About 1.4 million people worldwide take part in Unified Sports, breaking down stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities in a really fun way. ESPN has served as the Global Presenting Sponsor of Special Olympics Unified Sports since 2013, supporting the growth and expansion of this program that empowers individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to engage through the power of sports.
Promoting Social Inclusion Through Sport
Special Olympics is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability. That makes practices more fun and games more challenging and exciting for all. Having sport in common is just one more way that preconceptions and false ideas are swept away.
States Embracing Unified Sports
Young people with disabilities do not often get a chance to play on their school sports teams. More and more states are adopting the Unified Sports approach that Special Olympics pioneered.
Unified Sports is also an integral part of Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools, which was founded in 2008 and funded through the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education to use Special Olympics as a way to build inclusion and tolerance in schools. Unified Sports are now in more than 4,500 elementary, middle and high schools in the United States. Seventy percent of Unified Champion Schools (Pre-K through Grade 12) are engaging in Unified Sports! Also 215 U.S. colleges and universities have Special Olympics College Clubs on campus, providing ongoing Unified and inclusionary activities for students and Special Olympics athletes. Seventy-three of the 215 U.S. colleges and universities activating Special Olympics College conduct ongoing Unified Sports on their campuses. Learn how to get involved at www.playunified.org.
Mission: Inclusion
As part of the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International “Mission: Inclusion” partnership, the LCI youth network-Leos have become a strong global partner in expanding and implementing Unified Sports together with Special Olympics. The Leos have helped start and sustain Unified Sports in a number of nations worldwide, and serve as one of the movement’s strongest youth leadership networks in bringing inclusive programming to communities across the world. From Zimbabwe to Brazil and from California to India, the Leos continue to amplify the voice of athletes and embody the creed: Play Unified. Live Unified.
Major sports organization, league and event support to Play Unified
Many high-profile, professional sports organizations and events have also showcased Unified Sports as a vehicle to show the power of inclusive sports! This support includes:
• National Basketball Association (NBA)
• Major League Soccer (MLS)
• Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
• National Collegiate Athletic Association, D-III
• ESPN's X Games Aspen
• National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
• National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA)
PHOTOS: (Top) Unified teams from Brighton and Mason/Holt play during the second day of the MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field. (Top middle) Participants from those three schools and Sparta took part in the morning's games. (Middle) Sparta athletes stand together for the national anthem. (Below middle) A Brighton coach and players exchange high fives. (Below) Brighton's Unified basketball team plays during a celebration for receiving national recognition last fall. (Photos by John Johnson.)
Preview: Finals Weekend Loaded with Historic Possibilities
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 17, 2021
While all MHSAA Finals in every sport are filled with history-making opportunities, this weekend’s Volleyball Finals at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek could require some significant updates to the record book.
Battle Creek St. Philip has defeated the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in Division 4 on the way to this weekend and can add to its record 21 Finals championships, or at least its state-best 30 appearances in championship matches.
Grand Rapids Christian in Division 2 can win a fourth-straight championship, becoming the seventh program to do so. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central in Division 3 can become the 11th program to win a third-straight Finals title (and 12th on the list as Portage Northern did so twice.)
Six of the 11 Miss Volleyball Award finalists will be in Battle Creek, with winner Ava Brizard playing a lead role on a Bloomfield Hills Marian team looking to repeat in Division 1. Ann Arbor Skyline’s Harper Murray likely will be the favorite in 2022. Those seven stars certainly could make their way into the individual lists of the Finals record book.
And then there are the eight teams that have never won a Finals championship – and both Divisions 2 and 3 are guaranteed to have a team playing the last match for the first time.
Action begins Thursday with Division 1 and 4 Semifinals, with Divisions 2 and 3 on Friday and all four title matches Saturday.
All 12 matches will be broadcast on MHSAA.tv and (audio) MHSAANetwork.com. Click for more information from the 2021 Volleyball Finals Home on the MHSAA Website.
This weekend’s schedule:
Division 4 Semifinals – Thursday
Indian River Inland Lakes vs. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, Noon
Battle Creek St. Philip vs. Allen Park Inter-City Baptist, 2 p.m.
Division 1 Semifinals - Thursday
Bloomfield Hills Marian vs. Hudsonville, 4:30 p.m.
Ann Arbor Skyline vs. Macomb Dakota, 6:30 p.m.
Division 3 Semifinals – Friday
Muskegon Western Michigan Christian vs. Reese, Noon
McBain vs. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, 2 p.m.
