CEVA Regional Championships
GOLD DIVISION
April 21, 2007 @ Gill Coliseum - Oregon State University

Regionals was quite an adventure for 12’s Black, with playing in the Championship in Gill Coliseum at center court with an announcer and music, a two match delay to get to that game, a parent doing a spirited dance, and the coach stuck all day on the court while the team and parents were in the balcony (no elevators).

In pool play, Black first met up with Lakeside Gold and with a typical slow start managed to win 25-19, 25-15. Next Black met Clackamas Gold and again took the match in two games 25-17, 25-10. Next up was perennial tough foe PVC Pink, but Black was ready to roll and took the match 25-6, 25-22.

The first bracket match was against Bridgetown Navy, and with everyone contributing, Black took it 25-17, 25-18.

Now Black was matched up with another top team in Rose City Mizuno Black in the semi-finals and they played their best game of the day so far, winning 25-17. Rose City wasn’t going to roll over and they came storming back to take the second game. In the third exciting game, Black had to come from behind to win 15-13 and get the opportunity to play in the Championship final.

The Championship game put Black against powerhouse Roseburg Black, the team that Black had traded wins with. After a two match delay while they set up center court and had the Silver Division Championship, Black finally got to play. Black jumped to a quick lead and then it was back and forth until Roseburg was ahead 19-24. Black made a serious run to make it 23-24 and forced Roseburg to call a time out, but then Roseburg took the next point to win. If Black could have tied the game, the momentum would have been in their favor, but after dropping the first game, Roseburg took advantage. They won the second game, but not without Black putting up a fight and not quitting. With their competitive nature, the girls were not happy about second, but they should be proud of what they accomplished by competing at the highest level with elite teams all season.

Our middles: Tierney Uhlenkott always put a strong hit down, played awesome defense all day and served numerous aces. Abby Bridgewater had a super day all around, blocking, hitting and serving. Kylee Hermanson came in to give the middles a break and played well.

Our outsides: Brielle Bonham continued her strong consistent hitting and serving. Macee Utecht hit great plus was all over on defense. Megan Schulz was our do everything player. She played some outside but mainly came in for center back defense and was throwing her body on the floor trying to dig the ball. Tayler Blackman also played defense and worked hard the whole day while serving tough and consistent.

Our setters: Alexa Bond was called on to play all day and had tireless energy and did a super job of setting. Madalyn Seidl is making a habit of digging up impossible balls plus making good decisions, and serving awesome. Meagan Hollis had a bad luck day. She was sick all week but was better Saturday and could play, but right away she went down in a collision and sprained her wrist. After taping and getting back in a match and going down for a ball, she hit it again. She did a great job of being a supportive team player.

This has been such an enjoyable season with a group of athletes that came to every practice and tournament and were willing to put in the time and effort to improve, which was the goal of the season - working to improve each and every time they step on the court. A special thank you to Heather for being there to coach the team - her expertise was invaluable. And of course, a great big thank you to our awesome parents for everything you did to make it possible for your child to be successful.

Pre-Regional Tournament
April 14, 2007 @ Longview, WA

Playing again at the 14's level, Black played Stampede Gold and Camas Ohana White in the first two matches in pool and won in 2 games each with everyone contributing with good serving and controlled passing. Next up in pool was the number one seed Olympia Kileo, and everyone on Black was looking up at their height. The girls referred to it as the match against the "giants", but as always Black stepped up to the level of their competition and played them point for point with great hustle, but lost a close first game 21-25. Black didn’t quit in the second game and turned up the intensity to trade the lead from tied at 21-21, with great excitement on every point, to come out on top 27-25. The girls were super excited to get a game win over a top 14's team, but they still ended up second in pool due to points. That put Black in the top-12 championship division.

It is always fun to play another Cowlitz team as the intensity and competitiveness start at the top, as Black found out in meeting Cowlitz Red. Red was fired up and came out with awesome serving and hitting to take game one. Red jumped out to a lead in game two also before Black got their super tough serving on track and pulled out the win. In the third game, Black hit with authority to claim the match against an awesome Red effort.

It never got easier as now Black had to play a third challenging match in a row against the number one seeded team in the tournament, Yakima Gold. Wow, they surprised Yakima Gold to take game one with killer serves, awesome defense against their power hitters, and Black’s own hitting and blocking game. That woke up a sleeping giant and Black could not keep it up at that level, dropping the next two games.

