Mavs Earn Second Place in District 3-C, Punch Ticket to Divisionals

The North Country Mavericks team finished second in the District 3-C Volleyball Tournament on Oct. 28. The all-day event proved to be a test of the Maverick's stamina, as they ended up playing in every match of the tournament.

The morning started off with a change in schedule, as Brockton was unable to supply a team for the tournament. North Country took on Lustre Christian in the first official match, and it was an exciting way to kick off the day. North Country lost the first set 12-25, but then took the second set 25-12, after junior Jada Sudbrack (Saco High) served a series of aces early in the game. Lustre and North Country each won another set, taking the match to a nail-biting fifth game that the Mavericks won, final score 17-15. Junior Mickayla Johnson (Hinsdale High) lead the team in attacks with 11 kills, and Casity Boucher (Hinsdale High) aided with 19 assists. 

North Country went on to play district leader Scobey Spartans in semi-finals of tournament play. Scobey took the momentum from North Country early in the first game and ran away with the lead. North Country put up a good fight, but ultimately lost in three games; 10-25, 11-25, and 14-25. While North Country struggled to return Scobey's attacks and serves, they maintained composure and moved on to the next task at hand: to play against the Lustre Lions once again in the third-place game. 

The second match-up between Lustre and North Country was as intense as the first, with both teams eager to make it to the next round of play and to punch their ticket to the divisional tournament. The Mavericks pushed through, and beat Lustre 25-21 in the first set. The second set was dangerously close, with possession flying back and forth in the last minutes of the game as the score pushed to 31-29. North Country then took the third game from Lustre, winning 25-21, and securing a spot for themselves in the Divisional Tournament. 

The North Country girls had already played 11 games as they continued on to the championship game against the Scobey Spartans. North Country played with intensity, but ultimately lost to Scobey in three sets. After losing the first two games 25-13 and 25-15, respectively, coach Barry Malone decided to let his younger players have a shot, and he started the JV squad for the third set of the championship match. The crew of underclassmen played their best, cheered on by the bench and the crowd, and scored 10 points against Scobey in the final match of the tournament. Coach Malone said that he was very proud of the underclassman group, as they had stepped in throughout the day to fill varsity slots in the back row when his starters needed a break, and held their own against Scobey in that final game. 

North Country finished the tournament in second place, and will play in Sidney this weekend for the Eastern C Divisional Tournament.