Connect with us
https://yoursportsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/call-to-1.png

Sports

The Old Man Column

Published

4 months ago

on

The Old Man Column

First thing’s first this week… 

When I started writing this opinion blog every week about a month ago I called it Midweek Musings. Then, one of my Phillies colleagues called it “The Old Man Column.”

I threw that into one of the subsequent posts and people have responded to it, and the messages I get about it refer to it as such, even though that wasn’t its official name. 

While I don’t consider myself an old man, I do understand why it has that moniker. So, I’m leaning into it. This weekly post has been officially renamed. It’s now “The Old Man Column.” 

I’ll try to be as curmudgeonly as possible from here on out.

Onto this week’s column:

When I saw that Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred was going on the broadcast of the Little League Classic on Sunday night, my reaction was pretty much the same as it is every time he’s about to speak publicly. 

“What’s this guy going to say that’s going to tick me off this time?”

Well, in what has become a time honored tradition, he did it again. 

By this point, we all know that he dropped hints about expansion and geographic realignment. 

I have zero problem with expansion. Cities like Nashville and either Salt Lake City or Portland will be great additions for the sport. 

I also get that divisional realignment would be a necessary evil with 32 teams, and trying to keep them geographically convenient to one another certainly makes sense.

So, what did he say that ruffled my aging feathers?

Well, it’s the devil in the details. In other words, the things he didn’t say out loud specifically, but that have leaked out through trusted voices instead. 

The first thing that got me was the idea that MLB could abandon the two league structure that has existed for 125 years and go to a one league, two conference format.

There are those that would argue that it’s basically already set up that way now that the DH is universal and that every team plays each other every season, so why should it matter that the names change. 

Well, because we already have 125 years of statistical history that will get thrown out the window. 

Let me give an example. 

Last year, when Aaron Judge hit his 62nd home run, the sport and everyone associated with it celebrated it as an American League record. 

But it’s not the Major League record. He didn’t come close to Barry Bonds hitting 73 in 2001.

In fact, Sammy Sosa topped 62 three times and Mark McGwire topped it twice – all five instances were in the National League.

And while I’m with those who make the argument that Judge is the first to hit 62 that wasn’t shrouded in performance enhancing drug controversies, the reality is, baseball doesn’t put asterisks on Bonds, McGwire and Sosa, so Judge’s record is still just an American League record. 

But if Manfred and owners have their way, the American League won’t exist anymore. Nor will the National League. They’ll be conferences instead, and everything will be under one league. 

Eradicating the historical tradition of the country’s oldest sport sucks. 

But we can get past that one – maybe – as long as we avoid some of the others. 

Like going to eight four-team divisions. Why? That creates so much more upheaval than necessary. Sure, you can make divisions geographically closer, but if you are still playing every team in the sport, you’re still travelling a lot. Is that extra two hour flight to Miami or Atlanta really going to put the Phillies out? 

Why not just go to four divisions of eight? That really cuts down on the travel and makes for better divisional rivalries. More games against Divisional opponents is a good thing. 

But then there are those who say, “Well, the math doesn’t work with four divisions of eight.”

And to that I say hogwash. 

Yeah, it doesn’t add up cleanly and neatly. But it’s definitely doable. 

For a 162 game-season, you would play 90 games against divisional opponents and 72 against non divisional opponents. 

That means a three-game series against every non-divisional team, of which there would be 24, alternating years when you face a team at home or on the road – like they do now with most interleague games.

As for the 90 in-division games. Easy – you play six teams 13 times, three get the extra home game and the other three your team gets the extra home game, and one team 12 times, and that rotates every year. 

Are Philadelphia and New York fans going to complain that the Phillies and Mets play one fewer game every seven years? No.

All this makes sense, right? 

Except, that’s not what’s part of this new wave of baseball that’s coming. 

I read a story today by the great Jayson Stark of The Athletic that says with expansion could come a slightly shortened schedule. How so? well, again, math. 

Jayson points out that it’s nice and easy to cut to 156 games and make the math work out:

  • Eight divisions of four teams each
  • 12 games each against the other three teams in your division
  • Six games each against the other 12 teams in your league conference
  • three games each against the other 16 teams

Want to know why that sucks? That means only 23% of your season is played in-division. Why should a division race be determined when 77% of your games aren’t even played against one another?

