Thursday, September 30, 2010

Service game proves to be difference in Cardinals loss to Orioles

Osseo held a 16-point advantage in four sets, 13 of which came from the service game, as the Orioles defeated Coon Rapids, 25-22, 23-25, 25-18, 25-17.

Osseo had 12 aces to five for the Cardinals, and 10 errors to 16 for the hosts. Coon Rapids served just 80.7 percent on 83 attempts for the night compared to .897 on 97 attempts for the Orioles.

Coon Rapids committed six service errors in the opening set, which spelled the difference in a three-point loss. Ashley Engen had five kills, without and error, in 10 attacks and Paige Jones had 10 assists in 23 set attempts as the Cardinals offense was on track in the early going.

The second set saw 10 tie scores and five lead changes before a kill by Engen broke a 23-23 tie and her service ace gave Coon Rapids the win and tied the match at one set apiece. Once again, Engen paced the offense with six kills and a .417 hitting percentage while Jones recorded 10 more assists while setting at a .455 clip.

The Cardinals never led in the third set as an 8-0 run by Osseo turned a 4-4 tie into a 12-4 lead. The hosts came back, cutting the lead to 18-16 at one point, but the Orioles finished on a 7-2 run to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

In the final set, an early five-point run by Osseo broke a 3-3 tie and, when a block Angela Koch and Courtney Pasiowitz cut the lead to 13-12, the visitors went on a six-point run and cruised to the eight-point win to close out the match.

Engen accounted for a match-high 19.5 points with 15 kills, hitting .324 on the night, with a block and four aces. Jones had a season-high .392 setting percentage with 31 assists while also contributing three blocks.

The Cardinals are next in action Saturday, Oct. 2, when they hosts the Coon Rapids Invitational. The Cardinals open tournament play at 9 a.m. by taking on Hastings. The round-robin event also features Centennial, Providence, Robbinsdale Armstrong, Rogers and Stillwater.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association Class AAA Rankings

The Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association has released the state rankings as of Sept. 27, 2010.

Three Northwest Suburban Conference teams are in this week's poll.

Blaine moved from ninth to fourth despite going 3-2 on the week. The Bengals won their only conference match of the week, a 3-1 decision over Elk River, before taking part in the Apple Valley Invitiational over the weekend. There, Blaine went 2-2, knocking off Chaska and seventh-ranked Apple Valley, 2-0, before dropping 2-0 decisions to top-ranked Wazyata and fifth-ranked Eastview.

Centennial, for the second week in a row, sits on the edge of poll, earning 49 points while Andover received votes for the first time this season, earning six points.

Stillwater, which received 13 points this week, will join Centennial in taking part in the Coon Rapids Invitational, which gets underway Saturday, Oct. 2, at 9 a.m.

Team (1st Place Votes)       Record   Pts
 1. Wayzata (11)            15- 1-0   220
 2. Lakeville North (4)     13- 1-0   214
 3. Bloomington Jefferson   15- 1-0   194
 4. Blaine                   9- 2-0   148
 5. Eastview                 9- 7-0   147
 6. Lakeville South         13- 2-0   144
 7. Apple Valley            11- 4-0   139
 8. Shakopee                11- 5-0   108
 9. Waconia                 12- 5-0   105
10. Eden Prairie             9- 6-0    81

Others: Centennial (49), Hill-Murray (14), Cretin-Durham Hall (13), Stillwater (13), Andover (6)

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Cardinals falter in four-set loss to Elk River

Coon Rapids won its first set in Northwest Suburban Conference play this season but dropped the final three sets in a 23-25, 25-11, 25-23, 25-11 loss at Elk River.

A perfect effort serving in the first set and four blocks helped key the Cardinals opening-set win. However, it didn't open well for the visitors as they quickly fell behind 4-2. A seven-point run, keyed by Ashley Engen's service game, enabled Coon Rapids to open up a 9-4 lead.

