Pre-Festival Tournament
June 18, 2006 @ Longview, WA

The Cowlitz Asics 18's hosted and won the 10 team Pre-Festival Tournament on Sunday against spirited competition from alumni and other top teams. In a tournament designed to tax the outer limits of the team's patience, Asics had very few breaks in the 9 round tournament, playing or reffing in 8 of the 9 rounds.

Facing the 2nd ranked PVC Blue to begin the day, our "up-all-nighter seniors" struggled minus two players and working with an unfamiliar lineup. It was a very spirited 3 gamer with PVC prevailing. We expected much the same out of the alumni, but were a bit more familiar with the lineup, and won in two close and extremely competitive games. Rounding out the morning pool with a run through the Clark County 18's, we appeared ready for the playoffs.

PVC Purple is always a dangerous and competitive team, and they were all of that on Sunday. In two close games, we prevailed by the minimum 4-point margin over the two games.

Our close friends from Bridgetown Navy were next and they gave us a tremendous match. Both teams played very aggressively and full throttle. In the end it was Asics 15-13 in three, leading us to the finals against the Alpine Attack team, which played very well to get to the finals, aided by some assistance from the alumni, and PVC Blue.

Alpine had a great day, bolster by the addition of two Cowlitz Blue players, Katie Webb and the ever present Stefani Hail, who played inspired against their home club team in their home gym. It was a fun and spirited final, with both teams happy with their efforts at match end.

Our 8 athletes won 5 of 6 matches and 11 of 14 games en route to the tournament title.

Kari played tired, and relaxed all day at libero, and the results were some of her best of the year.

Allison simply would not surrender a cross-court kills, her attack was very aggressive, and as always she led the team in serving.

Joelle has come on like gangbusters in the past 6 weeks, plays solid defense, is among the team leaders in service points, and has run the offense as well in May and June as she has all year.

Amy played her final matches on the Monticello court with inspired serving, offensive assists, and a very solid attack from the front row. 

Nicki and Jessica took turns playing middle and right front, and smoked their serves from the back line. They also saved us on several occasions with stellar middle back play, and as always took care of business from the attacking perspective. These two have broken out, and are ready for the final tournament.

Shyra and Alyssa both alternate with varying degrees of steady to spectacular play. Shyra seems to come up with key blocks bordering on spectacular every tournament, while Alyssa records her spectaculars most often by punishing the floor with scorching kills. What is nice about these two juniors is their continued steady and improving play. They have learned to play within their abilities. The sky is the limit for these two next year!

Next up, on the road to Reno.

Thanks to parents, coaches, friends, and all that have made this season so memorable. This is a team of stellar student-athletes, who will all be very successful in life! Thanks to all for making a difference.

Emerald City Classic
May 27, 28 & 29, 2006 @ Bank of America Arena - Seattle, WA

Cowlitz Asics finishes 7th at the 20th Annual Emerald City Classic Memorial Day Weekend

Missing two starters for the entire weekend, it was a struggle to get into rhythm but the team fought valiantly through numerous lineups to finish 7th. Kim Carter tried valiantly to rally from her sick bed, but was unable to do so. Annie has decided not to finish the season, leaving us with 8 for Saturday's competition.

4 players playing out of their normal positions will always create confusion, but doing so against such high caliber competition made for some interesting plays. The Vancouver Ducks out of British Columbia almost got us, but we rallied in three to start the day on court 4 at the Bank of America building on the University of Washington campus. The upstairs side gym was hot and muggy, and required quite an all-out team effort to finally prevail.

Nike Power was next. They knew us all too well, and exploited our vulnerabilities in a two game sweep. We then encountered the host Washington Volleyball Academy team. With a changed lineup, and getting a boost from Kari Sarysz's defense, we came close but were unable to win either game, finishing with a 1-2 match record, our worst first day result in many a year!

BriAnne Culbertson has agreed to join the team for the remainder of the season, and her appearance on Sunday gave us better lineup options, as kids went back to their normal spots on the court. The team played top-seeded Rose City, and actually served match point before losing 14-16. The other two teams, Velocity of the Tri-Cities, and Synergy of Canada, did not stand much of a change against our fortified team, as we finished Sunday with a 2-1 record.

