2017 Volleyball Preview.

Written Monday August 14th at 1:35 PM
This article will be updated with the most updated information.

INSIDE THE OAA Pre-Season Top Ten.

1. Clarkston

2. Orion

3. Bloomfield Hills

4. Stoney Creek

5. Troy

6. Adams

7. Seaholm

8. Oxford

9. North Farmington

10. Harrison

Red

Clarkston

Orion

Bloomfield Hills

Stoney Creek

Oxford

Troy

Seaholm

Troy Athens

League Insight: This league could be the toughest in the State when you look at how many teams that could be ranked and or put in the Honorable Mention list in the State (Clarkston, Orion, Bloomfield Hills, Stoney Creek, Troy, Seaholm.) The favorite has to be Clarkston with who they have returning and the program strength they have as well. Orion is not that far behind the Wolves. The Dragons should be solid despite the fact they lost a lot from last season from a team that won the Red two straight years. Bloomfield Hills is an up and rising team. They have a very favorable league schedule that could make them a dark horse contender. Stoney Creek could be a team to watch, they are well coached and have a lot of talent coming back. Oxford has a new coach and they will have a transition period that they have to go through. Troy is back in the Red after a year absence. Seaholm should be better this season. Troy Athens will be young and could be in for a rough season.

White

Adams

North Farmington

Harrison

Rochester

Avondale

Groves

West Bloomfield

Berkley

League Insight: This will be an interesting league with a bunch of different styles. Adams has a lot of experience returning after going 5-2 last season in the White. The Highlanders are the early favorite for the division crown because of that experience. North Farmington has plenty of experience back and should be in contention for the crown. Harrison comes down from the Red, they lost their top player to graduation. If the Hawks gel together then they should be in contention. Rochester comes up from the Blue after winning the division last season. The Falcons have an experienced group back. Groves should be better this season after a rough two seasons. West Bloomfield should be better as well. Avondale will be more experienced with their group. Berkley could be in for another tough season.

Blue

Farmington

Southfield Arts and Tech

Hazel Park

Ferndale

Royal Oak

Oak Park

Pontiac

League Insight: This is an interesting league when you look at it. Farmington comes down from the White after having a rough year last season. They are young but talented, the Falcons should be the favorite in this division. Ferndale, you can never count out the Eagles despite the fact they will be very young. Hazel Park should be a contender in this division. Royal Oak will have to go through a coaching transition as Emily Burwinkle takes over the Ravens. Southfield Arts and Tech has experience back and should be a contender this season. Oak Park will be very young. Pontiac could struggle again this season.

Top 23 OAA Teams.

1. Clarkston: The Wolves are looking to get the bad taste off their mouth after what happened in their shocking five game Regional Final loss to Fenton last season. Clarkston should be solid led by the Michigan bound Senior Abbey Malinowski, Grace Kraft, Jennifer Chupinsky, and Oakland University Basketball commit Kayla Luchenbach. The Wolves field a very talented sub-varsity program which includes a current Sophomore class that went undefeated last season. Clarkston coach Kelly Averall-Pinner should have her team near the top again in 2017. The Wolves will have a tough schedule as they have road trips to Orion, Oxford, Troy, and Bloomfield Hills but they host Stoney Creek, Troy Athens, and Seaholm. Clarkston will host a district that includes Orion and Oxford. It will be an interesting ride.

2. Orion: It was an off year for the Dragons based on tournaments but it wasn't all bad. They won their second straight Red crown but lost a five game heart breaker to Clarkston at home in the District Final last season. Orion is led by Danielle Sargent, Erin Collins, Wren MaCaulay, Lauryn VanLoon, and Western Michigan commit Illyra Kalaj. The Dragons added two transfers in the offseason in Paige Briggs from Oxford and Sydney Smith from Avondale. Briggs is a Western Kentucky commit and is only a Junior while Smith is a Sophomore. Orion coach Tony Scavarda will field a solid team this season. The Dragons will have a tough schedule with Clarkston, Troy Athens, and Troy coming to the Dragon Fieldhouse. They will have tough road trips to Stoney Creek, Oxford, Seaholm, and Bloomfield Hills. Orion will have to deal with Clarkston on their home court in the district this upcoming season.

3. Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks should be very good this season led by Alexa Rousseau and Julia Caravis for coach Bob Hurdle to go along with a solid group of Juniors coming up. The schedule is very friendly with Troy, Oxford, Orion, and Clarkston coming to Bloomfield Hills this year. They will have to go to Stoney Creek, Seaholm, and Troy Athens. The Blackhawks have a tough district with Birmingham Marian and Adams in there. If things go right and everyone stays healthy then it could be a special season for Bloomfield Hills.

4. Stoney Creek: The Cougars should be hungry after last season's five game district final home loss to Utica Eisenhower. Stoney Creek will be led by Kate Stration, Lindsay Stration, and Molly Asmus. The Cougars have a friendly non-conference schedule with Orion, Oxford, Bloomfield Hills, and Troy coming to Stoney Creek but they have to go to Clarkston and Seaholm. The Cougars host a district with Utica Eisenhower, Romeo, and Rochester being their top threats for coach Ross Talbott. Stoney Creek could be in line for a special season.

5. Troy: The Colts made the move back up to the Red after having a successful season in the White last season. Troy coach Tom Vigilant will have a team that will be very competitive led by Jessica Robinson, Fran McBride, and Kelsey Moeller. Robinson is getting Division One College looks and playing in the Red could boost her College stock. The Colts have an interesting schedule in their trip back to the Red. they host Clarkston, Seaholm, and Troy Athens but they go to Stoney Creek, Bloomfield Hills, Oxford, and Orion. Troy is in a favorable district as well, this could be a special season for Troy.

6. Adams: The Highlanders had some success last season in the White and could be the favorite to win the division this season. Adams has a lot of experience back for coach Bridgette Harding led by Annabelle White, Paige Hedlund, Ashley Rill, Sophie Null, Lauren Kinley, Sophie Hohauser, and Juhi Valera. The Highlanders have a very favorable schedule with Rochester, Harrison, Groves, and West Bloomfield all coming to Adams but they have to go to North Farmington, Berkley, and Avondale. The Highlanders are in an interesting district with Birmingham Marian and Bloomfield Hills but with their experience, they could make some noise.

7. Seaholm: The Maples are in an interesting spot. They have a very solid player back in Molly Ligon and they have two of the best coaches in the game in Heather Lippert and Jason Gambone. Seaholm’s league schedule is very favorable, they have Orion, Oxford, Stoney Creek, and Bloomfield Hills coming to Birmingham. The Maples will have to go to Clarkston, Troy Athens, and Troy. Seaholm should be a dark horse team to keep an eye on this season.

8. Oxford: The Wildcats will have their third coach in five seasons as Brian Kim enters the fray. Kim used to coach at Madison Heights Bishop Foley until 2013 when he took some time off but now he is back in the game. Oxford will be led by Ellie Wright, Kalli Mulholland, Danielle DeRyckere, and Madelyn Weiss. The Wildcats will have Orion, Clarkston, and Troy coming north while they will travel to Stoney Creek, Seaholm, and Bloomfield Hills. Oxford should be very competitive in their first season under Kim.

9. North Farmington: The Raiders could be a surprising contender this season. North Farmington has a ton of experience coming back for coach Kat Hall in the form of Emily Lum, Katy Cangmei, Hailey Collin, Tessa Moran, and Dayla Hill. The Raiders league schedule is interesting as they have Adams, Avondale, Groves, and West Bloomfield coming to North Farmington but they have to go to Harrison, which is going to be tough and not to mention seeing the Hawks in the Farmington City Cup and districts with Farmington, Farmington Hills Mercy, Groves, and Southfield Arts and Tech. That could be a tough road for the Raiders.

