Livingston County couldn’t get a team past the regional round of the state volleyball tournament in the 10-year period from 2014-23, but it wasn’t for lack of elite talent.
The following starting lineup would certainly have ended that drought, led by two players who went on to play in the Big Ten Conference and four who played at the Division I level in college.
There aren’t many lists of top county athletes that would include representation from the smaller schools, but Charyl Stockwell’s Paige Gallentine and Jenna Vaske were exceptional players who led their team deep into the Division 3 postseason twice.
Cori Crocker
► School: Brighton
► Senior season: 2014
► Position: Outside hitter
► Accomplishments: Crocker just made the cut for this list, playing her one season at Brighton in 2014 after transferring from Grand Ledge. She made all-region and was a Miss Volleyball nominee as a senior before moving on to the University of Michigan. Crocker had 281 kills and 106 blocks, including 62 solo blocks. She returned last season to become the head coach at Brighton.
► Coach Shelley Fix: “I wish I had all four years with her, instead of just one. Going into the season, I questioned whether or not we’d have strength in our leadership. She quickly came in and filled a nice role. Between her athleticism and her personality, the way she communicated, she was very open and honest about our expectations. She came at the right time.”
Celia Cullen
► School: Brighton
► Senior season: 2019
► Positions: Setter/outside hitter
► Accomplishments: Cullen entered high school having already verbally committed to Michigan State University. She played two seasons for the Spartans before transferring to Southern Methodist. Cullen made first-team all-state twice and was a second-team All-America selection as a senior, finishing third in Miss Volleyball voting. She had the versatility to run the offense as a setter or finish points at the net.
► Coach Scott Pitcher: “To have somebody who can set, hit, serve and play defense at a Division I college level in all those positions is basically unheard of. There are those who can hit and play defense, some who can serve and play defense. You might get two of those four checked boxes. Without a doubt, it’s unbelievable what she could do at any position on the court.”
Paige Gallentine
► School: Charyl Stockwell
► Senior season: 2019
► Position: Outside hitter
► Accomplishments: Gallentine put Stockwell’s volleyball program on the map, leading the Sentinels to regional finals her junior and senior years. She received all-state honors four times, making the first team twice. Stockwell was 137-43-7 during a career in which she had 1,962 kills and 403 aces. She played for the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
► Coach Paula Gallentine: “The year before Paige joined the program, the record was 5-16. Her freshman year, our record was 49-2. All four years we were ranked in the top 10 in the state, so her joining the team had a big impact on our success. But it is a team sport; it’s not just one player. She may have helped inspire others to succeed and achieve in the sport, which is what it’s all about.”
Sophia Oakes
► School: Pinckney
► Senior season: 2020
► Position: Libero
► Accomplishments: Oakes made all-region and first-team all-county three times before continuing her career at Northwood University. She had 2,402 career digs in four seasons, averaging 6.4 digs per set this season, to go with 272 aces.
► Coach Alecia Sweeney: “She’s probably been one of the top players in the history of volleyball at Pinckney. She elevates the game for the girls around her. She’s dedicated, hard-working, just generally loves volleyball, loves to be on the court. She’s just very dedicated to the sport. She’s had great success because of her hard work.”
Gabrielle Tschannen
► School: Brighton
► Senior season: 2016
► Position: Middle hitter
► Accomplishments: After miss most of her sophomore season with an injury, Tschannen made third-team all-state each of her final two years and was the county’s Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016. She had team-high totals of 392 kills, 180 blocks and 114 aces as a senior before moving on to Northeastern University.
► Coach Shelley Sims: “Gabi has been the staple in our offense for the past four years. Her depth at the net not only shows in attacking, but in her strong blocking ability as well. Gabi’s ability to make different hitting choices allowed her to excel, and her blocking prowess has only improved.”
Jenna Vaske
► School: Charyl Stockwell
► Senior season: 2020
► Position: Outside hitter/setter
► Accomplishments: Vaske became the first Stockwell athlete to earn Player of the Year in a sport as a senior in 2020. She was a second-team all-stater in Division 3 as a junior and a three-time all-county and all-region selection. She had 268 kills, 100 assists and 57 aces as a senior. Vaske plays for the University of Tampa.
► Coach Bret Siebert: “One of the things she left a mark on this year was how to be successful and have fun in the process. The team unity, the team dynamic was excellent. She stirred the pot when it needed to be stirred and settled it down when it needed to be settled down. She took initiative and left the standard for young players to say, ‘Yes, I want to play like Jenna, but I want to have that same character trait.’”
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: All-decade team: Livingston County's best volleyball lineup for the past 10 years
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