Monday pitted Asics against Nike, as we had to play two Nike NW Jrs teams in order to get to the trophy rounds. We dispatched Nike Power (same team that beat us on Saturday) in two straight as we played a very good team, and dominated by match end. It was high-powered volleyball on both sides of the net. Our superior team play and offensive options won the day.

Next up was CEVA Regional Champions Nike Air Elite, who were seeded a well-deserved 2nd in this tournament. Game one was an awesome display of high caliber volleyball by both teams. It was close to the end, as there was never more than a three-point gap until the final score with Cowlitz on the short end, 21-25. Game two was a different story with Nike dominating us as the wheels fell off our ball control, setting and offense. Not for lack of effort, the tournament run ended with a devastating loss, leaving us in 7th place.

As tough as it was to struggle at times, there were many bright spots as Cowlitz competed on every point, even when being out-manned with minimum options early in the tournament. The efforts were huge, the desire was there, and the likelihood of this team finishing the season on a high note is very believable.

After regrouping from graduation for our five seniors, we will resume action in Fife on June 11, where we are seeded number one. We will make our final local appearance on June 18, at Monticello Middle School before traveling to the Festival Tournament in Reno to finish the season.

Great effort ladies, and thank you parents for your continued support.

Northern Lights National Qualifier
April 27 - 30, 2006 @ Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Cowlitz Asics 18's team traveled two time zones to Minneapolis to participate in the Northern Lights National Qualifier April 27-30. Held at the cities' Convention Center, it was an impressive facility to be sure with all teams participating under one roof, on unobstructed view courts, where you could see every court in the facility in one sweeping view.

Cowlitz began their tournament at 4:00 on Friday afternoon against the Indy Juniors, as the second seed in the pool. Winning in two, a Milwaukee team was next, and were also dispatched in two bringing us to the 8:00 pm match against the highly touted Nike Six-Pack team from Northeast Iowa.

This team was huge up front, with plenty of power to spare. In a fierce two match effort, filled with aggressive net play, and unmatched defensive determination on our part, Cowlitz won two very closes games to move to the top spot in the pool. The problem with doing well in a PM pool on day one in a three-day tournament is the fact that you have to play in the AM on day two in order to progress through elimination! Which is exactly what happened as we drew an 8:00 Saturday match.

We began day two as first in the pool, an indication as to how high the Six-Pack team must have been ranked on day one. Playing the Sky Hawks from Chicago in a tightly contested match, we traded points for many long stretches without anyone seizing control. The result was a three game setback in overtime, 30-28, 26-28, 11-15. That was a telling match, as this team would eventually win the tournament!

Next up was Mizuno Black. We played a near perfect first game winning 25-8, and went on to win in two setting up our top 16 qualifier match with Club Adidas Select. In this battle, we went overtime again with scores of 25-27, 25-16, 13-15. It was a tough loss, as we were way ahead in game three before the wheels fell off. This team eventually placed 9th.

We were able to draw a bye on Sunday before playing University of Okoboji of Iowa dominating 25-18, 25-13, taking us to the final of the division where we met the Sting of Nebraska for the championship. In an impressive display of passing, setting, and overpowering hitting, we dispatched of the Sting 25-18, 25-17.

As the season progresses, and we become more comfortable with our new lineups, we are emerging as the best hitting team in club history. Our "fab four" possess dominating abilities, that are hard to match when they are all on, hitting and blocking. When all 10 become healthy and focused, it should be quite a show. 9 athletes made the trip and contributed as follows:

Allison, top server, passer, and all around contributor, working through injuries in the process.

Kimmie top defender, best flyer. She took some "big hits".

Amy, tops in assists and kill percentage, with an uncanny ability to perform at the net for her height.

Shyra, strong server, hitter, and top blocker, with ever-improving defensive skills.

Nicki, blocking and creating havoc from the right side, she stood out on Sunday with her inspired play.

