Breakdown & Predictions for the MHSAA Division 2 quarterfinals

Coming into the 2018 season, there was a lot of anticipation for the Division 2 playoffs. Arguably the most intriguing field, the last few weeks haven’t disappointed. We reach the quarterfinals on Tuesday with five top-10 teams still alive and a few Cinderella stories playing out. Here’s a breakdown of the four matchups and my picks for who will reach Battle Creek.   <a href="http://bit.ly/2PR2NNO">RELATED: Our Division 1 Quarterfinal Predictions</a> <a href="http://bit.ly/2qGiXLZ">RELATED: Our Division 3 Quarterfinal Predictions</a> <a href="http://bit.ly/2QBlYsd">RELATED: Our Division 4 Quarterfinal Predictions</a>   No. 1 Grand Rapids Christian vs. No. 8 Hamilton at Otsego The top-ranked Eagles look to have the deepest roster in Division 2, especially with their hitting. Whether it is senior Maria Bos, sophomore Addie VanderWeide, senior Olivia Nedd, freshman Evelyn Doezema or junior Ayva Kooistra, Christian can throw a lot of hitters your way. What makes them all dangerous is the setting of junior Jordyn Gates (Arkansas), a likely 2019 Miss Volleyball candidate. The Eagles have looked tremendous in the playoffs thus far and swept No. 3 Coopersville and No. 10 Spring Lake in regional play. Hamilton will take a crack at upsetting the top-ranked Eagles on Tuesday. Hamilton had a hard-fought regional final with No. 7 Edwardsburg, winning in five sets. Also a team with some different hitting options, the Hawkeyes have a great sophomore in AJ Ediger, who is leading the team in kills. She is complimented by a pair of juniors in Corbyn Wayner and Justine Bronkhorst. A two-setter system, Hamilton will be a team that can try to matchup with Christian at the net. Ediger has also been a strong block defensively, collecting 118 blocks this year. Can she slow down the Eagles enough? Hamilton will be game and make every set close, but I give the edge to Christian with its hitters. If one is off, another can just pick them up. Prediction: Grand Rapids Christian over Hamilton in four No. 6 Lakewood vs. No. 5 St. Catherine Academy at Fowlerville Moving from Class C to Division 2 hasn’t hurt St. Catherine Academy yet, but the Stars are facing their toughest test in the playoffs yet in Lakewood, a team that has finished runner-up in Class B three of the last four years. The Stars rolled past Carleton Airport and No. 20 Ida in regional play. Emma Schlagheck is a powerful attack on the outside that is healthy and finishing the majority of her attacks in the playoffs. Payton Porter is her compliment on the outside and mixes up her shots well, while middles Maryann Alexander and Madeline Hudson have been playing big at the net and give the team a full attack up front. Katie Grose has been able to set them all well and is a composed presence on the court. The Vikings also have been playing at a high level, sweeping No. 16 Parma Western and No. 15 Marshall in regional play this past week. One thing Lakewood will bring to the floor that SCA doesn’t have a lot of is size. The Vikings have 6-3 sophomore middle Aubrey O’Gorman that is currently No. 2 in our 2021 Players Rankings. She had 18 kills and four blocks in the regional final win over Marshall. She is joined on the floor by freshman sister Maradith O’Gorman, a 6-1 do-everything player. Maradith had 13 kills, 12 digs and 17 assists in Lakewood’s regional final. The Vikings are also steady defensively, led by Patsy Morris (Cornerstone), a senior that acts as an on-court leader. While Lakewood relies on some young hitting, the Vikings still have a lot of championship experience as a program. SCA reached Battle Creek last year, but is really going to be tested on Tuesday to see if it is a legit D2 contender. This should be a great match, but the Vikings have a history of winning these matches. Predictions: Lakewood over St. Catherine in five Detroit Communication Media Arts vs. No. 2 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep at Goodrich The Fighting Irish are having a season similar to last year, as they have won 52 consecutive matches following the impressive sweep of No. 4 North Branch on Thursday. The Irish have two Miss Volleyball finalists and either is qualified to be the winner. Seniors Natalie Risi (Ball State) and Madeline Chinn (Purdue) have been outstanding this season. Chinn has racked up 624 kills while hitting .462. She also has 133 blocks and 486 digs. Risi has 526 kills this year while hitting .447. She also is one of the top servers in the state with 172 aces and has 440 digs. Maria Famularo is another dynamic senior that is doing a bit of everything for the Irish. She has 585 assists, 433 digs, 95 aces and 269 kills. Sophomore Olivia Kowalkowski mans the back row and has 579 digs while freshman Alyssa Borellis is proving to be one of the best in the 2022 class with 349 digs, 312 kills and 691 assists. Detroit Communication Media Arts is certainly the Cinderella story of the D2 quarterfinals. The Pharos won just the second regional volleyball title in the history of the PSL this past Thursday when they beat South Lake in five sets. Now, the Pharos will have their hands full with the defending Class B state champions. There is a lot of history made by Communication this year, but the Pharos won’t be able to continue that against the Irish. Prediction: Notre Dame Prep over Detroit Communication in three   No. 22 Kingsley vs. No. 12 Corunna at Central Montcalm Kingsley swept No. 17 Cadillac on Thursday to advance to Tuesday’s quarterfinals, getting over a big hurdle for the Stags’ program. They have been led this season by senior outside Jessica Lefler (Ferris State). She had a big regional final, posting 22 kills and 21 digs. Junior outside Brittany Bowman is also a handful despite her smaller, 5-5 stature. Bowman had 16 kills with 11 digs in the regional final. Awaiting the Stags is No. 12 Corunna, which went four sets with Birch Run in the regional final. There hasn’t been much secret to the game plan for the Cavaliers, and that is to feed Elizabeth Norris. The junior has 837 kills in 2018, over 500 more than her closest teammate. She has helped senior setter Lexi Mort rack up 1,533 assists on the year and the two are part of a steady defense, combining for over 700 digs. Senior Madison Birchmeier mans the back with 507 digs while freshman Ellie Toney is second on the team in kills with 301 and has been showing a lot of improvement in her first season. The Cavs do have a recent loss to Cadillac in tournament play, which should excite Kingsley. However, the Stags have been held up by Cadillac in previous postseasons so Thursday’s win was a big deal for them. Perhaps they will be riding too high off that victory. I give the edge to Corunna in what should be a close contest. Prediction: Corunna over Kingsley in five