At least in my example, 56% of your games would be in-division. But 23%? That’s absurd. 

And not only that, but long-standing rivalries are sure to be destroyed. So long to the Braves and welcome back… the Pirates? 

Sure, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia were division rivals at one time, and split up when the Central Division was created and the Pirates were shipped out of the N.L. East. But the Cubs and Cardinals were in the East then too. Things had to change with expansion, which is why I called this a necessary evil, but going to four-team divisions instead of five means moving a lot of teams from their current divisions (at least eight) whereas truncating from six divisions of five to four divisions of eight allows for some great rivalries to be maintained, even if you are putting two divisions together. 

I have seen some suggest that you merge American and National League teams together – like a division that would be the Phillies, Mets, Yankees and Red Sox. 

What are we going to call that, the Amtrak Division? 

Not only that, the sport would have a great imbalance. You’d put four teams who are huge spenders at each others throats every season, creating an even greater disparity from the smaller market teams who won’t have to spend nearly as much to compete in their smaller market divisions. 

One example had Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Miami and Nashville together in a division. How would that even be close to equitable?

However, under my realignment, most of what currently exists would stay the same. The East and West Divisions would stay intact and the centrals would be split up amongst them. 

So, slide the Pirates, Reds and the expansion Nashville team into the East and move Milwaukee and the Cubs to the West in the NL. 

And in the AL, move Detroit, Kansas City and Cleveland to the East and Minnesota, the White Sox, and the expansion team in either Salt Lake City or Portland to the West. 

No one has to switch leagues. Most traditional rivalries are saved. More divisional games are played. It’s a win for everyone. 

Meanwhile, Jayson points out that there’s even some debate as to that clean 156-game schedule. Mostly because it would be the third different game total in league history being played and considering baseball records are so sacred, now having to create a third caveat (154-game season, 162 game season and 156-game season) will send stat-heads bonkers.

So, he points out, maybe they just revert back to 154 games, and chalk up the era of 1962-2030ish as the 162-game era. 

I don’t like that either, because now it’s being hypocritical. The number of games only matter as long as they lineup with historical practices, but that historical data doesn’t matter because we want to expand. You can’t have it both ways.  

Owners aren’t sure they want to trim the season – that’s a lot of lost revenue to suddenly wipe out six-eight games on the calendar. But, if they can make up the difference somehow, they will allow for it. 

And the only real way to make up the difference is the most egregious thing of all – expanding the playoffs, again. 

Now, if it’s just a matter of making series a little longer, you won’t get a beef from me. I’m a proponent of making the LDS a best-of-seven and not a best-of-five. Anything that gives an advantage to a team that proved itself to have the best record over a marathon season is deserved. 

But that isn’t the only thing that’s on tap, apparently. Nope, there is a thought to make the playoffs expand to eight teams per league conference, meaning no byes and a best-of-3 series for everyone to start. 

Come on!

There’s so much wrong here. Let’s start with this – making every team play a wild card series renders the entire baseball season useless. 

There’s nothing to play for except to get into the playoffs, and to do that, you only have to be one of the top eight teams in your half of the league.  Division pennant? Doesn’t matter. Win enough games to earn a bye? Nope. Doesn’t exist any more. 

Now, all you have to do is be relatively around .500 and you’re fine. 

Know what that will bring to baseball? 

Load management.

Yep. If every team is equal in the postseason save for the ballpark where the game is being played, there’s no reason for star players to play that much. Play enough to get there, but make sure you’re well-rested, healthy and fresh for the playoffs. 

So you’re basically playing 154, or 156, or 162 games of which most don’t really matter. 

It’s the NBA on steroids  exogenous testosterone.

Never mind the fact that you are now letting middling-to-bad teams into the playoffs and giving them a real chance at an upset – as a Best-of-three series is a crapshoot. There is zero incentive to be the best team in a long season. None. 

But let’s really get to the ridiculous part.

