19 District Brackets Open As Oakland County Chases Four State Titles
MHSAA volleyball district tournaments begin this week across Oakland County, with Farmington Hills Mercy sitting atop the Division 1 rankings.
By Michael Bennett ·
The 2026 MHSAA volleyball postseason starts this week with district tournaments.
Nineteen districts featuring Oakland County programs open play across the four divisions. The brackets feed into a three-week stretch that will produce state champions in each division. Oakland County schools hold prominent positions in the Division 1 field: Mercy carries the top ranking, while Clarkston sits sixth and South Lyon East is ranked third.
Farmington Hills Mercy hosts District 25, where the Marlins open at home against a bracket that includes Novi, Farmington, Redford Thurston, Livonia Stevenson, Southfield A&T, and the host program's first-round bye. Mercy's roster depth runs through Kate Kalczynski, Kaelyn Easton, and McKenzie Andrews. District 26 at Berkley places second-ranked Birmingham Marian against a field that includes Oak Park, Berkley, Birmingham Groves, Royal Oak, Birmingham Seaholm, and Bloomfield Hills Marian. Marian owns a recent victory over top-ranked Mercy, with Quinn Nelson, Sophia Smith, and Calli LeFevre working the outside.
Clarkston hosts District 8, where the sixth-ranked Wolves receive a bye alongside Lake Orion, Lapeer, and Clarkston itself. Oxford and Waterford Kettering meet in the opening match. Oxford eliminated Clarkston and Lake Orion from last year's district. Senior setter Marlie Smith returns to the Clarkston lineup in her final season. District 5 at Hartland sends Holly against Fenton and Hartland against Howell, with Brighton and Milford holding byes. Milford's postseason path runs through senior outside hitter Lexa Pierson.
District 6 at Lakeland fills with Lakes Valley Conference teams: Walled Lake Western against Walled Lake Central, Walled Lake Northern against Lakeland, and byes for South Lyon East and South Lyon. South Lyon East holds the third national ranking behind outside hitter Lexi Coleman and setter Ava Kiernan. District 7 at Bloomfield Hills matches Waterford Mott against West Bloomfield, with byes for Bloomfield Hills, Orchard Lake St. Mary's, and North Farmington. The projected final pairs Allison Stakoe of Bloomfield Hills against Avery Kapeller of Orchard Lake St. Mary's. District 29 at Troy opens Rochester against Auburn Hills Avondale and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood against Troy, with byes for Rochester Adams and Stoney Creek. Stoney Creek's Lauren Sheldon ranks among the state's top outside hitters. District 30 at Troy Athens sends Sterling Heights Stevenson against Utica Ford, with byes for Utica, Sterling Heights, and Troy Athens.
In Division 2, Detroit Country Day hosts District 63 as the two-time defending state champion. Payton Woodruff directs the offense, with Sici Guerrant and Cornelia Friedrich on the outside and Leah Green and Aliyah Potapenko in the middle. District 62 at Macomb Lutheran North, ranked sixth, sets semifinals of Lutheran North against Armada and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep against Madison Heights Lamphere. Division 3 places seven teams at Royal Oak Shrine for District 86, with byes for Detroit Academy of the Americas. District 87 at Clawson opens Madison Heights Madison against Bloomfield Hills Roeper and Clawson against Warren Michigan Collegiate, with byes for Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest and Madison Heights Bishop Foley.
Division 4 opens District 124 at Bloomfield Hills Sacred Heart, where fifth-ranked Oakland Christian holds a bye alongside Auburn Hills Christian, Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, and Auburn Hills Oakland Christian. Oakland Christian's Sofie Williams stands among the division's top outside hitters. District 123 at Southfield Christian matches Southfield Christian against Southfield Manoogian, with byes for Detroit International Academy, Farmington Hills Huda Upper School, and Plymouth Ivywood Classical Academy.
