2025 D3 Player And Coach Of The Year

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>**The 2025 Prep Dig Exposure Tour is approaching, as it comes to Pontiac on Dec. 21. There is&nbsp;</em><a href="https://events.prepdig.com/e/2032/register/prep-dig-exposure-tour-michigan"><strong><em>plenty of time to get registered for the event</em></strong></a><em>, as many already have. A big crop of talent will be on hand to showcase their talents for scouts and colleges around the country. You don't want to miss out, as it will be a great opportunity to compete against talented players in a variety of classes, and a variety of states.**</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Division 3 season was one of the most up for grabs we have seen in a while.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Though there were top teams that sat atop the rankings most of the year, the postseason proved to be a coin toss between a handful of contenders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ultimately, Kingsley came through for its first state championship.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at the Player and Coach that earned the top honor in D3 for the 2025 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>D3 Player of the Year – [player_tooltip player_id='833201' first='Jenna' last='Middleton'], Kingsley</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":909631,"width":"293px","height":"auto","aspectRatio":"1.0240003401288238","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/Kalamazoo-Christian-vs-Kingsley-26.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-909631" style="aspect-ratio:1.0240003401288238;width:293px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='833201' first='Jenna' last='Middleton']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Middleton was a name that people had heard of, but hadn't gotten an opportunity to see in a big setting. That changed when Kingsley reached Kellogg Arena and Middleton lived up to the hype she had created for herself.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The junior put down 52 kills over two matches, while adding 36 digs to lead the Stags to the D3 title. Her efforts that weekend, and throughout 2025, make her the D3 Player of the Year for this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the year, the 5'10” Middleton put down over 700 kills and had over 400 digs. She could do everything you needed a six-rotation player to do and she did it while displaying great leadership on the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Middleton will be a big reason Kingsley should remain a top title contender going into the 2026 season. There's no doubt she will continue to find ways to improve her game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Honorable Mentions: </strong>Valley Lutheran junior setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='523865' first='Kate' last='Belt'] </strong>had an outstanding year for the Chargers, as she had full command of the offense and played with a lot of confidence and composure. She had over 1,300 assists and 350 digs to guide Valley Lutheran to a semifinal appearance. <strong>Elli VanDusen </strong>of Kalamazoo Christian impressed a lot of people with her play in Battle Creek, leading the Comets back to another finals appearance. She had over 450 kills on the season while hitting over .300. The 6-foot outside will be someone Kalamazoo Christian can turn to a lot in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Coach of the Year – Dave Hall, Kingsley</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's a sweep for Kingsley as coach Dave Hall has rightfully earned Coach of the Year honors in 2025. The Stags were always in the D3 rankings throughout the season, but their postseason path wasn't easy. They managed to get past top-ranked Roscommon, No. 10 Beal City, No. 8 TC St. Francis, No. 5 SMCC, and No. 6 Kalamazoo Christian in their final five matches to claim the title. The state championship is a first for the Kingsley program, but the Stags should remain a contender in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Honorable Mentions: </strong>SMCC coach <strong>Kim Windham</strong> came into the 2025 season as the defending champ, but the Kestrels lost some elite talent from that championship team and had to rebuild the lineup. They did that and managed to make another run to Kellogg Arena, falling just a few points shy against Kingsley in the semifinal. <strong>Carlie Southland </strong>of Kalamazoo Christian also had to rebuild her lineup, yet the fourth-year coach made a fourth consecutive Battle Creek appearance. The Comets continue to show a resiliency that makes them a team you can never count out in the title race.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->