VOLLEYBALL: Troy gains its revenge on Avondale

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

TROY — Members of Troy’s volleyball team lived with the pain of losing in the first round of the Class A volleyball districts last season to Auburn Hills Avondale for an entire year.

It took just an hour Monday night to erase those memories.

The Colts posted a 3-0 sweep of the visiting Yellowjackets in the second Class A pre-district game at Troy to advance to the district semifinals against Pontiac on Wednesday.

Troy posted scores of 25-23, 25-21 and 25-14 to dispatch the Yellowjackets, who graduated most of its players from a squad that captured the school’s first-ever district championship last November.

Troy finished 0-8 in the OAA Red Division in 2010 with just one senior on its roster to go along with a losing overall record and the first-round district exit. This year, second-year Troy coach Ed Rule has guided the team to a 22-18-0 overall record, which included an 8-0 ledger in the OAA White Division.

It’s all part of the turnaround train for the Colts, who were one of the top volleyball programs in Oakland County during the past decade before last year’s major rebuilding year.

“We went from the 0-8 last year to the 8-0 this year to making it to the second round,” said Rule, who scheduled his team in several high-caliber tournaments this season. “We’re still in it.”

Troy rallied in the first two games, which took the wind out of Avondale’s sails. The Colts dominated the Yellowjackets in the third and final set.

Avondale led 7-4 in Game 1 only to see Troy come back for a 19-12 advantage. The Colts eventually finished off the set with a kill from Hope Keating, but not before the pesky Yellowjakcets had trimmed the deficit down to 24-23.

Troy raced out to a 9-4 advantage in the second game only to see Avondale go on an 8-1 run, backed by five straight service points from Morgan Janes, for an 11-10 lead.

The Yewllojackets continued to make a buzz by extending the lead to 19-15 before the Colts closed with a 9-2 run. Five straight serves from Keating, including a set-ending ace, led the Colts’ comeback in Game 2.

The third game was pretty much all Troy, as the Colts built leads of 7-4, 16-8 and 21-12 before finishing off Avondale and advancing to the second round. Marcela Sanabria and Olivia Parks each had two kills down the stretch in the third game with Sanabria’s slam ending the set and match.

Parks had 11 kills for Troy, most coming in the second and third games. The Colts also served at a high clip and converted 10 aces on the night.

The Colts’ tough non-league schedule has prepared them for the state tournament.

“We’ve been playing a lot of tough competition, and we (lost matches where) we don’t serve very tough,” said rule. “Looking at the teams we’ve played, you have to serve well to stay competitive.”

Avondale (18-25-2) graduated many of its players from last year’s district championship unit and went through some growing pains in 2011 before playing better the final weeks of the season. Still, the turning points against Troy were evident to the Yellowjackets’ coaching staff.

“Game 2 was definitely the momentum shift,” said first-year Avondale coach Maria Bartolone. “At the end of the day, during every time out, I told my girls I don’t know what else to ask them to do. As a coach, that’s all you can ask for. They gave their best effort. It just wasn’t our night.”

Marissa Aiello had 15 attacks, three kills and three blocks for Avondale. Janes added 15 assists and Ashley Millmine was 16-for-17 serving with three aces for the Yellowjackets.

“We’ve come a long ways since the beginning of the season and I’m proud of that,” added Bartalone. “They can walk off the court with their heads held high.”

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Tags: Auburn Hills Avondale Girls Volleyball, girls volleyball, High School Girls Volleyball, MHSAA Class A Girls Volleyball Districts, Prep Girls Volleyball, Troy Girls Volleyball, volleyball

Category: Auburn Hills Avondale, High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps, Troy