Gull Lake Boys Volleyball Chasing State Title

Gull Lake’s boys volleyball team opened 6-1 in April, putting a third-year program in the chase for Michigan’s first sanctioned state title. (wwmt.com) NewsChannel 3 reported the Blue Devils reached that start in just their third season as a program in Richland. Senior outside hitter Blake Stricker said the team’s biggest change has been learning to “flip a switch” and adjust during matches. (wwmt.com) Junior setter and opposite hitter Beckett Folk said those midgame changes have replaced the early-days feeling of “I don’t know what’s going on.” Gull Lake’s school athletics page lists a 3-1 win over Kalamazoo Christian on April 7 and shows a schedule that runs through mid-May. (wwmt.com) (glbluedevils.com) This spring is the first one with boys volleyball recognized by the Michigan High School Athletic Association as a sponsored tournament sport. The association says practices began March 9, first contests began March 18, and the finals are scheduled for June 6 at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek. (mhsaa.com) The state tournament bracket gives programs like Gull Lake a target that did not exist in prior seasons, when boys volleyball in Michigan operated outside the Michigan High School Athletic Association championship structure. The Michigan Volleyball Association says the 2025-26 school year is the first with boys volleyball sanctioned as a varsity sport statewide. (mhsaa.com) (mivca.net) The sport’s growth has been fast. The Detroit Free Press reported 118 schools are competing for the first state title this year, while Detroit Catholic reported 117 schools are scheduled for the postseason across Divisions 1 and 2. (freep.com) (detroitcatholic.com) Detroit Catholic also reported the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association grew from four teams in 2018 to 69 in 2024 before sanctioning arrived. The same report called boys volleyball the newest sport in 20 years to be sanctioned by the Michigan High School Athletic Association. (detroitcatholic.com) Gull Lake’s posted schedule shows home regional matches on May 26, May 28 and May 29, with semifinals set for June 5 and the state final on June 6. For a team that started as a new program three seasons ago, the path to the first official championship is now on the calendar. (glbluedevils.com) (mhsaa.com)