10. Harrison: The Hawks lost a big piece in Stefanie Jankewicz whom graduated last season but they return a solid core of talent, led by Kristen Hankins, Olivia Perkins, Kayle O’Keffe, Julia Trautman, and Jenna Khoury. Harrison has Rochester, Berkley, and North Farmington coming to their place but they have to go to Groves, Adams, West Bloomfield, and Avondale. The district won’t be easy for Harrison and coach Michael Love. They have Southfield Arts and Tech, Farmington, Groves, North Farmington, and Farmington Hills Mercy. That ride won’t be easy to say the least.

11. Rochester: The Falcons moved up to the White after winning the Blue last season. Rochester will have a new coach this season as their former coach Lauren Duquette is the new coach at Birmingham Marian. The Falcons should be solid this season led by Sydney Jones, Alexsandra Malaj, Kaitlyn Kennedy, Helana Rowland, and Jenna Norgrove. Rochester has a favorable schedule in the White in 2017. They have Berkley, Groves, Avondale, and North Farmington coming to Rochester. The Falcons have to go to Adams, West Bloomfield, and Harrison. They are in a tough district with Stoney Creek and Utica Eisenhower. It could be an interesting season for Rochester.

12. Troy Athens: The Red Hawks lost ten Seniors from a team that did very well in the White the last two seasons, which included two district titles but now they will field a younger team to make up for the ten Seniors whom graduated. What makes this worse for Troy Athens is that they are in the Red and not the White. Coach Christine Stainchuck's team will have a very tough schedule with road trips to Clarkston, Orion, and Troy. They have Seaholm, Bloomfield Hills, and Stoney Creek coming to Troy Athens. The Red Hawks host a district with Troy, Seaholm, and Royal Oak. This could be a rough year for Troy Athens this season.

13. Farmington: The Falcons will be an interesting team to keep an eye on this season. Farmington coach Kate Drew’s team will be very young this season but they have experience as well with that youth. The Falcons will be led by Courtney Szykowski, Sydney Eggleton, Kimberly Whatley, and Jenny Cameron. The schedule will be interesting for Farmington as Hazel Park, Pontiac, and Southfield Arts and Tech come to the Falcons home while they have to go to Royal Oak, Oak Park, and Ferndale. They will also play North Farmington and Harrison for the Farmington City Cup then they are in a tough district with Southfield Arts and Tech, Groves, North Farmington, Harrison, and Farmington Hills Mercy. The Falcons will be the favorite in the Blue, it will be an interesting season for Drew and Farmington.

14. Avondale: The Yellow Jackets will have some experience this season. Coach Joe Podvin will have a veteran team this season led by Emma Pfeiffer, Kayla Adams, Grace Wall, Toya Golden, Erika McIntee, Lena Vasylak, Regan Milliron, Mileisha Rodriguez-Rosado, Jena Plumer, and Makenzie Jankowski. The schedule will be a challenge for the Yellow Jackets, especially in the league. They have to go to North Farmington, Rochester, and Berkley. Avondale will have Adams, Groves, West Bloomfield, and Harrison coming to Auburn Hills. The district won’t be easy with Birmingham Marian, Adams, and Bloomfield Hills at West Bloomfield. It could be interesting for the Yellow Jackets.

15. Hazel Park: The Vikings had an interesting year last season. Hazel Park fell to Ferndale at Detroit Mumford in the pre-district. The Vikings will be led by Trinity Benton. Benton will have to carry the load this season. They are in a tough district with the move from Class B to Class A. Hazel Park will head to Detroit and compete with the likes of Detroit Renaissance, Oak Park, Berkley, and Warren Fitzgerald. The schedule is favorable for the Vikings with Royal Oak, Southfield Arts and Tech, and Oak Park coming to Hazel Park while they have to go to Pontiac, Ferndale, and Farmington. The Vikings will be solid this season.