The Elks would make several runs at retaking the lead, finally attaining a 20-20 tie before each team score three consecutive points to knot the set at 23-23. A service error gave the Cardinals the lead back and Chloe Jacobson then served up an ace to close out the opening frame.

The second set sat the hosts open with a six-point run and they never looked back as 17 Coon Rapids errors led to an 14-point win for the Elks.

Set three saw the Cardinals fall behind 4-1 and they trailed until a 5-1 run saw them take a 13-11 lead, which they would eventually extend to 18-13 before Elk River began its comeback, one which ended with an 8-2 run to overcome a 21-17 deficit.

The teams battled to a 5-5 tie early in the fourth set but the Elks ran off five consecutive points to take a lead they would not relinquish and then finished the match with another five-point run.

Engen posted a double-double on the night with 11 kills and 12 digs. Olivia Jung had five kills and Chloe Jacobson had three kills, two aces and 10 digs.

Coon Rapids returns home for conference match with Osseo, Thursday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m.

Engen's triple-double helps Cardinals to five-set win over Bluejackets

Ashley Engen had a triple-double with 20 kills, 20 digs and 11 services aces, and her final ace gave Coon Rapids its last lead of the night in a 25-19, 22-25, 25-15, 23-25, 17-15 win over Cambridge-Isanti to snap a four-match losing streak.

The match featured 13 lead changes, the final change came when Lindsay Bratland killed a Paige Jones set and Engen followed with her 11th ace of the night to give the Cardinals a 16-15, fifth-set lead. Jones and Bratland then combined one their third block of the set to finish the match.

"We did a great job coming back," Coon Rapids head coach Heidi Ulwelling said. "We battled and came up with a win."

The opening set saw a series of runs cause a pair of lead changes but, with an 18-12 lead, the Cardinals appeared headed to a first-set win. A 7-1 run by the Bluejackets closed the gap to one-point and the teams traded points to give Coon Rapids the serve back with a 20-19 lead.

From there, Jones served out the set, ending streak of 12 consecutive sets lost by the Cardinals.

Cambridge-Isanti found itself trailing 4-0 and, eventually, 10-5, before mounting a comeback, using a 9-2 run to take a 14-12 lead, forcing a Coon Rapids timeout. The Cardinals would eventually come back to take an 18-17 lead on a pair of Engen service aces but it wasn't enough to derail the Bluejackets, who tied the match at 1-1.

The third set featured two big runs which resulted in the only lead change of the stanza. The Bluejackets scored the first three points of the set and then used a 6-0 run to take a 9-2 lead.

Facing a seven-point deficit, at 10-3, the Cardinals got the serve back and Engen took over, recording eight of her aces during an 11-point run which gave Coon Rapids a four-point lead, which it would not relinquish.

It appeared the Cardinals were headed for a four-set win when they took a 21-17 lead. The Bluejackets fought back, however, overcoming eight kills by Engen in the set, hitting .394 themselves with just one attack error, claiming a 25-23 victory to send the match to a fifth and deciding set.

That final set saw more tie scores (8) and lead changes (4) than any of the previous four sets.

Coon Rapids led much of the way in the fifth set. Cambridge-Isanti tooks its first lead when it scored four consecutive points to go ahead, 13-12. The teams would then trade two points apiece, with each serving for the match, before Bratland's kill tied the score for a final time, at 15-15, and the Cardinals then closed out the match.

Besides Engen's team season-highs in kills, digs and aces, Oliva Jung came off the bench to contribute 12 kills. Angela Koch had five kills along with two solo blocks and two block assists. Jones also had four blocks along with a season-high 43 assists.

The Cardinals continue their busy week by returning to Northwest Suburban Conference action, Tuesday, with a 7 p.m. match at Elk River.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Lineup changes unable to change results for Cardinals

Head coach Heidi Ulwelling made several lineup changes and, despite signs of improvement, Coon Rapids was unable to find the win column, dropping its fourth consecutive match, a 25-13, 25-17, 25-20 decision at Maple Grove.

