On the big stage: No secrets between rivals Lake Orion and Clarkston in state semifinals
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
BATTLE CREEK — There will be no secrets Thursday when Clarkston and Lake Orion take the volleyball court.
The two large neighboring schools, less than 15 miles apart, both play in the OAA Red Division, with Clarkston winning the division this season and the Dragons finishing second.
They have met four times this season, with a 2-2-0 record to show for the rivalry. The players know each other awfully well, through playing club volleyball and other sports in the area.
The two will converge on a much bigger stage than any other time in the rivalries’ history. Come 7 p.m. Thursday, the two will face off on the big stage, meeting in the Class A state semifinals at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena.
Temperance Bedford and second-ranked Rockford face off in the 5 p.m. semifinal and the winner of that game awaits the winner of the Clarkston-Lake Orion match at 2 p.m. Saturday, also at Kellogg Arena.
Clarkston is 55-5-0 and ranked third. Lake Orion is 53-12-3 and honorable mention in the rankings after falling out two weeks ago. Both have played a rigorous schedule. Both have several college-bound players.
NET PRESENCE:LAke Orion'sShannon Murdock is one of eight seniors on the Dragons' roster and part of a wide array of heavy hitters. File Photo
“We are very evenly matched,” offered Clarkston coach Kelly Avenall. “I expect it’s going to be a great match. We know each other well and we’re both going to come after each other. It could be one of those (epic) matches that goes four or five games.”
Both Clarkston and Lake Orion went five games in their respective quarterfinals matches on Tuesday. Clarkston outlasted fifth-ranked Plymouth Canton in a marathon thriller, 3-2, with the final set going 16-14. Lake Orion rallied past ninth-ranked Macomb Dakota, 3-2, breaking a 13-13 tie in Game 5 with two points to prevail.
“I was rooting for (Clarkston) for a lot of reasons,” offered Lake Orion coach Bob Howey. “First, it we both won, it is great for our league because no one has made it this far and that would guarantee our league a team in the finals. And to play them again gives us some even more motivation. We beat them the first two times and they beat us two other times, including in that league title match. The girls remember that loss.”
ON THE ATTACK: Clarkston's Sarah Bullen and the Wolves are making their first-ever state semifinals appearence. File Photo | Larry McKee, www.lmckeephotography.com
Lake Orion is making its first state semifinal appearance since the winter 1987-88 season. Last season the Dragons reached the Sweet 16 before losing to eventual state champion Birmingham Marian in the regional finals.
“I think it’s been really good team chemistry on and off the court that has made a difference for us,” said Lake Orion senior Liz Kalugar. “It’s been really interesting to see how well we’ve done so far and how far we can go.”
Clarkston reached the state quarterfinals in 1976 and again last season, but this is the first time they have advanced to the final weekend of the season.
No player or coach has advanced this far into the postseason.
“It feels amazing,” said Clarkston senior libero Maddie Lightfoot. “We have never been this far before. This is the first time our school has won the quarterfinal. We didn’t just make it to a regional final, or (advance) to the quarterfinals now two times in a row. We are going to the (Final Four). And it’s amazing because we were supposed to be rebuilding this year. We weren’t even expected to win our league, let alone make it to Battle Creek. I don’t think a lot of people thought we’d be here.”
Clarkston has put together a storybook season, setting a new school record for wins with only three seniors. The Wolves graduated seven players, including six that are currently on college rosters.
“I have been say in the whole season that we have exceeded expectations,” offered Avenall. “To do what we have been able to do has been amazing. A couple of weeks ago, I heard a couple of the girls talk about how we could possibly win the state championship. I didn’t tell them they could or tell them they couldn’t. I just had to remind them that it’s going to take a lot of hard work and how hard it is just to get (to the Final Four). This could be a once in a lifetime experience.”
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