Joelle, back from injury and travel, provided quite a spark as second setter, and ran 9 straight service points and a solid string of assists on Sunday in "crunch time".

Kari, best ball control performance for her of the year, and typical strong serving location that took teams out of their offense.

Jessica, dominating serving, tops in aces, and some very dominating net play, particularly on Sunday.

Alyssa hit two of the most incredible kills I have ever witnessed from a Cowlitz player. Much improved overall game in past two weeks.

This team represents their club, community and family with class and dignity. They are respectful of the game and each other, and are a blast to be around. Don't miss a chance to watch them in action.

CEVA Regional Championship
GOLD / SILVER DIVISION
April 22 & 23, 2006 @ Albany Boys & Girls Club - Albany, OR

In a weekend full of intense competition, Asics played 9 matches over two days, never able to field it's strongest lineup due to injury. It was the highest Regional finish in at least 10 years, and was highlighted by strong team play, guts, drive, and determination. I have coached for 30 years, and this team's effort ranks among the top team efforts of any team I have had the privilege to coach.

In a weekend where I drove 8 hours and 500 miles, it was an honor to be associated with such a magnificent, total team effort. Four matches on Saturday, and five on Sunday, (we lost in the first round of bracket play), this group of student athletes refused to give in to the temptation of losing and going home.

Saturday started innocently enough with two solid wins over Alpine Aces and Greater Columbia, where we got stronger as the new lineup began to gel. Match 3 against Rimrock was a different story. They took it to us, and the uncertainty under their intense pressure broke us down. We knew of the abilities of this very athletic team, and it would mark the first of three encounters with Rimrock during the weekend.

Faced with an additional match, with the winner advancing to Gold, we played conservatively in a two game win over West Valley, sending us out of the gym at 3:00 instead of 1:30, and dropping us one seed to fifth.

Sunday we were back to officiate, before taking on Rimrock again. The result was the same, but the effort was better as we lost in three, putting us on the brink of elimination as we faced the surging Bridgetown team. It took an unsettling outburst from coaches to wake up the troops as we escaped in overtime in the first game before taking control in the second. Up next was second seeded Rose City, whom we had yet to beat in three earlier encounters this season.

Rose City is a talented group of kids from Central Catholic that we were motivated to prove ourselves against. Our heart, grit, and determination shone through, particularly when our libero suffered a knee injury at the beginning of game three. Kari and Annie played huge parts in our come-from-behind victory. Which sent us immediately to our third encounter with Rimrock.

In an unbelievable show of teamwork and determination, our eight remaining players played their hearts out to defeat Rimrock in two, in a match for the ages. Without any break, we were now ushered into the main gym to play for the final spot in the championship game against a well-rested PVC team. We had a gas shortage, we plain ran out of it, and succumbed to fatigue. Playing in our 9th match, to PVC's 7th, we competed valiantly but unsuccessfully.

The team was amazing all weekend, staying together, playing intensely and never quitting or doubting their abilities. A summary of individual efforts follows:

Joelle, on crutches and recovering from a reaction to her shots that she took before traveling to the Philippines over spring break, was there both days, supporting the team from the bench, keeping score, and learning what it is like to view the game from a coach's perspective.

Amy played her heart out as we were forced into a 5-1 offense for 9 intense matches. She ran down pass after pass, distributed the ball, and kept the offense rolling. Her stamina and intensity were amazing to watch. Amy continues to play way taller than her 5' 8" stature would suggest. She was amazing.

Kim Carter, our defensive leader and sparkplug, dug some amazing balls for 7 matches, before suffering a tournament-ending knee injury. She had to borrow Joelle's crutches, and eventually was able to stand in support of the team.

Annie stepped into Kim's libero role for the final two matches, moving from her defensive specialist position, and played her best volleyball of the year.

Kari was the target of attempted abuse from opposing servers. Kari refused to crack, and made some match-saving plays, particularly in our win over Rimrock, and did some targeting of her own with her serves.

Allison, our super soph, was perhaps one of our most consistent performers in all phases of the game. Her attack skills for her size are impressive, and her instincts in the back-row on defense are second to none.

