By Wendi Reardon Price
Staff Writer
wprice@mihomepaper.com
 INDEPENDENCE TWP. — The newest spring sport offered by Clarkston Athletics is a big hit on the court as boys volleyball starts their first season.
Kramer Everett, the head coach for the Clarkston Boys Varsity Volleyball team, shared the turnout out for open gym and tryouts was really good.
“We had 26 guys come and try out which was right in the ballpark of what we expected so that was promising,” he said.
The team has 16 players with 15 who have never played before with a good mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen.
“They are intense,” Everett said about the players. “They are into it. They are ambitious. They want to be good. They want to learn. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
He added strengths of the team right now include size and the players are quickly building their skills.
“We have really good size,” Everett shared. “We are learning to apply our skills to volleyball specific skills. Again the intensity and the willingness to learn. They don’t back down. I am giving them challenging stuff, and they want to do it. It’s really fun and easy group to coach.”
Clarkston plays in the Detroit North, one of 11 divisions in Michigan, with Lake Orion, Rochester Adams, Avondale, Macomb Dakota and Grand Blanc.
“Four of the teams in our conference, including us, are first year programs,” said Everett. “Dakota has been around for awhile and Avondale has been around for a few years as well. We will see some a little bit more experienced volleyball and an idea of what it is supposed to look like. Those will be good challenges for them.”
He added when it games in the conference they are set up at one location in a quad event.
“You play three teams in one night in the best of three,” he said. “When we get to playoffs we will do best of five. We have a couple of non-conference games set up which are best of five as well. Each time we will work on a little something and learn a little something. They getting a little bit at a time.”
Everett shared boys volleyball is more physical than girls volleyball.
“Jump a little higher, hit a little harder and the mindset is a little more physical too,” he said. “Generally for girls volleyball there are longer rallies. As in guys we take more risks. There tends to be a little bit of a higher error rate. Scoring is still key so you are little bit rough. We tend to attack a little more. It’s fun to watch for different reasons.”
The team is looking forward to their first home game on Friday, April 26 against Lake Orion.
Everett added it’s part of the Crosstown Showdown. The Wolves play the Dragons at Lake Orion High School on April 25, then again the next day.
“It should be a lot of fun,” he said. “It should be intense. The boys are really excited. They would love to see people coming and cheering them on. They are working hard. It will be a good show. People wont forget it.”
The Wolves host a conference quad on Wednesday, May 1 and will also have Senior Night.
Clarkston heads to Lake Orion today, April 10, for a quad against the Dragons, Macomb Dakota and Rochester Adams, 5:30 p.m.
Clarkston heads to a quad at Macomb Dakota on April 17, 5:30 p.m.

  boys volleyball, Clarkston Athletics