The coaches couldn’t be more pleased with how Black played against three top teams in a row. They were exhausted but never gave up with their team spirit and togetherness. This is a team that loves to play aggressively without fear. They want to attack every serve, block and hit. They are not afraid to get after a ball on defense and have two or three girls on the floor. It was fun to watch as they got their first introduction to ones and slides. With Regionals next, this tournament was a great warm-up. Keep up the intensity Black!

Power League - April
GOLD DIVISION
April 7, 2007 @ The Courts - Beaverton, OR

As with every Washington team ending Spring Break, Black had not practiced and they were short a player, so many adjustments had to be made, and 12’s do not make changes comfortably to say the least. First, getting up early after a week of sleeping in was the first obstacle the team had to overcome, but they kept enough balls in play to defeat Bridgetown Navy in two games. Next up was No Dinx, a scrappy team that could keep every ball in play. After settling on a line-up that meshed, and improving on serving, Black again won in two games. Relaxing a bit too much, as Black was now guaranteed to be in the top four, they met up with PVC Pink and Black lost the first game with poor serve receive. But Black came back with their determined mindset and worked hard to take the next two games, although I’m not sure how they pulled out a win in the third game to 15, missing three straight serves at the end. This made Black first in the pool.

Now playing the number 2 seed in the other pool, Black met up once again with Roseburg Black, the team Black had defeated twice before in close contests, but it was not to be this time. Black fought hard in each game, especially not giving up at all in game two. This loss put Black into a one-game match against PVC Pink again. Ending on a positive note, Black took care of business and won, ending up third in Gold. The bonus was that with this placing and with its previous wins, Black should be seeded number one going into Regionals.

Playing outstanding volleyball all day were Madalyn Seidl and Brielle Bonham. Both stepped up their game to the next level and played with lots of heart. Brielle attacked the ball with authority all day to give Black another strong hitter plus kept difficult balls in play on defense. Maddy gets the floor burn award with her awesome defense - one play was a diving save that awed all the players and spectators, plus she set with confidence and control.

Abby Bridgewater was called on to play a lot of defense and made the extra effort to get accurate passes up to the setter. In the No Dinx game, Abby had a powerful block and then got the ensuing kill in the same rally to excite Black fans. Then in the final one game against PVC, she had numerous aces to be instrumental in the win.

In the middle, Tierney Uhlenkott played extremely well on defense and she was a major factor in dominating with her strong hits and serves. Kylee Hermanson at middle showed all her progress in playing defense by having a strong showing in the Bridgetown Navy match.

Megan Shulz was called on to play a lot and when she was aggressive, she made the team better. Megan hit well at the net by keeping the ball in play. Tayler Blackman got stronger as the day went on to contribute some valuable defense, to the team's delight. She makes such a difference in Black’s success when she plays every ball aggressively.

Meagan Hollis and Alexa Bond shared the other setting position and had success in giving the hitters nice sets to hit. Alexa again had her powerful serve on track.

Black will come back strong and be ready to make a statement in the next two tournaments. Go Black!

Mid-Season Tournament
March 25, 2007 @ Longview, WA

12 Black had a great day Sunday in the 14's Division of the Mid-Season Tournament. Black won the morning pool by defeating Vancouver Lightning Blue 25-13, 25-17, North County Wildcats 25-9, 25-12, and Cascade Excel 19-25, 25-10.

In the first bracket game, Black met North County Orange and prevailed 25-13, 25-17. Then Black met up with a very formidable opponent in Cowlitz Blue. They took it to Black in every category, including hustle and desire, to win in two games.

This tournament was a great one in preparation for the the next Power League tournament on April 7th. Black knows what they need to do to step up their game and compete.

Thanks girls for all your help! I appreciate it.

Yakima Jamboree
POWER I-A DIVISION
March 17-18, 2007 @ Franklin MS - Yakima, WA

Black wins the Yakima tournament!

Black started strong and finished strong in pool play Saturday to take first in pool. Playing Desert Scorpions, Black's servers took it to them 25-4, 25-14. Against Club Selah B, it was closer as Black worked on serving areas but won 25-16, 25-15. Last up was a match against the number 2 team in pool, Above the Net. After being off for 2 matches and wanting to get first in pool, Black came out with a vengeance taking the win 25-9, 25-5.

In the second round of pool play Sunday, Black continued their strong play by beating Power Surge Gold 25-4, 25-14, Desert Stinger Black 25-16, 25-15, and Olympia Intensity 25-9, 25-5.

Black was now in the top bracket and met up with Yakima Gold in the first round. Behind Black's tough serves and aggressive play, Black won 25-10, 25-13. In the semi-final, Black met Power Surge Black, their toughest competition so far. They pulled out a win in game one, lost on shaky serve receive in game two, and came back to finish strong in the third deciding game 15-6.

