Boys Volleyball Repeats As State Champions With All Eyes on Sport
Justin Scott || Sports Reporter
6/2/2024, published digitally 6/4/2024 and in this week’s Ledger.
When Lowell beat Holland Christian in the state semifinals, the path was seemingly cleared out for the Red Arrows to repeat as Michigan High School Boys Volleyball champions.
The job wasn’t done though. Yes, they knew going in against either Sparta or South Christian, they’d be seen as the favorites. They played like it in Friday’s final, beating the Sailors resoundingly in straight sets 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-20).
To set up that final, was a battle of the top two squads in the state. Holland Christian entered at #1, beating Lowell late in the regular season, jumping Lowell after being #2 in the field all year.
“They were just quicker than us in that game. We didn’t adjust in time,” sophomore setter Max Davidson said to the Ledger. “We jumped back into practice knowing this game was coming and specifically practiced to beat them.” His brother Drew, is the head coach of the team.
Both squads dualed it out last Wednesday as Lowell knocked off the Maroons in four sets in the state semifinal at Grand Rapids Christian's Quest Center. An ace from Ean Wolters clinched Lowell’s first set 25-19. After the first set, Holland Christian bounced back, keeping in close in both sets two and three. The second set went to Lowell, who won the last four points. Holland Christian fended off five match points to take set three 31-29.
Lowell put the match away resoundingly in set four 25-17. A kill from Wolters, dealing the decisive blow setting up the Red Arrows against third-ranked South Christian for the title which was held at Cornerstone University. A strong contingent of supporters from the four finalists (Hudsonville and Grand Haven in D1, Lowell and South Christian in D2) set the stage for an exciting evening of volleyball.
Technically speaking, it is a club championship, for now. The sport becomes an MHSAA sport in 2025-2026. It didn’t have the atmosphere of a club sport though, nor the organization. Club sports generally just have the misfortune of not having enough schools that participate to make it a full-fledged MHSAA sport. Crew, clay target, equestrian, all three club sports where Lowell has had decent success. The sports are unfortunately too niche to ever likely make it as a full MHSAA sport. That's okay though. We celebrate their successes all the same.
It is something that boys volleyball players know though and are aware of how they're in an up-and-coming sport. In a perfect world, every sport has that same recognition. For the sport of boys volleyball to have jumped from a handful of teams to an MHSAA sport within a decade (started in 2018) is a remarkable achievement. One of the difficulties in adding any sport is Title IX requirements, which means the MHSAA must add a girls sport for every boys sport added and vice versa. Joining the fray on the girls side to balance boys volleyball joining is field hockey, much more popular on the east side of the state, with some teams around the Grand Rapids area participating including Rockford, EGR, and Spring Lake.
“I am really excited that boys volleyball is going to be an MHSAA sport,” Lowell senior outside hitter Gavin Barber said. “We were in the gym five days a week working hard to get to where we are. It will feel rewarding being able to call it a sport that more people will care about and engage with," Barber added.
The packed crowd at Cornerstone saw early domination from the Red Arrows. Simply making less mistakes, making more plays, and putting away more points. It led to an early 2-0 set lead in the best of five.
Unlike Wednesday's semifinal, in a game where it always seems to come down to the last few points, Lowell was the dominant team and the end result seemed inevitable. Up 24-20, Lowell had three match points, only needing one. Tiede provided the dig, Davidson with the assist, and Barber with the kill clinching a second straight championship for the Red Arrows.
“Our back row defense and blockers are huge assets. Without them, we would not be the same team. Going back to back state champs is a thrilling experience. It is hard work to win one state title but to win two is even harder, with a bigger target on your back, and other teams wanting your spot,” added Barber who will play volleyball at Calvin University next year.
Following the match, Lowell Boys Volleyball’s first head coach, and current girls volleyball head coach Jordan Drake congratulated Barber. The Lowell senior might have the look of a basketball player, well above six feet tall. It was volleyball though he took a chance on four years ago with Coach Drake, proving to be an invaluable asset in Lowell’s rise to the top the last four years. Barber earned all-conference honors along with Jacob Kissinger (HM), Ean Wolters, Tiede, Max Davidson, and Josh Wolters (HM). Certainly some state honors will be on the way as well.
Perhaps most impressive about Lowell’s run is they did it with just two seniors, Barber, and Zach Kistler who was a key part of Lowell’s lineup during their run. Both have the distinction of being Lowell's first ever four-year players. “Quinn Mitchell also stepped up in a big way this year. He was a back row player last year, so being thrusted into a new position in the front row was a major challenge. Also freshman Josh Wolters really grew into his role at middle as the season progressed. It felt like he got better with each and every game he played,” libero Brant Tiede added of his teammates which both Davidson and Barber agreed with.
LHS exchange student Alessio Ferrari became one of Lowell's few exchange student state champions in multiple sports in a single school year, participating in both wrestling and boys volleyball before heading back to Italy. He served Lowell's winning point in set two against the Sailors. Hudsonville won in the division one finals.
"The boys put in a ton of work year round to make a state championship possible. We started preseason practices in November and ramp things up in the spring. Many of our boys play club ball in the school year and beach volleyball in the summer also. We simply are getting more touches than other teams are getting, and that shows on the court.
"After our loss to Holland Christian, we spent every practice preparing for that game. We knew HC was the team to beat, and we needed to fine tune our block and serve receive in order to keep up with them. It was such a mental game to come back from that loss, and we prepared that game mindset for weeks in advance," assistant coach Kadence Tiede said.
I really think everyone played such a great game. Everyone came ready to go for the championship and they performed their jobs to the best of their abilities. I could not be prouder of the work they put in this season," Tiede added.
Lowell has seen state championships at the MHSAA level in recent years with wrestling of course, football in the 2000’s, boys bowling, and girls volleyball came oh so close to a title of their own. In two years time, this year’s sophomores, freshmen, and middle schoolers will be looking to keep that success going. For now, Lowell will enjoy their time at the summit of the mountain they've fought hard to make it to, everyone else looking to them as the flag-bearer of the sport of boys volleyball, as it continues to grow.
