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Wolves nip Grizzlies 3-1

North Woods first team this season to win a set against Ely

David Colburn
Posted 9/28/22

FIELD TWP- The Ely volleyball team left the gym at North Woods School last Thursday with their undefeated record intact, but not before the Grizzles put an end to another Timberwolves’ season …

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Wolves nip Grizzlies 3-1

North Woods first team this season to win a set against Ely

Posted

FIELD TWP- The Ely volleyball team left the gym at North Woods School last Thursday with their undefeated record intact, but not before the Grizzles put an end to another Timberwolves’ season mark.
This one had the potential to be a barnburner, with the one-loss Grizzlies ranked two spots ahead of the undefeated Wolves in the Minnesota-Scores Quality Ratings Formula, likely a result of schedule strength.
But Ely put the Grizzlies on notice early that they were in for a battle. Leading 11-8 in the first game, the Wolves went on a devastating 12-1 tear, fueled by three aces from Rachel Coughlin during a service run of eight consecutive points, staking Ely to a 23-9 lead enroute to a 25-12 win.
Game two was the type of volleyball Grizzlies’ fans were hoping to see, as North Woods was in the thick of it early. The teams were knotted at 7-7 when Ely started to inch ahead, slowly building a 15-9 lead.
After the Grizzlies took the ball back at 15-10, Lauren Burnett fired a couple of aces and Hannah Kinsey knocked down a dunk at the net. An Ely error put the Grizzlies right back into the thick of it, trailing just 16-15. Moments later the teams were tied at 17-17, and North Woods went ahead by as many as three points before Ely’s Madeline Kalllberg connected on a kill to pull the Wolves even again at 22-22.
Boosted by the opportunity to hand the Wolves their first game loss of the season, Burnett got the call for a pair of kills that put North Woods one point away from the upset, and after a time-out the comeback was complete when an Ely hit sailed wide. The Grizzlies and North Woods fans erupted in celebration over the 25-22 win while the Wolves regrouped on the sideline.
North Woods rode that emotion into the next game, but after Ely took a 3-2 advantage, the Grizzlies never led again. Riding the hot-hitting arm of Hannah Penke, who had a match-high 19 kills, Ely used a 15-6 run to take the third game 25-15.
Game four was like the first and third, with the Grizzlies hanging tough early but the Wolves wearing them down with their relentless attack. With Kate Coughlin serving, the Wolves went on a decisive four-point spurt punctuated by an ace and another Penke kill to go up 18-10. A weak return to the net by the Grizzlies on match point turned into a perfect set for Ely’s Lilli Rechichi, who slammed home the 25-15 game winner.
Ely Head Coach Megan Wognum was pleased with how her team bounced back from the disappointing second-game loss.
“I think a lot of it comes down to our mindset,” Wognum said. “It’s really important that we’re playing with not only our athletic ability, but also our mental capabilities. It’s good for us to lose a set, it’s good for us to be able to come back and learn from that and make better choices the next time. It proved tonight that we’ve grown mentally. That’s always been a challenge for us in volleyball the last few years and we’ve grown.”
Grizzlies Head Coach Kandi Olson talked about what turned things around for North Woods in the second game.
“We were playing at Ely’s pace instead of our pace,” Olson said. “We don’t play from reacting, we create, and we needed everyone to do their job and play their role. It just took a little reminder for them that we could hang with them. I was really proud of how they focused and stuck together. And really, it was momentum on our side. They knew it and they knew they had to keep that excitement going and finish out that set.”
Penke’s kill shot total was a personal best, and Wognum said that was due as much to her heady play as it was to her powerful arm.
“She’s a smart player. She knows how to place the ball,” Wognum said. “They’ve got to learn how to put the ball in places where other people aren’t, but she’s just got that. She played phenomenally.”
Penke also collected 14 digs and three aces. Kate Coughlin led the team in digs with 22 and nailed six kills. Sarah Visser had 20 set assists, and Kallberg was close behind with 18 and also had nine kills.
For the Grizzlies, Skyler Yernatich connected on a team-leading 10 kills, followed by Burnett with nine and Addy Hartway with seven. Talise Goodsky picked up 17 assists. Tori Olson had 18 digs, while Burnett had 15.