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All-County volleyball coach of the year melded multi-sport talents into a relentless unit at Tecumseh

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All-County volleyball coach of the year melded multi-sport talents into a relentless unit at Tecumseh

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When the volleyball season began, Morgan Skelton knew she had a good team at Tecumseh.

The SEC White, Lenawee County and district titles were in reach, but a spot in the Division 2 state championship match wasn’t quite on the radar.

“How cool we were playing in the last high school volleyball game of the year,” Skelton said. “I’m so proud of them. Not one ounce of me is disappointed. We played 61 matches this year and lost three and one coming in the state final. I don’t think I could’ve dreamt this.

“I knew we were going to be good. I didn’t know how good we were going to be.”

Turns out Tecumseh was more than good. Tecumseh went 57-3-1, winning league, county, district and regional titles and returned from Battle Creek with the state runners-up trophy.

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The honors continue to come in as Skelton earned Lenawee County Volleyball Coach of the Year.

“We had so much fun this season,” she said. “It’s easy to have fun when you’re winning, but we had so much fun. If it was a different group of girls, one girl more one less, it wouldn’t have been the same. We kept the perfect 10 and the team chemistry with this group had a once in a lifetime feeling.

“I’ll get teams again with great chemistry, but I’m not sure it will compare to this. It was something pretty special.”

Tecumseh’s ride to the final seemed surprising. Not because they didn’t have athletes, but because the team is mostly made of girls who focus more on other sports.

Juniors Emma Eldred and Lily Gnodtke at outside hitter and setter have a volleyball focus, but Alli Zajac, Chloe Bullinger, Lauren Kilbarger, Ashlyn Moorehead and Maddy VanBlack are now in the midst of their basketball season.

After the girls basketball team came a game away from the semifinals last season, there is a lot of excitement for the hoops season.

But it got put on hold, with the majority of the team still on the volleyball court.

“I have three girls that play club volleyball,” Skelton said. “Club volleyball is a huge deal when you get to this stage. I think it goes to show how awesome our athletic program is as a whole. I have so many multi-sport athletes. It’s awesome to see the recognition of our sport now.

“These girls work hard in all their sports, but all the pieces really clicked for us.”

She still needed the make right calls and the right schemes to get Tecumseh to where it hadn’t been since 2011.

“We couldn’t have done it without her,” Zajac said. “She made all the right decisions and she’s a really great coach. I’m going to miss her a lot. I’ve had her since my freshman year, she’s a big part of my life and I’m going to miss her.”

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