North Country Volleyball

The North Country Mavericks played several volleyball matches last week but were unable to add to their win column. The team made the trip to Glasgow on Sept. 30 where they lost to the Scotties 25-21, 25-12, 24-26, 25-22.

"We are getting better with each week and in this match came away with a loss. We gained some valuable experience playing in front of a rowdy crowd and also are finding our syncs within our team," said Mavericks coach Charlene Wasson. "We are starting to piece things together. When we can increase our serving percentage as a team we will start giving the other team points and making them earn them off their offense."

Stat Leaders:

Kills: Teagan Erickson 9, Paige Wasson 7, Jaycee Erickson 4, Zandora Longtree and Mattea McColly each with 3 and Shelbi LaBrie 1

Assists; Jaycee Erickson 11, Paige Wasson 6, Zandora Longtree 3 and Shelbi LaBrie and Ava Reyes each with 1

Aces: Zandora Longtree, Jaycee Erickson and Shelbi LaBrie each with 3 and Mattea McColly and Teagan Erickson each with 1

Digs: Zandora Longtree, Jaycee Erickson, Kora LaBrie each with 9, Paige Wasson 8, Shelbi LaBrie 6, Mattea McColly 3

On Oct. 1, the Mavericks hosted the Plentywood Wildcats in Saco. The guests took the match 25-14, 22-25, 25-21, 25-14. Wasson was enthusiastic regarding her team's growth as evidenced in the match. "This match was another one where we saw a great improvement in our play. We have not taken a set from Plentywood since I started coaching four years ago. They are a tough team with power hitters and sneaky middle hitters. I thought the girls played level-headed and in sync more this night than the previous one against Glasgow. We had some extremely long rallies making it hard to remember who was serving. It was a great match for the crowd and the kids gave them some confidence in knowing they are getting better," she said. The Mavericks coach also expressed gratitude for the challenging week, noting the tough games gave the team an idea how tournaments will look. The experience will also help the team focus on improving chemistry as they look to the post-season.

Stat Leaders:

Aces: Paige Wasson 5, Teagan Erickson 2, Kora LaBrie 2, Jaycee Erickson 1, Shelbi LaBrie 1

Kills: Teagan Erickson 9, Paige Wasson 6, Mattea McColly 3, Jaycee Erickson 1

Assists: Jaycee Erickson 13, Zandora Longtree 5

Digs: Kora LaBrie 8, Zandora Longtree 7, Paige Wasson 6, Shelbi LaBrie 6, Teagan Erickson 5, Mattea McColly 4, Jaycee Erickson 2

Blocks: Teagan Erickson 5, Jaycee Erickson 2, Paige Wasson 2, Zandora Longtree 1

"We traveled Saturday to Medicine Lake hoping to come away with a win. We couldn't string enough good plays together but kept fighting and working. We were a little slow to react to situations on the floor making a few dropped balls points for them," Wasson said. Froid/Medicine Lake won the math 25-22, 29-27, 25-20.

Stat Leaders:

Aces: Kora LaBrie 3, Jaycee Erickson 2

Kills: Paige Wasson 14, Teagan Erickson 14, Jaycee Erickson 4, Mattea McColly 3, Shelbi LaBrie 2, Zandora Longtree 2

Assists: Jaycee Erickson 21, Zandora Longtree 9, Paige Wasson 4

Digs: Paige Wasson 7, Zandora Longtree 7, Kora LaBrie 6, Shelbi LaBrie 3, Teagan Erickson 1

Blocks: Teagan Erickson 2, Paige Wasson 1

"We also continued to struggle serving when we needed it but all in all this week of play was a win in my books for the Mavericks. We travel long distances to play in the 1C on top of the miles we travel for practices every day. I have seen a lot of growth out of individuals this week and we will continue to work on the little things to help build those connections on the floor. We may have lost 3 matches but for this young team, it was a valuable experience they gained this week," Wasson said of her Mavericks.

North Country is scheduled to play the Bearcubs in Frazer Friday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 9, the Mavericks will travel to Savage with JV action against the Warriors beginning at 3 p.m.