2025 D1 Player And Coach Of The Year

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2025 prep season has wrapped up and we've had a chance to digest all that took place during the season and the three-week postseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Division 1 put on a great show all year, with some of the all-time greats in the state putting on their best performances this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at the player and coach that stood out most and earned our Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>D1 Player of the Year – [player_tooltip player_id='226909' first='Kayla' last='Nwabueze'], Bloomfield Hills</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":908540,"width":"275px","height":"auto","aspectRatio":"0.7783163677492325","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/Bloomfield-Hills-vs-Rockford-2.jpg?w=797" alt="" class="wp-image-908540" style="aspect-ratio:0.7783163677492325;width:275px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There really wasn't anyone else this award could go to.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We all knew how talented Nwabueze was coming into 2025, but this fall the Harvard commit really took her game to another level while leading the Black Hawks to the state finals for the first time in program history.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nwabueze racked up 751 kills in 2025 while hitting .372 as an outside hitter. She also had 358 digs, making a commitment to being one of the top defenders for her team as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Over her four-year run at Bloomfield Hills, Nwabueze put up numbers that will be hard for anyone to ever match. She tallied 2,217 kills, 1,127 digs, 396 blocks, and 179 aces.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While numbers are great, it was her performance during the postseason that really earned her POY honors. Nwabueze seemed to put the Black Hawks on her back in key wins over Marian and Rockford, two top-5 programs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>She single-handedly changed the tide in those matches and there was nothing the Mustangs or Rams could do to stop her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nwabueze's legacy at Bloomfield Hills will certainly last the test of time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Honorable Mentions: </strong>Mercy's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442987' first='Kate' last='Kalczynski']</strong> was part of a deep and talented roster, but she continued to shine as the primary hitter while also putting on great defensive performances to lead the Marlins to the D1 title. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='467901' first='Mallory' last='Wandel']</strong> propelled Rockford to being the top-ranked team all season with her dominant hitting and persistent defense as well. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='454351' first='Mallory' last='Johnson']</strong> showcased how talented an all-around volleyball player she is by becoming a lead hitter for Byron Center while still being one of the best defensive talents in the state. Her efforts led Byron Center to the semifinals and a five-set battle with Mercy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Coach of the Year – Missy Ritz-Johnson, Byron Center</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The fourth-year coach of Byron Center earned Coach of the Year honors by getting the Bulldogs to their first state semifinal since 1993. In a talent-heavy Grand Rapids area, Byron Center held its own against the best of the best. But, they were playing their best in the postseason and took eventual champ Mercy to five sets in the semifinal. Ritz-Johnson made a lot of roster moves to make Byron Center the best team it could be, and it paid off.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Honorable Mentions: </strong>Bloomfield Hills coach <strong>Brian Kim</strong> led the Black Hawks to new levels in his first year. He took more of a hands-off approach, letting his veterans lead the way, but Kim knew the right things to say and do at the right times. His calm demeanor carried over to his players. <strong>Loretta Vogel</strong> is one of the state's all-time great coaches and her maneuvering of the Mercy roster this year led it to its third state title. Even in the finals matchup with Bloomfield Hills, Vogel was still working his strategic magic, finding a way to slow down Nwabueze. <strong>Kelly Delacher </strong>had Rockford as the team to beat all season, as the Rams dropped just two matches all year. The season didn't end the way Rockford wanted, but there's no denying Delacher did a great job running his team throughout 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->