How Molly Banta's paving Bloomfield Hills Marian volleyball's road to Battle Creek
Brandon Folsom
Hometown Life
November 11, 2022
BLOOMFIELD HILLS (MI) - Surprisingly, Molly Banta has been late for school only twice as a senior.
But both times haven't necessarily been her fault. She can't do anything about car crashes on the expressway that keep her from getting to Bloomfield Hills Marian on time.
On a good day, it's a 45-minute trip for her. But let's be honest. There are very few good days on Michigan's roads. Take Wednesday, for example. The trip home took her 2 hours because of an accident.
You're probably wondering what takes her so long to get to and from school.
That's because she actually lives in Ann Arbor.
That's right.
The Mustangs' starting 6-foot-1 outside hitter spends about 2-3 hours per day in the car just to be part of this program. Though, volleyball isn't the entire reason she makes that sacrifice (and we'll touch on that later).
She leaves her house at 6:25 a.m. and doesn't usually return home until sometime after 7 p.m. One would think those 12-hour-or-longer days would absolutely zap her energy.
Bloomfield Hills Marian's seniors celebrate winning the Division 1 volleyball regional final against Macomb Dakota on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022.
"She actually brings a level of intensity, focus and drive to our practices that makes everybody better," coach Mayssa Cook said. "And you can't help but respect the kid for her effort and energy because it's always a long day for her — a lot longer day for her than most others.
"And she brings that energy to every practice. She never complains. I know she gets home late sometimes. But she never complains, and she does what she has to do for her team. We're very happy to have her here."
Marian needed that energy during Thursday's Division 1 regional championship.
The top-ranked Mustangs were hosting No. 10 Macomb Dakota. And the Cougars, led by Michigan Miss Volleyball nominee and Arkansas State signee Erin Madigan, weren't just going to back down.
Marian swept the match, 3-0, and advanced to Tuesday's state quarterfinal against Clarkston. But these weren't easy sets. The Cougars kept it close throughout each one until, finally, the Mustangs would get hot and pull away late.
Helping them with those clutch efforts down the stretch were the likes of Izzy Busignani, Regan Sass and Mckenzie Swanson. And, of course, Marian's own Miss Volleyball nominees, Ava Sarafa and Ella Schomer, had big moments late in the sets as well.
But also making giant plays was Ms. Cruise Control herself.
In the opening set, Banta wrapped up a 25-15 victory with a kill and a service ace. Late in the next set, which Marian eked out, 25-22, she had three pivotal kills that halted Dakota's rallies. And in the third and final set, a 25-17 win, she came up with a tip into open space for a key point and, one play later, a big block at the net.
Banta probably should've been taking a nap somewhere under the bleachers. Instead, she was leading the back-to-back state champions to a third-straight quarterfinal appearance.
"I think stepping up for the whole entire team has come in clutch this year," the senior said. "I think it's been a really big team effort this year. We have power hitters. We have power defenders. But I think as a whole, it's more of a team effort."
So how does someone from a county over even end up at Marian?
You can blame her dad.
She actually went to Birmingham Holy Name Catholic School from pre-school through third grade.
But because of her dad's job, their family has moved around a few times.
They most recently moved back to Michigan from Louisana when she was a freshman.
She enrolled at Ann Arbor Pioneer for her sophomore year, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she actually never stepped one foot into a classroom. The only time she ever made it on campus was for volleyball practice.
You can imagine how hard it is to make friends at school behind a computer screen. There are a lot of great things about online learning, but finding new BFFs isn't one of them.
That's why she made the decision to transfer to Marian as a junior. She went to elementary school with some of those girls. The Bloomfield Hills area felt more like home to her than anywhere else.
Plus, it gave the Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy club star a great chance to win on the court. And her addition has been a boon for the Mustangs.
"This is my third high school, but I lived in Birmingham for 6 years, so I think that graduating with people I know would've been better than graduating with people I had just met my sophomore year," Banta said. "I think driving here every single morning is really worth it because Marian has elite academics and athletics all around."
To pass the time in the car, Banta listens to podcasts. One of her favorites is Zane and Heath's "UNFILTERED."
But on drives home, she likes to call her parents and just talk about their days. Those might sound like mundane phone calls. But they're important to Banta. She's making up for some lost time with mom and dad.
"I'm here. I do a bunch of sports, and I love it here," Banta said. "But I usually don't get as much time with family as I'd like to."
The good news is Marian is in the home stretch.
It's the final week of the high school volleyball season. It's the final week of her getting home at 7 p.m. from practices after school. And, hopefully, it's the week the Mustangs get to celebrate the three-peat.
Banta's made quite the sacrifice to help her team. And her car's odometer has the proof if anyone doubts it.
