A week’s worth of hard practices paid off for the varsity volleyball team as they finished second in the West Ottawa Invitational this past weekend.
‘It’s a great tournament because we never get to see any teams from over there…it’s a long way to travel, but the competition is great,? Head Coach Kristi McDevitt said.
In the finals against host West Ottawa, Oxford succumbed to the front line hitters, losing in two games 25-20 and 25-21.
The loss didn’t damper the excitement of McDevitt or her players.
‘I am thrilled with a second place finish,? she said. ‘The girls were so proud of what they had accomplished and who they had defeated throughout the day. We were the pesky team that wouldn’t go away.?
After going 2-1 in pool play, the eighth seeded Wildcats faced Otsego in the first round of tournament play and disposed of them in three games. Oxford then squared off against second seed Byron Center and quickly defeated them in two games.
In the semi-finals the Wildcats squared off against rival Fenton and defeated them in three games.
Leading the way offensively for Oxford were senior Casey Novak and junior Kate Bailey, who had 23 and 31 kills respectively.
Junior Lindsey Leppek had 27 kills, while senior Tammy Toteff recorded 25 kills and three solo blocks. Freshman Darien Bandel contributed 12 solo blocks and senior Beth Downs had 28 digs.
The next few weeks are the biggest of the Wildcat season as they host the OAA White Jamboree on Wednesday, Oct. 27. If the Wildcats go undefeated, they will have a shot at the league title. The Jamboree begins at 5:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, Nov. 2, the Wildcats will travel down to Lake Orion to take on Rochester Adams in the first round of districts. The game starts at 5 p.m.