Clarkston heads to D1 semifinals with win over Grand Blanc
LAPEER » The Clarkston Wolves rolled into the Division 1 volleyball semifinals with a four-set victory over Grand Blanc, defeating the Bobcats 22-25, 27-25, 25-20, 25-14 Tuesday night.
The Wolves got off to a quick start in the first game, leading almost the whole way, but Grand Blanc overcame a 19-13 deficit behind the serving of Brianna Gervers and the hitting of Remi Madison to take the first set with a late rally.
Clarkston would get better each game, however. After struggling to get into their offense as
well as having some communication errors on defense early on, the Wolves settled in and shook off the two months of rust that had accumulated since their previous game – a regional final win Utica Eisenhower on Nov. 12.
Clarkston started spreading the hitting around more and Grand Blanc just could not cope with it. Six different players registered at least one kill in the second set, which Clarkston won to tie the match.
The Wolves repeated the trick in the fourth set with six different players getting kills – and two others getting aces.
“I thought that Grand Blanc played great defense
all night, and I think that got us back on our heels a little bit. 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,” Clarkston head coach Kelly Pinner said. “We play a five-hitter system, and all five of them were 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.”
Claire Nowicki (14 kills) and Sydney Hasenfratz (13 kills) were Clarkston’s leading hitters on the night. Both were especially effective in the third set as Nowicki and Hasenfratz did all the scoring for the Wolves in a 6-1 run that turned a slim 15-14 edge into a more comfortable 21-15 lead, and Grand Blanc
would never get closer than four points after that.
“She (Nowicki) is a senior, a four-year player. She’s going to be the one that if we’re looking for someone to end a rally for us, the ball is going to go in her hands if we can,” Pinner said.
Clarkston improves to 28-8 overall and advances to the state semifinals for the first time since 2011. The Wolves will play Birmingham Marian on Friday at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek with the winner advancing to the final on Saturday.
“Marian is tough. Marian is kind of like us. They’ve got five hitters that can just swing, and they’re going to throw all kinds of looks at you, and (they have) great ball control, and they’ve got a setter that is phenomenal. Marian’s a tough team,” Pinner said.