It’s all about chemistry: Clarkston volleyball one win away from Final Four
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
CLARKSTON — For any team to enjoy success, there has to be some tight-knit chemistry. Players have to enjoy playing alongside one another on the court and they must get along when practices and games are over.
That’s the key ingredient for Clarkston volleyball in 2010: The right chemistry.
Besides having several hits, sound defense, dead-on serving, size, athletic and depth, the Wolves have are close friends, which has helped them enjoy the best season in school history.
Clarkston is a fine 48-3-1, good for an impressive winning percentage of .923, and this is a school record for highest win percentage and fewest losses.
The Wolves have won Class A district championships in 10 of the past 16 seasons, but captured their first regional championship since 1976 last week and second overall. That 1976 season was the first year the MHSAA sponsored a state tournament for volleyball — far before any of he current players were even born.
The trek will continue for Clarkston on Tuesday night, when the Wolves will travel to Owosso High School for the Class A state quarterfinals. Only listed as honorable mention in the rankings, Clarkston will face No. 3-ranked Farmington Hills Mercy, a state semifinalist last season, at 7 p.m.
“For the seniors, and for Clarkston, this is the farthest we’ve ever gone since (1976), so we hope to keep it going,” said Alexis Egler, a 6-foot senior middle hitter/outside hitter.
The quarterfinal winners will advance to the Final Four this weekend at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena. The winner of the Clarkston-Mercy game will face the winner of the Livonia Churchill-Temperance Bedford winner at 7:15 p.m. Friday.
The state finals are set for 2 p.m. Saturday, with East Kentwood, Hudsonville, Fraser and defending state champion Birmingham Marian still on the other half of the bracket.
Reis said that it’s been a goal of this team to play for a state championship since Day 1, and the Wolves are only two wins away from playing in Saturday’s state championship match.
“Since we are all close friends, I think it means that much more to us because we like to see our friends (succeed),” said Allison Reis, a 5-foot-10 senior outside hitter/libero. “You’re really happy for the team.
“We know we have the talent to win (the state title),” she added.
Clarkston is an experienced group, with several college prospects on the roster that have formed one tight unit.
“Having seven seniors on the team, the season could end at any time,” said senior setter Haley Barker. “Knowing that makes everyone work harder.”
And work closer together.
Reis, Egler and Barker all signed with Division I college programs last week — Reis to Niagara, Egler to Youngstown State and Barker to Central Michigan — but there still is much business to attend to before their high school careers are over.
The OAA has never had a team play for the state championship in volleyball — Clarkston has won that league title in six of the past eight seasons and four straight — yet this could be the league’s best hope to bring home the title.
“We want to try to win it all, but we have to take it one game at a time,” said Egler. “We’ve come a long ways, but this is our last chance (at a championship).”
It’s all about chemistry.
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