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Cadillac hopes to cash in on another chance at volleyball state finals this time around

jordan puente, the record-eagle, traverse city, mich.
·5 min read

Nov. 18—CADILLAC — There are teams in northern Michigan that hope one day to be in Battle Creek for championship weekend, and the Cadillac Vikings get a chance to live out those dreams Friday — and hopefully Saturday.

Cadillac has played in Battle Creek twice in the past three years but hasn't gotten over the hump to get to the state championship finals. The Vikings look to rewrite history on Friday as they play Dearborn Devine Child in the Division 2 state semifinals at Kellogg Arena at 6:30 p.m.

Last season, the Vikings lost to state runner-up North Branch in the D2 state quarterfinals, losing 17-25, 23-25, and 21-25. Then in 2020, they lost in the semifinals to Grand Rapids Christian in straight sets — 21-25, 13-25, 11-25.

Dearborn Devine Child has been to the state semifinals before, but — similar to Cadillac — the Falcons don't have much history in the state finals.

Cadillac head coach Michelle Brines said there's nothing more she can say or do to get the girls prepared for Battle Creek, but she is aware of the large elephant in the room — making it to state but not winning it all.

Some of the players have experienced playoff losses, but the Vikings are hungry and want to get the monkey off their backs. But with those losses, they've turned them into life lessons.

"Pressure is a privilege in the fact that we can get there and feel the pressure to win," senior outside hitter Jozz Seeley said. "I mean straight up."

Seeley remembers playing in the 2020 game, but the environment was different because limited fans were allowed in the arena because of COVID-19 protocols. For a lot of the players, they haven't experienced the loudness of Kellogg Arena.

Senior right-side hitter Macy McKeever has never played at Kellogg before and is excited to see what former players talk about. The Kellogg Arena has a concert atmosphere because of how loud it can get, but coaches and players have a chemistry that has been building for this moment.

To combat the noise, the girls have become 'professional lip readers' according to Seeley, because they've played with loud crowds all season — especially at home. The Cadillac community has rallied around its volleyball team throughout the journey.

Brines knows how big of a moment this is for the team because when football is playing, volleyball doesn't get as much love or support as it deserves. But when it comes time to playoffs, the community shows up.

"It's great for the girls because it's volleyball," Brines said. "It's not football, it's not boys basketball, but in our community, they've come to know that they can usually rely on the volleyball team to have a good season."

The girls will be showered with more support at school on Friday before they leave for Battle Creek at 10 a.m. The student body will cheer them on in the hallways as they walk to board the bus. Once the team gets on the bus, a police escort will take them out of the city.

"We've always had a good fan base, and having people there just makes us all feel good," Seeley said. "It allows us to show people what we can do."

Cadillac has a stacked roster filled with juniors, a few seniors and a sophomore. Brines has put trust in sophomore Cassie Jenema to run the offense since the summer, and it has worked.

"She's handled it like a champ because it's a lot of pressure," she said. "Tomorrow night, there'll be a lot of pressure on her, but we've played in big matches and she was there when we were down 0-2 against Ludington."

The Vikings' journey started with a slight scare against Ludington in the district semifinals where they were down 0-2 and rallied back to win the next three sets and go on to beat Reed City in the finals. The Vikings beat Midland Bullock Creek and Cheboygan in regionals and would later beat Grand Rapids West Catholic in the state quarterfinals.

Brines said having a scare against Ludington has prepared the team for any adversity they may face on Friday.

Brines has been at Cadillac since 2001 and has more than 900 wins in her 30 years of coaching. Because of her legacy, former players and coaches from the northern Michigan area have reached out to her and players to wish them good luck in Battle Creek.

The team has worked as a unit throughout the season, but none of it could happen without contributions from everyone.

Jenema has a team-high 1,168 assists in 47 matches while having 92 kills, 37 blocks and 313 digs. McKeever has a team-high 59 aces in 45 games played, while collecting 106 kills, 11 blocks, 19 assists and 305 digs. Makenzie Johns has 204 kills, 24 aces, 52 blocks and 174 digs.

Seeley leads the team with 387 kills, 54 aces, 34 blocks and 358 digs. Brooke Ellens has a team-high 430 digs. Carissa Musta has a team-high 173 blocks.

If Cadillac wins on Friday, they'll spend another day in Battle Creek to take on the winner of Grand Rapids South Christian or North Branch on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in the championship match.