When the slumping Troy Athens came to town, Clarkston seized the opportunity to go above .500 in the league, but the Redhawks would not leave without a fight. Clarkston won the match 3-2, taking a decisive fifth game for the win, 25-18, 27-29, 25-11, 22-25 and 15-9.
The Wolves (14-10-2) are now 4-3 in the Oakland Activities Association, while the Redhawks (10-17-6) fall to 2-6.
Clarkston coach Kelly Avenall talked with the team about closing out victories after the Wolves take a lead.
‘Sometimes they get back on their heels and feel like they have it won, but volleyball is such a momentum sport, someone can put up five or 10 points quickly,? she said.
The Wolves responded against Athens in the first and third games, where they cashed in on large leads.
‘Those two games we lost was more our mistakes than them beating us,? Avenall said.
The Wolves need to eliminate miscues and miscommunications prior to the league tournament, less than two weeks after the match, she added.
Marilynn Porritt pushed Clarkston ahead in the fifth set. After her block earned the Wolves point number 11, she breathed life into a dead play, digging the ball from her knees and Lindsay Sawyer was set up for the kill.
Byrd finished off Athens for the final two points serving and also finished with 40 digs.
Juliann Gillespie was a driving force on offense for Clarkston with 21 kills. Porritt had 15 kills and setter Emily Parkin finished with 42 assists.
Athens coach Kerri Morrison was unhappy with her team’s offensive production.
‘We don’t really feel we’re a very offensive team,? Morrison said.
Unforced errors cost the Redhawks a winnable game, Morrison added.