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Forest Hills Northern, Fraser, Bedford could return to Kalamazoo
Sunday, March 2, 2003 By Jim Jicha
In last year’s Michigan Class A State Finals, Fraser beat Bedford in one semifinal and Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern topped Port Huron Northern in the other. Forest Hills beat Fraser to claim the title.
Three of these teams will be back for an encore, if the favorites in the Coaches’ Association Poll advance to the Final Four at Western Michigan’s University Arena in Kalamazoo on March 13.
The Coaches’ Poll on February 24 had Forest Hills, Portage Central, Fraser and Bedford ranked 1-2-3-4. Forest Hills and Portage Central are in the same region so only one of them can advance. Fraser and Bedford are in different regions and quarterfinals. They would meet again in the semifinals if they get that far.
Before going further a quick digression is necessary for the benefit of Ohio readers. Michigan's tournament has districts and regionals like Ohio's. But the Michigan regional final is equivalent to the regional semifinal in Ohio. Regional winners in Michigan play in quarterfinal matches, and those winners advance to State.
With a 71-0 record, another trip to Kalamazoo for defending champion Forest Hills Northern might seem like a sure thing. The Huskies have several seniors back from last year’s championship team. Northern is from a volleyball hotspot of Michigan, and the Huskies' stellar record has been forged from a most formidable schedule.
But to get to Kalamazoo the Huskies have to navigate through a minefield of strong teams where one bad match spells disaster. Northern figures to be challenged early and often.
Northern’s region is much like the Southwest Region in Ohio with one major difference. In southwestern Ohio the population of Division I schools is large enough that there are five districts. This enables one District Champion to go to a different region. It makes it possible for two Southwest teams to reach the final four.
In Michigan, the population density of large schools is in the Detroit-Toledo-Ann Arbor area, and southeastern Michigan has more districts. While there are lots of very strong teams around Portage, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, only one can attain a Final Four bracket.
Northern is led by middle hitter/blocker Linsey Taatjes, hitters Meredith Young and Molly Young and setter Amanda Harrall. The Huskies may not quite match some teams in firepower, but they are second to none when it comes to blocking and defense. They also are known for playing at a consistently high level.
Given the strength of their region, consistency will be a key asset to Northern in their quest to repeat as champions.
Fraser’s lineup features three marquee juniors who have gained national attention in club ball. 6’0” Angie McGinnis plays for the National Junior Team and is one of the top high school setters in the nation. She has verbally committed to play for Florida. Cousin Katie Price, a 6’1” outside hitter known for her ability to spike over the blockers, will eventually play for Penn State. And 5’9” outside hitter Peachy Jankowski also expects to play Division I in college.
These three are all proficient jump servers, giving Fraser’s offense a dimension rarely seen at the high school level.
Bedford is led by a group of seniors who, when they were freshmen, upended their own junior varsity team to win the JV team’s tournament. Today’s senior starters were understudies as sophomores, when their then-senior laden varsity blitzed to an 82-1 record and the State Championship. The Mules’ roster, deep with talent, includes Division I college prospects. Outside hitter Erica Kaczorowski is headed for Xavier and setter Jenifer Sulewski will be off to Western Michigan.
Bedford provides a textbook in team play. The seniors have been together since seventh grade or younger. When they huddle on the court you get a sense that they are really having fun.
The Mules could win it all. In the finale of their recent Invitational, Bedford led the Fraser 14-11 and 15-14 in game three, before Katie Price blasted three kills to put the match away for the Ramblers.
In a scenario where favorites advance, the only newcomer to the Final Four will come from the Greenville Quarterfinal. No one competing from that bracket was ranked in the Top Ten. Potential winners are Chippewa Valley, Flint Carman Ainsworth, Oxford, North Branch and Traverse City West.
If Chippewa gets to Kalamazoo, that will be a real feather in the cap of the Macomb Area Conference Red Division. For one thing, Port Huron Northern whom they would replace is a league member.
Even more impressive is that Fraser and Marysville are also members. All the teams in the league are Class A except for Marysville. While Fraser tries to wrest the Class A crown from Forest Hills Northern, Marysville will be trying to keep their Class B crown. And they’ve had it for six straight years.
