Seven White Lakers named to the Northern Lakes Conference team Oct. 31, 2007 Seven White Lake High School athletes got their names on the Northern Lakes Conference honor roll last week, several for a second time.
Spikers shine
The Lakers volleyball team finished 6-4 for the second time in coach Kathy Bowman’s two seasons steering the program. After finishing fifth in the NLC, five members of the team were named to the All-Northern Lakes Conference team.
Senior Addie MacDonald, a four-year player and a three-year letter-winner, was the team’s standout.
The only player in the NLC to go over the century mark, MacDonald led the league in kills with 103, and led the Lakers in blocks with 14.
“She did an amazing job,” Bowman pointed out. “ Prior to this year she was exclusively a middle hitter however we made some changes and moved her to the outside.”
A strong middle hitter and outside hitter, MacDonald finished with 22 serve aces, and 58 digs.
In her third nomination to the All-NLC team, she was named to the second team for the second straight year.
“(She) is defensively at the net and in the back row,” Bowman continued. “She makes good decisions at the net and is a team player. What is best for the team is important to her. She’s tough, she dominants at the net and does not let things rattle her. If she makes a mistake she is able to self correct and come back fighting.”
Kaite Gallagher, Danielle Stegall, Rachel Klement and Magon Holbrook all earned honorable mention.
Gallagher, a senior, was, like MacDonald, a four-year player, with three years on varsity. Her nomination in 2007 is her second to the NLC team. She earned honorable mention in 2005.
A setter and outside hitter, she led the team in assists and serve aces, finishing second in the league with 136 assists and third in aces with 38.
“(She) has worked hard on her game,” Bowman added.
“She was one half of an amazing setting team. She knows her hitters well and is able to place her sets to complete the big kills, and she greatly improved her serve this year.”
This year’s team captain, Gallagher tallied 42 kills, and 26 digs.
“She does a great job at the net,” Bowman went on.
Stegall, a junior, has logged three seasons on the varsity, two as a starter.
She was second among White Lakers in assists, with 92, and third in kills with 70.
Bowman called her a “solid setter, (who) serves well, and a consistent hitter,” adding, “She’s excellent defensively and is able to block well too. The middle hitter position was new for her this year and she did a great job. She and Kaite work so well together as the setters; I do not believe that there is a better setting team in the conference than the two of them.”
An all-around player, Stegall finished with 63 digs and seven blocks.
“Danielle has a consistent pass and is able to really set the ball well,” Bowman explained. “She makes very smart decisions at the net. She hustles all over the court.”
Klement is a junior with two years varsity experience, both as a starter. She plays back-row defense, outside hitter in the front row and is working on setting.
“Rachel has done a great job serving, excellent defense in the back row and has super smart net play. Rachel will mix it up between spikes and tips. She has mastered the cross court tip.
Klement led the Lakers in digs, finishing second in the conference with 91. She also came away with 25 kills, nine assists and 12 serve aces.
Bowman praised her growth.
“She has improved as a team player tenfold. What has made her an all conference player to me is her coach ability, Rachel has taken the majority of what the coaching staff has said and applied it to her play.”
Just a sophomore, Holbrook has already spent two years on the varsity. In her first season as a starter, she was the Lakers’ second-deadliest killer, posting 73, fifth-most in the league.
A lefthander, Holbrook played back row defense, and worked as a middle and outside hitter.
“Boy can she hit,” Bowman noted. “ She is a strong net player and can basically hit anything. For Magon a set does not have to be perfect, she can make adjustments and really get a hold of the ball. And not only is she a strong hitter, she does a great job on the block as well. Holbrook totaled 53 digs, 14 aces, and six blocks.
“Magon is a team player and she never has a bad attitude,” Bowman added. “Her enthusiasm is contagious. She has missed less than five serves the entire year.”
Two Grid Men Named
Two White Lake members of the Elcho-White Lake football co-op were also named to the Northern Lakes team.
Senior Scott Popelka received a second bid to the Second team, having earned a spot as a lineman last season.
An end in 2007 he developed into one of quarterback Kurt Kincaid’s favorite targets.
“Scott is a kid who quietly leads by example,” Wolverine coach Riley Thomas said.
“He didn’t lead the league in catches, but I think he led in touchdown catches. When he got the ball, put his head down and got us some yards.”
Popelka also proved to be a durable asset on the defensive line.
“In high school football, defensive end are mostly run-stoppers, and Scott held his own,” Thomas added.
“He helped extend the play which allowed our linebackers to make plays. He’s a hard worker and he listens well. I wish I could have another year with all the seniors.”
Newcomer Harley Tarpley, just a sophomore, garnered honorable mention as a center.
“He’s only a sophomore, but he was one of the better athletes on our team,” Wolverine coach Riley Thomas said.
“He wasn’t the biggest guy to play the position but he was consistent and he seldom made mistakes. He has tons of potential.”
In addition to his work on the offensive line, Tarpley made his mark as a linebacker.
“I thought he really showed a knack for finding the football,” Thomas said. “Toward the end of the season, teams looked like they were running away from him.”
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