Ashley Engen was moved from middle to outside hitter and the Cardinals went to a three-middle lineup. In addition, sophomore Chloe Jacobson was brought up from the junior varsity squad and saw action in the second and third sets as the team's libero.

The Crimson got off to an inauspicious start, being called for a lineup violation on the first service of the match to fall behind 1-0, but they reeled off seven consecutive points and did not see their lead fall to fewer than five points the rest of the set, hitting .440 with 12 kills and just one error.

Coon Rapids took an early lead in the second set as back-to-back kills by Courtney Pasiowitz put the Cardinals ahead, 2-1, and they eventually jumped out to a 5-2 lead. A 7-1 run by the hosts, however, gave them a lead they would not relinquish, despite the visitors closing the gap to one point on two occassions.

Two separate runs set up the finish to the match as Coon Rapids used a 7-1 run to take a 10-8 lead in the third set, getting four points on Engen's serve while Olivia Jung had a pair of kills to spark the rally.

After the teams traded points, Maple Grove put together a six-point run and never led by fewer than three points the rest of the match.

With the move to the outside, Engen had 10 kills in 32 attack attempts, her highest totals since recording 15 kills in 35 attempts in the season opener. It was also her first double-double of the season as she recorded 10 digs to go with her 10 kills. Jung chipped into the offensive attack with a season-high nine kills.

"I think it's workable," Ulwelling said of the changes she made. "The middle back piece worked well with Chloe and I like the consistency in hitting that Ashley gives us on the outside."

Jacobson had five digs and a set assist in her varsity debut.

Coon Rapids returns to action Monday, Sept. 27, with a non-conference match against Cambridge-Isanti. It will be Youth Night at the CRHS Fieldhouse with all junior high and elementary school volleyball players wearing their team jersey being admitted to the match free of charge.

Burger King to host Cardinal Volleyball fund raiser

The Coon Rapids Burger King, located at 2025 Northdale Boulevard, will be hosting a fund raiser for Coon Rapids Volleyball.

The event will take place Tuesday, Sept. 28, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and a portion of all sales, accompanied with the ticket below, will be donated to Coon Rapids Volleyball.

Fans can stop by the Burger King, just two blocks from Coon Rapids High School, for dinner and then make the short trip up highway 10 for the Cardinals' match that evening at Elk River, which gets underway at 7 p.m.


Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Cardinals to host Youth Night, Sept. 27

Coon Rapids' non-conference match with Cambridge-Isanti, Sept. 27, will be Youth Night.

All current middle- and elementary-school volleyball players are invited to attend. Players were their team jersey will be admitted to the 7 p.m. match free of charge. The Cardinal varsity team will be throwing out t-shirts during introductions. Everyone is encouraged to arrive early for pregame warmups and introductions.

Following the match, all youth players in attendance can come to the floor to meet the Cardinal varsity team as well as enjoy cookies and juice.

Anyone with questions concerning the night's events can contact head coach Heidi Ulwelling.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Centennial out hits, out serves Coon Rapids

Centennial racked up 43 kills and 13 service aces, to just 18 and two for Coon Rapids, as the Cougars handed the Cardinals a 25-15, 25-13, 25-12 loss.

Both teams had eight kills in the opening set but Centennial had seven aces while Coon Rapids had seven service errors which spelled the difference.

In the second set, Leigh Pudwill record eight kills and an ace to account for nine of the Cougars' 25 points. Centennial hit .567 in the set and was able to side out on 12 of the Cardinals' 14 services.

An early three-point run by Coon Rapids in the final set gave the hosts a 4-2 lead but the visitors would score 17 of the next 21 points, taking a 19-8 lead before ending the match in 57 minutes.

Courtney Pasiowitz accounted for five points for Coon Rapids with three kills, an ace and two block assists. Ashley Engen, Megan Hayes and Olivia Jung also had three kills each.

