Volleyball

When 90 percent of one of our key constituent groups has the same opinion, it’s worth talking about – even if the topic is a sacred cow.

Two of the greatest athletes ever to compete for Novi High School finished two of the most memorable volleyball careers in school and state history Saturday at Kellogg Arena.  Setter and Miss Volleyball Award winner Erin O’Leary and outside hitter Abryanna C...

Betty Wroubel is closing in on 1,000 victories at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep. Victory No. 990 always will be special. It gave her a third MHSAA Finals title at the school since 2007.

Laingsburg passed the eye test, but Bronson proved to be the real thing. The Wolfpack stood out athletic and tall, and playing in the Class C volleyball championship match against two-time reigning champion Bronson didn’t seem to intimidate them. But after losing...

Plymouth Christian Academy coach D.J. Kellogg and his Eagles flew into Kellogg Arena as the reigning Class D volleyball champions. They left the same way Saturday morning after dispatching the Fowler Eagles 25-18, 25-23, 25-21 in this year’s Final.

The Grand Rapids Christian volleyball team entered Tuesday night on the heels of an emotional high after upsetting top-ranked Rockford four days earlier in the Regional Final. But the Eagles were unable to sustain it and saw their season come to a disappointing close w...

There are some clear favorites heading into this MHSAA Volleyball Finals weekend at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena. Three reigning champions are back from a year ago. Two of those are among the three top-ranked teams still in play. But 12 others are aiming to show ...

Beaverton’s dream volleyball season ended Thursday with a Class C Regional Final loss to Shelby. But the Beavers never will forget how they fulfilled aspirations and inspired future generations by winning multiple first-time championships this fall.

Eleven months ago, after Novi had won its second consecutive MHSAA Class A title, those in the volleyball community fully expected the Wildcats to easily make it a three-peat in 2017. And why not? Novi won its second straight championship in a four-set victory over Roc...

It was a legitimate question – "Where's Brimley?" It had been a long time since the little town located off Whitefish Bay in the Upper Peninsula had made some noise on the statewide level with its school's sports success – not since back-to-back Class D MHS...

Dave Hall laughs when he talks about his almost daily phone conversations with friend and coaching companion Ron Stremlow. The two are among the most successful volleyball coaches in MHSAA history. Stremlow, now in his 34th season, has amassed 904 victories in sti...

A new coach is at the helm, but the tradition of excellent volleyball has carried on at Calumet High School. The Copper Kings (27-6-2) are ranked sixth in the Class C state coaches poll this week as Matt Laho has added to the success established over the past 20 years ...

It was likely a coincidence that Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern’s Linsey Taatjes and Fraser’s Angie McGinnis both wore jersey No. 9 as their teams met in the 2003 Class A Volleyball Final at Western Michigan University. It hardly was a coincidence that ...

Kellie Rowland doesn’t sugarcoat anything when it comes to the hundreds of players she has coached and mentored over 23 seasons. The longtime Lakewood High School volleyball coach lets players know exactly what she thinks, and it’s a style that has served h...

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep continues to boast one of the elite volleyball programs in Michigan, and is ranked No. 1 in Class B again after an impressive run through Saturday's Battle Creek Lakeview Invitational.  Returning all-stater Maddy Chinn is the Fighting Irish...

Last November, Kiarah Horn was part of the first Adrian Madison volleyball team to reach the MHSAA Semifinals in more than 25 years. She’d like nothing more than to do it again. “It was an awesome experience,” said the Madison senior. “We all wa...

Girls volleyball has seen its share of changes over more than four decades as an MHSAA sport. Along the way, it has become the most popular high school girls sport in the state in terms of participation, with more than 19,000 athletes taking part last season.   Th...

Before most high school students have blistered their fingertips on a hot Pop-Tart in a rush to get out the door and to school on time, White Pigeon sophomore Claycee West has already completed a rigorous cross country workout. It’s not for love of the sport that...

Kendal Muxlow offered nothing but praise when asked about the Brown City volleyball class of 2017, which left the school as the most successful in program history. She raved about her graduated teammates’ leadership, work ethic and ability to raise up every playe...

As the lone four-year varsity player on Class A champion Novi's roster, Ally Cummings has played a special role in helping the program rise to elite. Cummings – the Wildcats' right-side hitter and the state's Miss Volleyball Award runner-up this fall &n...