It was a tough go for the varsity girls volleyball team last week, after losing conference matches to OAA leaders Lake Orion and Stoney Creek.
The ladies faced off against the Dragons Oct. 12. ‘We had a rough start against Lake Orion, and we dug ourselves in a hole quickly. LO is a great team offensively and defensively,? said Head Coach LaToria Thomas. ‘When they are digging up everything you’re putting down, it becomes frustrating for our hitters, and I think mentally we weren’t focused.?
Thomas said they struggled finding ‘flow and rhythm? in their first two games, losing 25-12 in game one and 25-11 in game two, but they were able to find ‘some consistency? in game three and compete, but it wasn’t enough to win. The Cats lost 25-21.
‘We (will) learn from this and move on as a team, and we hope to face them again in districts to redeem ourselves,? she added.
Like their match-up against Orion, Thomas knew Stoney Creek was going to be tough and again her girls seemed to suffer from a lack of mental focus and according to Thomas, ‘It showed on the court.?
While they were having an off-week, Thomas said they headed into practice Friday with the intention of getting refocused and ready for their tournament, which they hosted on Saturday.
‘The girls stepped up their game and played very well as a team at our varsity nvite,? Thomas said.
Oxford defeated Port Huron, Avondale, Cranbrook and split with Cabrini in pool play. Oxford was second overall out of 15 teams and moved on to the Gold Playoffs. In the quarter finals, Oxford beat Cabrini. In the semi-finals, Oxford beat Avondale. Oxford played top ranked Romeo in the finals, ultimately losing a very close battle 25-22 and 25-18.
‘I was impressed with how well they played against such an amazing team,? Thomas said. ‘When we play at our full potential as a team, we are unstoppable and I hope we bring this same energy and confidence and hard work into our last conference game of the season against Clarkston.?
As for the tournament Saturday, top scorers included Junior Nicole Elerman: 39 kills, freshman Paige Briggs: 25 kills, senior Grace Wysocki: 28 kills, senior Lisa Savich: 32 kills, senior Amanda Schlicht: 104 assists, senior Hailey Hartwick: 75 digs,senior Alexa Igram: 20 digs and junior Paige Parent: 15 digs. The Lady Cats? overall record is 30-13-3.