Area volleyball standouts receive MIVCA All-State recognition
LANSING — There’s never a shortage of volleyball talent on the courts of Northern Michigan.
That’s evident season after season and it was in 2022 once again, with four area squads earning postseason wins to reach their respective district championship match, from Division 1 to Division 4.
The teams were of course filled with skilled players and a handful of them were recently highlighted by the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association (MIVCA) with all-state honors.
A total of seven area girls were recognized from D2 to D4, along with a handful of others from throughout Northern Michigan.
Boyne City senior Morgan Deming led the way with third team honors within Division 2, making it a second straight year that she earned all-state after being named honorable mention last season.
More than the all-state honors, Deming also etched her name into the MHSAA record books this season with 606 kills for the year. She also ranks third all-time for kills in a single match with 52 against Kingsley and ranks sixth all-time for single-match kills with 44 against Cheboygan.
More than just a net player, Deming also added 319 digs, 85 aces and 82 blocks for the season.
Within Division 3, a pair of Charlevoix senior standouts earned honorable mention recognition in Anna Haf and Claire Scholten. It’s now the third straight season that a strong Rayder program has had at least two players earn all-state.
Haf was a three-year varsity player for the Rayders and finished out her career at libero and as a leader on the court.
She recorded 631 digs and served at 92 percent for the season with 72 aces. She also had 48 kills and 638 good serve receptions.
For Scholten, who reached 2,000 career assists in districts against East Jordan, a four-year career with the Rayders closed with the final two as the team’s primary setter.
Scholten recorded 1,075 assists for the year, though added to every other category as well, recording 106 aces, 205 kills and 361 digs, showing her versatility.
A host of area players also earned Division 4 honors from around the area, including Mackinaw City senior Madison Smith, who earned second team recognition.
The 6-foot-2 Smith was again a dominant force for the Comets within the Northern Lakes Conference and beyond, helping lead Mackinaw to its first-ever district volleyball championship.
Smith has been a three-time all-state selection on the basketball court and now adds volleyball for the first time.
Also within the area in Division 4, Pellston’s Megan Bricker was named honorable mention, Inland Lakes’ Natalie Wandrie earned second team and Ryann Clancy of Inland Lakes was a third team recipient.
Others earning recognition from throughout Northern Michigan included: Elyse Heffner, TC Central (HM); Carissa Musta, Cadillac (2nd team); Joslyn Seeley, Cadillac (HM); Avery Nance, TC St. Francis (3rd); Garnet Mullet, TC St. Francis (HM); Alexis Luce, Leland (1st); Fiona Moord, Leland (1st); Kelsey Allen, Leland (2nd); Olive Ryder, Leland (2nd); Lindsey Hill, Brimley (3rd); Eve Cheney, Rudyard (HM); Grace Watson, Onaway (HM); and Payton Miller, Frankfort (HM).
Contact Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com. Follow him on Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Area volleyball standouts receive MIVCA All-State recognition