So what can happen between now and March 13? Well actually, quite a lot.
Forest Hills Northern can expect stiff resistance as soon as they begin their tournament quest. Their District is loaded with strong teams. In the Regional semifinal they are likely to meet Grand Haven or # 9 Holland West Ottawa.
The Huskies will probably have to tangle with #2 Portage Central or #5 East Kentwood in the Regional Final. Forest Hills beat Central 15-8, 15-13 for the title of the Wildcat Invitational held February 15 at Mattawan. Earlier in that tournament, Central split matches with Fraser. They lost in power pool play 12-21, 13-21, but knocked the Ramblers out in the semifinal 11-15, 15-8, 15-3.
East Kentwood is no stranger to the State scene, having won it all in 2000. They were 52-15 when the regular season ended on February 22. They are young but talented, and after 67 matches they have a year under their belts.
Assuming Forest Hills gets to the Quarterfinal, they are likely to run into Mason, Battle Creek Lakeview or Okemos. All three are ranked or honorable mention. So the Huskies will face strong opponents all the way. But then their regular season has been like that too.
Bedford and Fraser have easier roads to the quarterfinals. To get through their regionals they need to take care of business and avoid the upset bug. In the quarterfinal Bedford will most likely face # 10 Chelsea, or Adrian or Ladywood. Chelsea beat Bedford in their league meeting early in the season, but Bedford won a rematch in the Bedford Invitational held February 8.
Fraser’s likely quarterfinal opponent will be Bloomfield Hills Marian or Farmington Hills Mercy. The Ramblers have beaten Marian at least twice this year, but their last meeting in the Bedford Invitational on February 22 was no picnic. The favored Ramblers had to come back from a 12-13 deficit in game three of the semifinal to avoid elimination.
Marian recently beat Mercy in three to win the Catholic League tournament. At the Schoolcraft Invitational, Marian beat Bedford, then almost beat East Kentwood in the final, bowing in the third game 22-20. Marian is led by setter Erin Poglits, a finalist for Michigan's Miss Volleyball Award, and outside hitter Sarah Kreher, a Toledo University signee.
Assuming the favorites do advance, rematches between Bedford and Fraser in the semifinal, and Fraser and Forest Hills Northern in the final, should be very entertaining. The matches last year were exciting, and regular season rematches this year were nailbiters.
A Fraser versus Bedford semifinal would be their third straight meeting at this level. In 2001 when McGinnis, Price and Jankowski led Fraser to the semifinal as freshmen, the Ramblers almost derailed Bedford on their express line run to an 82-1 record and the state title. The Mules won that meeting 16-14, 15-11. Last year Fraser won 13-15, 15-11, 15-11. And in the final of this year’s Bedford recent Invitational, Fraser came from behind to topple the Mules 13-15, 15-7, 17-15.
Forest Hills Northern has won three straight over Fraser, starting with last year’s title match which the Huskies won 15-9, 8-15, 15-9.
Consistency was a factor in Northern’s two wins over Fraser this year. The Huskies won the Baden/Lexum Tournament title match over Fraser 15-13, 10-15, 15-11 early in the season. They beat Fraser again in the power pool round in a recent tournament at Mattawan, 21-11, 14-21, 15-13. Errors hurt Fraser in both matches.
The Ramblers’ position with Northern is similar to that of Cincinnati Ursuline last fall when the Lions faced St. Ursula in the Division I Ohio final. Ursuline had lost a marathon affair to St. Ursula in the 2001 title match (after beating them twice in league matches).
This season the Lions lost twice in league play to St. Ursula, both three game squeakers. But after St. Ursula won game one in the State Final, the Lions roared back to claim the championship 11-15, 15-8, 15-13.
Even if the favorites do not advance to Kalamazoo, the Final Four will be exciting. Just imagine Chelsea playing Marian in one semifinal, Portage Central or East Kentwood meeting Chippewa Valley in the other and Marian winning it all. That is improbable, but it would be exciting.
One thing is for sure. No matter what happens, March Madness has arrived in Michigan, and its volleyball. And that’s reason enough for excitement. |
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