The Lady Wolves gave fans a sample to why they are ranked No. 1 in the state as they beat Troy last Thursday at home, 3-0.
“We have been ranked high before,” said Clarkston Varsity Volleyball Head Coach Kelly Pinner. “It is definitely something to be proud of and a huge honor. But I always tell them ‘you prove what kind of player you are on the court. The rankings aren’t going to do that.?”
The Lady Wolves started the game off with a quick five points before the Colts scored a point. Troy was able to get within two points but Clarkston began pulling away with four consecutive points.
They went on another 7-point run with help from freshman Abbey Malinowski and junior Maggie Collins before they ended the game, 25-10.
“Maggie had some great hits and so did Abbey,” Pinner said about the night. “They are both coming back next year. It is definitely something we look forward to.”
The second game started out closer as Troy tied the score a few times but the last time would be at seven points as Malinowski and Collins helped their teammates with a 9-point run to put distance on the board.
They finished the game 25-14 with kills from senior Taylor Dellinger and junior Lauren Tait.
The Lady Wolves nailed their third win scoring 25 points over Troy’s ten.
“It was a good win and a league match,” Pinner said, adding the team was 6-0 in the OAA Red. “I had a lot of kids who played tonight. It helps to see different rotations.”
Malinowski had 18 kills.
“As a freshman it is pretty rare to come in an impact player,” Pinner added.
Senior Emily Malinowski had 29 assists. Junior Ashley Schwartz had 16 digs.
The Lady Wolves opened last week with a 3-0 (25-8, 25-10, 25-18) win over Farmington on Oct. 7.
Dellinger had 12 kills and Abbey had 10 kills to put their record at 31-3-1.
They opened the week against Oxford on Tuesday and head to Beast of the East this Saturday.
“There will be 32 teams,” Pinner explained. “Seven of the top 10 teams in the state will be there. They probably will have us top seeded where we are going to see where we stack up against these good teams ? Marian, Mercy, Temperance Bedford – the top schools in Class A. It is going to be a great day.”