By Dan Shriner
Review Editor
It was a long a time coming, but Lake Orion’s volleyball team finally reached its goal of knocking off its long time nemesis, Clarkston, and are in line this week to capture the OAA Red championship.
The state’s second ranked Dragons beat Clarkston, 25-21, 25-17 and 27-24. The Wolves won the league title for eight consecutive years despite being challenged each year by some of the best teams in the state, including Lake Orion, in many of those seasons.
On Thursday, the team travels to play sixth-ranked Seaholm for what will likely determine the OAA Red champions. The Dragons were 39-2 following the win over the Wolves. They were 4-0 in the OAA Red following the Clarkston win.
Unfortunately, the team will likely be without their star outside hitter, Courtney Wightman, who injured her ankle during a tournament on Saturday at Mt. Morris. Wightman is a finalist for Michigan’s Miss Volleyball and has led the Dragons this season at outside hitter. Without Wightman in the lineup, Lake Orion lost in the semifinals of the tournament to Mt. Morris.
Coach Tony Scavarda said beating Clarkston was probably the happiest he has been in winning a volleyball match. He said the team looked to this match and winning the OAA Red title as its goal.
‘It was really THE goal,? he said of beating Clarkston. ‘Every year our goal is to win the league but we’ve never been able to get past Clarkson. We might beat them early in tournaments but they have always had the upper hand in league play.?
In fact, Lake Orion has beaten Clarkston twice in tournaments leading up to last week’s showdown. The teams won’t meet again until district play.
Scavarda said the team didn’t play its best against Clarkston but still looked very solid.
‘We played nervous but I will take a nervous win any day,? he said.
Wightman led the team with 12 kills, Natalie Wehner had 10 kills. Libero Kori Varney had 21 digs while Leah Kalugar had 20 assists and nine kills. Wren Macaulay had 19 assists with nine digs.
‘Kori played well. She is always the glue that holds the team together,? Scavarda said. ‘Leah Kalugar had a good match and we blocked well as a team.?