Alyssa took her game up several levels, serving and defense in particular, to go with an unmatchable attack at the net. She was our enforcer.

Shyra, our most consistent blocker, also hammered kills, served for points, and displayed enthusiasm for the game and her teammates that was contagious.

Jessica, booming serves, stuff blocks, and numerous thundering kills were her trademark. She is intimidating from the service line and led the team while quietly piling up the points.

Nicki, a three-year veteran of this team, adjusted well to her new position for this tournament, and paid the biggest dividends against Rose City, the very team we made the switch for! Her kills, blocks, and enthusiasm for competition and her teammates were a key to our weekend.

We will head to Minneapolis, Minnesota this week for the Northern Lights National Qualifier. You have just one more chance to see this team locally on June 18th, before they disband forever. I would not miss it!

Power League - April
GOLD DIVISION
April 2, 2006 @ Pacific University - Forest Grove, OR

One day after April Fools, Cowlitz Asics took the courts at Pacific University, minus Nicki Kent and Joelle Perez (on a FCA trip to the Philippines), and earned their highest place of the year, with a third place finish in the final Power League of the year.

With only 8 players available, 4 playing out of their regular positions, the team got stronger as they familiarized themselves with new roles. In a 25-23, 25-23 beginning win over Nike Power, the team scrambled from an 8-point deficit to pull out a close match. Nike came from behind in the second game to make it close. It was simply a matter of fundamentals execution that did the trick.

The always tough, and very athletic, Columbia Juniors squad was as advertised. Losing a heartbreaking first game, 24-26, this coach figured it was curtains for Cowlitz - not so! Behind great defense, ball control, and net play, and solid turns at the service line, it turned into "lights out" for our Columbia opponents in a 25-18, 15-5 finish. With our goal of maintaining our 4th seed into Regional play secure, we moved on to PVC.

Close but no cigar! Losing 11-25, 25-27, we waited over an hour for tie-breaking activities on court 2 before drawing Nike Air Elite in the semis. This was a thrilling match, and marked the first breakthrough of the year for Cowlitz, as we competed well, taking our first game of the year off of Nike, and were extremely competitive down the stretch in an 18-25, 25-22, 12-15 setback.

We closed out the day with a 25-23 victory over PVC, avenging an earlier loss against the team seeded first to start the day. This was an outstanding finish on a day marked by thunderous spikes, solid ball control when it counted, and at times to dominate at the net.

Alyssa, Jessica, and Shyra all contributed some outstanding kills and aggressive net play, but it was the solo block of Kim Carter, all 5' 7" of her, that helped to seal the playoff win over PVC.

Setting, digging, serving, hitting, and blocking skills were needed at one time or another from Kim, and she came through.

Annie was solid at libero, and Kari warmed up to the task, serving passing, and digging in the afternoon.

Jessica blocked the lights out, roamed the net with combination kills, followed closely by Shyra and Alyssa.

Alyssa played her most complete game of the year, in an extended playing role.

Amy Higginson was absolutely outstanding handling all but one rotation of the offense, and attacking teams from her service spot with precision.

Solid team play, winning the critical points, and enjoying the moment, I believe this group of 8 determined women earned some new fans this weekend. Outstanding work, enjoy your spring break!

Power League - March
GOLD DIVISION
March 5, 2006 @ Not Available

Steady she goes!

It is amazing to me that we are already into the March Power League, and at the halfway point of the season!

Three days in Vegas, four days and a practice, two days in Yakima, five days to practice and prepare for March.

We suffered an injury to one of our primary players when Nicki went down with a serious ankle sprain at one of two participation college practices after Yakima that hampered our ability to compete at Power League. We experimented with four variations of the lineup as we searched for a winning combination. The results were a solid 4th place finish, avenging a previous week's loss, and the pleasure of watching 60% of the lineup playing at least two different positions that allowed us to maintain our seed.

The first match was against Club VIP from Catlin Gable. Our attempt to hide Nicki was unsuccessful, and the opposing teams were looking on with glee. Behind the solid passing of Annie Forman, and outside presence of Jessica Srajer, we managed a 25-11, 25-16 sweep. It was obvious we could not work with a limping middle.

