NET RESULT: Future Spartan Kyndra Abron named Miss Volleyball

Churchill senior wins voting by 31 points

Kyndra Abron was watching television with her family Saturday evening when she received big news. It was 9 when Livonia Churchill volleyball coach Mark Grenier, who lives in the neighborhood, stopped by Abron's house. Abron, who had led the Chargers to the Class A state championship last winter, was voted the recipient of the sixth annual Miss Volleyball award, sponsored by the Free Press and voted on by the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association.

"Her hands were shaking, and she was just very overwhelmed, appreciative and humbled by the experience," Grenier said. "I went into shock," said Abron, who will play next fall at Michigan State. "I was shaking. I couldn't believe it."

From the look on her face, Abron still couldn't believe it when she was presented with the trophy Monday before administrators, friends, teammates and family. Abron received 173 votes. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep's Molly Coldren finished second with 142 points, and Fraser's Brittany McGinnis was third with 108.

Getting word from her coach about the award capped an emotional day for Abron. Hours before Grenier stopped at Abron's house, the Chargers had ended their season with a loss to Milford in a Class A regional semifinal, ending Abron's career. After that match, Abron's father took her to East Lansing to catch the Michigan State-Penn State volleyball game, just so Abron could get away from it all and also see her future Spartans teammates. Abron will head to Michigan State with an impressive resume. She finished with 800 kills, a .560 kill percentage and an average of 6.4 kills per game as a senior. She has 2,020 career kills, eighth all-time in the state.

"She's continued to improve greatly over the years," Grenier said. "And as much as she's improved her ceiling, she hasn't even come close to what her ceiling is going to be, so we see every year some real improvement. Michigan State has got themselves quite a diamond." The 6-foot-3 Abron prides herself on her blocking more than anything.

"There's nothing better than having a really good hitter and just stuffing her," Abron said. "It's the best feeling in the world because you feel like you accomplished something. It's something I was good at. I definitely know my hands helped me out a lot, not only with blocking but with hitting, too. I love my hands."

So will Michigan State.

Contact CHRIS SILVA at 586-469-4923 or csilva@freepress.com.

Fall 2007 Voting Results PLAYER SCHOOL PTS Kyndra Abron Livonia Churchill 173 Molly Coldren Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 142 Brittany McGinnis Fraser 108 Kim Stewart East Kentwood 88 Sara Skornia Bay City Central 62 Alex DelPiombo Monroe St. Mary CC 59 Kristin Zull Battle Creek St. Philip 35 Ashlee Crowder Jenison 34 Kaitlyn Schultz Milford 34 Lindsey Rees Bronson 18

YEAR Winner School Fall 2007 Kyndra Abrom Livonia Churchill 06-07 Lauren Jones East Kentwood 2006 Alisha Glass Leland 2005 Stephanie Boom Marysville 2004 Angie McGinnis Fraser 2003 Linsey Taatjes Forest Hills Northern

Here is an alphabetic list of the 10 finalists for the Fall 2007 Miss Volleyball award. Click on the link for each player to see additional information submitted for that player.

• Kyndra Abron, 6-foot-3, middle hitter/outside hitter, Livonia Churchill. She recorded the second most kills (35) in a state championship match when she led Churchill to last year's Class A state title. She earned first-team all state honors a year ago. She is among the all-time leaders for kills in a season (698) and a career (1,250) and blocks in a season (120) and a career (216). Committed to play at Michigan State. PDF File

• Molly Coldren , 5-9, outside hitter/middle hitter, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep. A four-year starter, she also plays setter and has a 3.6 grade-point average. She owned every Notre Dame Prep offensive record by the end of her junior season. Her honors include being named to both the All Catholic and MIVCA All State teams each of her first three years in high school. PDF File

• Ashlee Crowder, 5-11, middle hitter, Jenison. The top player on one of the top teams in the state, she earned second-team all-state honors as a junior and all-region honors as a sophomore. The 3.65 GPA student began her season with 807 career kills. Committed to Hillsdale. PDF File

• Alexandria DelPiombo, 5-6, setter, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central. A four-year starter, she had 1,202 assists in 122 games last season in leading St. Mary CC to a 54-3 record and the Class C state championship. A 3.5 GPA student, she also helped St. Mary CC into the quarterfinals as a freshman and the semifinals as a sophomore. PDF File

• Brittany McGinnis, 5-10, setter/outside hitter, Fraser. A four-year starter, she was a key factor in Fraser's runner-up finish in Class A as a sophomore. A 3.84 GPA student, she helped Fraser reach the semifinals last season. Committed to Ball State. PDF File

• Lindsey Rees, 5-8, setter, Bronson. As a freshman, she had 1,418 assists, fourth-best in state history. She began this season with a state career record of 4,019 assists. She was second-team all-state as freshman and first-team as a sophomore and a junior. Committed to Savannah College of Art & Design. PDF File

• Kaitlyn Schultz, 6-4, middle hitter, Milford. She was the Kensington Valley Conference player of the year as a junior. A 3.031 GPA student, she holds single-season school records in kills (530) and blocks (147). She has led Milford to 55-23-4 record in her first three seasons. Committed to Central Michigan. PDF File

• Sara Skornia, 6-1, middle hitter, Bay City Central. A third-team all-stater as a junior, she entered this season with 926 career kills, 120 blocks and 339 digs. An explosive player on the front line, she is primarily a passer and defender. Committed to Northwood University. PDF File

• Kim Stewart, 5-7, outside hitter, East Kentwood. A four-year varsity player, she was an integral part of Kentwood's Class A state championship team her sophomore year. An honorable mention all-stater as a junior, she has a 3.25 GPA and has committed to Delaware. PDF File

• Kristin Zull, 5-9, outside hitter, Battle Creek St. Philip. She has helped St. Philip win Class D state championships as a freshman and a junior, and she helped the Tigers finish state runner-up as a sophomore. A 3.39 GPA student, she was second-team all-state as a freshman and sophomore and first-team last season. She recorded 548 kills and 255 digs last season. PDF File