The Oxford varsity volleyball team has made huge strides in the past few weeks, according to Head Coach Kristi McDevitt.
The Wildcats are currently undefeated in the OAA Red with a 3-0 record after sweeping Bloomfield Hills, Seaholm, and Troy. Overall the Wildcats have amassed a 23-12-5 record.
‘We are really excited where we are at, where have come from, and where we are going,? McDevitt said. ‘We have worked so hard the past few weeks and the results reflect that.?
This past weekend at the Oxford Varsity Volleyball Invitational at OHS held on Oct. 12 the winning streak continued. Hosting seven teams, Oxford easily handled Goodrich, Bloomfield, and Rochester while splitting matches with Fenton, Notre Dame Prep, and losing to Romeo to enter the semifinals in second’place overall.
‘The loss to Romeo was tough, they are a good team and we never stepped up to show them how good we are and the result was a loss,? added McDevitt. ‘Fortunately, we came out against an excellent Notre Dame Prep team and split with them to build our confidence going into the playoffs.?
Oxford was seeded against Romeo in the semifinals and vowed to show the Bulldogs what they were capable of on the court. The match was a battle back and forth with Oxford ending victorious in the first set 25-23. In the second set, the Wildcats were unable to keep the momentum going and found themselves down 21-19 before a kills by Lisa Savich sparked a comeback. Oxford never looked back and scored six straight points to send the Bulldogs packing.
Oxford faced Notre Dame Prep in the finals. The finals were a battle, but Oxford was unable to pull out the championship and lost to the Irish 25-20 and 25-19.
‘The score does not reflect how close the games were. NDP is ranked number 1 in Class B and are a very good team, but we were right there with them,? McDevitt said. ‘We are right there with every high level team, it’s just a matter of how the girls play.?
‘Sometimes we give teams the edge because we play hesitant or scared like we did against Romeo in pool play,? she continued. ‘Then in the semifinals the girls realized how evenly matched we were, executed the game plan, shut down their big hitters, and beat them.??
The day not only resulted in a second’place finish, but also in school records being set. Senior outside hitter Darien Bandel broke a school record with 111 kills, while Kennedy Orr made history with 101 kill assists.
‘Darien and Kennedy really click well together and when they are successful together it is a force to be reckoned with,? McDevitt said. ‘These stats are unbelievable for a Saturday tournament. Darien was fantastic and no one could touch her, she is the real deal.??
Senior Julia Walker contributed 64 kills, Maddie Maier assisted 73 kill assists, Jordan Romine tallied 7 aces from her killer jump serve, Regan Precour came alive on defense with 84 digs, and Taylor Taraski knocked down 15 blocks on the day.?
?’We had contributions from everyone on Saturday and that is the biggest reason I am so pleased with the team,? added McDevitt. ‘They are all contributors.?
Oxford will host rival and other unbeaten team in the OAA Red, the Dragons of Lake Orion on Thursday Oct. 17 at 7 p.m..
‘The Lady Cats would like to have a packed house to cheer them on to victory,? McDevitt said.