Sure handed Tarin Hanson (6) set this ball to Alyssa Lashinski (foreground) who spiked the ball over the net against Deer River for a Viking point. The Vikings took the Section 7A match in three straight games and returned to the state volleyball tournament for the second year in a row on Thursday, November 10.
According to the rock band Three Dog Night, one is the loneliest number, but for the girls from Deer River, the number 16 might be even lonelier. It’s a number that will stick with them like a sore thumb for a long time to come. Maybe even for the rest of their lives.
The Section 7A top-ranked Cook County Vikings girls’ volleyball team took advantage of some blocks and digs and great all around play to beat Deer River in three straight games last Saturday by the scores of 25-16, 25-16, 25-16 to take home its second straight Section 7A championship.
The game was played November 5 in Virginia and sends Cook County (22-3) back to the Class A state tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul where the Vikings will face No. 3 Caledonia (28-5) at 3 p.m. on Thursday, November 10.
“I was very happy with the way the whole team played,” a jubilant Vikings coach Pam Taylor said. “The girls kept pounding the ball, so I was never worried. As a team, this is the best I think that they have played all year. The whole team played great.”
While the scores were the same, each game was different.
“Winning the first game was big for us,” Taylor said. “We continued our strong play at the net that we showed in our semi-final win over North Woods.”
The teams were tied 8-8 in the second game, trading points until Tarin Hanson served a couple of hard to return balls and Alyssa Lashinski pounded a spike to make the score 9-8. A misplayed ball by the Warriors put the Vikings up 10-8, and then another big spike by Lashinski pushed the Vikings’ lead to three points, 11-8. That opening was all it took for the Vikings to continually go on runs of 3 points to 1 point, taking the game 25-16 despite Deer River’s coach calling several timeouts to try and steady her team, all to no avail.
Sure-handed Tarin Hanson, a senior, finished with 29 set assists while Meredith Sutton, a junior, totaled 13 kills, 15 digs, and seven blocks. Alyssa Lashinski— a sophomore who has been coming on strong during the tournament— ended her night with eight kills and four ace serves.
Emily Jacobsen, a senior outside hitter, finished with seven big blocks at the net.
Raina Ryden, the team’s junior libero, recorded 16 digs.
Reilly Wahlers, another outstanding sophomore, finished with seven kills and 14 digs.
The Vikings will send 12 players to the state tournament: Seniors Emily Jacobsen, Maranda Deshampe, Sarah Toftey, Tarin Hanson, Hannah Toftey, and Mariah Deshampe; juniors Abby Prom, Meredith Sutton, Hanna Borson, Raina Ryden; and sophomores Reilly Wahlers and Alyssa Lashinski.
The Warriors of Caledonia are making their second appearance at state, but first since 2012. Last year the Vikings lost in the consolation semifinals. Taylor said she called a coach from the district Caledonia plays in to get some heads up information. “I was told they have a couple of middle hitters who can hit anywhere and a big lefty that pounds the ball. But that was it. The coach said he didn’t feel he should give me any more information because they play in the same district.”
Once again the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa provided a coach fan bus to take people to the game.
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