Let’s imagine this season allowed for eight teams in each league to make the playoffs. Right now these would be the two teams in each league to get the final playoff spot, along with their current record:

  • NL – St. Louis (63-65)
  • AL – Cleveland (64-62)

Yep, that’s a sub-500 team in the postseason… in a season with 162 games. 

Know what else? Teams like the Braves (58-69) and Orioles (59-67) would still be in the race – only 4 1/2 and 5 games out respectively.

Know what that means – to hell with a trade deadline. So many teams would still be “in it” that fewer and fewer teams would be sellers. I’m not sure Baltimore, Minnesota, San Francisco or Arizona would have sold at the deadline this season if there were eight spots available for a playoff with the volatility of a three-game series in the first round. 

The Phillies wouldn’t have been able to trade for Jhoan Duran or Harrison Bader. The Mariners wouldn’t have gotten Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor. 

It waters everything down. 

Baseball has been all about being forward-thinking and making changes to welcome a new generation of fan. Some have worked. Others haven’t. But the idea that the game needed to change that much is crazy. 

The average attendance league-wide in baseball this year is 29,261. Know where it was before Covid and all the rule changes? 

In 2019 it was 28,203 – when games were, on average, a half-hour longer.

Is an extra 1,058 people per game a sign of a real positive shift in fan interest? Or is it truly statistically insignificant?

Baseball keeps thinking it needs to make all these changes to keep up with the times, when in reality, the game has survived as long as it has because of the game it always has been. Anything else is mere window dressing from owners and a commissioner who only care about the bottom line and not really about what is good for the sport.

Now, get off my lawn.

4
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

AU Pro Volleyball Stars to Watch in the 2026 MLV Season

Published

20 minutes ago

on

January 2, 2026

By


Dallas Pulse (1)

Natalia Valentin-Anderson joins the first-year franchise Dallas Pulse after spending the last two seasons with Omaha. The Puerto Rico native finished sixth on the AU leaderboard this fall with 2,502 points and earned a spot on the 2025 All-Position Team for the second time in her career after leading the league with 436 assists.

Omaha Supernovas (6)

 

Morgan Hentz made the move to the Omaha Supernovas after two seasons with the Atlanta Vibe. The four-time AU Pro Volleyball Defensive Player of the Year won back-to-back MLV Libero of the Year awards with Atlanta and holds the league’s single-season records for total digs (508) and digs per set (4.50).

Sarah Parsons signed with the Supernovas for her first MLV season after making her AU debut this fall in her first competition since welcoming her son in January. The 2016 AVCA National Player of the Year and U.S. Women’s National Team member finished 18th on the AU leaderboard with 1,750 points.

Reagan Cooper is making her return to the Supernovas after claiming second place in her AU rookie campaign this fall with 3,015 points. She ranked second on the Supernovas last season with 265 kills over 25 matches (3.49 per set) while adding 165 digs and 13 aces.

Elise Goetzinger signed her first MLV contract with the Supernovas after a standout college career at Creighton and Kentucky. The middle blocker played a pivotal role in Kentucky’s 2020 NCAA championship run and led the BIG EAST in hitting percentage (.376) as a graduate transfer at Creighton in 2024.

Brooke Nuneviller is returning to the Supernovas after finishing 11th on the AU leaderboard this fall with 2,163 points. She led the Supernovas last season with 381 kills (3.77 per set) over 28 matches while adding 348 digs and 24 blocks.

Sydney Hilley is returning to Omaha after spending the 2025 season with the Indy Ignite. The Wisconsin graduate earned Playoff MVP honors for the Supernovas when they won the inaugural Pro Volleyball Championship in 2024 and finished 10th on the AU leaderboard this fall with 2,226 points.

Orlando Valkyries (1)

Brittany Abercrombie is entering her second season with the Valkyries after leading the team to the 2025 league championship. In 2025, she was named PVF Most Valuable Player after setting league records for kills, kills per set, attacks, and points, and earned All-League and Opposite Hitter of the Year honors.

 

San Diego Mojo (5)

McKenna Vicini signed with the San Diego Mojo after two seasons with Atlanta. The middle blocker previously played for Mojo head coach Alisha Glass Childress at Stanford, where she won the 2019 NCAA Championship, and finished 15th on the AU leaderboard this fall with 2,036 points.

