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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Ely goes 3-1 in weekend tourney

Marshall Helmberger
Posted 9/15/21

COLERAINE— Ely struggled early at a weekend tournament here but bounced back to take three straight matches to finish 3-1 on the day. “Overall, it was a great day of volleyball,” …

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Ely goes 3-1 in weekend tourney

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COLERAINE— Ely struggled early at a weekend tournament here but bounced back to take three straight matches to finish 3-1 on the day. “Overall, it was a great day of volleyball,” said Ely Head Coach Megan Wognum.
It didn’t start out that way, however, as the Timberwolves fell to Mesabi East in their opening set, 25-22. Ely rallied for a convincing 25-13 win in the second set, but the Giants flipped the script in the decider, taming the Wolves with a 15-6 win. Despite the loss, several Ely players posted impressive stats. Junior Madeline Kallberg led offensively with 10 kills, while senior Kellen Thomas posted nine kills and five digs. Senior setter Katrina Seliskar added 24 assists in addition to nine digs and two ace serves, while junior Kate Coughlin tallied five kills and seven digs.
Junior Rachel Coughlin had a big match in the second round of the tournament as she posted seven kills, five blocked shots, and five digs to help lead the Wolves to a 25-23, 25-15 win over Hill City. Sister Kate added eight kills in the match, while fellow junior Courtney Eilrich added five digs and two aces. Seliskar posted 22 assists and Kallberg tallied four kills and two blocks.
Seliskar’s seven ace serves helped Ely overpower Moose Lake/Willow River 25-17, 25-22. Thomas had another strong match, with ten kills and four digs, while Rachel Coughlin added six kills and eight digs.
In their fourth and final match, the Wolves topped Northeast Range 25-19, 25-11, thanks to a strong all-around effort by Rachel Coughlin, who posted five kills, six blocks, 11 digs, and two ace serves. She had help from several other teammates, including Thomas, with three kills, three digs, and two aces, and senior Raven Saino, with two kills, three digs, and two aces. Kallberg posted five kills, while Seliskar added 15 assists and three blocked shots.
“We did a great job of bouncing back after the first game,” said Wognum. “We were able to utilize some of our strengths throughout the day. We served really well for the most part and finished the day strong.”
The weekend action leaves the Wolves at 6-1 on the season.
Wolves dump Tigers
Playing in Cherry last Thursday, the Timberwolves used strong serving and net play to overpower Cherry in three sets last Thursday, 25-19, 25-22, and 25-17.
“The whole team showed up to play tonight,” said Coach Wognum. “We had a strong serving and passing game which allowed us to complete some of the plays.”
A total of seven players made significant contributions on the night. Thomas led the way offensively with nine kills and three ace serves, in addition to four digs. Kate Coughlin tallied ten kills and five digs, while sister Rachel notched seven kills in addition to 12 digs and four blocked shots. Katrina Seliskar posted 27 set assists, six digs and two aces, while senior Annikka Mattson and Courtney Eilrich added four aces apiece. Kallberg tallied three kills.
“It was nice to see everyone contribute on the floor,” said Wognum.
The Wolves were set to visit Aurora on Thursday to take on the Giants. They’re back on the road Tuesday against International Falls before returning home next Thursday, Sept. 23, when they’ll host North Woods.