SMCC rolls to Division 3 & 4 Showcase championship
In a tournament featuring some of the top teams in Division 3 and Division 4, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central proved to be a step above the rest. The Kestrels won Saturday’s Division 3 & 4 Showcase at Michigan Elite…
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Continue ReadingIn a tournament featuring some of the top teams in Division 3 and Division 4, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central proved to be a step above the rest.
The Kestrels won Saturday’s Division 3 & 4 Showcase at Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy, never dropping a set throughout the day while holding every opponent to 18 points or less in each set.
“We played very well,” SMCC coach Karen O’Brien said. “The girls kept a consistent level of play and finished off sets when we had a chance to do so.”
Currently No. 1 in our Division 3 rankings, the Kestrels certainly look like a team that could make a run at snapping Bronson’s streak of three straight state championships.
In the final, SMCC defeated Riverview Gabriel Richard (No. 13 in D3) in a potential district matchup for the two teams.
The Kestrels established themselves right away behind the serve of sophomore Mikayla Haut, our third-ranked player in the Class of 2021. SMCC established a 15-6 lead in the first set that would ultimately turn into a 25-15 victory.
Gabriel Richard was able to bounce back early in the second set and held a 13-11 lead before the Kestrels turned it on with their array of hitters. When Mikayla Haut wasn’t finishing points, it was senior Maddie Haut in the middle or Abbie Costlow on the right side.
“We like for teams to think it’s just Mikayla out there,” O’Brien said of her hitters. “When we run a 6-2, we have six hitters that are hard to defend. I have four sophomores that can all hit and Maddie Haut in the middle is hitting near. 500. That can be pretty hard for anyone to defend.”
SMCC turned the 13-11 deficit into a 21-14 advantage and finished the match with a 25-18 victory. Sophomore Anna Dean put down the championship point.
The Kestrels picked up wins over Brown City (No. 22 D3) and Royal Oak Shrine in pool play. During the quarterfinals, SMCC suffered an injury to setter Sarah Reicker, which forced the Kestrels to move from a 6-2 to a 5-1 with Jessica Long handling the setting on her own.
The change didn’t lead to any problems, as SMCC beat Reese in the quarterfinals, 25-12, 25-15. The Kestrels then defeated two-time defending Class D champs, Plymouth Christian (No. 5 D4) in the semifinals by scores of 25-18, 25-13.
“I was happy with how we adjusted,” O’Brien said of moving to the 5-1. “Our girls handled the change well and still played to a high level.”
Mikayla Haut finished the day with 54 kills while hitting .435 while Maddie Haut had 31 kills and hit .442. Costlow finished with 26 kills and hit. 375. Long tallied 129 assists while Abby Jackson had 59 digs.
Though Gabriel Richard fell to SMCC in the final, the Pioneers earned wins over Plymouth Christian, Reese, Lansing Christian (No. 20 in D4), Oakland Christian (No. 10 in D4) and West Michigan Christian (No. 4 D3) on the day.
“It was a very good day for us. We fought some really tough teams today and I was really impressed with how my team handled it,” Gabriel Richard coach Sarah Marody said. “They never got down on themselves and never quit. It was good to play against great opponents like SMCC. I look forward to building on what we did today. With the work ethic this team has, I think they can really make a run in the state tournament this year.”
Division 3 & 4 Showcase Results
Pool Results
Pool A: SMCC 2-0, Brown City 1-1, Shrine 0-2 *(Burton Atherton withdrew)
Pool B: Gabriel Richard 3-0, Plymouth Christian 2-1, Reese 1-2, Lansing Christian 0-3
Pool C: WMC 2-1, Harbor Beach 2-1, Oakland Christian 1-2, Charyl Stockwell 1-2
Quarterfinals
SMCC def. Reese 25-12, 25-15
Plymouth Christian def. Harbor Beach 25-19, 25-22
Gabriel Richard def. Oakland Christian 25-20, 25-19
WMC def. Brown City 25-22, 26-24
Semifinals
SMCC def. Plymouth Christian 25-18, 25-13
Gabriel Richard def. WMC 25-19, 25-19
Final
SMCC def. Gabriel Richard 25-15, 25-18