Meet the 2022 Battle Creek Enquirer All-City Volleyball Team
Meet the 2022 Battle Creek Enquirer All-City Volleyball Team. The team is made up of members of the six city volleyball teams and voted on by the city coaches and the Enquirer sports staff:
MORE: Lakeview's Heather Sawyer is Enquirer All-City Volleyball Team Coach of the Year
Makenzee Grimm
St. Philip
After getting a taste of success the past two years as a role player on state championship teams, Makenzee Grimm stepped into the spotlight for a state-ranked St. Philp squad this year as a junior and blossomed. Showcasing good defensive skills, Grimm helped the Tigers to a district title.
As a middle hitter, Grimm will be coming back for another season with the Tigers after leading the team in kills with 265, with a .370 kill percentage, and coming up with 37 aces and a .960 serve percentage. Grimm added 31 blocks and 311 digs, earning all-league honors.
Julia Hall
Pennfield
Showing good size with standout timing and jumping ability, Julia Hall excelled on the front line as the Panthers' middle blocker. The 5-foot-11 senior helped Pennfield hold its own in a challenging Interstate 8 Conference with good leadership skills on a young roster.
Hall had a team-high 285 kills, with a hitting efficiency of .279, and had 148 blocks to go along with 163 digs. A repeat member of the Enquirer All-City team, Hall is also on her second all-league team in the Interstate 8 Conference.
Natalie Hensel
Pennfield
Part of a youth movement for Pennfield, Natalie Hensel had a breakout sophomore season as a combo player, stepping in as a setter and as a middle hitter. She ran the offense as a setter in the 6-2 and could switch to a hitting position on the front row due to her athletic ability.
Hensel had 156 kills, with a .184 hitting efficiency, to go along with 71 blocks, 96 digs and 46 aces, while adding 362 assists, earning all-league consideration in the Interstate 8 Conference.
Tia Henry
Battle Creek Central
As Battle Creek Central continues to try and build its program, the Bearcats will need more players like three-year starter and senior Tia Henry. BCC will find it hard to replace the athletic defensive specialist and team captain, who was a leader on and off the court.
Henry is a repeat Enquirer All-City selection and a two-time all-league choice in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference as she finished with 268 kills, 182 digs and 38 aces.
Lauren Higgs
Harper Creek
A four-year setter for Harper Creek, Lauren Higgs had grown into her role to become one of the area's best at the position. With a never-quit mentality, Higgs kept the Harper Creek offense in phase on most every rally as she was a key leader for Beaver program that was competitive in the Interstate 8 Conference and advanced to the finals of the All-City tourney.
Higgs had a team-high 958 assists, along with 162 digs and 41 aces, and could also contribute in other places on the court with 55 kills and 28 blocks, earning all-league honors in the Interstate 8 Conference and is a repeat selection on the All-City team.
Maddie Hoelscher
St. Philip
A four-year varsity player and a two-time state champ, Hoelscher brought needed experience to a St. Philip starting unit. Despite heavy graduation losses from last year's Division 4 champs, Hoelscher had the Tigers ranked in the state once again much of the season as St. Philip won a district title.
From her middle blocker spot, the senior was a floor leader with 242 kills, showcasing a .380 kill percentage. She also had 153 digs and 62 aces, with a .930 serve percentage, earning all-league honors and makes the All-City team after being an honorable mention pick a year ago.
Hazuki Ishikawa
Lakeview
A three-year varsity player, Hazuki Ishikawa brought good senior leadership to the Spartans from her libero position as she helped Lakeview to a city championship, the school's second straight district title and first place in the East Division of the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference.
Ishikawa was a six-rotation player, featuring good quickness and passing ability as she finished with 446 digs and had a .909 serving percentage, with 79 aces, as she earned First-Team All-Conference in the SMAC and all-region for a 35-5 Lakeview team.
Carmen Knickerbocker
Calhoun Christian
A senior captain, Carmen Knickerbocker finished off a standout career with Calhoun Christian as she put her name in the record books at No. 4 in both career assists and assists in a season.
Showing a good all-around skill set, Knickerbocker finished the season with a team-high 375 assists with 85 aces, while also helping out on the front row with 64 kills and coming up with 146 digs.
Livi Overbeek
Lakeview
Part of the next wave of top players for Lakeview, Livi Overbeek had a breakout sophomore season as she saw her role continue to grow throughout the year as she helped the Spartans to a city championship, the school's second straight district title and first place in the East Division of the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference.
Overbeek brought good size and athletic ability to the front row as she had 324 kills, with a kill efficiency of .296, and 45 blocks with 90 digs as she earned First-Team All-Conference in the SMAC and all-region for a 35-5 Lakeview team.
Cassidy Pratley
Harper Creek
Cassidy Pratley is part of the emerging talent in the Harper Creek system, which will be needed as a handful of experienced seniors will be departing. Just a sophomore, Pratley is already a two-year starter who demonstrates next-level physical tools with great leaping ability and outstanding power on her swing.
A key performer for a Beaver program that was competitive in the Interstate 8 Conference and advanced to the finals of the All-City tourney, Pratley led the team with 478 kills and 88 blocks, earning all-league honors in the Interstate 8 Conference and makes the Enquirer All-City team after being an honorable mention pick a year ago.
Anya Rankin
Lakeview
Only a sophomore, Anya Rankin was a go-to player on the front row as an outside hitter in the Spartan offense as she helped Lakeview to a city championship, the school's second straight district title, while finishing first in the East Division of the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference.
As Lakeview rolled to a 35-5 record, Rankin led the team in kills with 401 with 407 digs and a serving percentage of .955 with 73 aces. A six-rotation player, Rankin also earned First-Team All-Conference in the SMAC as well as being named to the all-region team.
Payton Rice
Harper Creek
Payton Rice has been the nucleus of the Harper Creek volleyball program for four years and had a big senior season for a Beaver program that was competitive in the Interstate 8 Conference and advanced to the finals of the All-City tourney. A strong leader, Rice was an offensive force at the net with top-end physical tools.
Rice finished with 401 kills, 344 digs, 39 aces and 21 blocks, earning all-league honors in the Interstate 8 Conference and a repeat selection on the Enquirer All-City team.
Kalyn Smith
Lakeview
Taking a big step in her senior year, Kalyn Smith went from a role player and defensive specialist to becoming the main setter and a six-rotation contributor by midseason. Smith helped run the offense for the Spartans, who finished as city champs, won the school's second straight district title and the East Division of the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference.
Smith ended with 690 assists, 233 digs and 60 aces, with a serve percentage of .932, as she earned First-Team All-Conference in the SMAC for a 35-5 Lakeview team.
HONORABLE MENTION
Madi Belmore (Lakeview), Katie Belmore (Lakeview), Jenna Morris (Lakeview), Aisling Rankin (Lakeview), Reese Winter (Harper Creek), Ella Chantrenne (Harper Creek), Jaclyn Ashley (St. Philip), Charli Greger (St. Philip), Rylee Altman (St. Philip), Kate Doyle (St. Philip), Jadyn Horne (BCC), Jenna Follett (Calhoun Christian), Sarah Belote (Calhoun Christian), Olivia Keller (Battle Creek Academy)
Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter @billbroderick
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Meet the 2022 Battle Creek Enquirer All-City Volleyball Team
