BATTLE CREEK — History will show that Clarkston Everest Collegiate is the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 4 volleyball champion for the second year in a row.
The Mountaineers’ 37-0-1 record (the tie occurred in a two-set match against then-Division 2 champ North Branch in October) gives them the distinction of having the first undefeated season for any Michigan high school volleyball team since Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (42-0) accomplished the feat in winning Class B in 2015.
Everest defeated St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake 25-23, 25-21, 21-25, 25-13, which carries an interesting footnote. Our Lady’s roster from an enrollment of 61 students had seven players — five seniors and two eighth graders, who are allowed by the MHSAA to play when a school has an enrollment under 100.
As the scores indicate, the Mountaineers couldn’t take winning for granted. Coach Danielle Walker praised the Lakers’ squad. “They were special. They worked hard.”
History will also show that few teams have worked harder than Everest did a year ago. They were pushed to the limit in identical manner in both the semifinal and final matches, losing the first two sets, then having no option but to rally to take the next three deciding sets.
Could last year’s made-in-Hollywood dramatic conclusion have had a rollover bearing on this year’s achievement?
“Well,” said athletic director Ann Lowney, “maybe it sort of sparked us.”
“This team was special,” said Walker, who has the distinction of winning state championships in her first two years as coach. “They really had the drive to win. They were very competitive.”
She credits, too, the leadership of the team’s three senior captains — Sarah Bradley, Madelyn Krappmann and Addison Pearce.
“Team bonding was very important,” Walker said.
Last year, Everest played semifinal and final games back-to-back on Friday and Saturday at Kellogg Arena. This year, the semifinal — a sweep of Hancock — was played on Thursday and the final at 10 a.m. Saturday.
“We stayed over in Battle Creek,” Walker said. “But we did everything together on Friday. We had our meals together, we went shopping together, we went to Mass together. We had a practice at St. Phillip’s High School.”
“They were having fun,” Lowney said. “We wondered, ‘Are they serious?’ So we had a meeting that night and they told us they were.”
Pearce said, “It was everyone combined that worked hard every day, didn’t let anything come in our way to keep our momentum going.” She contributed 10 kills and five blocks.
“I think this season, we really played for each other,” Bradley said, “and it’s going to be so hard to leave them.” A Miss Volleyball candidate, Bradley led the attack with 28 kills and 16 digs. She will be attending Calvin University in the fall.
Krappmann, who will take her volleyball talent to Hillsdale College, had 16 kills, the last one of her prep career for the final winning point for the state title. She also had 14 digs. Setter senior Erica Walker, the coach’s niece, directed the offense with 45 assists.
Lowney pointed out that this is Everest’s sixth state championship, all coming back-to-back: volleyball 2023-24, boys golf in 2016-17 and 2022-23. “We’ll see if we can three-peat in golf in the spring,”
Of intertest: Mayssa Cook (nee Bazzi) coached the 2015 undefeated Ann Arbor Fr. Gabriel Richard volleyball team. She is in her seventh year at Bloomfield Hills Marian, Division 1 champs in 2021-22-23. Marian was eliminated by champ Northville in the semifinal.
Monroe SMCC 8 for 8 in volleyball
Eight finals, eight victories.
That’s an accomplishment few teams can make, but Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central's volleyball squad can after sweeping Traverse City St. Francis 25-21, 25-20, 25-15 to claim the Division 3 title. The Kestrels also won their championship appearances in 2020-19, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2007 and 2003.
SMCC was dominant for much of the season, finishing 39-4-1, but was especially so during the postseason, sweeping all but one opponent, Cass City in the semifinal.
Jessica Costlow led the Kestrels attack with 15 kills and 12 digs. Alexa Turner had 20 assists, and McKenna Payne had 13 digs, eight kills and eight assists.
Contact Don Horkey at [email protected].
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