Now it was the championship game against Olympia El Fuego. Black wanted this championship badly and with everyone smashing kills, Black won a close first game. Then in the second game, they took a commanding 17-1 lead and cruised in for the win. Defense was outstanding and that enabled Black to set up the ball and keep the other team on their heels. They have embraced the concept that playing aggressively wins more often than not.

In the first two pool rounds, Kylee Hermanson played a lot and made positive contributions serving, passing and blocking.

Megan Shulz was on with her tough serve and she hit the ball well, being one of the shortest girls on the team. She has made good strides in her overhand passing.

Meagan Hollis hit well in the front row, got many good top-spin aces, and did a great job of coming in to set when needed.

Abby had her best tournament ever at the middle position, putting the ball down for a kill on almost every hit and blocking effectively. Her serving was on, and in the Power Surge semi-final she served six straight hard top-spin serves.

Tierney at the middle position was putting the ball down with authority in bracket play. Playing Power Surge Black, she had to hit away from their block and was awesome. In that same game, she made a great diving dig to keep the ball in play.

Alexa Bond at setter gets stronger in that position every tournament. She makes the difficult sets and dives on the floor with a never-say-die attitude. Her serve gave Power Surge Black fits. She had her strongest serving this tournament.

Maddy Seidl, at setter, starts out serving and in bracket play she almost always gives Black a good lead with her down-line serves. She always gives her all for every point, game, and match. Her high intensity level leads the team.

Brielle Bonham hit her hardest yet at the outside position at this tournament. She plays that position great on defense and makes good decisions at the net when to hit or tip. When she gets up to serve as she did against Olympia El Fuego in the final, the score was 17-1 when she finished serving; it is that hard to receive.

Macee Utecht at the outside was outstanding all-around. She serves a formidable floater, doesn’t let a ball get by her on defense and skies to put her strong hit down, plus she can cut the ball down the net making it hard on the opponents defense.

Tayler Blackman did everything for Black this weekend. She played outside with a good serve and she jumps high to hit. She played middle back in bracket play and she was awesome. She is so quick she can get behind every ball and was instrumental in Black getting the win.

Super tournament Black! Thanks parents for all your patience, dealing with sticky notes, making the long trip, and enduring a crowded gym. The girls and coaches couldn’t do it without you. After this weekend we really appreciate our parents and their positive attitudes even more.

Power League - March
GOLD DIVISION
March 4, 2007 @ Lane Regional Events Center - Springfield, OR

Black wins the Gold Division again!

It was a wild day from start to finish. Talk about ups and downs, and frustration in early matches, but amazingly this team can turn on the jets at crucial times and astound both parents and coaches.

After not playing a match since the last Power League, Black forgot that they had to earn every point and struggled at the beginning with every aspect of the game. First up was Lakeside Gold, and Black managed to pull out a win behind the strong serving of Tierney Uhlenkott and Brielle Bonham 25-14, 25-19.

Next up was Bridgetown Navy, where Black got a serious wake-up call by losing a game to the 4th seed in their pool 24-26. Then Black got determined and swept the next two games 25-5, 15-5.

Then things again went downhill, as Black lost in two to a pumped-up and determined PVC Pink team 20-25, 21-25. Black needed to learn that being number one, they have a target on their back and every team’s goal is to beat the number one team, so Black will have to bring their “A” game no matter who they are playing. This loss put Black in a three-way tie for first, and due to seeding, ended up playing one game to 15 to decide first and second. At this point Black had learned a lesson and took it to PVC 15-6 to win first in pool. Now they would have to face the two of the top teams in the region.

They first took on Rose City Mizuno Black, and finally Black was starting to gel as a team. They played a tough and hard-fought match to come out on top behind the awesome hitting of Tierney, Macee Utecht, and Brielle, 25-23, 25-23. Our servers, led by Madalyn Seidl, put them on their heels right away to start the game, and Alexa Bond ended up leading a charge with her accurate sets. Black was finally playing smart and making good decisions on the court.

The championship game was against a powerful Roseburg Black team that sets up and hits every ball. They kept us playing defense without being able to get good sets, so we lost the first game 16-25. It looked like Black was going to settle for second after being down 14-19 in game two, and then Tierney got up to serve, and with her wicked top-spin, got Black the lead. Brielle continued the onslaught of awesome serves that kept Roseburg from setting up an attack and Macee finished them off with an ace serve. Macee was outstanding all-around, Taylor Blackman was digging up hits and did a great job of serving to keep the ball in play, and Abby Bridgewater got some key blocks and hits to seal the win 26-24. Then in the third game, Black’s wicked serving continued with Madalyn, Tierney and Brielle getting points, and then Alexa stepped in to serve with key aces to take Black home with the championship 15-4.

