How Farmington Hills Mercy volleyball is winning without No. 1-ranked 2025 recruit
The Marlins have been playing without Campbell Flynn, the No. 1-ranked 2025 recruit in Michigan, who just helped Team USA win gold overseas.
By Brandon Folson
Hometownlife.com
Published September 7, 2023
Farmington Hills Mercy volleyball coach Loretta Vogel didn't want Campbell Flynn in the building Wednesday night.
It's been quite the summer for Flynn, who is the No. 1-ranked 2025 recruit in Michigan, according to PrepDig.com.
The 6-foot-3 setter announced her verbal commitment to Nebraska in June. She then helped Team USA put together a 14-0 record and win gold in early August at the FIVB U19 World Championships in Osijek, Croatia.
A few weeks later, she joined Team USA's U21 team for the World Championships in Guanajuato, Mexico. She just returned home that tournament following a sixth-place finish for the Red, White and Blue.
It's safe to say Flynn, the 13th-best recruit in the nation, has been a little too busy to play for Mercy this fall while she represented her country on some of the biggest stages the world has to offer.
"She was going to come tonight, but we were never planning on playing her because she is still recuperating," Vogel said following Wednesday's 3-0 win over Wixom St. Catherine. "So I said, 'Go home,' because she's already missed a lot of school and she will be back (to practice) tomorrow anyway."
But Flynn's absence hasn't stopped the Marlins from attacking their own goals.
A year ago, they won a district championship but lost to eventual state runner-up Northville in the Division 1 regional semifinal.
But this year, perhaps more than any season in recent history, they have a chance to do a little more.
Rival Bloomfield Hills Marian, winner of the past three state championships, is going through a rebuild (or, at the very least, it's trying to sort out itself as it reloads with more superstar talent).
Yeah, the Mustangs still have Cincinnati commit Izzy Busignani on the squad, but this is the first time in three years they don't have three or four of the top-10 players in Michigan in their starting lineup.
When was the last time you've seen Marian ranked outside of the No. 1 or 2 spots in the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association poll? Because the Mustangs came in at No. 10 in the most recent rankings.
With Marian trying to defy the odds, not only does that mean the Catholic League-Central is up for grabs but so, too, are regional and state titles for teams such as Mercy.
And that's just what the Marlins have been chasing.
With Flynn unable to help over the past three weeks, Vogel tapped Keira McNutt to play setter and keep the offense rolling. And, for the most part, the junior has done just that.
The only problem? McNutt isn't actually a setter. Her natural position is defensive specialist. But she's one of the few upperclassmen veterans the Marlins have on the team. So her leadership as their setter has been paramount throughout her dozen or so starts.
In fact, Mercy actually has only two seniors: Angie Butler, who has been a reliable outside hitter over the years, and Mia Guss. It's the fewest number of seniors Vogel has had on a team in her 14 years with the Marlins. But the squad is loaded with some of the best young talent in the state. From returning sophomores Cree Hollier and Maya Zarow to new players such as Kate Kalczynski, the No. 3-ranked freshman recruit in Michigan.
With great talent surrounding McNutt, it's easy to see why she hasn't taken her new responsibilities lightly.
"It's been a really good experience because it gives me a different perspective on the game, and it makes me a more agile player, which allows me to add a lot of new tools to my tool belt," McNutt said. "It's nice to get a different look at the way everybody plays and a different look on passing even. You learn more about angles when you're setting.
"(With Flynn returning), I'm excited to get back to my normal position, but I'm very grateful for the setting opportunity to get a different perspective. It's helped me with my game and skill set and strengthened my IQ for volleyball. But playing defense is my favorite thing, and it's what I love the most about this sport."
The Marlins have dropped a game here and there so far, including a tough 3-0 loss to new CHSL foe Toledo St. Ursula Academy. But their hitters have done a great job of adapting to McNutt's style of play. She's not a future All-American setter like Flynn, but she gets the job done.
And she's doing it while being about 6 inches shorter than Flynn.
"Kiera has just done a wonderful job," Vogel added. "For us, she's normally a libero or defense. But for our whole season so far, she has just done a remarkable job making it work."
Once Flynn returns to the lineup, McNutt will move back to her natural position and strengthen Mercy's defense, and the team should instantly become a contender for the CHSL-Central title.
And, who knows? Maybe it can even get out of the region and earn a trip to Battle Creek.
"I'm just really happy with them," Vogel said. "I watch some of my young guys and they all have nice technique. So you know when they play, the little things are correct. We've lost some games, but sometimes you need to lose to win. I'm just happy with how they've been playing (without Flynn in the lineup)."
Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life. Follow him on Twitter @folsombrandonj.