Kelley Croll sent the ball over the net and out of reach of Oxford players.
It was the last point the Wolves needed to finish their third set against the Wildcats in the final round of the Class A District playoffs, making them District Champs for the second year in a row.
‘We knew they were a good team in the beginning of the year when we played them,? said Junior Jenna Coates. ‘We were improving and they were improving. We just gave it everything we got and put everything together.?
The girls now move on to regional playoffs. They will play for a chance to pay back Birmingham Marian for their regional loss last year.
Both teams have won their league, the Wolves ? the OAA, and Marian ? the Catholic League A ? B.
‘We know we have a tough road ahead of us,? said Clarkston Volleyball Head Coach Kelly Avenall. ‘It’s a tough regional to play in. All the teams are legit.?
During the first few games in districts, the team played at the level of their opponents, but in the final round they found the beat they had looking for throughout the season (25-6, 25-19, 25-14).
‘This district was a district we could play very flat in and I was worried about that,? said Avenall. ‘I just pounded it in before the match ‘you have to step up. We need to show people tonight you deserve to be district champs.? I think they really picked up the tempo.?
Allison Reis had 13 kills and Croll had 11 kills against Oxford. Coates had 30 digs.
The girls faced Lake Orion before going against Oxford.
For the first two sets, scores were close, but the Wolves pulled a win in both, 25-20.
The Dragons energy picked up during the third set and soon both teams were battling to score the final point to win the set.
Lake Orion took the set from the Wolves, 26-24, and started the fourth set with the same energy.
It didn’t take long for Clarkston to set a higher tempo and leave their opponents in the dust and win 25-15.
‘We came out expecting to win because we beat them twice before,? said Avenall.
‘We thought it was going to be easy. I think losing that third game was a wake-up call. Until that point, we had been playing at Lake Orion’s level.?
Coates had 22 digs. Reis led with 11 kills and Croll had 10.
This is the fourth district win since Avenall took over six years ago and the program is ready for the next goal.
‘We are ready for regional playoffs. All of the girls are pumped and we want to win,? said Coates.
‘We’re all excited. It’s a big game,? said Reis. ‘We are going to work hard.?
Check Wolfpack Update on www.ClarkstonNews.com to see how the girls did in their first regional match against Troy .