BRACKET

OVERALL FINISH = 4th in Gold Division

Notes and Quotes:
Cowlitz ASICS enters the Regional Tournament in late April tied for second with Webfoot Gold after four months of Power Tournaments.

Traveling to Albany on the first weekend of Washington spring break, the team missed on their opportunity to beat Webfoot Gold, a team that Cowlitz has been missing in tournaments for the past two years. It was a case of too much height, combined with a drop-off on passing that spelled three game losses to Webfoot. It certainly was not due to any lack of effort on behalf of Kelsey in the second go-around as she almost single handedly brought the team back into contention in game three with a monster net game.

The team has identified several areas to concentrate on prior to the Regional Tournament event featuring the top 16 teams in the region.

I would like to personally thank athletes, parents, boyfriends, and other involved folks that waited patiently for the tournament's conclusion on Sunday in order to begin their spring vacations. Every athlete was there without hesitation for the duration of the tournament.

This is truly one of the most enjoyable group of student athletes I have ever coached. No over-inflated egos, unreasonable expectations or pouting from this group of athletes and their parents. Just hard working kids, sharing the joy of volleyball competition. As one Albany Boys and Girls club official stated, "you gotta love those girls of yours. So supportive, competitive and fun to watch" Great kids, great parents, fun to be with.

Thanks to all for making a difference.

POOL : SATURDAY

BRACKET : SUNDAY

OVERALL FINISH = 5th

Notes and Quotes:
This was a tremendous effort by a relatively small (9) group of short athletes (only 2 six footers) who played team ball through three intense days of competition against larger/taller teams. 2 seniors, 6 juniors, and 1 sophomore battled overcrowded flights, allergies, illness and injuries to compete against a very talented field of teams.

This is a great traveling team who gets along, accepts each other's differences, and works as a team. They are truly a joy to work with and watch play. I first had to convince the airline desk that our over-priced seats were indeed ours even if they did not get to the counter 30 minutes before flight time, particularly when I told the desk attendant that all three committed track athletes were en route. It was sunny, warm, and bright, not to mention air conditioned at the tournament site.

We competed all weekend as a team, passed solidly, played outstanding defense, especially when the game was on the line, and worked spectators into a frenzy with our enthusiasm. Captains Candis and Kayli were forever encouraging teammates to ramp it up, and did so themselves leading the way all weekend.

Grandma and Grandpa Kent were gracious hosts for a team BBQ, and the van rides were something else (great dancing by Kaitlyn and Nikki, and incredible neck gyrations from Joe). I almost thought we were going to get Jim into a pair of shorts!

Our sister team Cowlitz Blue, and other regional teams from Nike, Cascade and Greater Columbia all supported each other. Congratulations to Nike A/E for coming off the pace to capture the tournament title. They had a great Sunday of putting it on the line.

I have chosen not to speak of individual performances as the team effort by ASICS was fantastic. I am so proud to be associated with such great women student athletes, who juggle family, school church, etc. And they make our volunteer efforts worth every minute.

We will return to the competitive arena on April 4th to compete in the April Power League in Albany, which just happens to fall on the first weekend of Washington's spring break! No excuses here, we will all be there to support one another, putting family vacation plans on hold.

Thanks for making a difference.

TIE-BREAKER

BRACKET

OVERALL FINISH = 2nd in Gold Division

Notes and Quotes:
In an improbable finish to a rough start of the day, Cowlitz ASICS 18's finished 2nd in the Gold Division for their highest finish in a Power League in the past 7 years! Improbable in that we had only 8 healthy bodies with the injury to Kelsey DeLaGrange on Wednesday night at practice. Kelsey landed on a teammates foot during a drill and sprained her ankle severely. The good news is that it was "only a sprain"; the bad news is that ankle supports may have prevented the injury and left us short a player for this weekend. Kelsey is working hard to return by the Sonoran Tournament in two seeks.

Taking up the chore of directing the entire offense, playing front row at 5'5", and leading the team was Kayli Anderson … and what a day she had. The team started slowly but Kayli prodded them into a another gear by the afternoon, and willed them into playing some of the most inspired ball I have watched from an undermanned Cowlitz group in many a year. Kayli managed several "big blocks" to go along with her 78 assists. She had a huge day.

