By Chad Wingert (Contact / Staff Bio)

Originally published November 23, 2009, 07:37 p.m. EST. Updated November 23, 2009, 07:37 p.m. EST

By Chad Wingert

Sports Editor

CARO — The Tuscola County Advertiser coverage area has once again left an impression statewide for the 2009 regular season.

After sending two teams to Battle Creek for the MHSAA State semi-finals in 2008, the Thumb responds by sending another pair in 2009.

And, even though the All-Advertiser team is based on regular season performance, how can you talk about Thumb area volleyball without starting the conversation with the North Branch Broncos?

North Branch set a MHSAA record this season after posting its third consecutive 70-win season and they also finished with the No. 1 rank in Class B.

Along the way, the Broncos snagged their sixth straight Tri-Valley East title and extended their conference win streak to 40 straight matches. Overall, North Branch suffered only five losses the entire season, all of which came at the hands of the No. 1 team in Class A, Bloomfield Hills Marian.

Advertiser Coach of the Year honors for 2009 go to Reese head coach Amanda Robinson.

The Rockets were able to capture a Greater Thumb West conference title under Robinson, posting an 11-1 conference record in just her third year as head coach. The Rockets ran wild over the GTW competition this season, as EPBP placed second with a 7-5 record.

For Player of the Year honors, the focus turns back east to North Branch as Jordan Fish takes this year’s crown. Fish, a second-teamer in 2008, really broke out in 2009 after the Broncos lost a slew of seniors from last year’s squad.

The Broncos junior setter has already received interest from more than 50 Division 1 schools and was nominated for the 2009 Gatorade Player of the Year in Michigan. This season, Fish set up 1,242 assists while collecting 300 kills, 266 digs, 18 blocks and 91 aces with a 91.8 serving percentage. Fish was also named first team All-Conference in the Tri-Valley East as well as being selected for the All-Region team.

Joining Fish on the All-Advertiser first team are teammates Katie Owens and Catherine Brusie.

Owens was the top hitter for North Branch this season with 510 kills and an average of .310.

“Katie is an aggressive player,” Broncos head coach Jim Fish said. “She is also probably the top hitter in the Thumb area.”

Along with her massive amount of kills, Owens adds 25 assists, 286 digs, 17 blocks and 72 aces with a serving percentage of 87.8. Owens, who earned first team All-Conference and All Region honors in her senior year, has already committed to play volleyball Oakland Community College on a full scholarship next year.

Brusie plays libero for North Branch and has racked up 871 digs this season on the No. 1 team in Class B. She has also totaled 120 aces with a 91.8 serving percentage.

“Catherine is a third-year starter for us,” coach Fish said. “She is also one of the best defensive players in Michigan and the top junior defensive player in the state.”

Along with landing a spot on the All-Advertiser first team, Brusie was also named First team All Conference and All Region. As a sophomore, Brusie earned second team All State honors in Class B, along with being ranked in the top 120 sophomores in the nation.

Kaitlyn Squanda and Amber Gotham will represent Reese on the first team after their conference championship season.

Squanda, a senior setter and backside hitter for the Rockets, fell just shy of hitting triple digits in four different categories with 513 assists, 285 kills, 166 digs and 90 blocks this season. Squanda also has a deadly jump serve that has earned her a 92% serving percentage with 57 aces.

“Kaitlyn is a very accurate setter and placement hitter,” Reese head coach Amanda Robinson said. “She also has an outstanding vertical leap that poses quite a threat to hitters when it comes to blocking.”

Squanda also earned first team All-Conference and All-Region honors after being named to the All-Advertiser second team in 2008.

Alongside the two-year captain is teammate and defensive specialist Amber Gotham.

In 49 games this season, Gotham piled up 756 digs averaging 15.4 per game. Along with playing the libero spot for the GTW Champs, Gotham also got it done from the service line, totaling 53 aces on the season with a 93 serving percentage.

“Amber is my other captain and a great leader,” Robinson said. “As a libero, Amber is the best I’ve ever had. She is very good at reading and anticipating a hit.”

Representing Caro on the first team is senior hitter Andrea Henry, who was not only nominated by head coach Bob Tobey, but also by numerous other coaches around the area.

“Andrea is just an all-around complete player,” Tobey said. “She was our team co-captain, four year varsity player and our offensive leader every match.”

The 5’10 senior averaged 3.6 kills a game for the Tigers while adding 3.0 digs per game and falling just shy of one block per game. Henry also tallied exceptional serving numbers with her 88.4 serving percentage, connecting on 365 of her 413 attempts.

Despite finishing second to undefeated Deckerville in the conference standings, Angela Odoerfer had an outstanding season and is now leading the Red Raiders through the Class C postseason.

Odoerfer is a three-year varsity player who makes up for her 5’6 frame with her 28 inch vertical leap. The senior outside hitter totaled 292 kills, 563 digs, 475 receptions, and 31 blocks in her 142 sets played this season. Per game, Odoerfer averaged 2.1 kills and maintained a serving percentage of 92.

Scooping up the final spot on the first team is Frankenmuth’s big hitter - Kelsey Ritter.

Ritter was the only member of the Eagles squad to play all 134 sets this season and had a team-high 383 kills this season. The senior also led the team in digs with 381 while holding a serving percentage of 83.

Along with the All-Advertiser first team, Ritter also earned a spot on the All-Conference first team for the Tri-Valley East.

Kicking off the second team is Cass City libero McKensie Parrish.

Parrish, in her second year at the varsity level, really broke out this season as the Red Hawks defensive leader after Cass City graduated five players from last year’s squad. This season, Parrish also earned first team All-Conference honors in the Greater Thumb West. No other stats were made available for Parrish.

