Marian volleyball ousts Farmington Hills Mercy in Division 1 regional final
BLOOMFIELD HILLS — The top two teams in the state did not disappoint in the Division 1 regional finals matchup, and there will officially be a new champion to end the year. No. 2-ranked Birmingham Marian survived a back-and-forth bout to defeat defending champion Farmington Hills Mercy in four sets, 25-23, 26-24, 21-25, 25-17. The win avenges what was a 1-3 record against Mercy this year, topping off its sole victory that came in the Catholic League Bishop championship game. The matchup exemplified the story of the last decade of Division 1 volleyball in the state, as six of the last seven champions have been one of the two programs. Heading into the game, Marian head coach Mayssa Cook knew it wouldn’t just be any other playoff game, but luckily the history between the two allowed for an anticipated approach. “I knew we had to have middles involved,” Cook said. “I said to them, ‘Ladies, all three of you bigs have to be on, because they are that good.’ So are we, but it’s any given day. They’re an awesome team, but I knew our seniors had to be on to clinch this victory.” The first set started just as