Division 2 Semifinals - Friday
Grand Rapids Christian vs. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 4:30 p.m.
North Branch vs. vs. Lake Odessa Lakewood, 6:30 p.m.
Finals – Saturday
Division 1, Noon
Division 2, 4 p.m.
Division 3, 2 p.m.
Division 4, 10 a.m.
Below is a glance at contenders in each division. (Statistics are through Quarterfinals for Skyline and Notre Dame Prep and Regional Finals for the rest.)
Division 1
ANN ARBOR SKYLINE
Record/rank: 54-3-2, No. 3
Coach: Chris Cristian, fifth season (190-41-8)
League finish: First in Southeastern Conference Red
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 3-1 (Quarterfinal) and 2-1 over No. 7 Northville, 3-0 and 2-0 over honorable mention Saline, 2-1 over No. 5 Farmington Hills Mercy, 2-0 over honorable mention Davison, 2-0 over No. 9 Novi.
Players to watch: Harper Murray, 6-2 jr. OH (604 kills, .439 hitting %, 81 aces); Lauren Lee, 5-8 sr. S (1,250 assists, 82 aces, 108 kills); Cari Bohm, 6-4 sr. MH/RS (295 kills, .380 hitting %, 72 blocks).
Finals forecast: Skyline has advanced to the Semifinals for the second time in three seasons after claiming a third-straight Regional title last week, and the Eagles have won 29 straight matches. They avenged an earlier loss to Northville and a tie to Saline, and would get a chance to avenge another defeat if they meet Hudsonville in the Final. Murray is considered one of the nation’s top juniors and made the all-state first team last season; she’s committed to continue her career at Nebraska and also played for the U-18 national team during its bronze medal run at the world championship tournament in Mexico this fall.
BLOOMFIELD HILLS MARIAN
Record/rank: 51-1, No. 1
Coach: Mayssa Cook, fourth season (172-25-3)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2020), six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 3-1 over No. 9 Novi in Regional Semifinal, 3-0 (District Final), 3-0, 3-0 and 3-0 over No. 5 Farmington Hills Mercy, 2-0 over No. 6 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 2-0 and 2-1 over No. 4 Rockford, 2-0 and 2-0 over No. 10 Macomb Dakota, 2-0 over Division 2 No. 2 Grand Rapids Christian.
Players to watch: Ava Brizard, 6-1 sr. OH (537 kills, .440 hitting %, 51 aces); Sarah Sylvester, 6-2 sr. MB (236 kills, .442 hitting %, 87 blocks); Ava Sarafa, 6-0 jr. S (1,326 assists, 60 aces, 62 blocks).
Finals forecast: Marian has been nearly unstoppable during this repeat campaign, losing four sets all season and only one match, 2-1 to Division 2 top-ranked Pontiac Notre Dame Prep. Marian also has defeated seven of nine teams that earned honorable mention in the final regular-season coaches poll, and two more of the top five in Division 2. Brizard was named Miss Volleyball earlier this week, and Sylvester also was a finalist; they will continue their careers at North Carolina State and Texas Christian University, respectively. Brizard also made the all-state first team last season, while Sylvester and Sarafa made the second team and now-senior 6-0 hitter Sophie Treder (177 kills, 73 aces) earned an honorable mention. Total, five hitters had at least 175 kills this season entering the week.
HUDSONVILLE
Record/rank: 52-2-1, No. 2
Coach: Stephanie Chenlo, second season (74-12-1)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 3-1 (Quarterfinal), 3-1, 3-1, 2-0 and 2-0 over No. 4 Rockford, 3-0 (Regional Final) over honorable mention Portage Northern, 2-0 and 3-0 over honorable mention Grandville, 2-0 and 2-0 over honorable mention Byron Center, 2-0 over No. 3 Ann arbor Skyline, 2-0 over No. 6 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 2-0 over No. 9 Novi, 2-0 over honorable mention Lowell, 3-0 and 2-0 over Division 2 No. 2 Grand Rapids Christian, 2-1 over Division 2 No. 3 Lake Odessa Lakewood.
Players to watch: Eva Joldersma, 5-11 sr. OH (419 kills, 500 digs); Megan Beemer, 5-6 soph. S (697 assists, 308 digs, 55 aces); Emmalee Murphy, 5-11 sr. OH (317 kills).