Taylor Sandbothe will take the court with the Mojo for her first MLV season after playing for LOVB Madison last year. The 11-year pro finished 13th on the AU leaderboard this fall with 2,107 points while recording 74 kills, seven aces, 88 digs, and 23 blocks.

Carly Graham has joined the Mojo after spending last season with the Vegas Thrill. The setter recorded 369 assists over 77 sets for Vegas last season and finished 24th on the AU leaderboard this fall with 1,631 points.

Kayla Caffey signed with the Mojo after appearing in 25 matches with the Omaha Supernovas last season. She helped the Supernovas to a league-best 21-7 record and posted career highs with 111 kills, 44 blocks, and 18 service aces.

Marlie Monserez has joined San Diego after helping lead the Atlanta Vibe offense for the last two seasons. The setter earned All-League Second Team honors last year while ranking third in the league with 998 assists (10.62 per game), the fifth-most in a season in league history.

 

Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.





Link

0
Continue Reading

Sports

Men’s Volleyball Travels to Canada for Pair of Preseason Exhibitions

Published

36 minutes ago

on

January 2, 2026

By


PRINCETON, N.J.  – The Princeton men’s volleyball team will travel to Canada this weekend for a pair of preseason exhibition games against Toronto Metropolitan (TMU) and McMaster.  
 
The Tigers and the TMU Bold will face off on Jan. 3, before Princeton takes on McMaster in a matchup hosted at Appleby College on Jan. 6. 
 
Princeton, the 2025 EIVA regular season champions, will go international before officially starting the season against UC Irvine on Jan. 14. 
 
For senior captain Owen Mellon, the trip will mark a homecoming as the Oakville, Ontario native heads back to his high school, Appleby College, on Tuesday. 
 
TMU and McMaster both compete in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference in the U Sports Canadian league. 
 
TMU is 2-8 on the season so far, while McMaster is 4-6. 
 
Match info for the TMU match can be found here.
 
Stats and streaming information for the McMaster game can be found on goprincetontigers.com. 
 



Link

2
Continue Reading

Sports

Volleyball Adds Third Transfer in Rising Sophomore Outside Hitter Mya Allen

Published

52 minutes ago

on

January 2, 2026

By


TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama volleyball has announced a third transfer portal addition to its 2026 roster with rising sophomore outside hitter Mya Allen following her freshman campaign at Saint Mary’s College.

Allen finished with 241 kills across 19 matches played for the Gaels in 2025, the second-highest total on the roster with an average of 3.39 kills per set. She also earned 20 aces, 112 digs and 25 blocks (9 solo, 16 assists). A San Antonio, Texas native, Allen finished with over 2,500 kills and 1,300 digs as a six-rotation hitter at Reagan High School. She set her school’s single-season kills record as a junior with 766 kills, earning 6A All-State and 28-6A District Offensive Player of the Year accolades. She was All-State and a District MVP as a senior and earned AVCA Second Team All-America honors.

Allen is the third student-athlete so far this offseason to transfer to Alabama, joining rising senior libero Dionii Fraga from Oklahoma and rising senior setter Ava Wallis from Coastal Carolina.

Mya Allen – Outside Hitter – San Antonio, Texas – Saint Mary’s College

  • Earned 241 kills as a freshman at Saint Mary’s in 2025, finishing second on the team

  • Also earned 20 aces, 112 digs and 25 blocks

  • Finished her prep career at Reagan High School with over 2,500 kills and 1,300 digs

  • Two-time 6A All-State

  • 28-6A District Offensive Player of the Year as a junior and District MVP as a senior

  • 2024 AVCA Second Team All-America



Link

2
Continue Reading

Sports

Track & Field Completes 2026 Indoor and Outdoor Schedules

Published

2 hours ago

on

January 2, 2026

By


RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced the 2026 indoor and outdoor schedules for the track & field program Friday. 
 

UTRGV begins the indoor season Jan. 10 at the Leonard Hilton Memorial hosted by Houston. The Vaqueros will compete in three indoor meets prior to the Southland Conference (SLC) meet, including the Charlie Thomas Invitational hosted by Texas A&M Feb. 6-7. They’ll return to the Jarvis Scott Invitational at Texas Tech Feb. 13-14. 
 
