ELY— With the playoffs looming, Ely used a weekend tournament to sharpen their skills and a Tuesday night contest to show they could put it all together, as they dumped Mt. Iron-Buhl here in straight sets, 25-18, 26-24, and 25-15.
“It was a great win for Ely,” said Timberwolves Head Coach Megan Wognum.
Junior Rachel Coughlin had a big night for the Wolves, racking up 11 kills, seven digs, three blocks, an ace and a set assist. Senior Kellen Thomas was close behind, with nine kills, seven digs, six blocks, and two aces. Junior Kate Coughlin added eight kills, eight digs and a block while senior setter Katrina Seliskar tallied 34 assists, five digs, a block, and an ace. Senior Raven Sainio added three kills and three digs, while junior Madeline Kallberg tallied three kills and three digs.
Tuesday’s big home win came on the heels of a solid performance by the Wolves at the Mesabi East tournament this past Saturday. The Wolves downed Chisholm 25-12,25-18, and followed up with a victory over Floodwood, 25-12, 23-25, and 15-11. Rachel Coughlin had a strong performance against the Bluestreaks, posting seven kills, three blocks, and four digs. Kate Coughlin added five kills, four digs and two aces, while Thomas added five kills and Seliskar added two kills and 19 assists.
Kate Coughlin’s 12 kills led the way for Ely over Floodwood, while Thomas and Rachel Coughlin added eight kills apiece. Thomas also added five digs while Coughlin added three digs and four blocks.
The Wolves hit a roadblock against Mesabi East, which has been a nemesis for Ely all season. The Giants won in two close, hard-fought sets, 25-22, 25-21. Thomas had a strong match, posting ten kills, seven digs, and two blocks. Rachel Coughlin added nine kills, five digs, and two blocks, while sister Kate added five kills and three digs. Kallberg posted five kills and two blocks, while Annikka Mattson tallied five digs. Seliskar posted 26 set assists.
The Wolves fell to Barnum in the tournament capper, losing 25-27 and 12-25.
“Overall, it was another great day of volleyball,” said Wognum. “We will be using the next week to sharpen up some skills that need refining so we are ready for the playoffs.”
The Wolves hope to finish up the regular season with wins, which would likely guarantee them a home berth in the first round of the playoffs. They were set to host Nashwauk-Keewatin on Thursday. They’ll travel to Cook County (6:30 p.m. start) on Monday and will finish up their regular season at home, hosting Bigfork.