Finals forecast: Hudsonville will be playing in its first Semifinal since 1981, continuing a surge under former Jenison and Aquinas College standout Chenlo. The Eagles have lost only 13 sets all season, utilizing a balanced attack with four hitters with at least 180 kills entering the week and two setters with at least 450 assists. Joldersma earned an all-state honorable mention last season, and senior libero Carlina Bender made the all-state second team and led the team with 741 digs and 78 aces heading into Tuesday’s Quarterfinal. Senior 6-1 middle blocker Leah Rogers is another solid defensive presence with 90 blocks entering the week.
MACOMB DAKOTA
Record/rank: 31-4-1, No. 10
Coach: Neil Rucinski, third season (56-26-2)
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference Red
Championship history: Class A champion 2012.
Best wins: 2-1 and 2-0 over No. 5 Farmington Hills Mercy, 2-0 over honorable mention Davison, 2-0 over Division 2 No. 5 North Branch, 2-0 over Division 2 No. 8 Cadillac.
Players to watch: Emma Thamarus, 5-11 jr. OH (279 kills); Erin Madigan, 6-2 jr. S (828 assists, 106 kills, 57 blocks); Olivia Gardner, 6-1 jr. MH (246 kills, .380 hitting %, 73 blocks).
Finals forecast: Dakota is on the rise, returning to Kellogg Arena for the first time since its championship season after winning a Regional title for the second-straight year. Four juniors and a sophomore fill the majority of the starting lineup with senior defensive specialist Skylar Myers. Dakota has lost only one set over five postseason matches, and half its match defeats this fall were to top-ranked Marian. Another loss was late in the regular season to New Baltimore Anchor Bay, and that one was avenged in the District Semifinal.
Division 2
GRAND RAPIDS CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 33-9, No. 2
Coach: Betsy DeVries, first season (33-9)
League finish: Third in O-K White
Championship history: Division 2 champions 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Best wins: 3-0 over honorable mention Niles in Quarterfinal, 3-0 over honorable mention Whitehall in Regional Semifinal, 3-1 over Division 1 No. 6 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 3-0, 3-1 and 2-0 over Division 1 honorable mention Byron Center, 3-0 over Division 1 honorable mention Lowell, 2-0 over Division 1 No. 2 Hudsonville, 2-1 over Division 1 No. 4 Rockford, 2-0 over Division 1 No. 5 Farmington Hills Mercy.
Players to watch: Evie Doezema, 6-3 sr. OH (701 kills, .345 hitting %, 82 blocks, 364 digs); Alyssa DeVries, 5-11 sr. S (1,074 assists, 57 aces); Kate Breems, 6-0 sr. MH (188 kills, .335 hitting %, 105 blocks).
Finals forecast: Not many teams could graduate two all-state first teamers and be a favorite again, but Grand Rapids Christian is back seeking a fourth-straight championship. The Eagles have lost only one set across six postseason matches after navigating a regular-season schedule loaded with top Division 1 teams. Alyssa DeVries and Doezema made the all-state second team last season, and Doezema was a Miss Volleyball finalist this fall and will continue at Michigan State. Betsy DeVries previously led Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian to the Class C Quarterfinals in 2015.
LAKE ODESSA LAKEWOOD
Record/rank: 40-12, No. 3
Coach: Cameron Rowland, fourth season (168-37-2)
League finish: First in Greater Lansing Activities Conference
Championship history: Class B champion 2012, six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 2-1 over No. 6 Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 2-0 over honorable mention Grand Rapids West Catholic, 3-1 over Division 1 honorable mention Lowell, 2-1 over Division 1 honorable mention Byron Center.
Players to watch: Maradith O’Gorman, 6-2 sr. OH (642 kills, .398 hitting %, 128 blocks, 445 digs); Skylar Bump, 5-8 jr. S/OH (540 assists, 250 kills, 85 aces, 317 digs); Carley Piercefield, 5-6 jr. DS (731 digs, 113 assists, 66 aces).
Finals forecast: The Vikings have finished Division 2 runners-up the last two seasons and five of the last seven (including in the former Class B), and four starters plus the libero Piercefield are back from last season’s championship match lineup. O’Gorman was a Miss Volleyball finalist and will play next at Michigan State, and Bump set last season’s team and this fall has split time setting and hitting with freshman Abby Pickard (529 assists) also helping fill out the starting lineup. O’Gorman made the all-state first team last season, and Bump and Piercefield made the second. Eight of the team’s losses this fall came to teams ranked among the top 10 or earning honorable mention in Division 1.