Tasha played her normal steady game, kept balls in play, and keyed several big points with her sense of being in the right place at the right time.

Rashelle tied for honors in the kill department with 25 on the day, but stepped up huge at the service line in the tension filled playoff rounds scoring 18 points, many of the big time variety, including 5 aces.

Her partner in kills was Ashley with 25 and close behind with 17 points. Ashley led all blockers with 9 stuffs and 21 touches, and helped out with some back row relief late in the day.

Nicki continues to climb the improvement ladder, touching 14 and stuffing 2 at the net and serving 15 points with 5 aces.

Kara cranked it up a notch sharing ace honors with Ashley, while adding an additional 13 points. Scoring 16 kills and digging 12 balls, Kara made some very athletic plays for us, and kept balls off of the floor.

Our two defensive dynamos were amazing to say the least. Kaitlyn passed 14 perfect balls, dug some heat to the tune of 19 digs and swung freely from both the front row when called upon, and the service line.

Our digging machine was Candis with an incredible 41 digs to go with 40 perfect passes. She even scored 3 kills from the back row!

This was an inspired and inspiring group of athletes that would not be denied. Their initial goal of staying in the Gold Division was far surpassed, and there was no one in the gym that could question the heart, "grit and spit" determination of these kids to overcome the challenges that presented themselves time and time again. An amazing performance.

POOL : 2

BRACKET

OVERALL FINISH = NA

Notes and Quotes:
The girls had a hard draw coming into the playoffs. Up 'til that they played their best match of the season against Puget Sound 18's. It was played in the upstairs small gym, where we had our best game of the season last year! Funny stuff. I declare that our lucky court. They just played so awesome, they could do no wrong in that match. So that put us number 2 in the playoffs. It is hard coming off that high and having to play the number one seed in the tournament, Portland (they blew it in the 2nd pool). So we had a hard match there.

All in all though, they had a great time. It is very fun to watch the girls, they had so much fun together. It is very refreshing to watch this happen and friendships bond from this wonderful sport.

BRACKET

OVERALL FINISH = 1st

Notes and Quotes:
The Cowlitz ASICS 18's wrapped up a successful home season with a convincing win in the ASICS Invite at Lower Columbia College and Mark Morris gyms on Sunday February 22, 2004. A bit shorthanded from previous commitments and injuries, the remaining 8 girls made significant contributions to the team effort.

It was a banner day for Tasha Kite, who took advantage of back row court time, with a team leading 31 digs, to go with 21 kills.

Kayli Anderson had a career day at the service line, scoring a whopping 54 points including 8 aces and a team leading 68 assists.

Kaitlyn Senn began the day as our libero, finishing second with 31 perfect passes, and a strong defensive effort with 20 digs.

Candis Carter resumed her role as our defensive ace scoring 39 perfect passes, while collecting 22 digs.

Ashley Grayson patrolled the nets recording 31 kills, some of them spectacular in nature, while leading the team with 6 stuffs and 12 touches. She also chipped in with 30 service points and a team leading 10 aces.

Rashelle Davenport has been swinging freely these days, notching 34 kills, and was third in blocks, and assists.

Nicki is just getting it done these days, and is about to sew up the most improved award just by stepping to the service line. 24 points for a youngster who two months ago could not make a serve! She nearly matched that from the net as well with 22 kills.

Kelsey changed roles for part of the day, seeing extended duty as a left side to bolster our attack needs. She responded with a team high 35 kills, 40 assists, 29 service points, and 19 digs.

It is off to Yakima for the challenges of the two-day Yakima Jamboree.

18 ASICS began the Las Vegas Invitational on Saturday at the HomeCourt in Henderson, Nevada.  This is an 18-court facility that is "crowded, chaotic, crazy and energizing", according to Bill Marshall.

The first match of the day paired ASICS against Specifit.  ASICS won this game handily in what Marshall considered his squad's best effort for the day against a very good team.

ASICS continued their winning ways against Club West of Los Angeles, California.  This game featured a great series by Tasha Kite, beginning with an important dig followed by a block.  She had several kills off overfeeds throughout the match.  In addition, Ashley Grayson made some key hits and had some big-time blocks.