The SLC Indoor Championships are scheduled for Feb. 25-26 at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala. Qualifying student-athletes will compete at the NCAA Indoor Championships running March 13-14 in Fayetteville, Ark. 
 

UTRGV’s outdoor season begins March 20-21 at the Wes Kittley Invitational hosted by Abilene Christian. The Vaqueros will compete in four meets through the month of April, starting with the Cactus Cup at Texas A&M-Kingsville. UTRGV will make its first appearance at the Golden Hour Invitational in Jacksonville, Fla. April 17-18 before heading to Baylor for the Michael Johnson Invitational running April 24-25. The Vaqueros close out the non-conference season April 30 at Houston’s Cameron Burrell Invitational. 
 
The SLC Outdoor Championships are scheduled for May 14-16 and will be hosted by Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches. Qualifying student-athletes will compete at the NCAA West First Round hosted by Arkansas May 27-30 and the NCAA Outdoor Championships hosted at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. set for June 10-13. 
 

“The 2026 schedule is designed to progress our student-athletes physically, mentally and competitively while continuing to elevate the national profile of UTRGV Track & Field,” head track & field/cross country coach Shareese Hicks said. “Each major meet was selected with clear developmental intent – from early season competitive readiness to postseason execution and long-term program growth. 
 

“Competing at Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Houston and Baylor this year places our athletes in some of the most competitive indoor and outdoor environments in the country. We are exposing our athletes to national caliber fields and building our student-athlete confidence by normalizing elite performances throughout all of our event groups,” Hicks continued. “Our 2026 schedule reflects our commitment to building a program that competes with confidence, purpose and consistency. By challenging our athletes in premier competitive environments, we are developing not only high-level performers, but resilient leaders prepared for success at the conference and national levels.” 

Support UTRGV Track & Field | Become a Fan on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram | Follow us on YouTube

 





Link

2
Continue Reading

Sports

Blue Bell/TSWA Class 3A All-State Volleyball Team

Published

2 hours ago

on

January 2, 2026

By


Blue Bell/TSWA Class 3A All-State Volleyball Team

Published 6:48 am Friday, January 2, 2026

LONGVIEW – Division 1 champion Goliad and Division II champ Boyd took top honors in voting for the Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association Class 3A All-State Volleyball Team for the 2025 season.

The state champs shared Coach of the Year and Player of the Year honors.

Voting was conducted by TSWA members based on nominations from coaches and media members from around the state.

COACH OF THE YEAR: (Tie) Jess Odem, Goliad; Clark Oberle, Boyd

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: (Tie) Addy Delgado, Boyd; Addison Yendry, Goliad

FIRST TEAM

Middle blockers: Natalie Ceniceros, Denver City; Addison Yendry, Goliad; Belle Nichter, Boyd

Outside hitters: Berklee Billington, Bushland; Addy Delgado, Boyd; Kamdyn Scott, Tatum

Setter: Isabel Sanchez, Goliad

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Ava Permenter, Bushland

SECOND TEAM

Middle blockers: Shiloh Sluder, Troup; Abby Little, Bells; Maevyn Wunsch, Goliad

Outside hitters: Madeline Holder, East Bernard; LeAnn Wise, Stockdale; Aubree Bunker, Friona

Setter: Taydem Barker, Tatum

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Bryleigh Wallace, Boyd

THIRD TEAM

Middle blockers: Hannah Haffner, West Rusk; Taliyah Davenport, Clifton; London Helm, Grandview

Outside hitters: Raely Sebek, Huntington; Laynee Adams, Bushland; Kennedy Simon, Ponder

Setter: Cami McIntire, Boyd

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Cadence Negron, Troy

HONORABLE MENTION

Middle blockers: Brianna Tomerlin, Stockdale; Shae Collier, Troy; Madison Truitt, Eustace; Gaby Martinez, New Diana; Channing Barber, Hooks; Heidi Wheaton, Chisum; Madilynn Straight, Troy; Kameryn Thompson, Teague; Kyndal Selgelid, Rockdale; Morgan Adair, Peaster; Savannah Brackeen, Central Heights; Kamyah Lacy, West Rusk

