The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Carrington Cardinals celebrate match point in their first-round Region 3 Tournament victory over Strasburg-Zeeland. Haley Wolsky (11, facing camera) lets out a triumphant yell along with, left to right, Allison Jarrett, Kennedy Wendel, Isabel Wendel, Edyn Hoornaert and Emma Hone.
Libero Mya Schroeder receives a serve in the first round match at Region 3 against Strasburg-Zeeland. She finished with 22 digs in that match, and was the top back row contributor in the semifinal win over LaMoure/L-M by making 32 digs.
Kennedy Wendel's play against LaMoure/Litchville-Marion in the semifinal round proved decisive in another three-set sweep over the Loboes to advance to the championship. Wendel, a senior, had 11 kills and four blocks to help CHS move in.
It all came together at the end of the year for the Carrington volleyball team.
Two straight wins over Strasburg-Zeeland and LaMoure/Litchville-Marion at the Region 3 Tournament at Napoleon have the Cardinals on the cusp of their first state tournament appearance since 2013.
"The girls are playing strong and fearless," said Head Coach Megan Trautman. "They're working so well together, enjoying each and every moment, and just really buckling down on defense. We've had a good flow defensively, and are also attacking the ball with aggression and efficiency."
Carrington 3, S-Z 0
Quarterfinals
Even in the three sweeps out of the four first-day matches on day one of Region 3, observers could see that they didn't feel like blankings.
Carrington's three-set win over the Strasburg-Zeeland Clippers followed this script to a tee, in that it never really felt like the Cards were in total control, but they didn't seem to be in danger of falling too far behind either when S-Z made a run.
The 25-22, 25-17 and 25-23 victory featured a total of 24 ties, and momentum seemed to ride squarely on who had the hot hand on the service line.
For CHS (27-8), that early spark came from setter Kacie Rexin, who finished with six total aces. The Clippers' (22-11) most sustained success was spurred by Charli Peterson's time at the line with three aces.
In the end, it was the Cards' hard work in the back row and on rallies that would win those crucial points.
Senior Haley Wolsky and sophomore Edyn Hoornaert were co-leaders with eight kills, and Kennedy Wendel added seven and Emma Hone six.
Another dual stat leadership honor came in digs, where Isabel Wendel and Mya Schroeder each had 22.
S-Z's Lilly Haak led the District 6 runners-up with 12 kills, followed by Grace Haak with eight. Peterson had
The win marked the 14th consecutive year that CHS has advanced past the first round of the regional tournament, a streak that began in 2009 when the school still played in Region 4.
Carrington 3, LaMoure/L-M 0
Semifinals
District 5 champion LaMoure/Litchville-Marion awaited in the semifinal round. The Loboes had to endure a monumental scare from South Border in the first round, taking a five-set marathon which included a thin 16-14 win in the final game.
After a 3-1 loss in the regular season to L-L-M, the Cards turned on the intensity past 11 for their semifinal clash.
Set one was a back-and-forth affair befitting of the two District 5 rivals, but it didn't hit fever pitch until the final points of the game. In extra points, the Cards prevailed, 28-26.
Each side had their chances to close the other out in the first set to take the early advantage, but Carrington's tenacity on several rallies won the set.
That feeling of control on repelling the Lobo attack continued into set two, with CHS' hard work in the back row putting the L-L-M offense completely out of sync in a nine-point 25-16 victory.
Their season now on the line, the Loboes had a better start to set three, but the Cards would dominate play in the middle points and race out to a 15-7 lead.
LaMoure's best shot to make a longshot comeback came with the Steffes girls, Heidi at the net and Savanna at the service line. The former began to heat up with several of her 10 kills, and the latter kept the Cardinal defense honest with some precision serves.
But, in the end, CHS got the clutch plays, and advanced to play for the Region title for the second time in Trautman's three-year tenure.
Senior Kennedy Wendel played arguably one of her best games as a Cardinal, finding the floor for 11 kills and racking up four blocks at opportune times.
Hoornaert had a knack for finding the weak points of the Lobo defense, adding nine kills.
