Lake Orion finishes at 24-14-1, 2nd in OAA Red

By Wendi Reardon Price
Sports Writer
LAKE ORION — The Dragons finished the season to familiar foes during the MHSAA Division 1 Volleyball District 29 playoffs, Nov. 1.
Lake Orion received a bye for the first round of playoffs and faced off against Clarkston in the semifinal game for a 3-1 loss.
The Wolves won the first two sets, 25-10 and 25-20.
“We got off to a very slow start,” said Lake Orion Varsity Volleyball Head Coach Tony Scavarda. “The first set was out of our reach very quickly, which was disappointing. However, I was proud of how we came back and competed closely in the second set and then won the third set.”
Clarkston opened the third set taking the lead. The Dragons climbed up going on a 7-point run to take the lead 11-6 with some hits from senior Devin Brunk and junior Carly Zibell. They continued to hold the lead throughout the rest of the set.
With one more point to win the set, 24-19, the Wolves closed the gap, scoring four consecutive points with hits from freshman Marlie Smith.
The Dragons team and fans celebrated after the next point went to them, winning the third set, 25-23.
The Wolves opened the fourth set with the first four points. Lake Orion closed the lead with a point from an error and an ace from senior Sydney Bell.
They continued to stay close in points until the end when the Wolves began to pull away scoring on four consecutive points before finishing the set 25-16.
“Clarkston is very talented and at the end of the day we just couldn’t match them,” said Scavarda.
“Lake Orion is very well-coached,” said Clarkston Varsity Volleyball Head Coach Ali Smith. “They are very well prepared all the time. Once again it’s the rivalry – we always know it’s going to be a battle.”
Brunk had 12 kills, eight digs and four blocks during the night. Bell had 17 digs, three assists and two aces. Junior Addison Dukus had 25 assists and eight digs. Junior Charlotte Peplowski had 10 digs and eight kills. Freshman Isabelle Lawhorn had six kills.
The Dragons finished the season 24-14-1 overall and 6-2 in the OAA Red .
“The season as a whole was a little up and down,” Scavarda said. “We struggled at times to find consistency. We did have some good results against ranked teams and ended up ranked honorable mention in the state and finished second in the OAA Red. Many teams would consider that season a success, but I know my players wanted more. I certainly did, too.”
The Dragons graduate five seniors from the team – Bell, Brunk, Teresa Gaberdiel, Ella Johnson and Sydney Small.
“Two of them are 3-year varsity players and three of them were on varsity for two years,” Scarvarda shared. “All five were great to have in the program. A lot of leadership and production on the court will be missed. We will be returning many players. A few of them had to step up this year and produce a lot for us. Even more will be expected next season.”