This Week In High School Sports: 1/18/22

By Jon Ross
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

January 18, 2022

This week's edition highlights a strong start for the Midland Dow girls basketball team, awards Game Balls to high achievers in wrestling, basketball and hockey; and celebrates retiring coaches who are among the winningest in Michigan's girls basketball and baseball history. MI Student Aid

The 5-minute program each week includes feature stories from around the state from the MHSAA’s Second Half or network affiliates, along with "Be The Referee," a 60-second look at the fine art of officiating.

"This Week in High School Sports" is powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning located within the Michigan Department of Treasury.

Listen to this week's show by Clicking Here.

Previous editions

Jan. 11: Battle of the Fans X "Challenge Round," officiating on the islands – Listen
Jan. 4: Onsted boys basketball, Oxford Strong – Listen
Dec. 15:
Winter championship calendar, KLAA/MIHL Memorial Showcase – Listen
Dec. 8:
2021 Bush Award honorees, remembering Tom Rashid – Listen
Dec. 1: 11-Player Football Finals review – Listen
Nov. 23: Volleyball, LP Girls Swimming & Diving, 8-Player Football Finals review – Listen
Nov. 16:
Lower Peninsula Cross Country continued, weekend preview – Listen
Nov. 9: Lower Peninsula Cross Country, Boys Soccer Finals review – Listen
Nov. 2: Title IX at 50 celebration, Fall championship broadcasts – Listen
Oct. 27: Upper Peninsula Cross Country Finals review, soccer/volleyball playoff update – Listen
Oct. 20: Lower Peninsula Girls Golf & Boys Tennis Finals review – Listen
Oct. 13: Middle school/junior high cross country Regionals, football playoff selection – Listen
Oct. 6: Upper Peninsula girls tennis champions, football broadcast update – Listen
Sept. 29: Girls swimming & diving "Meet of Champions," Schoolcraft's star kicker – Listen
Sept. 22:
Spartan Invitational "elite" races, John U. Bacon's "Let Them Lead" – Listen
Sept. 15:
Volleyball powers face off, Tiger Teusink's tennis legacy – Listen
Sept. 8:
Fall sports rules changes, Adrian Lenawee Christian inspiration – Listen
Sept. 1: 
Boys soccer seeding process, Beaver Island athletics – Listen
Aug. 25:
 Return of Fall sports, “enhanced strength-of-schedule” football playoff format – Listen

Be the Referee: Minimum Number of Volleyball Players

By Paige Winne
MHSAA Director of Brand Management

September 29, 2026

Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.

Below is this week's segment – Minimum Number of Volleyball Players - Listen

We’re on the volleyball court today, where the home team starts the match with only six players.

Midway through the first set, one of those six players suffers an ankle injury and can’t continue – leaving the home team with just five players.

What should happen?

Is the home team forced to default the match for not having enough players?

Does the home team just continue playing with five?

Or do they continue playing with five, but with the loss of rally or point every time the player lost to injury’s position rotates to serve?

If you said they can continue playing but lose a rally or point every time the injured player’s position rotates to serve, you are correct!

A minimum of six is needed to start – but you can finish a match with fewer than that.

Previous 2026-27 editions

Sept 22: Soccer Changes - Listen
Sept: 15: Dead Ball Penalty - Listen
Sept. 8: Libero Ejected - Listen
Sept. 1: Soccer Foul After Shot on Goal - Listen
Aug. 25: Fumble Out of Bounds - Listen