State finals breakdown & predictions

<p>It’s been a great finals weekend thus far and we now have reached championship Saturday.</p> <p>Three divisions feature teams looking to repeat, while Division 2 has one of its best postseason rivalries set to add a very big chapter.</p> <p>Here’s my picks for Saturday’s four finals matchups.</p> <h4><strong>Division 1 – Marian vs. Skyline</strong></h4> <p>The D1 finals features some of the very best the state has seen and many future D1 college stars. Skyline has had a great year and the Eagles have proven to be elite when at full strength. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="66319" first="Harper" last="Murray"] </strong>has proven to be a special talent and now she gets to go head-to-head with one of the nation’s top teams. Marian is stacked and the Mustangs have not met their equal at full strength. They seem to take their game up another level at Kellogg Arena. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24846" first="Ava" last="Brizard"]</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24877" first="Sarah" last="Sylvester"] </strong>and the rest of the seniors are going to what to go out with a bang. While Skyline has talent, the Eagles don’t have the depth and will struggle to keep up with Marian’s speed as everyone else has. <strong>Prediction: </strong>Marian over Skyline in 3</p> <h4><strong>Division 2 – Notre Dame Prep vs. North Branch</strong></h4> <p>This matchup should be interesting. These two have had plenty of great meetings in past postseasons, but both come in less than 100 percent. The Irish seem closer to full strength as they put together a total team victory in topping Grand Rapids Christian. North Branch had an inspiring win over Lakewood, but the Broncos looked like a boxer that may have not been able to answer the bell for the final round. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="110291" first="Alana" last="Deshetsky"]</strong> showed a lot of grit, playing with a torn meniscus and <strong>Gracie Hyde</strong> was clearly in pain as she gutted through the win over the Vikings. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24844" first="Alyssa" last="Borellis"]</strong> is still dealing with her thumb injury, but is able to make all the plays she needs to. The key in this game is likely to be the NDP defense, led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24842" first="Josie" last="Bloom"]</strong>. The Irish find ways to keep points alive, and with North Branch unable to bring their best swings to the net, it’s hard to see the Broncos coming away with the win. Good news for North Branch is this team is way ahead of schedule given it has nine sophomores. <strong>Prediction: </strong>Notre Dame Prep over North Branch in 3</p> <h4><strong>Division 3 – Reese vs. SMCC</strong></h4> <p>The two-time defending champs continue to defend their title despite a completely new roster in 2021. Still, the Kestrels play that fundamentally sound style of volleyball that makes them very difficult to face. Size isn’t a strength for either team, as neither has anyone over 5’10”. Reese plays with great energy and that energy helped the Rockets ride the momentum throughout their win over top-ranked WMC. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="172182" first="Maddi" last="Osantowski"]</strong> really shined on a big stage, while setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="172183" first="Aydan" last="Dalak"]</strong> was the catalyst for Reese’s enthusiastic energy. On the other side, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24850" first="Kate" last="Collingsworth"] </strong>is one of the key senior leaders for SMCC at setter. She has been able to raise the game of freshmen hitters <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="156321" first="McKenna" last="Payne"] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="156292" first="Jessica" last="Costlow"]</strong>. This matchup should feature a lot of good passing and a lot of athleticism from the hitters. Ultimately, as much energy as Reese has, SMCC has the championship pedigree to pick up the win today. <strong>Prediction: </strong>SMCC over Reese in 4</p> <h4><strong>Division 4 – Inland Lakes vs. Battle Creek St. Philip</strong></h4> <p>Inland Lakes is the Cinderella of finals weekend and looking to shock the world one more time by topping the defending D4 champions. <strong>Natalie Wandrie </strong>plays with a lot of grit and competitive fire, while <strong>Olivia Monthei </strong>and <strong>Ryann Clancy </strong>provide a great defensive effort. That is something that will be important against St. Philip. The Tigers definitely have the hitting edge with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24854" first="Brooke" last="Dzwik"] </strong>and <strong>Alexis Snyder</strong>, so Inland Lakes will have to be at its best defensively and take advantage of their in-system swings. The Tigers have the history of success in Kellogg Arena and will be focused in for this match. While the pressure is all on the defending champs, they have shown they can handle it. <strong>Prediction: </strong>St. Philip over Inland Lakes in 4</p>