NORTH BRANCH
Record/rank: 45-8, No. 5
Coach: Jim Fish, 22nd season (1,217-211-51)
League finish: First in Blue Water Area Conference
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2016), four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 3-0 over No. 8 Cadillac in Quarterfinal, 3-0 over No. 10 Essexville Garber in Regional Semifinal, 2-0 and 2-0 over No. 9 Frankenmuth, 2-1 and 2-0 over Division 1 No. 9 Novi, 2-0 over Division 1 honorable mention Clarkston, 2-0 over Division 3 No. 2 Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central.
Players to watch: Alana Deshetsky, soph. OH (302 kills, 68 aces, 348 digs); Adrienne Greschaw, 5-8 soph. S (1,107 assists, 64 aces); Bailey Gormley, 5-8 jr. OH (280 kills, 329 digs).
Finals forecast: The Broncos are headed back to Battle Creek for the first time since their most recent championship season, and with a lineup that could keep them coming back over the next few years as well. All six starters plus libero Hailey Green (744 digs, 75 aces) are sophomores or juniors; Deshetsky and Green earned all-state honorable mentions last season as freshmen. Five hitters had at least 194 kills entering the week, and 6-2 sophomore Kaela Chingwa was among that group and also had a team-high 108 blocks.
PONTIAC NOTRE DAME PREP
Record/rank: 62-1, No. 1
Coach: Betty A. Wroubel, 27th season (1,203-241-96)
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2017), Division 2 runner-up 2018.
Best wins: 3-0 over No. 4 Detroit Country Day in Quarterfinal, 2-0 over honorable mention Lansing Catholic, 2-1 over No. 5 North Branch, 2-0 over No. 9 Frankenmuth, 2-0 over No. 8 Cadillac, 2-1 over Division 1 No. 1 Bloomfield Hills Marian, 2-1 over Division 1 honorable mention Byron Center, 2-0 and 2-0 over Division 1 honorable mention Lake Orion, 2-0 over Division 1 honorable mention Portage Northern, 2-0 over Division 1 honorable mention Clarkston.
Players to watch: Aly Borellis, 5-11 sr. S/RS (386 kills, .498 hitting %, 625 assists), Bianca Giglio, 5-9 sr. M (420 kills, .369 hitting %), Josephine Bloom, 5-6 sr. DS (697 digs, 124 aces).
Finals forecast: Loaded with experienced players, and despite some recent injuries, Notre Dame Prep enters the weekend having lost only five sets and with its lone match defeat to Division 1 No. 5 Farmington Hills Mercy. Borellis and Bloom were Miss Volleyball finalists; they will play next at Mississippi and Virginia Tech, respectively. Borellis made the all-state first team last season, Bloom made the second, Giglio and senior outside hitter Sophia Sudzina (389 kills, .330 hitting %) made the third team and junior setting Margo Sudzina (566 assists, 70 aces) earned honorable mention. Total, six hitters have at least 175 kills, three have at least 300 assists and four have at least 60 blocks. Juniors Allison Berent (124 aces, 350 digs) and Grace Wenaas (227 kills, 113 blocks) and seniors Abigail Nellis (191 kills, 88 blocks) and Sara Nouhan (175 kills) also are among possible starters.
Division 3
MCBAIN
Record/rank: 36-4-1, honorable mention
Coach: Shawn Murphy, 12th season (345-183-37)
League finish: First in Highland Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 3-2 over No. 6 Calumet in Quarterfinal, 3-0 (Regional Final) and 2-1 over Beaverton, 2-0 over Elk Rapids, 2-1 over Division 2 No. 9 Frankenmuth.
Players to watch: Analiese Fredin, 5-7 jr. S (1,061 assists, 170 kills, 65 aces); Linde VanderVlucht, 6-1 jr. MB (192 kills, .319 hitting %, 50 blocks); Gabrielle VerBerkmoes, 6-1 jr. MB (292 kills, .385 hitting %, 55 blocks)
Finals forecast: McBain is making its second trip to the Semifinals and first since 2009; Murphy also coached that team and is in the fourth season of his second tenure leading the program. VanderVlucht earned an all-state honorable mention last season, and the Ramblers have a number of options on offense. Seniors Emma Schierbeek (328) and Jersey Scott (309) were tops entering the week among six players with at least 150 kills, and Schierbeek also was a team leader with 237 digs. McBain has won 21 straight matches, and the Quarterfinal win over Calumet avenged their first defeat of the season. The other three losses were to Division 2 opponents, and the Ramblers have lost only 17 sets total.
