Austin’s first volleyball state district champs ‘fun to coach, fun to win’- Detroit Catholic

CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP — Looking again a few weeks after Austin Catholic received its first state district volleyball championship, first-year coach Peyton Grand recalled her early impressions in regards to the workforce.

“I definitely knew we had some of the most talented athletes we’d ever had in the program,” stated Grand, a 2017 grad of Austin. “They were really committed and they knew that if they all worked together, that this was going to be a year to do it.”

They did it Nov. 7, a three-set sweep of Sterling Heights Parkway Christian for the MHSAA Division 4 District 125 trophy after disposing of Kimball New Life Christian and Marine City Cardinal Mooney. The season (18-17-1) ended within the regional ultimate in opposition to No. 3-rated Ubly.

“At the beginning of the season, we came out super hot (10-2-1) and I was feeling really good,” Grand stated. “And I think we kind of started to realize that we were actually a good team and maybe let up off the gas just a little bit.”

The Crusaders misplaced the subsequent eight matches in a row, then recovered to shut out 8-7.

Senior Allie Gianino, who’s been taking part in volleyball since she was 9 or 10 years previous, was the one participant on the roster who had performed all 4 years in highschool.

“We were doing well and then we kind of went downhill,” she stated. “Before our district games, I had this book (“The Champion Teammate,” really useful by her Legacy membership coach) that was for athletes particularly to assist them with their psychological video games.”

“I was thinking,” Gianino stated, “why don’t I try and use this with my teammates and see how it goes? And it was great. The mental preparation really worked, about working together, all of us doing our part.”

“We were just so determined on winning,” Gianino stated. “We had to really prep for the loud crowd and their student section. We were just so focused and we just drowned that out. We swept them because of our mental drive and our motivation.”

All season, Gianino fired up Austin’s assault with 256 kills from her exterior hitter place. “Allie’s a big difference maker for us,” Grand stated. “She has a great volleyball IQ that raises up everyone around her. She’s a great leader.”

Senior Rebecca Shrodes, because the setter answerable for distribution of the ball, had 483 assists. “She was our second string setter last year and worked really hard in the off season,” Grand stated.

Senior Mary La Montaigne “was definitely up there with Allie as one of our best girls,” Grand stated. “She started outside for us at the beginning of the season. But she finished as the libero with 510 digs.”

Senior Emerson Minjoe “was an absolute block machine in the middle. She had hundreds of blocks.” Senior defensive specialist Josie Bouterwick had 228 digs. “She was an awesome server,” Grand stated.

A pair of sophomores rounded out Austin’s key gamers. Madison Mondry “was a back row specialist.” Sarah Hoffman on protection had 88 kills. “She made a big difference.”

“This was a fun team to coach, a fun team to watch even,” stated Grand, who stated she’s going to return to teach subsequent fall. “At the banquet the other night, parents came up to me and said it’s fun to win, but it’s also fun to watch. The girls definitely put on a pretty good show.”

This was Austin’s second state workforce trophy. The ladies basketball workforce received a district in 2019.

Austin has a person state champ, Lyla Mullins, who received particular person shot put and discus state championships on the 2024 Division 4 finals. She is in her second 12 months on the University of Detroit Mercy monitor and subject squad. At the 2025 Horizon League Championships this previous May, she scored within the discus with a season-best 130 toes, ninth within the shot put (40 toes) and twentieth within the hammer (113 toes).

Allie chooses artwork over volleyball

“Well, my original plan was to play collegiate volleyball,” Gianino stated, “and I was being actively recruited by Division 3 and Division 2 schools. But I decided that I want to go to art school.”

She selected the Savannah College of Art and Design, a personal, non-profit college with international places and on-line choices, providing greater than 100 diploma packages in fields reminiscent of animation, trend, and consumer expertise design.

Her lengthy vary aim? “I want to be a creative director. So I see myself being a leader and directing big projects.”

Students at Austin Catholic have had a possibility since final March when Gianino’s life-size mural of St. Augustine on the chapel wall was unveiled and blessed.

“I spent a lot of time doing this,” she advised The Macomb Daily. “I have no idea how many hours because I lost track of the amount.”

“She was in here painting every day, every chance she got,” stated Frank Slanczka, Gianino’s artwork instructor and mentor.

Contact Don Horkey at [email protected].