Sports

Chieftains dominate over the Falcons

Kara Boice and Mary Lubien

November 20, 2025

Something that could have been impossible, but the girls’ varsity volleyball team finally conquered it: the five-peat. During the district semi-finals, they beat Henry Ford II High School for the fifth time this fall season. The team had a well-rounded season, with a 6-5 record in the Macomb Area Conference and MAC White and also placed third.

The team had an overall record of 17-21-1 during the season. The team also got to the district finals against Chippewa Valley. With a good season, each player played a role in the team winning against tough teams.

Middle blocker senior Chloe Johnson had the highest hit percentage this season with a 0.404 percent average. Her ability to get kills, hitting the ball over the net, made a huge impact on the overall games that the Chieftains played.

“Ford is our rival, so it motivated us to win against them so many times,” Johnson said. “As a middle blocker, I performed kills during the game to help score points for the team.”

Outside hitter junior Kylee Backus was third on the team with a 1.6 kills percentage and a hitting percentage of 0.616 this season. She generated a lot of points for her team by getting as many swings and passes as possible to help her other teammates.

“It’s hard to beat a team time and time again. I’m really proud of us and the fact that we could do that. Ford talks a lot of smack, so it feels good to beat them,” Backus said. “My favorite game this season was the first time we beat Ford because it was controversial. We had a big student section, and they all stormed the court after we won. It was just a good time.”

Setter sophomore Kara Chambers had a successful season for her first year on varsity. She continued to make an impact on the team this season as an underclassman. Chambers aided the team’s success by interpreting game film.

“The team worked well together this season. For practice, we looked at the film and broke it down,” Chambers said. “I learned a lot from all the seniors. The most memorable game was beating Ford in the district semi-finals and getting to the district finals. It was impressive because it is so hard to beat a team multiple times in a season.”

It goes to show that even something that may seem impossible is possible. The five-peat wasn’t just another win for this team; it was the result of hard work, preparation, and determination that all led to a moment they’ll never forget.

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About the Contributors

Kara Boice, Editor-in-Chief

Kara Boice is a senior, and this is her second year on the newspaper staff. She is Co-Editor-in-Chief with Anna Brown. In her free time, she likes creating art and walking her dog Otto. This summer, she attended the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association for the third time, taking classes in InDesign, Design Like a Pro, and leadership. Her main passion is designing the newspaper formats. She currently plays soccer. One of her biggest aspirations is to be a teacher. Kara is also a member of Key Club and NHS. In middle school, while serving on the yearbook staff, she won an award for being the most accomplished student in journalism in 9th grade. Kara has also been a part of the leadership conferences held at Utica High and strives to be a good leader every day. She hopes you enjoy the stories this year!

Mary Lubien, Social Media Editor, Page Editor

Mary Lubien is a senior and this is her first year on the Arrow newspaper staff. She is a Social Media Editor and Page Editor. She enjoys researching and writing about pop culture, social issues, and student activities. When she’s not working on reports, you can typically find her with her family and dogs, doing art, or with her friends. She aspires to find a career helping people with a degree in human services or psychology and is excited to share those types of ideas with her peers.

Anna Brown, Editor-in-Chief

Anna Brown is a senior, and this is her third year on the Arrow newspaper staff. She’s returning as this year’s Co-Editor-in-Chief with Kara Boice and is continuing the popular Photo of the Day series @uhsarrow. In her free time, she enjoys taking photos; you may see her out on the field as she captures most of Utica’s sports, events, clubs, and more. She also continues to deepen her understanding in the journalistic field by attending the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association’s Student Media Leadership Workshop in the spring, and the journalism camp over the summer. This summer, she won the Award of Excellence in the Level Up: Leadership for Student Media class for being “Next Level” with Kara Boice. She is an inducted member of the Quill and Scroll: the National Honor Society for High School Journalist. She can’t wait to see what this year holds!