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FLASHBACK–2009 All-Area Volleyball: Players hit their points in the right places

Dan Stickradt | January 17, 2011 | Comments (0)

Smack down: All-Area Volleyball players hit their points in the right places

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

The perception of volleyball in this area of the state has definitely changed in recent years.

With more than one school in Oakland County winning state titles in the past couple of seasons, teams around here are starting to garner some long overdue respect.

Here in northern Oakland County, the elusive MHSAA title hasn’t been delivered just yet, but it is only a matter of time. On the local level, there are more players garnering collegiate interest and there are a higher number of standouts garnering postseason awards than in the past.

Here on the inaugural 2009 All-Area Girls Volleyball Team, you’ll find all of the ingredients of winner and several players with the potential of suiting up at the next level in the future.

Below is a capsule of each of the players name to the first-team, second-team and third-team.

FIRST TEAM

SUSAN STUCHELI, Troy: The 6-2 senior was one of the top net threats in the entire OAA and was named to the All-OAA Red Division and All-Region in Class A. In 171 games, she landed 104 aces and served at a .860 percentage. She was also 1,104 for-1,329 attacking with 589 kills, 86 solo blocks, and 118 block assists. The third-team all-stater will play at the University of Penn.

“She played all-around for us and she was our leaders in kills and blocks and even learned a good jump-serve,” said Troy coach Heather Matthew. “She was a three-year varsity starter and a big part of our team and out success the past few years.”

JENNA COATES, Clarkston: Considered one of the state’s top liberos, the 5-6 senior, who has committed to Central Michigan, was named the All-State Second Team in Class A. A three-year starter, Coates had the knack of covering a lot of ground and simply didn’t make mistakes.

“Other coaches were always commenting on her the past couple of years,” said Clarkston coach Kelly Avenal. “She’s going to Central Michigan on a full-ride for a reason. She covers a lot of ground and she makes her teammates around her better. She does things so well.”

ERIN LEPPEK, Rochester: This 6-0 junior has amazing athleticism and was a feared opponent in the OAA this season. Helping Rochester finished tied for second in the OAA Red Division, in the Falcons’ first year in the top division, Leppek was named to the all-league and all-region teams in Class A. Leppek slammed 217 kills with 189 total blocks, 1.8 blocks per games, 164 digs and 19 aces. The third-year veteran was also a team captain.

“She became out leader this year. We knew she was talented enough to do that,” said Rochester coach Shana Poll. “She had our best stats and was great in the middle. But it is vertical that impresses people. She can reach 10-3, and not too many girls can do that.”

DANA JOHNSTON, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian: The Lancers have made the Class D semifinals four times in 11 years and Johnston was a big part of the success this season after her team was knocked out in the regional round as a junior. A 6-2 senior middle hitter, Johnston was named to the first team for the MIAC Blue Division, all-region, all-county and all-state. The three-sport star, who also plays basketball and soccer, led her team in kills, blocks and attacking percentage among numerous categories.

“It has been a long time since we had someone make first-team all-county and all-state in the same season,” said Oakland Christian coach Priscilla Larned. “Dana just had a great season. She was one of our leaders. She was the type of player that would come through with the kill to really get us going. She played well even when she rolled her ankle and was hurt. She’s a competitor.”

LAURA HADAD, Troy: Hadad was a workhorse for Troy, logging minutes in 174 games for the Colts, who were second in the OAA Red and won a Class A district title. The 5-6 senior libero served up 65 aces and had a .940 serving percentage, scooped 1,099 digs, good for a 6.3 average, with 61 assists.

“She’s very quick with good hands and her serve receive was amazing,” said Matthew. “She does everything so well. We knew we could always count on her.”

ALLIE ALFONSO, Troy Athens: A four-year varsity veteran, the 5-7 Alfonso was among the team leaders in multiple categories and was the Red Hawks’ engine in the middle. The All-OAA Red Division and All-Region honoree, who also voted team MVP and captain, picked up an impressive 947 assists with 42 kills and 35 aces from her setter position.

“Allie is not only an outstanding setter, but is she is also a very strong outside hitter,” said Athens coach Christine Stanichuk. “Her hustle and leadership out on the court stands out way above and beyond. She was our leader.”

SECOND TEAM

SHANNON MURDOCK, Lake Orion: Only a sophomore, the 5-10 Murdock still garnered All-OAA Red Division and All-region status this season. The Dragons posted a 30-23-9 record with a young team and Murdock emerged as Orion’s top offensive threat. The outside hitter finished with 331 kills, 39 blocks, 41 aces, 44 digs and 383 passes were on target during her second year of varsity play.