CTN will broadcast the game four times, Wednesday, beginning at 12 a.m. Other broadcast times for the day are at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The Cardinals return to action with another Northwest Suburban Conference match at Maple Grove, Thursday, beginning at 7 p.m.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association Class AAA Rankings

The Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association has released the state rankings as of Sept. 20, 2010.

Two Northwest Suburban Conference teams are in this week's poll. Blaine, which handed Coon Rapids, a 25-10, 25-17, 25-17 loss, Tuesday, checks in at number nine in this weeks poll. The Bengals are 6-0-0 on the season. 


Just four points out of the top 10 is Centennial, tomorrow's opponent for the Cardinals. The Cougars are 5-0-0 on the season.

Team (1st Place Votes)       Record   Pts
 1. Lakeville North (10)     8- 0-0   150
 2. Wayzata                  9- 1-0   140
 3. Bloomingon Jefferson    13- 1-0   130
 4. Apple Valley             7- 2-0   106
 5. Shakopee                 7- 3-0    94
 6. Waconia                 11- 3-0    89
    Lakeville South         12- 1-0    89
 8. Eastview                 5- 5-0    54
 9. Blaine                   6- 0-0    52
10. Eden Prairie             5- 5-0    47

Others receiving votes: Centennial (43), Stillwater (19), Hopkins (10), Bloomington Kennedy (7), Chaska (6), Owatonna (6), Hill-Murray (6).

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Errors plague Cardinals in loss to Andover

A total of 45 errors led to Andover points and the enabled the Huskies to cruise to a 25-10, 25-14, 25-16 win over Coon Rapids.

Hitting errors by the Cardinals on the match's first three points put the hosts on top early and Andover put together seven different multiple-point runs to sail to a 15-point opening-set win.

The second set started out in much the same fashion, with the Huskies running out to a 4-0 lead but a pair of service aces by Lindsay Bratland keyed a six-point run for Coon Rapids, which gave them their first lead of the nights.

After the teams trade points, Karlie Hauer got a kill to bring Andover to within 7-6 and she then proceed to serve five consecutive points, getting a pair of aces in the process, to give the Huskies a lead which they would not relinquish.

The third set was a back-and-forth battle early as the teams traded leads five times and were tied on eight occasions. However, a kill by Danielle McNallan tied the score for a final time at 13-13 and she then served four consecutive points as the Huskies finished the match on a 13-3 run.

Ashley Engen, with a team-high seven kills, was one of just two Cardinal players to finish the match with a positive hitting percentage. Olivia Jung, with two kills in 12 attacks, was the other. Courtney Pasiowitz chipped into the scoring effort with three aces.

Coon Rapids returns to action Tuesday, Sept. 21, when they host 10th-ranked Centennial in a Northwest Suburban Conference match beginning at 7 p.m.

Final match statistics are available here.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Cardinals fall in conference opener

Despite jumping out to a 5-1 lead in the first set, and scoring first in each of the next two sets, Coon Rapids was unable to maintain enough momentum to overcome Blaine in 25-10, 25-17, 25-17 loss to the Bengals in the Northwest Suburban Conference opener for both teams.

Blaine scored the first point of the match but the Cardinals reeled off five consecutive points to jump out to an early four-point lead. But an 11-1 run by the Bengals turned the first set around and the visitors cruised to a 15-point win.

A service ace by Hannah Fitzer saw Coon Rapids open the second set with a lead but Blaine scored three quick points to take the lead and would eventually go up by 11 points before a late charge by the hosts narrowed the gap to seven before it was over.

The third set was evenly contested, except for an early 7-0 run by the Bengals, but to no avail for the Cardinals, whose record fell to 3-4 on the season.

Fitzer had three kills, three aces and two solo blocks to lead Coon Rapids while Ashley Engen had five kills, two blocks and two aces. Both players accounted for eight Cardinal points on the night.

