Five takeaways from the Novi Invitational
Some of the best teams in the state gathered together this weekend for the Novi Invitational. In the end, Northville claimed the championship with a win over Lake Orion to establish itself as a real threat in the state picture.…
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Continue ReadingSome of the best teams in the state gathered together this weekend for the Novi Invitational. In the end, Northville claimed the championship with a win over Lake Orion to establish itself as a real threat in the state picture.
Here’s some takeaways from the loaded event at Novi.
Northville tired of being second-best
Northville can legitimately say that it has been one of the best Class A volleyball teams in the state the last few years. The problem for the Mustangs is that they have been just five miles away from the three-time defending state champs.
There’s been no conference titles, no state titles, not even a district title for Northville as it watched Novi dominate.
The Mustangs believe that 2018 is their time and avenging a previous loss to Lake Orion in the finals of Saturday’s tournament helped strengthen that belief.
“We have been talking about it, but we have been finishing second in big tournaments and (Saturday) showed the girls that we can really do this,” Northville coach Julie Fisette said. “Beating the No. 1 team in Lake Orion means something and now these girls know they can beat anyone.”
Back row play was outstanding for Northville on Saturday as senior Hannah Grant (Michigan State) continues to shine. Senior setter Gabriella Fisette was also helpful in that department while providing leadership on the floor and setting up the hitters. Junior Clare McNamara has been moving around from middle to outside, but delivering in both positions. Sophomore Jenna Boksha really came on in the finals for the Mustangs and is showing she will be a force the rest of the way for Northville.
For the Mustangs, there’s no more hiding their expectations.
“If we play our best and continue to improve, we are hanging a banner in the hallway,” Fisette said.
Novi not giving up the title just yet
While Northville took the tournament it hosts, Novi left feeling pretty good about itself on Saturday, reaching the semifinals before falling to Lake Orion.
The Wildcats have undergone a lot of changes for the 2018 season, but first-year coach Kacy Moran likes where her young team is at right now.
“We have room to improve and room to grow, but two months from now I am excited to see these girls take everybody on,” Moran said. “We lost nine seniors as a program and that is a lot to overcome, but I love the way the girls are playing and working together in practice. They are a determined group.”
Jaeda Porter is one of the veteran seniors Novi has, but she was battling an illness the past week. She played a lighter load on Saturday, but had great velocity on her attacks when on the floor. Junior Shannon Jennings is moving around from setter to hitter and excelling in both areas while her sister, Rachel Jennings is a sophomore libero that saw a lot of time in 2017 and is helping solidify the Novi defense. Sophomore outside Gabrielle Cummings is a recognizable name as her sister Ally was part of two of Novi’s championship squads. Senior Kaylee Peterson also had a strong day on Saturday after making the move to middle back.
Lake Orion hits first speed bump
After looking flawless for the first month of the season, the Lake Orion Dragons suffered two losses this past week. Losing wasn’t as big of a concern for coach Tony Scavarda as it was his team’s inability to adjust from the loss to Mercy.
“We made a lot of the same mistakes we made (against Mercy). I think maybe we think we are a little better than we are right now,” Scavarda said. “That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because I think these losses will center us a little bit and help us get back to the drawing board. We need to get back to doing the little things right. That’s the difference between a few points that end up being the difference in a close match.”
The Dragons were without sophomore middle Kendall Robertson this weekend, but Lake Orion wasn’t getting a lot of finishes from their hitters outside of Paige Briggs (Western Kentucky). The senior was playing well, but was being relied on more than we have seen in recent weeks, which helped opponents defend the Dragons. Along with the loss to Northville, Lake Orion also dropped a set to Eisenhower in the quarterfinals.
Celia Cullen dominant all-around
It’s not stepping out on a ledge to say Brighton junior Celia Cullen (Michigan State) is one of the best players in the state, but it certainly was made clear this weekend.
The setter is much more than that, as she is playing multiple positions for Brighton and leading the Bulldogs into being a competitive force in Division 1. Cullen is a precise setter, but also a powerful hitter when playing the outside. Her serving is also very difficult to handle, as it moves well and comes with a lot of speed.
New coach Scott Pitcher is really excited about Cullen, along with her supporting cast. Senior Jessica Rickard is able to set for Brighton when Cullen moves to the outside and they also have a senior hitter on the outside in Madison Opre, along with junior middle Solana Hickinson.
Division 1 balance
Saturday’s event showed the competitive balance you can find in Division 1 right now. Grand Haven, a top-10 team in our Week 3 rankings, fell to the silver bracket. A team like Eisenhower, which was honorable mention, reached the quarterfinals and took a set from Lake Orion.
Six of the eight teams in the quarterfinals were ranked in the top 15 of Division 1 right now and were all tested. Each showed the potential to be a top team and had moments where they were left scratching their heads. Hopefully it is a sign of things to come to keep the 2018 season unpredictable.