In her fourth year at the varsity level, Mayville’s Chelsea Roehl snagged a spot on the second team after leading her squad to a third place finish in the Greater Thumb East at 8-4.

“Chelsea was our captain this year and showed great leadership both on and off the court,” Mayville head coach Nita Stevenson said. “Chelsea has a strong attack, but she also knows when to let up. She is the best player on our team.”

Roehl finished her senior season as a Wildcat with 307 kills, 38 blocks, and a team-high 484 digs. Roehl also chalked up 68 aces to go with her serving percentage of 85 after playing all of Mayville’s 118 sets this season.

Next up on the second team is Frankenmuth’s other All-Region player, Chelsea Mertz.

In 129 sets, Mertz was second on the Eagles squad in kills with 217. But, she led Frankenmuth from the service line with 60 aces and a serving percentage of 89. Mertz also totaled 13 blocks, 186 digs and 267 receptions this season.

Alongside Mertz is conference opponent, Vanessa Taylor of Caro.

Taylor played the role of setter for the Tigers this season, dishing out 2,011 assists while scoring a few points of her own. The talented senior piled up 263 points this season, the most on her squad, while hammering down 314 kills.

“Vanessa can run a complete offense,” Caro head coach Bob Tobey said. “She is very quick to retrieve poor passes and turn them into possibilities.”

Defensively, Taylor collected 230 digs. But from the service line, she gathered 52 aces while totaling an serving average of 94.1.

Along with earning a spot on the All-Advertiser team, Taylor was also named to the All Tri-Valley East second team this season.

The third and final Rocket to make this year’s team is junior hitter Tiffany Buchinger.

During Reese’s conference title run, Buchinger rattled off 318 kills, 53 blocks, 147 digs and set up 452 assists in 49 games.

“Tiffany is a high energy, aggressive and intense player,” Reese head coach Amanda Robinson said. “She is also the most powerful hitter on the team. She can place the ball very well.”

From the service line, Buchinger posted a 94 service average with 64 aces on the season.

Three Broncos landed spots on the first team, so what would the second team be without a double shot of North Branch?

Danika Racknor and Kara Stuewer will represent the Team of the Year on the second squad; both are third-year varsity athletes. With these two on North Branch’s side, the Broncos have gone 223-12-2 during the past three seasons.

Racknor, a junior, earned All-Conference and All-Region honors this season. Head Coach Jim Fish also predicts that some form of All-State award will come Racknor’s way.

“Danika has started for us since her freshman season,” Fish said. “She is one of the top outside hitters in the state. But, she plays middle for us to fill a team need. She is a great all-around player who sacrifices her game to help the team.”

This season, Racknor has collected 352 kills, 60 assists, 393 digs and 33 blocks while totaling a serving percentage of 89.4.

Stuewer may have earned second team All-Advertiser and second team All-Conference, but Fish says that she is a key factor in the Broncos’ No. 1 ranking in Class B.

“Kara hits the ball hard and is perhaps the best athlete on our team,” Fish said. “She is a major reason we are ranked No.1 in the state.”

This season, Stuewer has posted outstanding numbers for the Broncos, including 372 kills, 346 digs and 76 aces. She has also collected 65 assists, 27 blocks and 76 aces to go with her 89.8 serving percentage.

The senior captain will join teammate Katie Owens next year at Oakland Community College where she has accepted a full scholarship to play volleyball.

Rounding out the All-Advertiser team is Akron-Fairgrove’s Miss Everything, Alyssa Monchilov.

Monchilov, a senior, did it all for the Vikings and she has the stats to back it up. In her final season, Monchilov averaged 4.5 kills, 4.0 assists and 6.3 digs per game while carrying a 93 percent serving average.

“I have coached for 35 years, and Alyssa would be in the top four athletes that I have ever coached,” Akron-Fairgrove head coach Judy Campbell said. “She has an uncanny ball sense and can play any place, learn anything and could have played on any team.”

In Monchilov’s time on varsity, she led Akron-Fairgrove to not one but two conference titles, the only two in school history.

“She is definitely the leader in the NCTL and would be in other leagues, too,” Campbell said. “She is a true leader, on and off the court.”

Along with earning team MVP honors in 2006, 2008 and 2009, Monchilov earned second team All-Conference honors as a freshman and landed on the first team the past three years.

2009 ADVERTISER VOLLEYBALL DREAM TEAM

TEAM OF THE YEAR

North Branch Broncos

COACH OF THE YEAR

Amanda Robinson - Reese

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Jordan Fish - North Branch

FIRST TEAM

Jordan Fish North Branch

Katie Owens North Branch

Catherine Brusie North Branch

Kaitlyn Squanda Reese

Amber Gotham Reese

Andrea Henry Caro

Angela Odoerfer Marlette

Kelsey Ritter Frankenmuth

SECOND TEAM

McKensie Parrish Cass City

Chelsea Roehl Mayville

Chelsea Mertz Frankenmuth

Vanessa Taylor Caro

Tiffany Buchinger Reese

Danika Racknor North Branch

Kara Stuewer North Branch

Alyssa Monchilov Akron-Fairgrove

HONORABLE MENTION

Kayla Sahr Reese

Tessa Buhl Mayville

Abbey Amend Vassar

Madi Campbell Caro

Christy Schmidt Owen-Gage

Keagan Wilson Marlette

Jenny Williamson USA

Rachel Mowry USA

Sarah Crane Akron-Fairgrove

Megan James Kingston

Jenny Herrick Millington

Megan Zawilinski Cass City