Against Club Texas, who was the 49th seed overall, ASICS had some difficulty putting everything together.  The team was energized by the efforts of libero Candis Carter and setter Kayli Anderson.  The defense played by Kayli was "in the stratosphere", said Marshall.

18 ASICS went into Sunday play back at HomeCourt, starting off with San Diego 18-1, who was the 17th seed overall in the Invitational.  "Ashley Grayson was the top player at the net", said Marshall, as she dominated up front with excellent blocking and serving.

In the loss to highly ranked Texas Advantage, Candis Carter and Kayli Anderson displayed terrific defense.

The final match of the day against Santa Monica Beach Club proved to be an exciting and exhilarating affair.  ASICS was led by the efforts of Nikki Kent, who raised her game to another level, making most of her serves and many of them for aces.  She also notched some fantastic digs with her markedly improved defense.

MONDAY:

Monday play proved to be a tough one for the ASICS team, as they dropped the opener to Texas Thunder at Cashman Center.  The team was without Ashley Grayson who came down with the flue, and that loss was difficult to overcome.  Adjustments were made, moving Tasha Kite to middle blocker, and Kaitlyn Senn to outside hitter.  ASICS struggled with passing and serving in game one, but came back strong in game two behind an aggressive defense.  Unfortunately, the team was unable to put everything together for the third game.

18 ASICS will return to action at the ASICS Invite this weekend.

Neither team was particularly impressive in the morning in our victory over West Valley, but we prevailed with some offense, better defense, and tough serving. We had not quite answered the wake up call when WVBA Black came calling. This resulted in a loss to a very good team that seemed to compete better, and want it more.

Playing the top seeded Kent Juniors was not an attractive looking opportunity after two less than impressive outings, but it was apparently time to play together and closer to the potential we have all anticipated possible. In a hotly contested first game, we took the first game 26-24. There were shots delivered by KJ that we took head on and transitioned into a hungry offense. Much the same in game two. I thought at one point that we had it won, but I could not get the official to agree! It was on to game three where a couple of mis-steps resulted in a loss to a very strong Kent team, who is seeded in the top ten at Vegas. This was our best effort of the season, and felt good after struggling earlier.

The afternoon is always key in Power League as division placement is determined by the first match. We played a solid Salem team, in a very sound all-around game. Salem is going to be a force this season to be sure. Rimrock gave in to prom temptations and gave us a relatively easy seeding game for a fifth place finish. This is our best February Power League in several years.

Our overall effort was highlighted by our trademark defense. The return of setter Kayli Anderson did much to bolster our offensive production, allowing us to go to a 6-2 offense, freeing up Kelsey DeLaGrange to hit across the front while setting through the back. Kayli always plays the great "D" and Saturday was no exception! Final assist numbers: Kayli 41, Kelsey 35.

Strong and equally effective offense from a trio of ladies fueled the fire. Kara VanZanten with 23, Rashelle Davenport with 21, and Kelsey DeLaGrange with 20, led the kill parade.

Candis Carter led the ball control department with 37 perfect passes, and an amazing 46 digs, many of the spectacular nature. Following closely behind were Kaitlyn with 14 and 28, and Kara with 16 passes and 15 digs. Five stuff blocks each for Nicki Kent and Ashley Grayson, to go with 20 additional touches by Ashley, and 22 by Nicki. Ashley also led all scorers with 23, followed by Kayli with 21, and Kaitlyn with 22.

Next up we hope to improve on our 72nd seed in the 240 team Las Vegas Desert Classic.

Kayla Anderson returning to set with her trademark defense and 50 assists.

The emergence of Kelsey DeLaGrange as a hitter, leading the team with 33 kills and 60 assists.

Tasha Kite with a strong, aggressive day at the net, 20 kills.

Rashelle Davenport with an amazing 57% hitting percentage with 26 kills.

Ashley Grayson 28 kills, 27 service points with 7 aces, and 20 stuff blocks.

Candis Carter with a team leading 49 perfect passes, and 42 digs.

Kaitlyn Senn second on the team in passing and third in digs.

Kara VanZanten 26 kills, second in digs, and a team leading 8 aces to go with 18 points.

Nicki Kent much improved serving, defense and back row play to go along with her 17 kills and 8 stuff blocks.

