Five must-see matches and events for the week of Sept. 30

<p>It’s not often you get to see top-10 teams square off during the regular season, but this week provides a chance for you to get multiple opportunities for just that. There are some really marquee matchups around the state this week. Here’s a closer look at five events worth checking out.</p> <p><strong>Hudsonville at Grand Rapids Christian – Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.</strong></p> <p>It’s No. 2 in D1, Hudsonville, taking on No. 1 in D2, Grand Rapids Christian for a huge matchup on Tuesday night. Hudsonville is the only blemish on GRC’s record, picking up a two-set win earlier this month. GRC was able to get the win back the following week in a two-set sweep of its own. The rubber match should be a great battle with Christian being led by setter <strong>Jordyn Gates</strong> and hitters <strong>Addie VanderWeide, Ayva Kooistra </strong>and <strong>Evelyn Doezema</strong>. Hudsonville is led by setter <strong>Kaylee Maat</strong> and hitters <strong>Mallory Keller </strong>and <strong>Braely Herrema</strong>. The match is likely to come down to serving and passing, as both teams can be dominant in-system.</p> <p><strong>Camden-Frontier at Battle Creek St. Philip – Tuesday, 6 p.m.</strong></p> <p>It’ll be a massive South Central Athletic Association matchup on Tuesday when the Fighting Tigers (No. 2 D4) host the Redskins (No. 4 D4). Camden-Frontier has a solid foundation led by its senior class. Libero <strong>Frances Churchwell </strong>and outside <strong>Jordan Stump</strong> have been standout players for the Redskins dating back to 2018. The Fighting Tigers have senior setter <strong>Abby Austin </strong>and OPP <strong>Maddie Hallacy </strong>leading the way, along with sophomore outside <strong>Brooke Dzwik</strong> showing that she will be a future star in the state. This matchup should give some insight as to what we can look forward to in the D4 playoffs in November.</p> <p><strong>Stoney Creek at Clarkston – Thursday, 7 p.m.</strong></p> <p>Two of the three unbeaten teams in the OAA Red meet up on Thursday night in a battle of top-10 teams. Stoney Creek is sixth in D1 while Clarkston is eighth in D1. The Cougars are led by <strong>Kate Stration</strong>, who is having a great start to her senior year, already approaching 300 kills while leading Stoney Creek in passing as well. <strong>Ainsley Guse </strong>has been a force at the net with her hitting and blocking while sophomore <strong>Sydney Tomlak</strong> is a future star of the conference. Clarkston has looked better each passing day and has a great 1-2 punch with hitters <strong>Claire Nowicki </strong>and <strong>Jordan Newblatt</strong>. <strong>Summer Jidas </strong>is also a strong and reliable libero as just a sophomore.</p> <p><strong>Charyl Stockwell Academy at Southfield Christian – Thursday, 6:30 p.m.</strong></p> <p>It’s going to be a big week for Southfield Christian, our third-ranked team in Division 4. The Eagles start with a contest against <strong>Oakland Christian</strong> (No. 8 D4) on Tuesday. They then play host to Charyl Stockwell (No. 7 D3) on Thursday in a big MIAC Blue clash. These two met earlier this season and the Eagles picked up a five-set win (25-20, 25-23, 21-25, 22-25, 15-10). <strong>Emily Van Dyke </strong>had a tremendous performance with 32 kills and 17 digs while <strong>Caitlin Warnshuis </strong>had 16 kills. Those two have been a tough 1-2 punch for anyone in the MIAC to stop and a big reason why the Eagles could be a D4 title contender. The Sentinels aren’t short on impact players either. <strong>Paige Gallentine </strong>and <strong>Jenna Vaske </strong>will provide a great challenge to the Eagles in this rematch.</p> <p><strong>Marian Varsity Invitational – Saturday, 8 a.m.</strong></p> <p>The fifth-ranked team in Division 1, <strong>Marian</strong>, plays host to an 8-team tournament on Saturday. In the field is <strong>Stoney Creek </strong>(No. 6 D1), <strong>Northville </strong>(No. 10 D1), <strong>Brighton </strong>(No. 22 D1), <strong>Walled Lake Central</strong>, <strong>Midland</strong>, <strong>Macomb Dakota</strong> and <strong>North Farmington</strong>. The Mustangs have just one loss on the year to top-ranked Mercy. They have had some competitive matches with Stoney Creek and Walled Lake Central this year and now get to see some fresh opponents like Northville and Brighton. This should be a competitive event and give you a chance to see some great talent, including Miss Volleyball finalist <strong>Celia Cullen</strong> of Brighton.</p>