Coon Rapids returns immediately to conference play as they play their first road game of the season, a 7 p.m. affair at Andover tomorrow night.

Final match stats can be found here.

Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association Class AAA Rankings

The Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association has released the state rankings as of Sept. 13, 2010.

Class AAA
---------
School (1st place votes) Record Pts
1. Lakeville North (11) 7-0-0 165
2. Wayzata 7-1-0 152
3. Bloomingon Jefferson 11-1-0 143
4. Apple Valley 7-1-0 119
5. Shakopee 6-2-0 108
6. Waconia 10-3-0 82
7. Lakeville South 7-1-0 73
8. Eastview 4-5-0 72
9. Eden Prairie 5-4-0 57
10. Centennial 3-0-0 47

Others: Blaine (42), Stillwater (30), Hopkins (24), Eagan (13), Andover (12), Woodbury (9), Owatonna (7), Chaska (6), Maple Grove (6).

Monday, September 13, 2010

Cardinals take third in Keller Klassic

After starting the season with a pair of losses earlier in the week, Coon Rapids won three of four matches while hosting the annual Keller Klassic to claim third in the 2010 tournament.

The Cardinals opened tournament action by taking a 25-22, 25-21 win from Providence Academy.

The Lions jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening set and held the lead until a Courtney Pasiowitz kill tied the score at 14-14, sparking a 9-2 run by the hosts which eventually led to the first-set win.

In the second set, the teams traded points at the start for a 2-2 tie but Coon Rapids then went on a 12-0 run, getting four service aces from Megan Hayes and four kills from Olivia Jung to take a 14-2 lead.

Despite the large lead, the Lions slowly climbed back into the match, getting to within two points, at 22-20, before Angela Koch combined on a block with Pasiowitz and then Hayes to put the Cardinals up 24-20.

Jung, who had six kills in the second set, finished with a match-high eight kills and a .363 hitting percentage. Ashley Engen had seven kills, two service aces and a block to account for 9.5 points.

In its second match, Coon Rapids had to overcome a first-set loss before advancing to the semifinals with a 22-25, 25-18, 15-8 win over Big Lake.

The second set didn't start off any better as the Hornets jumped out to an 8-3 lead before a seven-point run by the Cardinals turned the match around. Pasiowitz would help extend the lead as back-to-back kills by the sophomore gave Coon Rapids a 16-12 lead and back-to-back aces gave her team a seven-point lead.

Big Lake made a late charge in the set but Engen and Jung combined for a block to get service back for the Cardinals at 23-18 before Paige Jones recorded a kill and set Jung for the a kill for the final point of the set.

Although Coon Rapids got out to an 8-3 lead, the Hornets closed to within 10-8 but the Cardinals reeled off the final five points of the match for the victory.

Jung's six kills paced the Coon Rapids front row while Paige Jones had three kills, three aces, two blocks and 14 assists.

The Cardinals' semifinal match with Fridley saw 12 lead changes but it was the Tigers who came away with a 25-16, 25-23 victory to advance to the championship.

Although Fridley controlled much of the first set, the second set turned into a game of scoring runs as an eight-point Tiger run turned a 15-12 deficit into a 20-15 lead. Coon Rapids responded with a five-point run, getting three consecutive aces from Pasiowitz, to tie the score at 20-20.

The Cardinals responded in the third-place game, taking a first-set lead at 10-9, from which point they would never trail in the match, earning a 25-17, 25-22 win over Cloquet.

Engen had three kills and three blocks in the first set, finishing the match with six kills and four blocks, to lead Coon Rapids.

The three victories evens the Cardinals' record at 3-3 on the season as they enter the conference portion of their schedule. Tuesday, Coon Rapids opens Northwest Suburban Conference play by hosting Blaine. Opening serve is slated for 7 p.m.

