Division 1 Power Rankings for Sept. 15

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2026 prep season is about a month old, so it's a good time to start looking at which teams are making the biggest impact thus far.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's been a lot of great competition to sort through, but here's the top 10 as I see it in Division 1 right now.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>1. Farmington Hills Mercy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defending D1 champs look like the team to beat, as they have topped many of the best in the state, and have done so without <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='569766' first='McKenzie' last='Andrews']</strong> in the mix. That means the Marlins are only going to get stronger. Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1009098' first='Laura' last='Aubrey']</strong> has been a huge impact player for this year's squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2. Birmingham Marian</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mustangs have only come up short against Mercy and Grand Rapids Christian, which puts them at No. 2. Getting <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454352' first='Calli' last='LeFevre'] </strong>back in the mix has been great to see, and the Mustangs have a lot of offensive depth that is being handled very well with two freshmen setters in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='958515' first='Molly' last='Hickey'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='922119' first='Reese' last='Berryman']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>3. Clarkston</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wolves have only lost to the top two teams on the list, and they play with a lot of grit. Expect them to be a top team come the postseason. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442995' first='Marlie' last='Smith']</strong> continues to be one of the very best setters you can find, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442985' first='Josie' last='Seets'] </strong>has picked up her game to start 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>4. Hudsonville</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eagles haven't lost, but have some of their toughest matches yet on the brink. Senior middle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='827359' first='Megan' last='Glass']</strong> continues to be one of the most dominant hitters in the state and a huge blocking presence.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>5. Byron Center</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldogs reached Battle Creek a year ago with a relatively young roster, but this year's squad is deep and experienced. They look focused on going all the way behind <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454351' first='Mallory' last='Johnson']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='908353' first='Kenna' last='Deters'].</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>6. Utica Eisenhower</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eisenhower has been a team that has been building toward something great for years with this roster and now it is a senior-heavy squad that can go toe-to-toe with anyone. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454358' first='Lily' last='Tripi']</strong> has the offense hitting at a high rate, while freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='938309' first='Juliet' last='Berishaj']</strong> is a great new piece for this already strong offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>7. South Lyon East</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cougars have a lot of talent and are right on the cusp, but still have to learn to finish out sets against the top teams. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='587564' first='Lexi' last='Coleman']</strong> is as good as anyone in the state, and the Cougars have excellent control behind <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442967' first='Addison' last='Stepp']</strong> at libero and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='644142' first='Ava' last='Kiernan'] </strong>at setter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>8. Grand Haven</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Buccaneers are a senior-dominant team that have a lot of composure and focus around the court. Their attack is able to hang with anyone behind outside <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='462086' first='Mallory' last='Woiteshek']</strong>, but it is the little things that could push Grand Haven to new heights in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>9. Forest Hills Northern</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Huskies took some losses this past weekend without their full roster. When at 100%, this is a loaded offense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454371' first='Riley' last='Loehfelm']</strong> is a Miss Volleyball finalist for a reason, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486269' first='Brooke' last='Johnson']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='881556' first='Stella' last='Polavin']</strong> are two other long and powerful arms that pose a lot of matchup problems.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>10. Lowell</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Red Arrows are young and talented, so it has led to some tough losses, but also some rewarding wins. Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1007121' first='Brielle' last='Eveland']</strong> has been one of the top 2030 players in the state thus far at setter, as she's getting a lot of great swings out of Lowell's talented offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Next Team In: Orchard Lake St. Mary's</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eaglets have a tough schedule, but the talent to endure and string together wins as the season progresses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->