By Teddy Rydquist
Leader Staff Writer
In a match originally scheduled for four days prior, the Oxford Wildcats volleyball team made the trip to Clarkston High School to battle the Wolves on Monday, October 12.
The Wildcats took Clarkston, one of the top teams in the county, the distance, but ended up falling in five sets.
Oxford won the first set, 25-20, but then dropped the next two, 26-24, 25-13. After winning the fourth set, 26-24, the Wolves took the tiebreaker, 15-13.
Nearly handing Clarkston their first league loss of the season, the Wildcats took to the court again the following day, Tuesday, October 13, at home against the Rochester Adams Highlanders.
Sweeping Adams, 29-27, 25-12, 26-24, Oxford clinched second-place in the Oakland Activities Association (OAA) Red Division with a 5-2 record in league play.
To round out their week, the team, coached by Brian Kim and Rick Wootten-Smith, participated in a quad at Walled Lake Central on Saturday, October 17. Dealing with a sprained ankle suffered by senior middle hitter Emma LaBarge and facing some stiff competition, the Wildcats were still able to leave with a 4-0 record on the day.
After dispatching the Farmington Falcons in two sets, 25-15, 25-12, Oxford then topped the host Vikings in three sets, 25-20, 26-27, 15-10, before completing their day with additional two-set victories over the Hartland Eagles and Walled Lake Central once again.
Taking all this into account, the Wildcats currently own an 18-7 record on the year, including a 45-20 record in their 65 sets completed.
The girls will next be in action in a quad at Lake Orion High School on Wednesday, October 21, featuring, in addition to the Dragons, Clarkston and the Notre Dame Preparatory Fighting Irish.
Oxford will put the finishing touches on their regular season on Wednesday, October 28 by participating in a quad at Notre Dame Preparatory, before beginning Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) district play on Monday, November 2 at Holly High School.