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GIRLS VOLLEYBALL: Clarkston rallies past Grand Blanc to reach Final Four for first time since 2011

Dan Stickradt | January 13, 2021 | Comments (0)

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

Twitter: @LocalSportsFans

LAPEER — Claire Nowicki had seen enough.

Ditto for Sydney Hasenfratz and Elizabeth Adams and the rest of Clarkston’s deep well of hitters.

After a disastrous first set where Clarkston blew a 19-13 advantage, the state-ranked Wolves regained the momentum and returned to their winning ways in rallying for a 3-1 victory over Grand Blanc in the Division 1 state quarterfinals at Lapeer High School.

Clarkston dropped the first set 25-22 only to reverse the trend and post 27-25, 25-20 and 25-14 wins over the Bobcats to prevail in four sets.

The win moves ninth-ranked Clarkston into Friday’s Division 1 state semifinals against longtime state powerhouse Birmingham Marian. The 4:30 p.m. showdown will take place at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena with Lowell and Novi facing off in the other semifinals match at 6:30 p.m.

“It’s nice to be finally going back,” said Clarkston coach Kelly Pinner, the Wolves’ mentor since 2003. “We have not been to the semis since 2011. It takes a lot to get this far and everyone is good at this stage.

Clarkston had to overcome Grand Blanc, which was enjoying one of its best-ever campaigns before the shutdown in mid-November.

“I thought that Grand Blanc played great defense all night, and I think that got us back on our heels a little bit,” continued Pinner. “I think we thought we were just going to go out and out power them, and they just kept being scrappy, and I think it took us a while to find our groove, too. We play a five-hitter system, and all five of them we are confident getting set to. If someone is struggling, I’ve said before we’re going to find somebody else who isn’t, and that definitely is a strength of ours.”

Clarkston last played a match on Nov. 12, a victory over No. 5 Utica Eisenhower in the regional finals. As for the Wolves’ start against Grand Blanc, it was less to be desired.

But Clarkston dusted off the cobwebs on its well-balanced and high-powered engine and are now ready for a trek west to Battle Creek.

“(Our slow start) was for many reasons,” admitted Nowicki, Clarkston’s fourth-year varsity standout and team leader who recently committed to Division II Ferris State University. “But we regrouped and started to play better. We want to win the state championship more than anything and you can’t do that if you don’t get there (to Battle Creek) first. We stepped it up after we lost that first one.”

Nowicki, recently named Division 1 All-State First Team, led Clarkston with 14 kills. Hasenfratz added 13 kills and four blocks and Adams supplied 10 kills and five blocks for the Wolves.

Clarkston went deep into its lineup and gained production from a wide variety of players — six different players recorded kills in the second set alone — and Grand Blanc struggled to stop the Wolves’ balance, especially in the third and fourth sets.

With each passing game, Clarkston began to play better — even building a 18-6 lead in the fourth and deciding set. Senior Madison McGraw’s point ended the match in the end after Clarkston’s dominating effort in Game 4.

The win moves Clarkston (28-8-0) into the Final Four for the first time since 2011 and second time overall in school history. The Wolves lost in the quarterfinals in 2010 and most recently were ousted in the regional finals in 2017 to Marian.

Clarkston lost in the district finals in 2018 to eventual state champion Lake Orion, while the Wolves were ousted by Lake Orion in last year’s pre-district — a game that did not sit well with Nowicki and the Wolves’ talented band of returnees.

“I think that left some sting in us and I think we had that anger locked in since last year,” said Nowicki. “Coach Pinner said a couple of years ago she lost in this game as a coach (2010 to Farmington Hills Mercy) and that game stayed with her so I think that thought gave us momentum and gave us a push this year.”

Clarkston faces Marian every season in a variety of tournaments or quad matches and will face the Mustangs deep in the state tournament for the second time in four seasons.

“Marian is tough. Marian is kind of like us,” noted Pinner. “They’ve got five hitters that can just swing, and they’re going to throw all kinds of looks at you. (Marian has) great ball control, and they’ve got a setter that is phenomenal. Marian’s a tough team.”

CLARKSTON IN STATE TOURNAMENT IN RECENT YEARS:

2003: District champs, regional semifinalists

2004: District champs, regional semifinalists

2005: District champs, regional finalists

2006: Lost in district rounds

2007-W: District champs, regional finalists

2007-F: Lost in district rounds

2008: District champs, regional semifinalists

2009: District champs, regional semifinalists

2010: District, regional champs; lost in state quarterfinals

2011: Reached Class A Final Four

2012: District champs, regional finalists