BATTLE CREEK – Longtime Auburn Hills Oakland Christian volleyball coach Priscilla Larned got her wish.
Plymouth Christian’s Olivia Mady attempts a kill over Auburn Hills Oakland Christian blockers Starr Summer, left, and Jacqueline Schneider.
When she looked at the Class D playoff bracket, she hoped her team would face Michigan Independent Blue League rival Plymouth Christian in Saturday’s championship game. The teams split two games during the regular season and tied for the league title.
Larned, coaching her final game, also hoped for a championship sendoff.
But instead, Plymouth Christian soared to a 25-18, 22-25, 25-19, 25-19 victory for the school’s first volleyball title. The Eagles (44-4-5) lost in the semifinals last season.
Coach D.J. Kellogg helped the team to the title by playing a schedule that included Novi, Clarkston, North Branch, Lake Orion, Corunna and Macomb Dakota.
The coach’s junior daughter Grace, an outside hitter, had 21 kills and freshman daughter Gabriella had 13.
“We talked about getting here and being in this position all season after we lost last year,” said D.J. “With the pickups we had as far as talent we knew we had a lot of weapons that could be used in a lot of different places.”
Grace Kellogg and Olivia Mady credited Libero Divna Roi for keeping the team on track.
Taking advantage of Lancers’ mistakes, the Eagles soared early, building a 14-10 lead.
Plymouth Christian players celebrate winning the Class D volleyball state title.
Puncturing the middle of the Oakland Christian defense, the Eagles controlled the first game from start to finish, then went up 16-10 in the second game.
The Lancers needed a spark and got it from Samantha Morse. Her play at the net sparked a run of six straight points to tie the game at 16. Finding a flow, the Lancers won four of the next five points to take a 20-17 lead and held on to tie the match.
But every game seemed to be an uphill battle for the Lancers, and the third game was no exception. They fell behind, 6-2 and 11-7, and had to fight to stay within striking distance. The Lancers got to within one point twice, but Mady and Gabriella Kellogg kept coming up with the big point when the Eagles needed it.
Sensing the championship, the Eagles scored the first four points of the fourth game to put the pressure on the Lancers. Plymouth doubled the score on the Lancers, 15-7, and it was becoming evident that Larned would not win her finale.
Trailing 22-12, the Lancers made one last push. They won seven straight points before a kill by the Eagles ended the run.
“It’ll be different,” said Larned of retirement. “We just had a tough time today. They made some adjustments with their setter. It has been 32 years with volleyball, but there were a lot of other sports before that. I’m a coach who never got to play in high school and it has been a great time coaching. I see the need for someone to come in and get the enthusiasm going again.”