Most importantly, the work of the CHS back row defenders was impressive. Schroeder led the way with 32 digs, followed by Isabel Wendel with 20 of her own.
The Cardinal offense kept its flow going with "two-headed" setter Isabel Wendel (25 assists) and Rexin (12).
Nateal Rodin had a solid game in defeat for the Loboes (24-10) with nine kills, and Tessa Rasmusson contributed six. Heidi Steffes had four blocks, and libero Cassie Quinlan had 16 digs. From the setter's box, Bailie Kelley had 19 assists.
Trautman concluded, "I'm just so proud of our girls, and pleased with their energy and efforts."
As expected, the juggernaut Linton-HMB Lions are the only team in the way of the Cards completing their Cinderella run. They took a tougher-than-expected three-set win over the Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier Rebels in the first round, then had a workmanlike showing in sweeping the Oakes Tornadoes in the semifinals to meet up with CHS.
LaMoure/L-M took on Oakes in the third place match.
In advance of an anticipated Thursday snowstorm this past week, an alternate date of Friday, November 11, for the third place and championship rounds is in place should weather cancel the original date.
The regional champion advances to the State B Tournament at the Bismarck Event Center Thursday-Saturday, November 17-19.
Region 3 Volleyball Tournament, Napoleon
Quarterfinals
Carrington 3, Strasburg-Zeeland 0
Cgtn. 25 25 25 - 3
S-Z 22 17 23 - 0
Carrington Individual Stats
Kills: Edyn Hoornaert and Haley Wolsky 8, Kennedy Wendel 7, Emma Hone 6, Madison Johnson 3.
Assists: Isabel Wendel 17, Kacie Rexin 10, Hoornaert 1.
Aces: Rexin 6, Allison Jarrett, I. Wendel, K. Wendel and Wolsky 1.
Blocks: Hone and I. Wendel 4, K. Wendel 3, Wolsky 1.
Digs: Mya Schroeder and I. Wendel 22, Wolsky 21, Jarrett 13, Rexin 8, Johnson 5, K. Wendel 3, Hone and Brynn Smith 2.
S-Z Individual Stats
Kills: Lilly Haak 12, Grace Haak 8, Becky Wikenheiser 5, Charli Peterson and Addison Wagner 1.
Assists: Peterson 18, Wikenheiser 4, Morgan Huizenga 2, Shauna Lauinger and Wagner 1.
Aces: Peterson 3, G. Haak, L. Haak and Lauinger 1.
Blocks: G. Haak and Wikenheiser 2, Wagner 1.
Digs: Peterson 26, Wikenheiser 19, Jadyn Ternes 15, L. Haak 14, Huizenga 12, Lauinger 4, Jeannie Keller 3, G. Haak and Wagner 2, Rebekah Pool 1.
Semifinals
Carrington 3, LaMoure/L-M 0
Cgtn. 28 25 26 - 3
L-L-M 26 16 24 - 0
Carrington Individual Stats
Kills: K. Wendel 11, Hoornaert 9, Hone, Johnson and Wolsky 6, I. Wendel 4, Jarrett 1.
Assists: I. Wendel 25, Rexin 12, Hoornaert 2.
Aces: Jarrett, K. Wendel and Wolsky 1.
Blocks: K. Wendel 4, Hone, Hoornaert and I. Wendel 3, Johnson 1.
Digs: Schroeder 32, I. Wendel 20, Wolsky 13, Jarrett 12, Rexin 10, Johnson 8, K. Wendel 4, Hone and Hoornaert 3.
LaMoure/L-M Individual Stats
Kills: Heidi Steffes 10, Nateal Rodin 9, Tessa Rasmusson 6, Bailie Kelley and Izzy Miller 5, Savanna Steffes 2.
Assists: Kelley 19, Lexi Linebaugh 9, Cassie Quinlan 2, Miller, Rasmusson and H. Steffes 1.
Aces: S. Steffes 2, Linebaugh, Quinlan and Rasmusson 1.
Blocks: H. Steffes 4, Rodin 1.
Digs: Quinlan 16, Rasmusson 6, S. Steffes 5, Linebaugh 4, Kelley and Rodin 2.