Outside hitters: Kammi Maddox, Dalhart; Kaysen Foster, Tatum; Brystel Wise, Clifton; Addison Martin, Clifton; Mahayla McMahon, Mineola; Hannah Slater, Groesbeck; Kailyn Keeling, Lexington; Skylar Workman, Troy; Andee Bridges, White Oak; Harper Gerik, Columbus; Sophi Wallek, Goliad; Ella Grochoske, West

Setter: Myah Lichenberger, London; Madison Otter, Clifton; Zoe Dishman, Ponder; Ava Flowers, Leonard

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Karolynn Youngblood, Goliad; Caylie Neisner, Columbus



Link

4
Continue Reading

Sports

2025 All-News-Herald Volleyball First Team – The News Herald

Published

3 hours ago

on

January 2, 2026

By


Introducing the 2025 All-News-Herald Volleyball First Team

SARAH GIROUX | Flat Rock: Arguably the Downriver area’s top team for a second straight year, Flat Rock made its first-ever trip to the Division 2 state championship game thanks to a host of players. Providing the most charisma for the Rams once more was Sarah Giroux, who is now a two-time all-state honoree. The junior led all local outside hitters with over 500 kills, doing so at a 34 percent hit rate, while also digging out over 300 shots and collecting over 50 aces.

MACY HARRISON | Allen Park Inter-City Baptist: The folks over at Inter-City Baptist collected their sixth regional title in program history and a big reason why was a strong final high school season from Macy Harrison. A three-sport standout at the school, Harrison was one of three Chargers to receive all-state status at season’s end. In addition to her over 700 assists, the senior setter was efficient in sneaking in over 100 kills as well, doing so at a near 40 percent clip.

Senior Mia Hyde (9) had 45 total kills across six matches and 11 sets for Trenton at the 43rd annual News-Herald Invitational volleyball tournament held at Lincoln Park High School on Oct 25, 2025. (ALEXANDER MULLER -- MediaNews Group)
Senior Mia Hyde (9) had 45 total kills across six matches and 11 sets for Trenton at the 43rd annual News-Herald Invitational volleyball tournament held at Lincoln Park High School on Oct 25, 2025. (ALEXANDER MULLER — MediaNews Group)

MIA HYDE | Trenton: If there was one local team that was Flat Rock’s equal this past fall, it was the newly-crowned News-Herald Invitational champions at Trenton. A run to their eventual first-ever D1 regional crown was largely behind the swing of hitter Mia Hyde, who has earned first-team all-News-Herald honors now in three straight years. The senior all-state recipient finish with just over 400 kills, 355 digs, 46 blocks, and a strong 2.2 rating in the serve receive department.

CHLOE SMITH | Allen Park Inter-City Baptist: Few local players, if any, provided a strong back row presence for her team during the season than Chloe Smith did for Inter-City. One of those three aforementioned all-staters for the Chargers, no area libero dug out more shots than the 602 put up by Smith. The senior also posted over 50 assists, 62 aces, and an above-average 2.05 serve receive rating.

LILY KLEIN | Flat Rock: If there were ‘comeback player of the year’ honors to be had, Flat Rock’s Lily Klein would likely be the runaway winner. After missing all of the 2024 season due to injury, Klein returned to the middle to solidify a stout front-net presence for the Rams in the fall. The junior joined her teammate Giroux in being named all-state after tallying 252 kills at a 33.6 percent hit rate, as well as 69 blocks.

DANERIS GOMEZ | Allen Park Inter-City Baptist: Staying at the front of the net, Inter-City figures to give opposing teams problems there with Daneris Gomez in the fold for multiple years to come. Still only a sophomore, Gomez took a big jump forward for a Chargers team that came up just shy of reaching the state semifinals in D4. She ended the year with 224 kills, a .387 hit percentage, and just under 70 blocks.

