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High vertical: Wolves net fast start despite large target on their backs

Dan Stickradt | October 13, 2010 | Comments (3)

CLARKSTON — Whenever a team enjoys success, it comes with a price. This price is a large target on the back..

FLYIN’ HIGH: Clarkston’s Alexis Egler and the Wolves are off to a fine 10-1-1 start in 2010. The OAA-Red Division favorites have won five of the past seven league titles and been to the regional round of the postseason in nine of the past 15 seasons..COURTESY PHOTO LARRY WRIGHT, http://www.wrightactionpix.com/

Clarkston’s volleyball team must live with that in 2010..

The Wolves, who finished an impressive 43-9-2 last season, has captured five of the past seven OAA Red Division league championships (formally OAA Division I). Clarkston has also ventured to the regional round in volleyball several times in recent years, and could very well have the firepower for another lengthy run this season..

“I guess we do have a little bit of a target on our back,” admitted Clarkston coach Kelly Avenall, who is in her seventh season with the Wolves. “We’ve been pretty competitive the past few years. We’ve won the league three years in a row and five of the last seven. I’m sure that has something to do with it.”.

Clarkston, which is 10-1-1 to start the season, won the Grand Blanc Invitational last Saturday. The Wolves split with Livonia Churchill in pool play, then swept Holly and Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, also in pool play..

In the bracket play, the Wolves swept Delton Kellogg, Walled Lake Northern and Churchill (25-10, 25-22) in the finals..

Allison Reis, who has committed to Niagra, led the way with 56 digs and 36 kills. Haley Barker added 11 aces and at one point had 20 straight service points, and Stephanie Marani added 16 kills and 17 blocks for Clarkston..

“I’ve thought we’ve played really well to start the year,” said Avenall, whose team’s only loss this season has been in a early-season tournament to state powerhouse North Branch. “I like this team because we have balance. We have a lot of kids that can contribute, especially in a tournament over several games.”.

Clarkston has 14 players on its varsity roster this season, 11 which gained varsity experience last season, and there are seven seniors. In that group eight started games last season. There was only one significant loss to graduation, libero Kelly Coates, who is now on the roster at Central Michigan..

“We have just about everybody back,” said Avenall, “you can’t replace a player like Coates. But we have a lot of players who play their roles right. I think that is going to help us.”.

In the postseason, Clarkston has done well during the past 15 seasons. In that span, the Wolves have won nine districts (1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007-fall, 2008, 2009). Also in this time frame, Clarkston has reached the regional finals (Sweet 16) three times (1998, 2007, 2005)..

Avenall took over for veteran Gordie Richardson in the winter 2004-05 season. She has taken a quality teams and kept them in the front of the pack every year. Five district and five league titles in her tenure are proof of that..

What could make this season even more special, as long as Clarkston’s continues its pace and contends for the OAA-Red title, is that Birmingham Marian will not be in the same regional if both are to advance that far in the state tournament..

Marian has consistently knocked OAA-Red teams out of the postseason during the regional round on several occasions during the past two decades, including Clarkston in 2009, 2005 and 1998..

“We are in a different district and regional this season, so we would not see Marian unless we both made it to (Battle Creek for the state final Four,” said Avenall. “But that’s a long way off. We have a league title to contend for right now. That’s always our focus right now.”

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