Add, Subtract, Divide, Multiply: MHSAA Not Alone
July 25, 2017
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
This is the third part in a series on MHSAA tournament classification, past and present, that will be published over the next two weeks. This series originally ran in this spring's edition of MHSAA benchmarks.
As the MHSAA faces its most recent classification task with 8-Player Football, and opinions continue to swirl about as to the method, timeframe, location and other procedures, a look around the country provides plenty of company among state association brethren factoring variables into their own equations.
In the Pacific Northwest, the Oregon School Activities Association Football Playoffs are under public scrutiny as leadership ponders a five or six classification format beginning with the 2018-19 school year.
The OSAA has crowned six champions on the gridiron since 2006-07. Many of the state’s smaller schools would like to keep it that way, while larger schools lean toward a five-classification system, citing larger leagues, ease of travel and credibility to state championships as the advantages.
Still others would prefer more than six classes, pointing to safety issues and the opportunity to increase participation numbers as positives.
Moving southeast of Oregon, the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association recently voted to hold serve on a classification proposal that was volleyed to the membership.
However, changes still could be forthcoming by as early as the 2018-19 season which would add a fifth classification in more populated southern Nevada while allowing northern schools to participate in four classifications. Such divisions could mean no state championship for the fifth class in southern Nevada.
Because of that, the NIAA wants equal numbers of schools in each classification on both ends of the state. Complicating the issue is the fact that the 24 largest schools in the state, by enrollment, are all in Clark County in Southern Nevada.
Across Nevada’s border into Arizona, charter schools are asking the Arizona Interscholastic Association to reconsider classification that was voted upon and approved in September 2015. That agreement called for the largest 33 percent of charter schools by enrollment to be placed in the state’s largest school classification, 3A, the middle 33 percent into 2A, and the smallest 33 percent into 1A.
Less than two years later the charter schools have had a change of heart and have asked to be considered the same as other Arizona public schools and be placed appropriately by enrollment beginning with the 2018-19 school year.
The situation in Arizona further illustrates how the public/private debate that all state associations have faced throughout existence now has the added dynamic of rapidly growing charter schools in today’s educational system, along with virtual school enrollment.
In the nation’s heartland, Nebraska has retooled its football classifications by using enrollment of boys students only in its schools rather than total enrollment. The Nebraska School Activities Association football-playing schools will kick off the 2018 season using this alignment.
Nebraska has three classes of 11-player football, with the smallest class divided in two, Class C-1 and C-2. The state also will have 8-player football for boys enrollments under 47, and the NSAA will sponsor a new 6-player tournament in 2018 for schools with 27 or fewer boys.
“This is a good proposal because some schools have a sizable imbalance between the number of boys and girls, and there’s a large gap (in enrollment) between the largest and smallest schools in Classes A and B,” NSAA executive director Jim Tenopir said. “I think this addresses both of those concerns.”
Swimmers in Georgia, meanwhile, will feel like they are moving with the current, rather than upstream in 2017-18, as the Georgia High School Association recently doubled the number of team championship events from two to four.
Swim enthusiasts can also count on longer days at the finals, as the top 30 finishers from the prelims will advance to the finals instead of 20, and all championship events will have three heats versus two.
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.)