JENISON, Mich. — As boys volleyball wraps up its first varsity season under the Michigan High School Athletic Association, one Jenison player is helping lead the sport’s rise across the state.
Senior Quinn Cochran has emerged as one of Michigan’s top boys volleyball players, earning a finalist spot for the Mr. Volleyball award while helping lead the Wildcats during a deep state tournament run.
Inside the Jenison gym, Cochran’s impact is easy to spot. But his volleyball journey started years ago in his own backyard.
“Since I was probably seven years old,” Cochran said. “We had a beach volleyball court in our backyard.”
That backyard court eventually turned into something much bigger.
This year marks the first varsity season for boys volleyball under the MHSAA, giving athletes across Michigan the opportunity to compete on a larger stage. Cochran said seeing the sport officially recognized has been exciting.
“It’s really cool, especially now it’s an actual sport,” Cochran said. “It definitely gets the credit it deserves.”
Cochran’s strong season helped earn him recognition as a finalist for Mr. Volleyball, an award honoring the top boys volleyball players in Michigan.
His father, Casey Cochran — who also serves as one of Jenison’s assistant coaches — said the recognition reflects years of hard work and dedication.
“It's a humbling thing to see all the work and time that he's put in the game, and start to get some of the recognition there,” Casey Cochran said.
But for the Cochran family, volleyball has become about more than awards and competition.
“It’s something where we can kind of always go out and blow some steam off and take some swings and chat, you know, just about life,” Casey Cochran said.
Jenison head coach Teran Peerboom-Vanderbroek said Quinn’s leadership and character continue to stand out just as much as his athletic ability.
“One of the things that I love the most about him is his character,” Peerboom-Vanderbroek said. “He’s very selfless when he’s out there and very humble as well...... he's an outstanding outside hitter, I mean, he's phenomenal at it. He, that's where he really, really, really shines."
Cochran has committed to continue his volleyball career at Cornerstone University in the fall. But before heading to the collegiate level, he hopes to help lead Jenison further in the state tournament.
“It’s really fun to see the sport grow and see how it’s definitely impacted a ton of people, especially me,” Cochran said.
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