Everest Collegiate Rallies Again To Win D4 Title

It will be a long time before any Division will be able to match the excitement the Division 4 semifinals and final provided this weekend.

After a pair of five-set semifinals, Saturday’s championship match provided even greater excitement.

Clarkston Everest Collegiate once again overcome a two-set deficit, fighting back to take the next three sets in dramatic fashion in a 25-27, 18-25, 25-22, 25-19, 15-13 victory over Leland.

Adding to the drama was that the Mountaineers (32-4-2) were down 10-3 in the final set and once again showed their resiliency to claim their first state championship as a program.

“I’m blown away by these girls. To come back two days in a row from two sets down. It’s just amazing,” first-year Everest Collegiate coach Danielle Walker said. “I think in that that fifth set, we really stepped back and dug down deep. We prayed the last couple points. I mean, we’re here to do God’s will and give glory to God. I mean, it’s amazing.”

While Everest Collegiate celebrated the win, it was a bittersweet moment for fans of D4 volleyball as Leland coach Laurie Glass announced after the match that this would be her final one coaching the Comets (41-17-2).

“I’ve known all along that I wanted to see this group through and be there with them. In this moment I’m proud to be from Leland. I’m proud to have coached Leland and I couldn’t have gone out in a better way,” said Glass, who had 1,124 wins in her career. “I wanted this season to be about (the players). 100% I didn’t want to have big farewells. I didn’t want to have a farewell tour of Laurie Glass’ coaching career. I wanted them to have their season and get everything they wanted to have, and now it’s time. It’s time to move on and pass the torch to (assistant) Travis Baker, who’s really the reason why this season went so well. I’m old and it’s time to move on.”

Glass saw her Comets get out to a two-set lead due to its superior size at the net. The trio of 6-footers in Fiona Moord Fiona Moord 6'2" | MB Leland | 2024 State MI , Shelby Plamondon and Kelsey Allen dictated play in the opening sets. The three would combine for 41 kills between them.

As it did on Friday against Lenawee Christian, Everest Collegiate found another gear when down two sets.

The Mountaineers were able to extend points and force the Comets into errors while getting the ball more consistently to outsides Sarah Bradley Sarah Bradley 5'11" | OH Everest Collegiate | 2025 State MI and Madelyn Krappmann Madelyn Krappmann 5'10" | OH Everest Collegiate | 2025 State MI .

“We talked about not time traveling in the moment and just staying in the moment we were currently in and not be involved in whether they’re making a run or we’re making a run and just stay present in that moment in time,” Glass said. “I just thought (CEC) played better than us in those moments.”

In the fifth, the rally for Everest Collegiate came due to the play of Bradley. She had five kills after the 10-3 deficit and then served up an ace on championship point.

“I believe very much in like, taking a deep breath when I’m serving and zoning everything out,” Bradley said of the serve. “Honestly, in my head, I’m like ‘all for you God, like all for you.’ Then I take a deep breath and I serve That’s how I do it every single time. So, I was very confident, and I went up there and did it.”

As Everest celebrated, Leland was understandably dejected, but Glass couldn’t have been prouder of her roster of seven players, five of which are seniors.

“That didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to, but I couldn’t be prouder of the seven kids that have battled that year long to get to this point,” Glass said. “It didn’t end the way we wanted to. But that doesn’t lessen anything. Although I know it feels painful now, it doesn’t lessen the achievements that we’ve made in the season.”

Leland was led by Moord, who had 17 kills with 10 digs and three aces. Allen and Plamondon each had 12 kills, while Ryder finished with 10 kills, 21 digs and six aces. Abby Hicks Abby Hicks 5'4" | S Leland | 2025 MI tallied 45 assists

Bradley hit .419 in the win and had 31 kills to go with 18 digs and four aces. Krappmann finished with 20 kills and 18 digs, while setter Erica Walker tallied 57 assists and had 11 digs. Samantha Pietras added 15 digs, while Addison Pearce had 11 kills.