The setters, Madalyn, Alexa, and Meagan Hollis got stronger all day. After getting called several times in the final for double hits on the set, they didn’t quit setting but worked hard on getting in a better position to make a good set and never got called again. Megan Shulz played up some tough serves all day in serve receive. Also, the team and coaches appreciate all the support from Kylee Hermanson. Thank you parents for your patience on this long and interesting day.

Next up is Yakima where the coaches and parents (I’m sure) hope Black can continue playing at the same level they played in the last two matches. Way to pull it out Black - your streak is still going!

Power League - February
GOLD DIVISION
February 10, 2007 @ Mt Hood CC - Gresham, OR

Black wins Gold division!

This fantastic group of athletes pulled together to upset two very good teams in bracket play to win the Gold division. They rose to the challenge with determination and super team effort. When Black needed a player to take charge on the court, someone rose to respond with awesome play and it changed every game. Everyone on the Black team played a huge part in this accomplishment.

After playing with the heavier ball the weekend before, Black came out very tentative in pool play, being afraid to hit or serve the ball out. It wasn’t pretty, but Black pulled out a win over North Clackamas Gold on the strong serving of Macee Utecht, 25-13, 25-20. Black kept getting stronger and took it to  No Dinx Mid Valley Black 25-12, 25-14. Now Black had to play the number one team in the region, Rose City Mizuno Black. They got smoked by Rose City’s strong serving, hitting, and awesome defense 17-25, 12-25.

At that point, most teams would call it a day and give up, but not Black. This loss sent them into bracket facing the number one team from the other pool, Roseburg 12 Black. They are a tall, intimidating team of good hitters all around, with ace servers. After losing the first game 15-25, Black came alive with fire and determination. Tierney Uhlenkott got key blocks at the net to stymie and frustrate their hitters. Megan Shulz was passing every tough serve right to the setters and taking care of overpasses at the net. Madalyn Seidl took control of the game and was  the key in providing defense and super setting. Macee provided hitting power on the outside. The score was tied numerous times from 21 on and then Abby Bridgewater could not be stopped at the middle hitting position, making kill after kill. Black finally took that game 27-25. This led to a battle for the third game. Tierney stepped up her awesome hitting, going around the block, and Black made the extra effort in serve receive to take a 15-10 win.

This led to a rematch with Rose City for the championship, and the girls were pumped to get another chance. Now that Black was playing with confidence and pride, every player that stepped on the court made a difference with hustle and desire. This was not the same team that Rose City played earlier. Black took a lead and never looked back, playing every serve receive and point aggressively in winning 25-23. Brielle Bonham was all over, playing outstanding defense. Then, in the second game when Brielle got up to serve, she served “lights out” to get Black a huge lead behind a stellar team defense. Black played smart, tipping to holes or hitting aggressively, to win the big one impressively 25-5.

Alexa Bond served awesome the whole tournament, and made sets even from her knees at times to give the hitters a great set. Meagan Hollis provided consistently nice sets all day, and together with Madalyn, it’s great to have such a talented group of setters. Kylee Hermanson came off the bench in games and it’s nice to see the improvement she has made. Black relied on Tayler Blackman all day to provide the consistent passing Black needs, and by the end of the day, she was in complete control of the back row.

This Black team loves to have fun with each other, but their strength is their support of each other on the court and off. Take pride in your accomplishment, Black. You did this through hard work, team play, and determination. Congratulations!

Subway Classic
February 4, 2007 @ Mark Morris High School - Longview, WA

The Black team was looking for a challenge and they certainly found it at the 14U Subway Classic. It was fun for these athletes to play when the other teams serve tough and hit and tip to have Black learn to step it up on defense. Black played hard all day and needed to take their game to the next level which they did by hitting and serving with more authority. Black also came to realize how important total team effort and communication are needed on this level to be successful.

Everyone made significant contributions at different times during the day. The outsides led by Macee Utecht’s all-around passing and hitting strength, Brielle Bonham’s tough serves and Megan Shulz’ net play had an impact on how well Black did on the court. The middles had Tierney Uhlenkott getting numerous kills and blocks, Abby Bridgewater getting her tough serve back, and Kylee Hermanson getting a nice block to have a threat at the middle position. The setters, Madalyn Seidl, Alexa Bond, and Meagan Hollis, all served the ball hard all day plus they all made super strides in learning to take control of the game and to play defense first. Tayler Blackman, libero and outside, plays great at either position.

