Vikings improve to 10-2

Positioning in volleyball is everything. While Theresa Morrin (3) looks on, Cecelia Olsen gets ready to bump the ball to a front line teammate. Anna Carmen (8) is backing up Cecelia on this play. Very few serves fall for aces against the Vikings because the girls know where they should be on the court at all times.

After a crazy week of volleyball, the Vikings looked forward to a week with only two games. Rest is important in a grueling sports season and the Vikings were in need of some after a successful but busy week.

The Vikings travelled on Tuesday, September 27 to take on the young Wrenshall Wrens. The Wrens have been down in all their girls’ sports teams while the Vikes have enjoyed a lot of recent success. Those facts played out again as the Vikings rolled to an easy 3-0 sweep.

Resting Ashley “Dish” Deschampe because of a sore shoulder, the Vikes still jumped on the Wrens right away. Using good serves and a quick attack, the Vikings dismantled Wrenshall’s defense and scored a 25-10 win. The second game proved to be similar to the first, with the Vikings taking a quick lead and holding on throughout for the win. Sophomore Abbey Sutton set the ball well, leading the Vikings with 8 assists. In game 3, the Vikings played all underclassmen, showcasing next year’s team. The result was a dominating win, 25-14. Taylor Ryden had 5 set assists, setting to classmate Ali Iverson, who led the Vikes with 7 kills.

Ali Iverson is having a great year in the front court. Here she goes up to spike the ball against recent foe Barnum.

The girls got a day off before having to travel to Duluth to take on the Lakeview Christian Academy Lions. Much like the Wrens, the Lions have been down in the past few years, but the Vikings may have had that on their mind too much. LCA came out hot, jumping on the slow-moving Vikes, taking a quick lead. Morgan Wisneski hammered one down the center to jumpstart the packed Woodland Hills gymnasium.

The Vikings began the game without normal starters Iverson (illness) and Deschampe (shoulder), but eventually put Dish in the game and kept things close. With the Lions leading game 1 the whole way, the Vikings scrapped back to tie it up at 23. Seesaw action led to extra volleyball. With the Vikings leading 29-28, the Lions misplayed a ball and gave the Vikes a 30-28 win.

The Vikings woke up, despite the Lions’ Homecoming crowd cheering on their team, and played up to their capabilities to take the 2nd game 25-12 and the 3rd game 25-18.

Abbey Sutton set the ball for Sarah Fagerman to spike in one of the Vikings’ recent matches. The Vikings are on pace to once again win 20 games for the season.

Coach Pam Taylor explained one of the major changes she made which helped get the Vikings going. “I moved Theresa Morrin into the middle hitter spot and she filled in for Ali, and Rachel Wieben went to the outside. The girls seemed to respond well to that and started really playing.”

The win moves the Vikings’ record to 10-2, with only five regular season games left, plus the Two Harbors tournament, which they’ve won the last two years.

Along with the success the varsity has enjoyed, Coach Sharon Dorr has the junior varsity playing well also. The JV has a great record of 8-1, with the only loss coming in a thriller to Esko. Come on out and support a very good Viking volleyball program.

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