Oxford rallies to dispatch North Farmington in OAA-Red debut
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
OXFORD — In its first season in the OAA Red Division, Oxford will likely have some roller coaster moments. That was evident against North Farmington Thursday.
The Wildcats opened up league play with a five-game marathon victory over the visiting Raiders, outlasting North Farmington, 3-2.
Oxford won the first game (25-18), dropped the second and third games (25-23, 26-24) and soared back to claim the final two games (25-18, 15-7) and the match.
“We had a lead, gave it away and then we came right back and took it from them,” said Oxford coach Kristi McDevitt. “When the match was on the line, they stepped up.”
Oxford, which finished second in the OAA White Division behind Adams last season, joined the Highlanders as squads being promoted to the OAA’s top ranks. The Wildcats defeated the fourth-place team from a year ago — but not without drama.
In a see-saw battle, Oxford overcame the stellar play of North Farmington’s Kaitlyn Schoeppner, who finished with 38 kills.
“They had one player that did almost everything for them,” admitted McDevitt of Schoeppner. “We had a hard to me figuring out how to stop her. But we also played better in the last two games.”
Darien Bandel led Oxford (10-9-1, 1-0) with 12 kills and 17 digs. Katie Bearse and Alyssa Wysocki added eight kills apiece and Maggie Rourke picked up 29 digs for the Wildcats.
Bandel and Bearse were stalwarts in the Wildcats’ comeback. Bandel, one of the area’s rising sophomores, and Bearse, who had injury problems which sidelined her during the track season, formed a tough 1-2 punch at the net for Oxford.
SPLIT DECISION: Oxford's Kate Bearse hammers home this kill between North Farmington's Kaitlyn Schoeppner and Holly Snabes during Thursday's OAA Red Division match. Courtesy Photo | Kirk Bearse, www.catsdenphoto.com
“I think Darien is going to only get better. She’s already a good player. That’s why we kept her on varsity last season, because she has so much potential,” praised McDevitt. “I think Kate is really coming along. She’s such a big, strong girl at the net. She’s been a key player for us.
“I like where we’re at right now,” continued McDevitt. “I know were far from the leaders. Teams like Clarkston and Lake Orion are awfully tough. But I think we can finish somewhere in the middle of the pack this season in the OAA Red. We are coming along. I think the one area where we really need to pick up is our competitiveness. We have all the parts — we have talent, we have athleticism, we have size. But we need to be more competitive. We need to start being competitive with everything we do, even racing towards the water fountain. If we can have that type of mentality, then we’ll surprise some people.”
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Category: High School, High School (M-Z), Oxford, Prep Wraps
