Written Thursday November 3rd at 11:30 AM
The showdown is set on Friday night.
The Dragons swept the Waterford Kettering Captains 3-0 with a 25-17, 25-16, 25-15 win in the district semifinal on Wednesday night setting the state for a district final showdown with Clarkston on Friday night at Orion.
Orion was led by Leah Kalugar whom played probably one of her best games with 12 kills on the night against a game Waterford Kettering team.
The matchup between the ninth ranked Dragons and third ranked Wolves is interesting. Clarkston has had Orion's number in tournaments this season but the Dragons won at Clarkston in five games after the Wolves self destructed and Orion never gave up and earned that victory.
The win gave the Dragons the Red division title but this one will be for a district championship and a trip to New Baltimore Anchor Bay is on the line in this matchup.
Who Has the Edge???
Outside Hitters: Advantage Clarkston. The Wolves have Abby Malanowski and Sarah Austin and both of them have had strong junior and senior seasons respectably. The Dragons have had a mix of players playing that role in the outside with Sarah Kelly, Wren McCaully, and Kalugar. Malanowski and Austin are heavy hitters so that's why they have the advantage here.
Inside: Advantage Orion. The Dragons have Mallorie Berriman and Becca Zelmanski in the center spots. I would trust Orion over Clarkston in the inside, not to mention you have Danielle Sargent whom can play the center spot as well. The Wolves have Kayla Miller and Kayla Luchenbach inside but got to give an edge to Orion.
Defense: Advantage Orion. The Dragons are a very good blocking team, that's not to say that the Wolves aren't but when you have Berriman, Zelmanski, and Sargent inside blocking shots and getting put-backs for points then that pretty much tells me what I need to know. Lindsey Wightman is a solid liberio as well which has also helped the defense of Orion as well but sometimes they do slack and it gets them into trouble.
Serving: Advantage Clarkston. Orion has not been consistent when it comes to serving. They have had a history of service errors and net errors but have managed to come out of it. Clarkston though hasn't made too many mistakes when it comes to serving but they have some hitters that can get aces.
Mental Mindset: Advantage Clarkston. Playing at home ISN'T always a good thing in the history of the Dragons remember a few years back Orion was swept by Clarkston in the district final at home. This Dragon team sometimes can take a mental lapse in the mind if you look at the last few games where they have struggled with mental errors. The Wolves looked focused and determined in their game with Oxford in the district semifinal. Orion's mental mindset was tested at Clarkston and they came through with a huge win there. Expect both teams to be focused but any mental lapse can be dangerous especially for the home team in this matchup because there is a lot more pressure being at home and expected to win when it's better off being on the road. Whoever wins this stat will be the one that moves on.
Coaching: Even. Both Tony Scavarda and Kelly Averall-Pinner have had success with both programs. They get their teams motivated and ready to play. Coaching pretty much a wash here.
PICK: If you ready the Inside the OAA blog when previewing the Volleyball districts, you know where I'm heading.
