The Goodrich Girls Volleyball team came up short on Nov. 20 in their drive for a state championship when they were defeated by Ann Arbor’s Father Gabriel Richard High School in the Michigan High School Athletic Association state semi-finals at Battle Creek.
‘We just never gained control over the match from the very beginning,? said Head Coach Robyn Batterbee, who ended the season with 299 career wins. ‘It’s frustrating to be in a position that everything you do isn’t working and I think that’s ultimately how our team felt. I know that we didn’t give up, but certainly felt as if we were trying to push through a brick wall. Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard gained momentum from the get-go and never let up. We made some crucial errors and our serve receive was lacking.?
The Lady Martians finished the season 39-7-1, which included winning the school’s first regional championship. In the loss to Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, Kamryn Wallace – 100 percent serving at 7/7, 14 assists, and eight digs; Madison Becker – 100 percent serving at 12/12, and four kills; Abby Francis – eight kills and 100 percent serving; Bethany Schultz – five kills; Kristi Doherty – eight assists, six digs, and two blocks; Megan Underwood – 100 percent serving and 12 digs.
‘Against a team like Ann Arbor GR, we needed to be clicking on all cylinders and we weren’t,? she added. ‘We needed to play error free, and we didn’t. They are a great team with an undefeated record and have played some tough teams along the way. They ended up the Class B champs which puts things in perspective for us in the future. We now know what to expect from teams at this stage of the game. We had a terrific run this year, especially in the post-season when it’s about keeping your season rolling along. I am so very proud of our team and what they accomplished this year. I want the Goodrich varsity volleyball team to hold their heads high because they deserve to – a final four finish is unbelievable. I hope this team’s performance inspires.?
The Goodrich volleyball team now joins girls? golf and girls? cross country to make appearances this fall in the state championship round. This fall Goodrich programs also won Genesee Area Conference Championships in football, boys? soccer, volleyball, girls? cross country, boys? tennis, and girls? golf.