Volleyball State Quarterfinal Preview.

Written Friday November 15th at 9:10 AM

LAKE ORION vs Mount Pleasant @ Lapeer:

You can count the Mid-Michigan media stations will be in attendance for this one.

The Oilers are in the State Quarterfinals for the first time in school history after beating Flushing in four sets on their home court. Mount Pleasant overcame their loss last season to the Raiders on their home court. They will travel southeast to Lapeer to take on a Dragons squad that had went through a transition after winning the Division One State title last season. Lake Orion has a young squad that has went through a lot. They were an honorable mention in the State this season.

The Dragons have had a much tougher road than the Oilers especially when it comes to the league and in the postseason. Mount Pleasant plays in the Saginaw Valley League with the likes of Midland, Midland Dow, Bay City Central, Bay City Western, Bay City John Glenn, Saginaw, Saginaw Arthur Hill, Flint Carman Ainsworth, Flint Powers, Davison, Grand Blanc, and Lapeer. They have had a strong postseason thus far which included sweeps against Bay City Central, Midland Dow in the districts. The Oilers had to survive Traverse City Central in five games and had a four game win as mentioned over Flushing in the regional on their home floor. Lake Orion had to go through sixth ranked and Red Champion Clarkston in four games, Flint Metro League Stripes Champion Holly in a sweep, and Honorable Mention Oxford in five games on their home floor. In the regional, they had to get by ninth ranked Stoney Creek in five games on the Cougars home floor, and Red rival West Bloomfield in a sweep to get back to this point.

Mount Pleasant comes into this matchup with a 42-7-3 record. The Oilers have a ton of weapons led by outside hitter Maleah Blake. Blake had a huge night with 12 kills against Flushing on Thursday night. She also had 25 kills and 10 digs in their five set win against Traverse City Central and eight kills and 22 digs against Midland Dow in the district finals. Mackenzie Egger is the team’s top energy producer and middle blocker. She also had 12 kills against the Raiders and six blocks. Egger had nine kills and nine blocks against Traverse City Central. She had six kills and three aces against Midland Dow. Jaycee Maxon is another talented player as an outside hitter and defensive specialist. Maxon had 10 kills, three aces, and 20 digs against Flushing. She had five kills and 14 digs against Traverse City Central and had nine kills and 14 digs against Midland Dow. Katelyn Schell is a middle blocker. She had four blocks against Flushing, four blocks against Midland Dow, and five blocks against Traverse City Central. Matilda Graham is another very talented player. She had 24 digs against the Raiders, 15 digs and three blocks against the Trojans, and four kills, three blocks, and 11 digs against the Chargers. Anna Alford is their setter. She had 34 assists, three aces, and 20 digs in their victory over Flushing. Alford had 41 assists, four blocks and 15 digs against Traverse City Central and 27 assists, three kills, and 10 digs against Midland Dow. Kolbey Boyd is another talented player as their liberio. She had 28 digs in their win over Midland Dow

The Oilers head coach Allison Smith is in her final season in Mount Pleasant as next season she will be moving to Clarkston as her husband is an assistant under Coach Greg Kampe at Oakland University for Mens Basketball. 

It is unknown if she will coach in Oakland County.

Mount Pleasant and the Dragons have not met this season.

The winner of this matchup will head to Battle Creek to play either Mattawan or Lowell on Friday in the Division One State Semifinals.

PREDICTION: This is an interesting matchup but the Oilers haven't seen a team like the Dragons. Mount Pleasant has not played the schedule or faced the State ranked powers like Lake Orion had to do.The Oilers did not play a team from the OAA this season while the Dragons played Midland Dow in a tournament and beat the Chargers in straight sets. Playing in Lapeer will favor Lake Orion because of travel. The Oilers though are in the same league (Saginaw Valley League) as Lapeer. I think the Red is much tougher and it will show in this matchup. I see the Dragons making a return trip to Battle Creek to defend their title. PICK: LAKE ORION.