Lake Orion Volleyball Pulls Off Incredible Comeback Win in Quarterfinals

ST. CLAIR SHORES – The varsity volleyball team came up with a motto before the season: “Refuse to lose.”

That’s exactly what the Dragons did Tuesday night.

The volleyball team erased a two-set deficit and staged an incredible 3-2 comeback win (26-28, 21-25, 25-14, 25-22, 15-13) over Macomb Dakota in the Class A state quarterfinals at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore High School.

“It came down to who wanted to win more,” senior Shannon Murdock said. “We fought our hearts out and we just pulled it out.”

At the start of the third set, Murdock had six kills and a block during a huge 13-2 run. 

“That was huge. It took all their momentum away and their confidence kind of left I think and we got ours back,” Lake Orion head coach Bob Howey said.

The Dakota Cougars used both of their timeouts early in the set to try and slow down the match. It didn’t work and Lake Orion extended its lead to a game-high 14 points at 22-8 before winning 25-14.   

“I don’t even know what was wrong with us those first two games,” Murdock said. “We just said we have to come out as a team and show who we are. We did in the third game and took it to them.”

Last two sets challenging

The final two sets weren’t without some tense moments.

Macomb Dakota had a lead late in the fourth set at 21-20 and in the fifth set came back from a 13-8 deficit to tie the game at 13-13. Both times, the veteran-laden Dragons team found its composure and closed out the set.

“We played a super tough schedule and I think that’s part of why we can do that,” Howey said. “We also have eight seniors and eight juniors, it's huge, and they (Macomb Dakota) are young, that played into it. Our girls are confident even with their backs to the wall.”

In the first two sets, Lake Orion fell behind by making some uncharacteristic mistakes. It had game point in the first set 25-24 before letting the Cougars regain the upper hand with two unforced errors. Dakota put away the set 28-26 with an ace.

The Cougars came right back and maintained control of almost the entire second set. The Dragons briefly held the lead at 8-7, but Macomb Dakota scored the next three points and never trailed again.

Lake Orion’s confidence seemed to fade during the match when a couple of close points went the Cougars' way. 

The Dragons saw a side out reversed in Macomb Dakota’s favor when the head referee overturned a line judge’s call. The referee ruled a Lake Orion kill out of bounds to make the score 16-13 instead of 15-14.

“That took us out of a little bit,” Howey said. “I told them (after the second set), I don’t want to hear another word about officiating. If you want to go to Battle Creek go and win the match. The officiating has nothing to do with it. We got caught up into it a little bit.”

Shannon Murdock finished the game with a team-high five aces and 21 kills. Her sister, Sophie Murdock, led the team with 3 1/2 blocks and added seven kills.

Maddie Hutchinson had two aces and had 32 digs. Liz Kalugar had 18 digs and 11 kills for the Dragons.

What's next

Lake Orion will play in the semifinals Thursday at Battle Creek.

The Dragons are set to face a Clarkston team with which they are very familiar at 7:15 p.m. Earlier in the season, Lake Orion lost to the Clarkston Wolves in five sets. That match was the only other time, outside the quarterfinals, the Dragons had came back from a 2-0 deficit to force a fifth set.

“(That game) helped us have the poise we needed today,” Howey said. “We struggled at the end of that, I think you have to learn how to win close games. You have to be their sometime, and I think that’s in all sports, the game against Clarkston was the one that taught us."

Are the Lake Orion girls excited to have a rematch?

“Beyond excited,” Murdock said, smiling.