Although dropping a notch in ball control in the finals, the team competed well in a spirited match with Nike NW Jrs Air Elite. Both teams have improved in recent weeks, and the competition remains intense, high energy, and fun to watch. The rivalry between the two teams is healthy and alive.

ASICS compiled a 9-6 game record over a two-day period in hotly contested games. With only 8 healthy bodies (two of whom had come from two consecutive days of basketball games), there was plenty of activity for all. Having not had a serious practice with all players participating for nearly three weeks now, the results were very positive.

ASICS began with Kent Juniors on Saturday, and the team was able to work to within two points of a victory in game one, but succumbed to torrid serving from KJ in the next two games. The rest of the weekend was a very positive experience. Two of 3 from NW Jrs. of Seattle, 3 of 3 from Puget Sound 18's and 1of 3 from Splash. Monday saw us playing tremendous defense to cover for a lackluster offensive performance in a 3 of 3 sweep of Puget Sound 17's.

A magnificent effort from Kelsey who set a 5-1 over the course of the 15 games, while ramping up her defensive performance on Monday.

Kara started slowly on Sunday morning, but finished as our top offensive performer and in the top three for serving.

Kaitlyn is moving her game to the next level, passing, defense and serving. She weathered some crushing spikes.

Candis was unconscious all weekend. 65 perfect passes and some unbelievable digs in the 43 successful executed. What a weekend.

Ashley led the team in service aces, touches, and stuff blocks, and was second in attack attempts. What a workhorse!

Nicki was not far behind in the block department, and started a trend of her own by attacking her service attempts with renewed confidence.

Tasha is beginning to gear her offensive attack to counter opponent's net game, and she contributed 12 digs to her defensive stats.

Rashelle shouldered a hefty portion of the offensive load adding 30 thunderous kills. She also added some assists as well as hefty numbers in the blocking department.

We might even be able to squeeze in a practice some time this week if the heritage basketball team gets caught up with their snow games prior to our hosting the "Awards and More" Tournament this Sunday. 40 teams in two age groups!

Maureen {Mo} Perez, a setter/outside hitter from Heritage High School, has signed to play next year at Central Florida University. In an unfortunate "turn of events", Mo twisted her knee during a basketball game in Redmond, Oregon over the Christmas break. The result of that twist was a torn ACL, ending her club season before it really started. In a "twist of irony", Mo will undergo surgery on her 18th birthday later this month. Mo is an exceptional talent, and in turn has been an exceptionally supportive bench member in her new role as an assistant coach.

In a qualifying event, moved from Saturday to Sunday, and relocated to Longview, the remaining 8 players performed very well. In pool play, a revamped pool was necessary due to transportation issues that hampered Yakima Gold's attendance. After a straight sets win over Salem, and winning two of three from Pacific, the afternoon was spent playing seeding games to determine placement within the Gold Division.

The Kent Juniors Black team warmed us up, stomping us 13-25. Their fast paced offense was more than we could handle. Our game vs. West Valley, who was number one coming in, went very well. We had been successful the week previous in a match vs. West Valley, and continued that trend. Our game vs. WVBA 18 Black was close and hotly contested. We prevailed 25-23 to take second in our Gold Division seeding pool.

This tournament was the first opportunity for Kaitlyn Senn and Tasha Kite to play this season. Both performed remarkably well and were major contributors to our success. Tasha hit very well from outside, and made some critical defensive contributions during our WVBA match. Kaitlyn is a defensive dynamo who was a welcomed addition to the back row. She teamed with Candis Carter, who had an outstanding day to ramp up our defense.

Kara VanZanten played at an extremely high level in all areas of her game. Her serve was devastating, and combined with her athleticism and volleyball savvy, any ball in her area, offensively or defensively, was usually converted to Cowlitz points. Nicki Kent has made amazing progress as our only sophomore player. She is destined to be an impact player, as is her fellow middle blocker Ashley Grayson.

Our "AAA" player is Kelsey DeLaGrange (Attitude, Athleticism, Aggressiveness). Cannot say enough about this junior's skills; she is everywhere all the time.

We will be tested severely this coming weekend in Bellevue where the top teams from three regions will compete. Stay tuned!