SIMONE CICOTTE | New Boston Huron: One of the stronger and more battle-tested programs locally this fall was Huron, which housed one of the more touted hitters in Simone Cicotte. An all-Huron League and all-region honoree, Cicotte “showcased exceptional versatility” according to Chiefs head coach Devon Newman. The senior and Madonna University signee logged well over 300 kills as well as north of 30 blocks and aces each.

BAILEY ELLIS | Allen Park: It was another strong season on the hardwood for Allen Park, which is no stranger to possessing one of the area’s top hitters on an annual basis. This year for the Jags, that honor went to Bailey Ellis, who was the team’s “go-to attacker on the outside” according to head coach Brooke Martin. The senior was named both all-Downriver League and all-region after finishing with 400 kills, 30 blocks, and 30 aces.

SONIAH ROBINSON | Brownstown Woodhaven: Elsewhere in the Downriver League, another program with a tradition of boasting strong hitters on the outside is Woodhaven. Their best such performer on the outside for the past two seasons now has been Soniah Robinson, who earns first-team all-area honors for a second straight season. Robinson, who recently signed to play at Aquinas College next year, finished the year with over 200 kills and digs each, as well as 30 aces.

KASSIDY KORNDORFER | Trenton: Perhaps the most prolific at arguably the most important position on the floor, Kassidy Korndorfer took a considerable leap forward after being named second-team all-News-Herald in 2024. No local setter tallied more assists this past season than the 920 put up by Korndorfer. The junior all-region standout did a little bit of everything for the Trojans, evident by her 200+ digs along with 62 aces in the service game.

HANNAH HESSE | Flat Rock: Another repeat all-area honoree, Hannah Hesse “continues to improve every year” according to Flat Rock head coach Morgan Delhey. Though they’ve had to navigate using two superb setters, Hesse has helped paved the way for the Rams’ recent success in the sport. The junior was named both all-Huron League and all-region after setting up over 700 Flat Rock points. She also finished with well over 200 digs.

LILY MACDONALD | Allen Park: A fixture on the back row for Allen Park each of the last two seasons, Lily MacDonald “kept consistency in high intensity moments” per Coach Martin. Another returning first-team all-area honoree from the year prior, MacDonald wrapped up her high school career for the Jags having earned both all-DRL and all-region status. She finished with 500 digs and a very strong 2.6 serve receive rating.

GIABELLA DEANGELO | Gibraltar Carlson: A largely young but talented Carlson program took another step forward. Perhaps the biggest sign of such was a strong sophomore campaign from Giabella DeAngelo, who Marauders head coach Regan Sliwinski says the team relied on regularly for her “steady play and ability.” An all-region libero at season’s end, DeAngelo collected over 250 digs while also serving at a rate just shy of 92 percent.

Carlson libero Giabella DeAngelo goes up to deliver a serve during the Marauders' home match vs DRL foe Edsel Ford on Oct 2, 2025. (ALEXANDER MULLER -- MediaNews Group)
Carlson libero Giabella DeAngelo goes up to deliver a serve during the Marauders’ home match vs DRL foe Edsel Ford on Oct 2, 2025. (ALEXANDER MULLER — MediaNews Group)

KYLEE AGUIRRE | Trenton: Much like her setter teammate Korndorfer, Trenton’s Kylee Aguirre makes the jump up to first-team all-News-Herald after a strong final prep season on the hardwood. An all-Downriver League honoree, the senior defensive specialist finished with an area-best 380 digs at her position. She also provided a lot of value in the serve receive department with an above-average 2.1 mark.

MADELINE FRANK | Allen Park Inter-City Baptist: There has been a strong core of players for several seasons at Inter-City and Madeline Frank has been one steady piece of that. A two-time all-area honoree in basketball at the school as well, Frank is a hitter by trade but often finds herself wearing several hats for the Chargers. In addition to just under 200 kills, the senior recorded over 400 digs and a 2.07 pass rating.

REAGAN HIGDON | Flat Rock: The team over at Flat Rock may very well own the best 1-2 hitting combo in the Downriver area with Reagan Higdon opposite of Sarah Giroux. A three-time all-area honoree in track during the spring, Higdon finished the volleyball season with over 250 kills, 300 digs, and 100 aces. Coach Delhey praised the senior for her consistency in “defense and serve receive” also.