Black is now tuned up to make an impressive showing in the Gold Division at the Power League tournament next Saturday.

A special thank you parents for bringing all the good food for the girls. They looked like they were enjoying it all day.

Keep up the high level of play BLACK!

Power League Qualifier
January 20, 2007 @ The Courts at Beaverton - Beaverton, OR

At the Power League Qualifier, we first met up against Tillamook, the team that sent Black to the Silver Division last season, so Black was fired up to put them away. Behind strong serving, they took the win 25-6, 25-11. Next up was OCVC and now it was Tayler Blackman’s turn to serve a string of aces to overpower OCVC 25-7, 25-9. Now playing Bridgetown, second seed in their pool, Black was steadily improving their play and transitions on defense to win 25-5. Black’s serve receive broke down in the second game to let Bridgetown score 21 points against Black before Black resolved to not let a team take a game from them and turned on the jets to win 25-21, taking first in pool play.

The match to decide between the Gold and Silver division was against Roseburg Orange. It started out close and they were digging everything Black hit at them, but Black didn’t back down and took the game 25-15 behind the dominating hitting of Tierney Uhlenkott getting beautiful sets from Madalyn Seidl. Tierney definitely brought her “A” game for the whole tournament. Black was determined to make the Gold division, so they stepped up stronger in the second game with Abby Bridgewater smashing kills at the net and Macee Utecht delivering a string of wicked serves to take the game 25-10. Black begins in Gold!

In a seeding game against No Dinx Mid Valley, another Gold team, Black was rolling along on a wave of confidence, playing with pride as they continued to improve and gel together as a team, taking the match 25-7, 25-13. Highlights of that game included Megan Shulz getting great kills at the net. Kylee Hermanson seemed to find the holes every time she hit to put the ball down.

Megan Hollis, setter, showed up at the tournament and was working hard when the coached yelled out that she wasn’t communicating on the court. We then found out Megan could hardly talk above a squeak as she was battling chest congestion and a fever. Megan gamely gave all she had all day.

There were many highlights during the tournament, including: Tayler making an impossible save to keep the ball in play; Brielle Bonham continuing to make great improvement with every tournament - she used the overhand pass effectively - Brielle never lets a ball drop in her area and nothing gets past her; Abby’s net play has improved tremendously as she has gotten aggressive when hitting with nice top-spin - she had an awesome block in Black’s last match; Alexa Bond stepped up to do a lot of the setting and had a sensational day - she served consistently and hard, and hustled to get every second ball; Madalyn was tops all-around with incredible hustle to get every ball up to a hitter - she was always on the floor to make the super save.

Thank you to a great group of parents who support the whole team. Black is now ready to show their power in the Gold division. With this team’s determination to improve every practice and match, they can only get better. GREAT DAY BLACK!

Pre-Qualifier Tournament
January 7, 2007 @ Longview, WA

The Black team had a great start in the 2007 season by winning the Power League Pre-Qualifier in a tough two-out-of-three match with Olympia En Fuego. In the first game, Tierney Uhlenkott served a string of ace serves to pull away with the help of strong hitting by Macee Utecht and Abby Bridgewater. In the second game, Olympia did the same thing to Black, and although Black fought back to get close, the match had to go to a third game. The third game was exciting with tough net play from Brielle Bonham, Abby and Tierney, and ace serving from Macee and Madalyn Seidl.

In pool play, Black didn’t lose a game and then Black beat Nike Air Elite in two games in the first bracket match to advance to the championship game.

This Black team has super servers. During pool play and bracket these athletes took turns making a difference with many aces in each game. Megan Shulz, Tayler Blackman, Megan Hollis, Brielle, and Kylee Hermanson all served great. This group of athletes will be great as they keep playing and learning the transitions. The players new to the team made big improvements in toughness and determination during the tournament. They began to make the difficult passes, saves, and sets to keep the ball in play. Megan Hollis made a great dig out of the net to surprise the other team. Tayler can play anywhere as she has a great vertical and hits and serves the ball consistently. Alexa Bond at setter and hitter will bring Black a strong player all-around. Macee continues this year to be Black’s most consistent passer, making good decisions to overhand pass when necessary, and hitting the ball with authority. Tierney, while a force hitting and serving, plays an awesome middle-back position to get every ball right up to the setter. Madalyn continues setting this year and is strong at that position and all-around with great hustle.

With a few more intense practices Black will be ready to make a try for Gold at the Power League Tournament. Go Black!