Nate Schneider
Sports Scene
Betty Wroubel is the third-winningest coach in MHSAA volleyball history, so anything she says related to her team can be taken as gospel.
When the long-time Pontiac Notre Dame Prep coach says her current team is “one of the best she’s ever had”, you can put a lot of emphasis on it being nothing other than the truth.
The top-ranked Fighting Irish’s record stands at an amazing 59-2-2 following a weekend tournament in which it defeated Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart Academy (25-7, 26-24), Dansville (25-6, 26-8), Fowlerville (25-9 25-17), Onsted (25-14, 25-12), Marshall (25-15, 25-17) and finally St. Johns in the championship match (25-16, 25-14).
It puts Notre Dame Prep in the midst of a 14-match streak in which it hasn’t even lost a set, which is actually not even closest to the longest stretch it has gone this season without dropping a set. The Fighting Irish have won 47 matches in a row, while in the entirety of their 63 matches this season they have only dropped a total of 10 sets.
The scariest fact might that Notre Dame Prep has rarely been at full strength this season.
“We still haven’t played a tournament with a full lineup,” Wroubel said after a midweek win over Rochester Adams. “We’ve either had someone hurt or out of town for a family emergency or whatnot. We’ve had seven tournaments and haven’t had everyone available for any of them. That makes us stronger though. It’s a little bit rough, but it’s developing some depth on our team should anything happen down the road or if someone just has an off day.”
The Fighting Irish were defeated last year in the Class B regional semifinals by eventual state champion North Branch, which is now ranked second behind Notre Dame Prep this year.
Helping to lead the way for the Fighting Irish this season is junior Purdue commit Madeline Chinn, who has racked up 563 kills (4.3 per set) along with 72 aces and 79 blocks.
“We were talking about it being Senior Night and our seniors’ last home match about close we are as a team,” Chinn said. “This is the closest team I’ve been on since I was a freshman. I think our team chemistry and willingness to work super hard and 110 percent for each other is what gives us that drive to be successful.”
Chinn narrowed her college decision down to Purdue and Michigan State, ultimately choosing the Boilermakers last spring due to a couple of factors.
“I love Dave Shondell and the Purdue coaching staff,” Chinn beamed. “I mean, I love Cathy George and the Michigan State coaching staff as well. It was a really hard decision. But with Purdue, I just love their campus. A lot of people told me during the recruiting process that when you go on a school’s campus, you’ll know when you know. I felt that feeling at Purdue.”
Wroubel has observed the 6-foot-3 Chinn dominate matches regularly the last couple of years and offered her thoughts on one of the most talented players in the state.
“She has such a great personality and brings great skills,” Wroubel remarked. “She was highly recruited obviously. But the way her personality shines on the court, it takes some pressure away from some other girls.”
But it is certainly not a one-girl show at Notre Dame Prep, with contributions coming from so many sources en route to this remarkable season.
Senior setter Lauren Burnick has accumulated 966 assists (7.4 per set), while junior Natalie Risi has recorded 402 kills plus 388 digs (2.9 per set) and 144 aces. Senior Gabrielle Shilling has 296 kills and a team-best 156 blocks.
“It’s really a balanced team,” Wroubel added. “Chinn gets a lot of the credit and she deservingly so. But it’s really a well-rounded and good overall team. One of my best.”
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep has won state championships in 2007 and 2013 under Wroubel.