Facing very tough competition Aug. 6 during the Tournament of Champions at Grosse Pointe South High School, the Oxford volleyball team finished with three losses and a win in pool play followed by a loss in the Gold Bracket against North Branch.
‘All were good games, with Oxford (now 6-6-1) competing against teams that are returning almost all of their players from last year,? said Coach Kristi McDevitt.
McDevitt wasn’t able to travel with the team, so assistant coach Christa Elliot took over at the tournament. In pool play, Oxford lost to Marian, Flushing and Grosse Pointe South, then defeated Yale. In the three matches they lost, the Wildcats were able to force three games in each match.
Their pool play record placed them into the Gold Bracket (the highest in the tournament), where Oxford faced North Branch. The Broncos ended up being too much for the Wildcats as North Branch won both games 25-13 and 25-14 to end Oxford’s day.
Senior captain Brittany Moncrieff finished the tournament with a team-high 51 kills, 24 digs and six blocks. Setters Danielle Bauman and Emily Brooks combined to make 75 kill assists.
‘Overall, I was very impressed with the results,? McDevitt said. ‘The girls faced some great teams and competed with them. We still have a long way to go this season, and it was nice to see that we are not out by any means . . . Right now we are on a bit of a roller coaster, but continued improvement will guarantee we will carry our momentum from game to game.?
Oxford faces Clio Sept. 11 in their first FML match of the season.