“I think that Shannon is a very smart player,” said Lake Orion coach Bob Howey. “It’s one thing to be able to hit, but she hits to the right places. She our No. 1 hitter and we played her all the way around. Her best volleyball is yet to come. She’s only going to get better.”

ALLISON REIS, Clarkston: Even with the Wolves graduating several players, they were able to reload and repeat as the OAA Red Division and district champions. This 5-9 junior outside hitter, one of the few holdovers from the previous season, was named to the all-league and all-region teams all while helping the Wolves to the regional finals.

“She’s come a long ways since her freshman year,” said Avenall. “I think she worked so hard in the offseason to become a better player. I could see the difference this year from last year. Her entire game was better.”

MOLLIE IRVINE, Rochester: The Falcons have made resurgence in recent years and Irvine is one of those players that have helped the steady climb. Playing outside hitter, the 6-0 Irvine was solid as a senior, earning all-league an all-region status. She finished second on the team with 318 kills, fired up 96 aces, 36 blocks, 451 digs, served at a .791 percentage and had 14 assists.

“We lost our go-to player from last year, but we had players like Erin and Molly really step up and had solid seasons,” said Poll. “We were not one-dimensional. I thought Molly did a great job on the opposite side. She had some big games for us.”

MELISSA MANZELLA, Oxford: Named to the first team in the Flint Metro League along with all-region, the 5-10 Manzella had a fine senior season. In 875 attacking attempts, she slammed 375 kills, good for a .331 kills percentage, made only 66 errors and averaged 2.9 kills per game. She also served at a .860 clip with 38 aces, had 316 digs, 36 solo blocks and 75 block assists for the 25-15-17 Wildcats.

“When she was on her game, she really flourished,” said Oxford coach Kristi McDevitt. “I know she is talking about maybe playing at Macomb Community College. I think she can be a force there if she really puts it all together. She had some games this season for us where she was dominant. She can really jump.”

MARISA GRIFKA, Rochester Stoney Creek: The 5-6 senior setter/outside hitter had a fine career with the Cougars, where she set several school records along the way. Among those standout totals are aces in a game (13), assists in a match (38), assists in a season (904) and career assists (1,675). The three-year varsity starter was an All-OAA White Division and All-Region player this fall.

AMANDA BUCKLIN, Troy Bethany Christian: Following in the footsteps of her older sister, Richelle, now an All-American at Clearwater Christian College (Fla.), the 5-10 Bucklin was a four-time all-league player in the Fundamental Baptist Athletic Conference Red Division, where her team won league titles all four years. Bucklin, who led the Bruins in kills, blocks and attacking percentage, among other categories, also led her team to the state runner-up showing in the Michigan Association of Christian Schools Division I tournament. During her junior year, Bethany Christian finished as the MACS champions.

“Amanda stepped up and became our leader for us,” said Bethany Christian coach Michelle Rogers. “We were a little bit of a different team this year and Amanda took over and led us with (kills) and was our best all-around player.”

THIRD TEAM

OLIVIA WILLSON, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian: The Lancers were well-rounded this season and Willson was one of the team’s leading hitters. Named to the All-State Third Team in Class D, among numerous post-season accolades, the 5-9 Willson was second in kills and blocks.

“Olivia was just one of those really consistent hitters,” said Larned. “She wasn’t the most dominant, but she did a really good job.”

HALEY HENDRICKS, Rochester Adams: The 5-9 junior helped Adams to a turnaround season in the OAA White Division. Playing all-around, the outside hitter was amongst the team leaders in several categories, including 373 kills. She also served up 76 aces and earned all-league honors in the process. She will return next season to help lead the Highlanders into contention in the league.

“Haley had a real strong season for us,” said Adams coach Raey Zoellner. “I think she really started to get better as the season moved along. I expect she’ll only continue to get better.”

ALEXIS ALGER, Clarkston: The Wolves’ third player to garner all-league and all-region honors, the 5-10 Alger, a junior who played both setter and outside hitter, was effective all over the court for the Wolves. She ranked in the top three on the team in multiple categories and was a big part of a 44-9-0 season.

“”She is probably our best athlete,” said Avenall. “We played her all-around because wherever I put her, she did a good job.”

ALLISON ROUSE, Troy: In making the All-OAA Red Division and All-Region teams, the 6-1 Rouse was sparkplug on the outside for the Colts. She was second on the team in kills at 468 on the strength of a 1,033-for-1,252 attacking season. She also picked up 515 digs with a 3.4 digs average, and had 77 aces and a .890 serving percentage in 153 games.

“There were some games that she was the best attacker in the gym, when she was really on her game,” said Matthew. “She’s a really strong hitter. She really came on strong this season.”