16. Ferndale: The Eagles have been strong once they get into the playoffs. Ferndale will be young based from an experience standpoint but don’t say that to coach Rachel Burnham. The Eagles should be solid this season even if they don’t win the league, they could very well do some damage once district play starts. The schedule is favorable with Oak Park, Hazel Park, and Farmington coming to Ferndale. They have road games at Pontiac, Royal Oak, and Southfield Arts and Tech. As mentioned, the district is very favorable for the Eagles as they have Clawson, Birmingham Detroit Country Day, Ferndale University, Center Line, and Madison Heights Lamphere. A district final could very well be in the cards for Ferndale.

17. Groves: The Falcons should be better in 2017 after going through two mediocre seasons. Coach Jenny Brown’s team will be a team to keep an eye on. Groves has an interesting schedule with two non-league games against Royal Oak and Seaholm. When the Falcons get to their league schedule they will have home games against West Bloomfield, Adams, and Harrison. Groves has road games at Berkley, Avondale, Rochester, and North Farmington. The district will be a challenge for the Falcons as they will have Southfield Arts and Tech, Harrison, Farmington, North Farmington, and Farmington Hills Mercy. It could be an interesting season for Groves.

18. West Bloomfield: The Lakers should be better in 2017 after going through a rough year for coach Dana Gray with being in the Red and playing a tough schedule with a young team. West Bloomfield will have an interesting schedule with Berkley, Rochester, Harrison coming to West Bloomfield. The Lakers have to go to Avondale, Groves, North Farmington, and Adams. They are in a tough district with Avondale, Birmingham Marian, and Bloomfield Hills. It could yet again be a challenge for West Bloomfield.

19. Berkley: The Bears will be an interesting team to keep an eye on this season. Berkley struggled last season in the White and coach Chantelle Korson wants to turn things around. The schedule is interesting for the Bears as Adams, North Farmington, Groves, and Avondale come to Berkley. The Bears have road trips to West Bloomfield, Harrison, and Rochester. The district is interesting with Detroit Renaissance, Hazel Park, Oak Park, and Warren Fitzgerald. The league should help Berkley get ready for their district.

20. Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors had a slow start but managed to rebound last season. Coach William Reid will look to get Southfield Arts and Tech get back to the thick of things. The Warriors have Royal Oak, Pontiac, and Ferndale coming to Southfield. They have to go to Farmington, Oak Park. They will host a district but Farmington Hills Mercy, Harrison, North Farmington, and Groves are in there. It won’t be easy for Southfield Arts and Tech this season.

21. Royal Oak: The Ravens have a new coach in Emily Burwinkle. Burwinkle will be tasked to turn around the program that hasn't been consistent in the last three seasons. Royal Oak has two solid players in Sierra Randle and Ally Roberts. The schedule for the Ravens should be favorable in the Blue with Pontiac, Ferndale, and Farmington coming to Royal Oak. They have to go Hazel Park, Southfield Arts and Tech, and Oak Park. The district is tough with Troy, Troy Athens, and Seaholm in there. It could be interesting for the Ravens this season.

22. Oak Park: The Knights will be young this season. The schedule in the Blue won’t be easy either, they have Royal Oak, Southfield Arts and Tech, Farmington, and Pontiac coming to Oak Park but they have to go to Ferndale and Hazel Park. The district won’t be easy for the Knights as they have Detroit Renaissance, Hazel Park, Berkley, and Warren Fitzgerald in the district.

23. Pontiac: The Phoenix are in a tough spot. You got to wonder if they will have the numbers to compete this season. It could be a long year for Pontiac, they have Hazel Park, Ferndale, and Oak Park coming to Sy Green Gym. They will have road games at Royal Oak, Southfield Arts and Tech, and Farmington. The Phoenix are in a very tough district, they have to go to Pontiac Notre Dame Prep and could very well see the top team in Class B in the Irish. It won’t be an easy ride for Pontiac.