D2 Finals Recap: Country Day Repeats With Sweep Of Flat Rock

<!-- wp:image {"id":909533,"width":"453px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","align":"right"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/11/Flat-Rock-vs-Country-Day-7.jpg?w=787" alt="" class="wp-image-909533" style="width:453px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='898111' first='Aliyah' last='Potapenko']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>BATTLE CREEK – The pressure of repeating as Division 2 volleyball champions rode with the Detroit Country Day team all season, but Saturday looked rather pressure-free for the Yellowjackets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Country Day put together a complete performance to claim a second consecutive title, dispatching No. 10 Flat Rock 25-18, 25-19, 25-12 at Kellogg Arena.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I think that we had a target. We knew coming to this season that we had a target on us, so we kind of used that as motivation and kept pushing,” Country Day junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='898111' first='Aliyah' last='Potapenko']</strong> said. “It's really surreal that we did it again.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The top-ranked Yellowjackets (29-9) rarely trailed in the contest, as their serving, hitting, and defense allowed them to control the Rams (39-9) throughout the match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Our goal today was just to kind of come in and take care of business, do all the little things, go back to the basics – serve tough, pass the ball, just go out there and do our thing,” Country Day coach Kim Lockhart said. “I think that's what we did. We handled ourselves well. I felt our nerves were settled from the out of the gate, and we kind of came in with confidence.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Flat Rock admitted that it didn't handle the pressure of playing for its first state championship well, a key experience that Country Day already had coming into the match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I think just being here was a huge step for our program,” Flat Rock coach Morgan Delhey said. “We have three seniors, nine juniors, and I think that experience is a huge part of this setting (the state finals), especially this whole weekend. I think we have the potential to be back here. I hope we are. It stinks that we couldn't do it for our seniors, but we got farther than any other team in program history.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Country Day senior outside hitter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='446702' first='Elise' last='Hiemstra'] </strong>was the standout of the match. She put down 21 kills and hit .425 to lead the Yellowjackets. In the process, Hiemstra become the school's career kills leader and set a single-season kills record as well. Her final kill would be championship point.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I just really wanted Payton to give me the ball,” Hiemstra said of the final point. “I just really wanted to go out the best I possibly could.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='574175' first='Payton' last='Woodruff']</strong>, Hiemstra's setter, finished with 35 assists and had DCD hitting .303 as a team. She also put away four aces. Potapenko finished with nine kills and six digs, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442977' first='Demi' last='McCoy'] </strong>added 14 digs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='839917' first='Sarah' last='Giroux'] </strong>capped a great season with Flat Rock by putting away 15 kills and recording nine digs. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='443001' first='Zoe' last='Ryan'] </strong>tallied 21 assists and eight digs in the loss, while <strong>Maelie Fricke </strong>also had eight digs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->