MONROE ST. MARY CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 35-11, No. 2
Co-coaches: Karen O’Brien, seventh season (277-55-3); Cassandra Haut, first season (35-11)
League finish: First in Huron League
Championship history: Seven MHSAA titles (most recent 2020), three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 3-1 over No. 3 Pewamo-Westphalia in Quarterfinal, 3-2 over honorable mention Brooklyn Columbia Central in Regional Final, 3-1 over honorable mention Adrian Madison in District Final, 2-1 over Division 1 honorable mention Saline, 2-0 over Division 1 honorable mention Clarkston.
Players to watch: Kate Collingsworth, 5-10 sr. S/DS (1,021 assists, 66 aces, 346 digs); McKenna Payne, 5-7 fr. OH/DS (465 kills, .370 hitting %, 86 aces, 360 digs); Jessica Costlow, 5-10 fr. OH/MH (414 kills, .380 hitting %, 274 digs).
Finals forecast: SMCC has won the last two Division 3 championships, and this is another contender that graduated a lot – in this case two all-state outside hitters and two more all-state middles – but has returned to the final weekend. Collingsworth made the all-state third team last season and is setting primarily a pair of freshmen, with senior MH/RS Audrey Cousino (290 kills, 79 blocks) also a significant contributor offensively and defensively. SMCC is another program that loads its schedule with much larger opponents, and 10 losses came against Division 1 teams with the 11th to Division 2 contender North Branch.
MUSKEGON WESTERN MICHIGAN CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 49-5, No. 1
Coach: Trent Smillie, seventh season (219-109-11)
League finish: First in Lakes 8 Activities Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 3-1 over honorable mention Morley Stanwood in Regional Semifinal, 2-0 over honorable mention Kalamazoo Christian, 2-0 over No. 8 Cass City, 3-2 over Division 2 honorable mention Whitehall, 2-0 over Division 4 No. 3 Battle Creek St. Philip, 2-1 over Division 4 No. 1 Adrian Lenawee Christian.
Players to watch: Kyla Wiersema, 6-1 sr. MB (618 kills, .316 hitting %, 146 blocks, 340 digs); Kendal Young, 5-7 jr. S (1,372 assists, 321 digs); Madison Wiersema, 6-1 sr. OPP (261 kills, 149 blocks, 465 digs).
Finals forecast: Western Michigan Christian will be playing in its first Semifinal, and only one of its losses this season came to a Division 3 team (No. 4 Bronson). The Warriors have been building toward this under Smillie, with this run also including a fourth-straight league title and second District and Regional championships in three seasons. Kyla Wiersema made the all-state second team last season and leads a starting lineup that has three seniors but also two freshmen. Total six hitters had at least 130 kills entering the week, and senior Elizabeth Bast (214 kills, 124 blocks) plays a major role.
REESE
Record/rank: 33-5-1, No. 9
Coach: Angie Compton, third season (75-23-2)
League finish: First in Greater Thumb Conference West
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 3-2 (Regional Final) and 3-2 over No. 8 Cass City, 3-1 (District Final) and 2-0 over No. 5 Saginaw Valley Lutheran, 2-1 over Birch Run, 2-0 over Division 4 No. 7 Ubly.
Players to watch: Maddi Osantowski, 5-9 sr. OH (545 kills, 384 digs, 49 aces); Aydan Dalak, 5-7 sr. S (281 kills, 836 assists, 258 digs); Josie Johnson, 5-5 sr. DS (474 digs, 43 aces).
Finals forecast: Reese is making its second trip to the Semifinals and first since 2010, after adding a second-straight league title under Compton – who previously coached at Houghton Lake and Roscommon. Osantowski and Dalak earned all-state honorable mentions last season, and they lead a starting lineup featuring five seniors. Only one loss this fall was to a Division 3 team – No. 8 Cass City – and the Rockets had won their first of two regular-season matchups with the Red Hawks and then avenged the defeat last week.
Division 4
ALLEN PARK INTER-CITY BAPTIST
Record/rank: 25-3-1, unranked
Coach: Amanda McLanahan, third season (record N/A)
League finish: Second in Michigan Independent Athletic Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 3-1 over No. 7 Ubly in Quarterfinal, 3-1 over No. 8 Plymouth Christian Academy in Regional Final, 3-1 (Regional Semifinal), 3-1 and 3-2 over No. 6 Auburn Hills Oakland Christian.