SARA SIKORSKI, Rochester: The Falcons’ junior libero was a defensive sparkplug, racking up an impressive 890 digs this. The two-year varsity veteran also had 27 aces and was named all-league. She had a total of 8.4 percent of her serves hit the floor as an ace.

“Sara just did the little things for us,” said Poll. “She was a solid player back there for us. She was very consistent.”

SHANNON POMEROY, Troy Athens: The 5-9 senior outside hitter led Athens with kills and was also a consistent threat on defense with the ability to make the big blocks with consistency. The three year starter was named to the all-league team in the OAA Red Division.

“Shannon had the most kills. She is really a strong hitter,” said Stanichuk. “She has the ability to play with both hands. She has that left-handed kill and could get up high to block.”

COACH OF THE YEAR

PRISCILLA LARNED, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian: Few coaches in Southeastern Michigan have coached as long as Larned and few have built up the type of resume she has collected in 25 years at Oakland Christian. This year’s version featured a team that was 45-13-4, including 7-1 in the MIAC Blue Division. Oakland Christian won the postseason MIAC tournament and had several high finishes at tournaments this past autumn. The Lancers reached the state semifinals for the fourth time in Larned’s tenure, including 1998 (winter), 2002 (winter), 2007 (winter) and 2009 (fall). Larned’s teams have won several league and district championships and she has also coached teams that have lost in the state quarterfinals (2004, 2005, 2006) or regional finals several times.

“We came on really strong and got back to the semifinals. I wish we could have had a better result,” asked Larned, who is also a physical education teacher at the school. “This is the first time we reached the semifinals that we didn’t face the state championship favorite. We just came up short again. But we had a good group of seniors that worked hard. Looking back, we can’t complain about the type of season that we had.”

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2009 ALL-AREA VOLLEYBALL TEAM

NAME SCHOOL HGHT GRADE

FIRST TEAM

Susan Stuecheli Troy 6-2 Senior

Jenna Coates Clarkston 5-6 Senior

Erin Leppek Rochester 6-0 Junior

Dana Johnston A.H. Oakland Chr. 6-1 Senior

Laura Hadad Troy 5-4 Senior

Allie Alfonso Troy Athens 5-7 Senior

SECOND TEAM

Amanda Bucklin Troy Bethany Chr. 5-10 Senior

Shannon Murdock Lake Orion 5-10 Soph.

Allison Reis Clarkston 5-9 Junior

Molly Irvine Rochester 6-0 Senior

Melissa Manzella Oxford 5-10 Senior

Marisa Grifka Roch. Stoney Crk. 5-6 Senior

THIRD TEAM

Olivia Willson A.H. Oakland Chr. 5-9 Senior

Sara Sikorski Rochester 5-5 Senior

Alexis Alger Clarkston 6-0 Junior

Allison Rouse Troy 6-1 Senior

Haley Hendricks Rochester Adams 5-9 Junior

Shannon Pomeroy Troy Athens 5-9 Senior

COACH OF THE YEAR

Priscilla Larned A.H. Oakland Chr. 25th season

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Auburn Hills Avondale: Andrea Strauss, 5-6 jr. OH/S; Kathleen Blanchette, 5-5 sr. OH; Sarah Becker, 5-9 jr. MB; Leslie Carter, 5-11 sr. OH/S; Tori Mathis, 5-3 jr. L; Katie Tollack, 5-6 jr. OH; Auburn Hills Oakland Christian: Rachel Jablonski, 5-4 sr. OH/DS; Clarkston: Stephanie Marani, 6-1 soph.; Clarkston Springfield Christian: Anna Lanpher, 5-6 sr. OH; Lake Orion: Alessa Recknagel, 5-6 sr. S; Lake Orion Baptist: Julina Moreno, 5-4 jr. S; Oxford: Paige Felinsky, 5-4 jr. S/OH; Keeona Ives, 5-6 sr. OH; Rochester: Claire Grawburg, 6-0 jr. OH/MH; Rochester Adams: Alex Hubbard, 5-5 jr. L; Lauren Holtcamp, 6-0 sr. MB; Rochester Stoney Creek: Kelsey Wright, 5-3 sr. DS; Rochester Hills Christian: Megan Steiner, 5-11 jr. MH; Caroline Milsk, 5-9 jr. OH; Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest: Jillian McLoughlin, 5-10 jr. MH; Troy: Michelle Stuecheli, 5-11 soph. S; Troy Athens: Jenny Szymanski, 6-0 sr. MH; Paige Montana, 5-7 sr. OH; Troy Bethany Christian: Shay Hilliard, 5-11 jr. MB/OH; Carrylle Zaldaragia, 5-4 sr. DS; Staci Green, 5-4 soph. S.