Division 3 State Championship Top Vote Getters

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last week we ran preseason polls for fans to decide who would be their eventual state champion in each of the four divisions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today we look at <a href="https://bit.ly/3dp7wDS">Division 3</a>, which actually collected the most votes of any division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at the top four vote-getters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Royal Oak Shrine (59.29%)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Following up with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='152531' first='Norah' last='Tisko'] </strong>winning our D3 Preseason Player of the Year poll, Royal Oak Shrine voters showed up again in this poll. The Knights pulled away from the field throughout last week to get the top spot. Shrine was a regional champion in 2021 before falling to the eventual state champs, Reese, in four sets in a quarterfinal. While Shrine had some key graduations in the lineup, they still have Tisko leading the defense, and a very dominant hitter in <strong>Margaret Jones</strong>. The 6-footer can play anywhere on the floor for Shrine, which is a big asset to have. She can also compete with any other D3 hitter in the state when it comes to finishing power. With these two pieces in place, Shrine should remain a top contender in 2022.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Pewamo-Westphalia (29.70%)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>P-W was another 2021 regional champion in 2021 that put up a fight against SMCC in the quarterfinal. The Pirates are a proud program, full of highly-determined players that can grind out a tough match. Senior outside <strong>Dani Pohl</strong> is a complete player that P-W can rely on for the big points. She's got a great connection with junior setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='172203' first='Taylor' last='Smith']</strong>, who is an on-court leader that keeps the team in order. P-W knows it comes into the season with a great chance at getting to Battle Creek. You won't find many teams more mentally tough than the Pirates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>SMCC (5.81%)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Kestrels were a point away from a state championship in 2021 and that had to have been a motivating factor for the returning players on the 2022 squad. SMCC has been the power program in D3 the last few years and that's not likely to change this season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156292' first='Jessica' last='Costlow'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156321' first='McKenna' last='Payne'] </strong>are two of the best sophomores in the state regardless of division. Both can play multiple roles and have tremendous composure for their underclassmen status. While SMCC will have some holes to fill in the lineup, Costlow and Payne are going to be enough to keep them playing at a high level early in the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian (3.14%)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>NorthPointe Christian reached the regional finals a year ago before falling to top-ranked WMC in four sets. This year, the Mustangs return a lot of experience at the net. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='140483' first='Cathryn' last='Haven']</strong> led the team in kills a year ago and will be the go-to hitter once again in 2022. Senior <strong>Brianna Tubergen</strong> is a great returning middle that was the leading blocker in 2022 and delivered some highlight-reel finishes at the net. Junior <strong>Taylor Kik </strong>showed a lot of promise as a sophomore and can play the middle or OPP. <strong>Leah Verplank </strong>is also a returning senior setter to keep the offense running smoothly. If NPC can solidify its defense quickly, it should be a real force in the D3 title picture this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->