[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 21]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 29232]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE RESOLVE AND TEAMWORK OF THE NORTH BRANCH HIGH SCHOOL 
                     VARSITY GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CANDICE S. MILLER

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 2, 2009

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge 
the hard work, determination and teamwork displayed by the 2009 North 
Branch Varsity Girls Volleyball Team. These young women endured a 
grueling 83 match season and in the end came out on top as the Class B 
Michigan State Champions! They collected an impressive overall record 
of 76-5-2. This was a historic accomplishment because it was the first 
sports title ever in the school's history.
  Coach Jim Fish did a tremendous job leading the team and bringing 
them together as a cohesive unit to accomplish a common goal--winning a 
state title. I commend all the assistant coaches, support staff, 
teachers, parents and fans in the community for their help and making 
this a season to remember.
  However, the road to the state finals at Kellogg Arena in Battle 
Creek was anything but a walk in the park. Despite graduating eight 
players from the 2008 squad, the Lady Broncos rolled through the 
regular season winning the Tri-Valley East Conference Title. 
Nonetheless, the Lady Broncos did hit a slight speed bump when they 
fell to Bloomfield Hills Marian. But in all fairness, I must state that 
Bloomfield did go on to win the Class A State Title. Now some teams 
might have taken this defeat as a negative experience, but not the Lady 
Broncos. They learned from this loss and rebounded to attain a number 
one ranking for most of the season.
  North Branch realized the conference championship brought them just a 
step closer to their ultimate goal so the team once again pulled up 
their sleeves, laced up their shoes and got back to work.
  The Lady Broncos continued their memorable quest as they picked 
additional trophies for the school's display case winning the district 
title and regional title and an eventual spot in the state 
quarterfinals.
  Here the team faced-off against a feisty Cadillac Team. The Lady 
Broncos proved their tenacity and resilience as they beat Cadillac in 
four hard fought sets. Next North Branch was matched up against Delton 
Kellogg. But unfortunately for Kellogg, it just was not in the cards 
for them to win on this Saturday because destiny was on the side of the 
Lady Broncos. There was nothing Kellogg could do on the court to 
prevent North Branch from raising the championship trophy in glorious 
triumph. The Lady Broncos were determined to finish what they had 
started since the first practice of the season. And through all the 
sweat, injuries and difficult training sessions, the Lady Broncos saw 
their dreams come to fruition as they were crowned the Michigan 
Volleyball Class B State Champs!
  Teamwork, dedication and friendship all helped deliver this first-
ever championship in the schools sports history. The entire North 
Branch community and Lapeer County should take pride in what these 
young women accomplished.
  I certainly share that pride and want to offer my congratulations to 
everyone who contributed to this team effort. First starting with the 
co-captains Kara Stuewer and Jordan Fish and team members--Katie 
Smillie, Danika Racknor, Taylor Wiegele, Layne Molosky, Samantha Garza, 
Hailey Smillie, Catherine Brusie, Laura Johnson, Macaela Deshetsky, 
Shanel Johnstone, Katie Owens, Stephanie Marsh, and Angela Root. You 
all should be extremely proud of this achievement.
  In addition, I must mention that not only were these young women 
champions on the court but in the classroom as well. The volleyball 
team compiled an outstanding 3.49 GPA and achieved an all-state 
academic recognition.
  My hat also goes off to Head Coach Jim Fish--Assistant Coaches Curt 
June, Chris Schlaud, Marian Somerville, and Sue Fish--Athletic Trainers 
Mike Kohler and Brian Curtis and Team Managers Jacqueline Ken and Ali 
Ruhlman.
  Great job North Branch on a successful season and I look forward to a 
repeat in 2010! Go Broncos!

                          ____________________