Lake Orion finds Class of 2023 standout in outside Nina Horning
Lake Orion coach Tony Scavarda knew he would have to replace one All-State outside hitter in 2019, but he wasn’t aware that he would ultimately have to replace two. The Dragons were the 2018 D1 state champions behind the leadership…
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Continue ReadingLake Orion coach Tony Scavarda knew he would have to replace one All-State outside hitter in 2019, but he wasn’t aware that he would ultimately have to replace two.
The Dragons were the 2018 D1 state champions behind the leadership of Paige Briggs on the outside. With Briggs graduating, Sydney Smith was penciled in to take on a bigger role in 2019 after earning Second Team All-State honors as a right side in her junior year.
Instead, Smith’s family moved out of state and the Dragons were left with an even-bigger hole to fill.
That’s when Scavarda discovered the potential of freshman Nina Horning.
A lengthy 6’2” outside from the Class of 2023, Horning joined the Dragons for team camp in the summer and immediately made an impression on her new coach.
“I knew (Horning) was going to be pretty good, but we didn’t really know what kind of role she would have this year until we took her to MSU team camp and she played the way she did. I knew from that point that she was going to have to be on the court for us,” Scavarda said.
Horning has quite a family lineage in the Lake Orion program, as sisters Hannah, Shannon and Sophie Murdock were mainstays for the Dragons over the last decade while all going on to play at the college level.
Now, Nina gets her chance to leave an impact. Horning had played middle for the most part due to her length, but Scavarda has her playing outside due to the need at the position and her potential to really be a complete player.
“Having Sydney would have given us a lot more options and certainly another strong passer, which we need badly right now,” Scavarda said. “But Nina has been working hard on her all-around game and the sky is really the limit for her right now.”
Through six matches, Horning is leading the Dragons in kills with 45 while hitting .297. She also has 32 digs, six aces and four blocks.
“She’s played in a lot of high-level club matches for a few years now, so she is accustomed to a faster pace of play,” Scavarda said. “She has more experience in that regard than some of our upper classmen in terms of competing at a high level, so I do have a lot of trust in her right now.”
Lauren Staruch (9), Nina Horning (13)Horning joins junior Taylor Buckiewicz as the primary outside options for Lake Orion right now. Each are new to the position, but have put up promising results this far on the attack.
“Both have been playing outside for less than a year and we are relying on them for a lot of swings,” Scavarda said. “They both are converted middles, so there is a learning curve for both of them. It’s going to be a process for them, but what I am getting out of them offensively thus far is really good. Once I can get their serving and passing up to their offensive level, then we are going to be really tough.”
The Dragons also have Lauren Staruch, who can play outside and middle, that is hitting .310 early in the year, as well as strong junior middles Kendall Robertson and Reagan Goeke.
Lake Orion is off to a 3-3 start with losses to Bloomfield Hills, Detroit Country Day and Oxford, but the Dragons also own wins over Clarkston and Notre Dame Prep. With an inexperienced squad, ups and downs are likely this year, but the Dragons know they have a strong future with Horning in the mix.