What a way to start the season. Playing their second defending Oakland Activities Association co-champion in a row, the Clarkston Wolves fell to the Farmington Falcons at Farmington High School on Dec. 14 in a five-game shootout.
The teams battled closely all match long, with Clarkston taking the first game 25-23, finished off with one of Lauren Gardner’s 14 kills.
Farmington took the second game by the same score after the Wolves? attempt to block Jenna Collins failed and the ball was not returned.
The Wolves won the third game of the night after trailing for much of the time. Trailing 20-16, Marilynn Porritt served up five straight points for Clarkston to put them ahead. Juliann Gillespie later served up the closing three points to give Clarkston a 25-21 win.
The Falcons jumped out 4-0 in the fourth match and Clarkston never quite caught up, dropping 25-19.
In the deciding frame, tied at 14 apiece, Gillespie put Clarkston ahead by one point. When Farmington regained serve, Caryn Miller put the game away after Erin Matthys killed a ball Miller set up. The final point was one of Miller’s 45 assists in the match.
Middle Hitter Kaitlin McKenna played well for the Falcons, with eight kills in the game.
‘It was really intense. They’re a really good team, but we were better in the end. We were able to match them for every point,? McKenna said.
The team’s passing improved throughout the night, McKenna said, which led to the victory.
‘At the beginning, we weren’t playing very well. Our passes throughout the game weren’t really getting to the setter, but we pulled through in the end.?
‘She’s was probably one of the two best players in the OAA last year. (She is) certainly making a statement like that again this year,? Falcons Coach Kent Booker said of McKenna.
‘She’s strong and she’s explosive.?
The loss drops Clarkston to 0-2 overall and in league play, while Farmington advanced to 6-1-1 and 2-0 in the OAA.
The Falcons? play was a bit streaky, Booker said.
‘That (Clarkston) is a great serving team and our serve-receivers had a lot of trouble with their serves. When we could pass I felt we did well. When they served well we struggled,? he said.
Size was a deciding factor for the Falcons, which boast three six-foot-tall players, McKenna being one of them.
‘Fortunately we got a few more looks, certainly at the end. They’re a smaller team, I think we might have gotten tired in the fourth and fifth games. I think we just outlasted them,? Booker said.
Clarkston Coach Kelly Avenall was happy with the Wolves? performance, because the girls played much better than they did against the other OAA co-champion, Birmingham Seaholm.
‘I was real proud of the way my girls played, they played a lot better than they did on Monday. A lot of the things we worked on in the last few days showed today. We did an excellent job passing. We’re still having a little bit of trouble putting the ball away when we get some good passes,? Avenall said.
‘I’d love to play them again, I think we can get them,? she added.
Playing in the libero position, Amanda Byrd had 25 digs.
‘She’s improved a lot in the last year,? Avenall said of Byrd’s play.
‘She fits that role perfectly. She’s that kid that’s never going to play in the front row, so you try to get her in the game and keep her in as much as you can.?
Setter Emily Parkin added 31 assists for the Wolves.
Avenall said Gardner has stepped up since being moved to the varsity squad this season.
‘She’s a kid who loves the game of volleyball. She plays hard every game. She’s stepped up as a leader even as a sophomore,? Avenall said.
‘She walked right into that role and I don’t think anyone doubts she should be out there. She does a good job.?
The Wolves travel to Oxford for their next match(es) as part of a quad-meet on Dec. 20. Those games will take the team to the holiday break.
Play resumes on Jan. 4 away versus Troy.