The Broncos are headed back to Battle Creek in search of back-to-back division 2 state volleyball titles, and their 5th championship since 2009. North Branch defeated Frankenmuth 3-0 in the state quarterfinals on Tuesday at the SC4 Fieldhouse to advance to the semifinals that will take place on November 16th from the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Michigan. They will square off with Grand Rapids Christian, a team who themselves won three state championships from 2018-2020.
North Branch showed why they are such a complete team, led by their big hitters up front, as well as solid play on the back end. Senior Clara Gyomory finished with 14 kills and only 2 errors in 31 attempts. Kaela Chingwa finished with 9 kills on only 1 error in 15 attempts. Alana and Aubree Deshetsky played huge roles, as they combined for 16 kills and 22 digs. Setter Adrienne Greschaw provided 39 assists and 6 digs, while Hailey Green also chipped in with 12 digs to go along with 3 aces. The Broncos finished 10-0 this year to win the Blue Water Area Conference league title, and currently sit at 54-4-1 overall. “We’re just putting it all together,” said head coach Jim Fish. “Our goal is to always peak at the right time and we’re doing that.” They will have a tough battle on their hands with Grand Rapids Christian, which is a matchup of the top two ranked teams in division 2. The winner will advance to the finals to face the winner of Milan vs. Grand Rapids West Catholic on November 18th.
In Division 1, Clarkston advanced to the state semifinals by defeating Macomb L’Anse Creuse North 3-0 on Tuesday night. The Crusaders, who finished second in the Macomb Area Conference Red division behind Marysville, had a nice run to get to the quarterfinals by defeating Utica Eisenhower 3-2 in the regional finals. Clarkston will now face Farmington Hills Mercy in the semifinals on Thursday night. Below are several photos from the match between L’Anse Creuse North vs. Clarkston.
Photos courtesy of Blue Water Healthy Living
