Champions now and forever! The three-time champion Section 7A Vikings didn’t medal at state, but they came close to winning the consolation bracket. Here, from L-R: Sophie Eliasen, Meredith Sutton, Sela Backstrom Reilly Wahlers, Abby Prom, Raina Ryden, Linnea Gesch, Alyssa Fenstad-Lashinski, Jasmine Smith and running down the line is the team’s libero, Hanna Borson.
The Cook County High School volleyball team ended a great season with one win and two losses at the state volleyball championships played at the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
During the last game of the Minnesota Class A state volleyball consolation championship game, Vikings’ head coach Pam Taylor felt nothing but pride for the way her team fought back in a game that appeared to be lost.
Down 20-10 to New Life Academy in what would prove to be the team’s and Taylor—after 35 years of coaching—final game, the Vikings roared back and tied it 20-20 before falling 25-22. Five straight times in that comeback Raina Ryden made perfect sets to Meredith Sutton, and Meredith delivered her now famous “Sutton bombs.”
The Vikings tied the score again at 21-21, but managed only one more point as the team from Woodbury, Minnesota had just enough in the tank to take the match.
The Vikings fell 25-19 in the first game and almost won the second, losing 27-25 in a well-played game by both teams.
With the loss, the Vikings season ended with a 23-7 record.
The University of Minnesota Duluth bound senior outside hitter, Sutton finished with 19 kills, 17 digs, and two blocks. Sophie Eliasen ended with four kills, three set assists, one ace serve, and six digs. Abby Prom had one kill, 10 set assists, and
SAVE UP TO four digs. Reilly Wahlers had two kills, one set assists, and nine digs.
Alyssa Fenstad-Lashinski had six kills, one set assists, two ace serves, and nine digs.
Raina Ryden had ten digs, two ace serves, one set assists, and one kill. Hannah Borson finished with three digs.
Once again the three-time Section 7A champions had to play their first match against the top-rated class A team. On Thursday night, November 9, the Vikings took the floor against the 29-2 defending state champion Mayer Lutheran team. The match took 57 minutes as the Vikings fell in three straight 25-15, 25-9 and 25-19.
For the first match Sutton recorded 12 kills and five digs. Alyssa Fenstad-Lashinski had seven kills and nine digs while Sophie Eliasen had three kills and five digs. Abby Prom had three digs, two ace serves and five set assists. Raina Ryden finished with 16 set assists and six digs. Reilly Wahlers had three digs.
On Friday the Viking entered the semi-final consolation bracket where they faced Ada-Borup/Norman County West. What took place was a virtual clinic by two evenly matched teams.
The Vikings lost the first game 28-26, won the second 25-19, and won game three 25-22. The Vikings were up by 20-12 in the fourth game before Ada-Borup came charging back. With the score tied at 23-23, both teams took one point leads but couldn’t get that second point to win by two. Finally, Ada-Borup squeaked by the Vikings 29-27.
During the fifth game which is played to 15, it was the Vikings turn to make a comeback. Down 12-9, the Vikings began to feed Sutton and Sutton delivered with several wicked kills. In between Sophie Eliasen made a nice kill and Fenstad-Lashinski took a nice ball set by Abby Prom and smacked it by the Ada-Borup defense.
The Vikings took a 13-12 lead and then went up 14-12 before Ada-Borup scored its 13th point. A great set from Ryden to Sutton led to a Sutton bomb, and the Vikings won a great match 15-13 to move on to play on Saturday.
Abby Prom ended that match with 17 sets, two ace serves, and five digs. Ryden finished with a ridiculous 39 set assist and 25 digs.
Sutton had 38 kills, one ace serve, 29 digs, and one block.
Alyssa Fenstad-Lashinski had nine kills, 13 digs and one ace serve. Sophie Eliasen had seven kills, three set assists, one ace serve, 21 digs and two blocks at the net.
Reilly Wahlers finished with seven kills, 16 digs, and one ace serve.
Hannah Borson finished with eight digs, playing great as she rotated into the back row to take serves as the team’s libero.
For her outstanding play at the state tournament, Meredith Sutton was named to the Class A All- Tournament team. Meredith was also named to the All-State Class A first team. These accolades are selected by coaches who attended the state tournament.
Leave a Reply