Volleyball, Swim/Dive to Restart on Monday

December 29, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The remaining 32 teams in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Girls Volleyball Tournament and individuals from 128 schools who have qualified for the Lower Peninsula Girls Swimming & Diving Finals will restart their postseasons Monday, Jan. 4, with championship events for both concluding Jan. 16.

Participants in both sports must take part in a rapid testing pilot program created by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Athletes, coaches and other team personnel directly involved in practice and competition must test three times per week using BinaxNOW antigen tests that produce results within 15 minutes. Teams and individuals in both sports must complete one round of negative COVID-19 tests before beginning practice. Football teams still participating in the MHSAA Football Playoffs also are taking part in the rapid testing pilot program and scheduled to begin full-contact practice as soon as they complete a round of negative testing this week.

The Girls Volleyball Tournament will pick up with Quarterfinals on Jan. 12, followed by Semifinals on Jan. 14-15 and Finals on Jan. 16. Semifinals and Finals will be played at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek.

The Girls Swimming & Diving Tournament will conclude with Finals during the weekend of Jan. 15-16 at three sites – Division 1 at Hudsonville High School, Division 2 at Grand Rapids Northview High School and Division 3 at Lake Orion High School. The Diving Finals will take place Friday, Jan. 15, followed by all Swimming Finals on Jan. 16.

Spectators will not be allowed at competitions for either sport. Spectators also are not being allowed at Football Playoff games, which are scheduled to begin again Jan. 9.

MHSAA Student Advisory Council Names Members from Class of 2028

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 4, 2026

Eight student-athletes who will be juniors at their schools during the 2026-27 academic year have been selected to serve two-year terms on the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Student Advisory Council.

The Student Advisory Council is a 16-member group which provides feedback on issues impacting educational athletics from a student’s perspective, and also is involved in the operation of MHSAA championship events and other programming. Members of the Student Advisory Council serve for two years, beginning as juniors. Eight new members are selected annually to serve on the SAC, with nominations made by MHSAA member schools. The incoming juniors will join the group of eight seniors-to-be appointed a year ago.

Selected to begin serving on the Student Advisory Council in 2026-27 are Addi Diepenbrock, Ada Forest Hills Eastern; Avery Edwards, Kingsford; Maci Godfrey, Hudson; Karly Grant, St Ignace; Liam Arnold, Macomb Dakota; Kyle Hunter, Detroit Voyageur College Prep; Rahul Prasanna, Novi; and Eli Wolters, Holland.

Those eight new members were selected from 127 applicants, the second-largest group of applicants during the 20 years of the council. The first Student Advisory Council was formed for the 2006-07 school year. With the addition of this class beginning this summer, members will have represented 155 schools from 53 leagues plus independent schools that do not play in a league. Combined, the new appointees have participated in 12 MHSAA sports, and six will be the first SAC members from their respective schools.

The Student Advisory Council generally meets eight times each school year, and once more for a 24-hour leadership camp. In addition to assisting in the promotion of the educational value of interscholastic athletics, the Council discusses issues dealing with the 4 S’s of educational athletics: scholarship, sportsmanship, safety (including health and nutrition) and the sensible scope of athletic programs. There also is a fifth S discussed by the group – student leadership.

This school year, the Council handed out championship trophies at Finals events, led sessions during four Sportsmanship Summits, provided feedback to the MHSAA Representative Council on proposed rule changes, and provided behind-the-scenes social media coverage at MHSAA championship events. They also were featured in public service announcement videos broadcast throughout the last school year.

The new additions to the SAC will join the Class of 2027 members who were selected a year ago: Nichole James, Detroit Edison; Mia McGregor, Mio; Camryn Siegers, Holland Christian; Lucy Weber, Fenton; Brody Hammer, Middleville Thornapple Kellogg; Sam Bentley, Ypsilanti Lincoln; Mason Mireles, Hartford; and Joey Smokevitch, Johannesburg-Lewiston.