The Wolves volleyball team has a dominating presence in senior Stephanie Parkin, and two other quality front line players in senior Carolyn Murdock and junior Laura Kupe. The problem is Clarkston has struggled all year to set their best players up. The Wolves? loss to Farmington, 3-1, on Jan. 31, featured the same breakdowns Clarkston has dealt with all year.
‘Our serve reception hurt us again tonight. My setter was off tonight, Parkin was getting the ball behind her a lot, we had a real big off night for a lot of people,? said Clarkston Coach Kelly Avenall.
Clarkston did win the first game of the match 25-23, rallying from an 11-18 deficit to take the game. But the Wolves could not sustain their impressive play and lost the next three games 25-19, 25-23 and 25-18.
?(Farmington) has beat us three times now, twice in the league and once in a tournament, and none of the times do I feel we really should have lost,? said Avenall. ‘They have two big hitters but we can adjust to that. I just think we really beat ourselves a lot this year.?
Parkin led the Wolves with 16 kills. Farmington’s Morgan Watler had a match high 21 kills.
‘The second, third and fourth games we did a better job of moving (Clarkston’s) passers around and they had a lot more trouble going to Parkin. She’s really their best player and being in the middle she depends on her teammates to pass the ball to the setter,? said Farmington Coach Kent Booker. ‘We were able to take (Parkin) out of the game; that made our chances so much better.?
Earlier in the week on Jan. 27 Clarkston did triumph over Troy Athens 3-1. Parkin had 13 kills in the contest and senior Carolyn Murdock had 12 kills.
The week’s action brings Clarkston’s record to 10-14 (4-5).
The road ahead does not get any easier for the Wolves as they host league power Lahser on Feb. 3.