Troy sweeps Southfield to reach regional finals
BY JAKE LOURIM
STUDENT CORRESPONDENT
LAKE ORION — Southfield volleyball had improved since the last time Troy played the Blue Jays. But they’ll have to improve a lot more to play with Troy.
The Colts spread things around in a mostly lopsided regional final, advancing to Thursday’s match against Lake Orion.
Ten players recorded kills, but none had more than six as coach Ed Ruhl left the game plan open for the regional title showdown. He most notably rested sophomore Olivia Parks and her team-leading kill total in the last two games.
“We definitely did not keep the level of intensity up against Southfield,” Ruhl said. “But they played twice as well as the first time we played them. It was a good match to have because we didn’t have to worry about panicking (in a big game).”
The coach added that he wanted a big win for momentum purposes, but when he saw that not happening, he allowed everyone to play.
Troy took control in the first game and never really gave Southfield a chance. The Colts grabbed the first six points, including two aces by senior Jennifer Thompson, who served 23 times in three sets.
That six-point lead never shrunk below three, and the Colts were able to get on cruise control. Still, Troy never got into a strong rhythm. The only other streak of six or more was another of Thompson’s early in the second game.
In the third game, Troy still won 25-16, but started committing errors towards the end of it, eyeing a regional finals berth.
“One of the big things was they knew they didn’t have to play big, so they didn’t play big,” Ruhl said. “It was a tough match to stay intense gate-to-gate.”
At times, the Troy offense feasted on Southfield’s miscues. Junior Nicole Hahn and senior Taylor Marquardt led the Colts with six kills apiece and Lindsay Moeller had 29 assists.
Ruhl said that out of the two teams in the second final, he’d prefer to play Birmingham
Marian over Lake Orion, especially on the Dragons’ home floor. He thought his team just matched up better with Marian.
But he didn’t get his wish. Lake Orion dispatched Marian in four sets after losing the first game but rallying from down 24-19 in the second.
Category: High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps, Troy
