Senior Jenna Coates did her part for the Wolves varsity volleyball team, finishing with 50 digs, but it was not enough to overcome numerous mistakes by Clarkston.
‘The bottom line is we gave them too many easy opportunities tonight,? said Clarkston coach Kelly Avenall . ‘Some of our better players didn’t play well, and our big hitters didn’t place the ball.?
Clarkston fell to Rochester Falcons on Thursday in four sets, 25-11, 24-26, 25-27, 24-26, handing the Wolves their first league loss.
‘It’s tough for the seniors to go out like this, losing the last home match of their careers,? said Avenall following the match,
The Wolves came out strong in the first game, jumping to a 9-2 lead. Clarkston remained in control throughout, winning 25-11.
The second set was a different story, as Rochester quickly went up 5-2. Clarkston countered with a 7-1 run to take an 11-7 lead. The Wolves couldn’t hold the lead, however, and Rochester took the game by a 26-24 score.
A back-and-forth third set, featuring nine ties and four lead changes, put Clarkston one point from victory at 24-21. But a 6-1 Rochester run to end the set put the Falcons up two games to one with a 27-25 victory. The fourth set saw more up and down action, but Rochester weathered a late Clarkston run to hold on for a 26-24 win.
Rochester (15-4-3) was led by Sara Sikorski, who had 43 digs, and Raylynn Coghlan, who had 30 digs.
Despite the loss, Clarkston remains in contention for the Oakland Activities Association title with a 23-6-2 record.
‘There’s still a lot of the season left,? said Avenall. ‘We definitely can still win the league, but we have to play well going out.?