Players to watch: Bethany Estell, sr. OH (241 kills, .379 hitting %); Evelyn Karamon, sr. S (684 assists); Ali Bettinger, sr. M (216 kills, .346 hitting %, 54 blocks). (Heights not provided.)
Finals forecast: Inter-City Baptist won its first Regional title since 2011 and is making its first trip to the Semifinals, and made some loud statements along the way with three wins over top-10 opponents over the last two weeks. The Plymouth Christian Academy victory avenged two regular-season losses; the third defeat came against Division 1 Dearborn Divine Child. The Chargers played and defeated a number of other larger schools during the regular season, and haven’t given up more than a set during a current 14-match winning streak.
BATTLE CREEK ST. PHILIP
Record/rank: 38-11-1, No. 3
Coach: Vicky Groat, 24th season (1,217-305-80)
League finish: First in Southern Central Athletic Association West
Championship history: 21 MHSAA titles (most recent 2020), nine runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 3-2 over No. 1 Adrian Lenawee Christian in Quarterfinal, 3-2 (Regional Final) and 3-0 over No. 2 Athens, 2-0 and 2-1 over No. 10 Mendon.
Players to watch: Brooke Dzwik, 5-9 sr. OH (651 kills, .332 hitting %, 80 aces, 385 digs); Rachel Myers, 5-7 sr. S (1,160 assists, 246 digs); Baily Fancher, 5-5 sr. L (514 digs).
Finals forecast: St. Philip won its first Finals title since 2014 last season, and five starters are back seeking to finish a repeat run. Dzwik went over 2,000 career kills this fall after making the all-state first team last season, while Fancher made the third team. Junior middle Maddie Hoelscher, another returning starter, had 216 kills entering the week, and three more Tigers had at least 100 kills. The Quarterfinal win over Lenawee Christian avenged a regular-season loss, and the other defeats were either to Division 3 top-ranked Western Michigan Christian and Division 1 or 2 teams.
INDIAN RIVER INLAND LAKES
Record/rank: 26-10-11, unranked
Coach: Nicole Moore, second season (42-28-14)
League finish: Second in Ski Valley Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 3-2 (Regional Semifinal) and 3-0 over Onaway, 3-1 over Pellston, 2-0 over Mackinaw City.
Players to watch: Natalie Wandrie, 5-10 jr. OH (44 kills, 354 digs); Olivia Monthei, 5-4 sr. OH (260 kills, 70 aces, 329 digs); Alyssa Byrne, 5-4 sr. S (962 assists, 62 aces).
Finals forecast: Inland Lakes is traveling to the Semifinals for the first time after last week winning its first Regional title since 1995. The Bulldogs entered the postseason on a 3-2-5 run but didn’t give up a set over three District matches and avenged one of those two late losses with the Regional Semifinal win over Onaway. They’ve won District titles both seasons under Moore, who previously coached the subvarsity levels at Petoskey. Libero Ryann Clancy (597 digs, 78 aces) is another key junior.
MOUNT PLEASANT SACRED HEART
Record/rank: 35-5-4, No. 9
Coach: Krista Davis, eighth season (243-109-32)
League finish: First in Mid-State Activities Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 3-0 over No. 5 Traverse City Christian in Quarterfinal, 2-0 over honorable mention Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 2-0 over Fowler, 2-1 over Beal City.
Players to watch: Maddie Munley, 6-1 sr. MH (357 kills, .445 hitting %, 64 blocks); Angel Brown, 5-9 jr. OH (233 kills, 188 digs); Delaney Scully, 5-7 sr. S (517 assists, 61 aces).
Finals forecast: Sacred Heart also is a first-time Semifinals qualifier, taking the next step after falling just short in seven Quarterfinals over the last decade. The Irish have only one loss to a Division 4 team this fall, having split a pair of regular-season matches with Orchard Lake St. Mary’s. Munley made the all-state second team last season and leads a contender that’s given up only two sets during a nine-match winning streak. Davis was a three-time volleyball state champion growing up in Illinois, an All-America third-team selection at Southeast Missouri State and served as an assistant coach helping Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., to a Division III national title and two runner-up finishes.
PHOTO Grand Rapids Christian's Rowan Cebulski (5) gets both hands on a block during her team's Division 2 Regional Final win over Hudsonville Unity Christian. (Photo by Jamie McNinch Photography.)