Courtney Pasiowitz

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Coon Rapids falls in three to Mounds View

After an error-plagued first set, Coon Rapids matched Mounds View for much of the next two sets but, in the end, were unable to overcome the Mustangs, dropping a 25-17, 25-20, 25-23 decision.

Fifteen Cardinal errors in the first set resulted in the Mustangs never trailing as they claimed an eight-point opening-set win. After taking an 8-1 lead, Mounds View was never seriously threatened in the opening frame.

The second set was a tightly-contested battle with seven tie scores and four lead changes, but a 6-1 run by the Mustangs snapped a 14-14 tie and sent them on their way to taking a 2-0 lead.

Coon Rapids found itself trailing 7-2 in the third set but a 14-2 run gave the Cardinals a seven-point lead. Mounds View, however, put together a 9-2 run of its own, ending the game with back-to-back blocks by Sarah Atkinson and Rachael Parupsky.

For the second consecutive night, Ashley Engen paced the Cardinals offensively with seven kills. She also chipped in with three blocks and three service aces, tallying 11.5 points on the night.

Coon Rapids returns to action Saturday with four matches on the slate as the Cardinals host the annual Keller Klassic, which gets underway at 9 a.m. Coon Rapids plays its first match of tournament at 9 a.m., facing Providence Academy.

Cardinals lose opener in five

Despite taking the first two sets, Coon Rapids was unable to gain a victory in its season opener, dropping a 25-27, 17-25, 25-17, 25-10, 15-11 decision to Heritage Christian.

The first two sets were both seesaw affairs, seeing a total of 27 ties scores and 11 lead changes, but the Cardinals closed out the second set on an 8-1 run, including the final five points of the set, and entered the third set with momentum.

The Eagles found their game in the third set. After falling behind, 2-0, the visitors went on an 11-3 run and used 15 Cardinal errors to cruise to a 25-17 win.

With momentum on its side, Heritage ran out to a 9-0 lead in the fourth set before cruising to a 15-point win, setting up a pivotal fifth set, which would see six ties and three lead changes. The final change came when the Eagles took an 11-10 lead and finished the match on a 5-1 run.

"This match was a good learning experience for us," Coon Rapids head coach Heidi Ulwelling said. "It was a great opportunity to face a competitive team and to be challenged from start to finish.

"It was a great first match of the season and I believe it gave the girls some perspective on the game and how momentum plays a role in this sport."

Lauren Williams led the Eagles to the victory, leading the team with 20 kills, nine digs and five blocks.

Ashley Engen record 15 kills for Coon Rapids and added a match-high 12 digs. Courtney Pasiowitz chipped in with five kills and five blocks while Oliva Jung and Angela Koch also had five kills.

Starting the season late, Coon Rapids makes up for lost time this week with six matches, all at home. The second of those six matches comes Thursday when the Cardinals host Mounds View in a 7 p.m. match.


Ashley Engen

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association Class AAA Rankings

The Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association has released this week's coaches poll.



School (1st place votes) Record Pts

1. Lakeville North (12) 1- 0-0 180

2. Bloomington Jefferson 5- 0-0 145

3. Wayzata 2- 0-0 140

4. Shakopee 2- 0-0 136

5. Apple Valley 1- 1-0 112

6. Waconia 4- 1-0 104

7. Eastview 0- 2-0 99

8. Lakeville South 4- 0-0 87

9. Centennial 2- 0-0 63

10. Hopkins 0- 2-0 56



Others: Eden Prairie (51), Blaine (47), Stillwater (36), Chaska (9), Woodbury (7), Eagan (6).

Green Mill to host pancake breakfast fundraiser

The Coon Rapids volleyball team, in conjunction with the CRHS gymnastics team, will hold a pancake breakfast at the Green Mill, Saturday, Sept. 18, from 8-10 a.m.

Tickets are $5 apiece and the breakfast includes unlimited pancakes, sausage, coffee and juice. Tickets can be purchased from members of the volleyball team and will also be available during lunch in the school cafeteria, Sept. 14.