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After competing for the last four years in Class A, the North Branch volleyball team is moving back to Class B for the next couple of seasons, and Fish wanted to make sure everyone didn't think that the reason was because his team couldn't compete in Class A.

"We filed the paperwork for this move last September," Fish said. "We are a Class B-sized school, and we have a senior-laden team this season. This move, we think, gives this team the best possible chance to win a state title.

"But we had an awful lot of success in Class A over the past couple of years."

Over the past three seasons, Fish has led the Broncos to an amazing record of 208-11, including a school-record 74 wins in the 2006-07 season. In that same season, North Branch finished as state-runners up in Class A, losing in five sets to Livonia Churchill.

Last season, Fish and his team dealt with the change of seasons for volleyball without missing a beat. The Broncos ran through the regular season on their way to a 72-2 record, all while picking up their fourth-straight Tri-Valley East Conference title. The Broncos also set a school record by winning all ten of the season tournaments in which they had participated.

Those wins were good for his team, but Fish says that the only tournament that matters to his team this season is the final one.

"We want to be the last team standing at the end of the season," Fish said. "The other tournament wins last season were all fine and we had a lot of fun winning all ten of them. But this year, we want to win the last one. We have three girls who played in the finals two years ago, and we have just one goal this year.

"We want to win it all."

Even with the move back to Class B, North Branch will still participate in some of the state's toughest tournaments, along with having scheduled games against some of the state's best volleyball teams.

In 2008, North Branch will travel to East Kentwood twice, they will play Portage Northern and the Broncos will also square off against 2007 Class A state champion, Jenison.

"We have a brutal schedule this season," Fish said. "But the challenges in the regular season will only make us better and prepare us for the state tournament. We have raised the bar here at North Branch over the past few seasons and we have a long season to go."

The path to the Class B title will not be an easy one. Standing in the way of North Branch's march to the top will be annual state-powerhouses such as Marysville, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Grand Rapids South Christian and Fruitport just to name a few. And Fish stated that league-rival Frankenmuth has become a much tougher opponent over the past few years, so if the Broncos are going emerge at the end of this season as the Class B state champs, they have their work cut out for them.

"We have moved to the point where we now get national recognition at North Branch," Fish said. "We are known state-wide as a volleyball powerhouse, but we have yet to win it all.

"This year, we have just one goal: we want to be last team standing in Class B."

Andrew Selich is Sports Editor at The County Press. He can be reached at (810) 664-0811 ext. 8124 or andrew.selich@lapeergroup.com.