2022 D3 Semifinal Predictions

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Division 3 has provided a lot of surprises this season, but it should make for a great finals weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The remaining four teams are not the powerhouse names we've grown accustomed to seeing in Battle Creek, but that will just make the drive for the state title even more special.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The four semifinalists have all had to fight past some of those perennial powers to get here, so it's anybody's guess as to who will come out on top on Friday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>No. 2 Pewamo-Westphalia vs. No. 11 Cass City – Noon</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Pirates did what many didn't think they could do and eliminated SMCC, the favorite to win in D3 all season. After dropping the first set 25-15, P-W stormed back to take the next three sets. The defensive effort by the Pirates was great, led by 33 digs from <strong>Caroline Hengesbach</strong> as well as a combined seven blocks from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='462056' first='Saige' last='Martin'] </strong>and <strong>Sierra Schneider</strong>. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='172203' first='Taylor' last='Smith'] </strong>ran a great offense with 37 assists, while being a force on the block as well. <strong>Dani Pohl </strong>led the attack with 15 kills and will be able to hold her own with any hitter left in D3. Cass City defeated Royal Oak Shrine in three sets to get to Friday's semifinal. The Red Hawks have a great mix of veteran and underclassmen players on the roster to find the perfect combination this year. Sophomore middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156307' first='Shelby' last='Ignash']</strong> has had a breakout season with over 500 kills and 300 digs, while approaching 100 blocks. She's going to be a focal point for P-W to deal with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='172195' first='Kacee' last='Gray']</strong>, a sophomore outside, has been a great compliment. She's nearing 400 kills on the season. The two are led by senior setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='172194' first='Saylar' last='Cuthrell']</strong>, who has developed a lot of chemistry with these young hitters. I think the key to this matchup is how many times will Ignash and Gray get in-system swings on P-W. The Pirates a technically sound and very gritty. Cass City has yet to drop a set this postseason, so will the Red Hawks handle the pressure if they do on Friday?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction: </strong>P-W over Cass City in 4</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>No. 4 Kalamazoo Christian vs. No. 10 Calumet – 2:30 p.m.</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Calumet may have had the most eye-opening win of Tuesday's quarterfinals in D3 when it swept 2021 runner-up McBain. The Copper Kings were pretty emphatic in their defeat of an experienced Rambler squad. Kalamazoo Christian had a five-set classic with Shelby to really solidify that this could be the Comets' year to win it all. K'Zoo Christian has a nice balance of offense, including a 1-2 punch of <strong>Marisa Fetterley </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='176604' first='Holland' last='DeVries'] </strong>up top. Fetterley leads the team in kills from the middle. At 6-foot-3, she's a real force on offense and defense. DeVries is the powerhouse on the outside that also has a complete defensive game and a dynamite serve. <strong>Makenna Ekkens</strong>, <strong>Mackenzie Ash</strong> and <strong>Annelise de Jong </strong>are also consistent contributors at the net to give setter <strong>Lola Stecker </strong>plenty to work with. Defensively, the Comets aren't hurting there either. <strong>Jovie Cochran </strong>is leading the way in the back row, but she's surrounded by a lot of capable passers. The Copper Kings may not have as much offense spread out, but <strong>Helen Beiring </strong>has proven to be someone that can take over a match. The senior outside is hitting .365 on the season and is a six-rotation whiz on the court. <strong>Allie Bjorn</strong> is a promising sophomore middle that is hitting nearly .350 and has been able to give Calumet a dominant presence outside of Beiring. Junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473937' first='Laina' last='Kariniemi']</strong> is setting the two and has been getting more hitters in the mix during the postseason. Defensively, <strong>Kaylie Halonen</strong> is a senior leader in the back row and a real competitor. She will be a key for the Copper Kings to keep moving on against this deep Comets' offense. I liked McBain's depth against Calumet and that didn't seem to matter. However, Kalamazoo Christian has quite the difference in trip length to Kellogg Arena. Say a 25-mile to 560-mile difference, give or take. That could play a big role in Friday's result.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction: </strong>Kalamazoo Christian over Calumet in 5</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->