BRISTOL DAVENPORT | Southgate Anderson: Despite the team’s relative struggles during the season, Anderson’s Bristol Davenport made a strong first impression on the high school circuit. Splitting time between outside hitter and defensive specialist, the freshman for the Titans was named both all-DRL and all-region after finishing with 233 kills, 148 digs, 36 aces, and a 91.1 serve receive percentage.

Freshman Bristol Davenport gets ready to receive and return a shot for Anderson in a D1 district first-round matchup vs River Rouge hosted by Wyandotte Roosevelt on Nov 3, 2025. (ALEXANDER MULLER -- MediaNews Group)
Freshman Bristol Davenport gets ready to receive and return a shot for Anderson in a D1 district first-round matchup vs River Rouge hosted by Wyandotte Roosevelt on Nov 3, 2025. (ALEXANDER MULLER — MediaNews Group)

BRENNA PIERSON | Allen Park: Another local player earning first-team honors for a second straight season is Allen Park’s Brenna Pierson, who Coach Martin says “showed strong consistency while staying aggressive.” No local middle blocker racked up more kills than the 300 put up by the senior Pierson, who also collected 70 blocks and over two dozen aces. All of that was good enough to earn all-DRL and all-region honors.

RYLIE HAWKINS | Wyandotte Roosevelt: On a team where underclassmen logged a majority of the playing time, it was a senior in Rylie Hawkins who was arguably the most important piece for Roosevelt. A second-team all-area honoree a season ago, Hawkins was named to the all-region team after averaging over three kills and roughly one block and ace per set for the Bears. She also turned in hit and serve rates of 30 and 93 percent, respectively.

ALLISON GUYETTE | Riverview Gabriel Richard: No local program enjoyed a bigger turnaround from 2024 than Gabriel Richard and head coach Elizabeth Clemence. The unquestioned driving force for the Pioneers was Allison Guyette, who the charismatic Clemence dubbed the team MVP and praised for being “steady and very reliable on the court.” The senior setter earned all-Catholic honors in the Catholic League after putting together a strong stat line of 625 assists, 146 kills, and 102 aces.

Senior Allison Guyette sets up a potential point opportunity for her Gabriel Richard teammates during the team's regional semifinal matchup vs Shrine Catholic on Nov 11, 2025. (CORY LINSNER -- For MediaNews Group)
Senior Allison Guyette sets up a potential point opportunity for her Gabriel Richard teammates during the team’s regional semifinal matchup vs Shrine Catholic on Nov 11, 2025. (CORY LINSNER — For MediaNews Group)

AVA RYAN | New Boston Huron: The bigest reason for why Cicotte and her fellow Huron teammates received countless point opportunities was the play of Ava Ryan at the setter position. An all-conference and all-region performer, Ryan displayed “smart decision-making and precise ball placement” according to Coach Newman. The senior for the Chiefs finished with just shy of 600 assists, a little more than 200 digs, and served an incredible 98 percent rate.

STELLA SOBUSH | Wyandotte Roosevelt: Another one of the few upperclassmen that Roosevelt regularly leaned on was Stella Sobush, who like her teammate Hawkins was named all-region at season’s end. An all-conference recipient in the Downriver League as well, Sobush averaged around four digs across the Bears’ 80+ sets played on the season. The junior was also strong in the serve game with a 2.2 receive rating at a 91 percent serving mark.

SLOANE HASLER | Riverview Gabriel Richard: One would be hard-pressed to find an underclassman who played well above her class than Richard’s Sloane Hasler. The season-long production speaks for itself for Hasler, who Coach Clemence says “consistently held her own in her position.” In addition to her near 500 digs, the freshman libero for the district-champion Pioneers served at a very reliable 95 percent rate.

ELLE DWYER | Flat Rock: Helping fill out their group of all-region starters, Elle Dwyer shined as flat rock’s No. 1 defensive specialist all season long. Dwyer, who “steps in to any defensive role” according to Coach Delhey, received all-Huron League status as well after picking up well over 200 digs on the back row. The junior for the Rams also chipped in with just under 30 aces.



Link

4
Continue Reading

Most Viewed Posts

Trending