Enter match two against Columbia Juniors. Jessica moved to middle, Nicki to outside, allowing Allison Buck to move into a prominent position on the outside. It was a tight first game loss to the energetic Columbia Juniors, allowing them a three-game win streak against us, dating back to the Yakima weekend. Our final lineup change of the day put Nicki at right side to negate the opponents outside line attack, putting Alyssa Wistrick back at left side.

The key however was the elevated energy level, gut check defense, and key Kari Sarysz placed aces. We finished 25-11, 15-6 to settle that score, and entered the match against number 1 seeded Rose City ready to rumble. It was close, intense, and exciting volleyball, with Cowlitz coming out on the losing end of a three set match, 24-26, 25-17, 10-15. This was a marked improvement over our last encounter with the Central Catholic dominated roster. Our adjustments and elevated play is beginning to pay off. With a couple swing plays going our way, it may some day be a different outcome.

In this region, you can never let your guard down as was evident in our crossover match against NW Jrs. A/E. We played them even for the first 14 points, after which they rolled us, 14-25, 13-25, lesson learned. We had several opportunities to finish as the third seed, in our seeding match against Rose City, but we are still working on closing out the great teams. Rose City won 20-25.

Our production is up, younger players in particular, and our senior leadership is beginning to make a difference. The second half of the season should be a dandy. National level, out-of-region competition is up next.

Our top statistical leaders will be posted soon. Game balls to Jessica Srajer, and Allison Buck, for their solid contributions, and special recognition to junior setter Joelle Perez, who has stepped up her game, following the lead of senior setter Amy Higginson. Stay tuned!

Northwest Junior Jamboree
February 25 & 26, 2006 @ Yakima, WA

The Yakima Jamboree is a solid two-day event, attracting many of the top teams from four different regions across the Northwest. It is a grueling two days. Asics played 9 matches in two days. Throw in travel time of up to 8 hours, and having just returned from the three-day Las Vegas tournament, and Yakima becomes a real test of skills matched with wills!

Cowlitz began play at East Valley High School on day one, defeating North Idaho as we introduced a new variation of our lineup. The results were astounding in game one. Idaho was shell- shocked resulting in a 25-6, 25-18 Idaho loss.

Game two saw us put different players in different positions in an attempt to battle the fatigue factor that we anticipated coming later in the tournament. Match two was against Narrows Purple, a team we have played before. This was a solid effort by both teams with Cowlitz prevailing 25-22, 25-20. Our final first pool match was against Saturday Warriors from the Kent / Renton area. Ranked second in our pool, we were rolling with our new lineup, successfully executing our offense at will. The result was a 25-13, 25-14 victory, and a solid finish to our morning.

Moving from the top 32 to the top 16, our next pool was loaded with equally talented teams. Moving locations, and going up against region nemesis Rimrock, we played a very tough match prevailing 25-18, behind solid offensive play, losing 24-26 in a pressure packed game two in overtime, and winning 15-12with solid team play, ball control and defense, ending day one undefeated.

Moving for a third time to the Ike gym, we started slowly against a very game Sudden Impact team out of Seattle, winning 30-28, 25-21. This less-than-spectacular play carried over for a time against Yakima Gold, a very solid team, and the host of the tournament. We lost 25-27, 21-25 playing inconsistently, which turned out to be an indicator of things to come.

The loss to Yakima was a costly one as the reseeding process, based on past results / points, moved us from 3rd to 8th seed as we moved into the top 12 championship rounds. High Velocity from the Tri-Cities, (seeded 9th) was there to give us all we could handle. Asics prevailed 25-10, 23-25, 15-10, where we dominated game one, had a long dry spell in game two, and dominated more than the score would indicate in game three.

Our loss to Yakima earlier put us in the bracket with the number one team in the tournament, Nike Air Elite which we now went up against in round two instead of round four! We played very solid for the first 15 points, countering their offense with our defense and ball control, and answered with some offense of our own. When our ball control went south, so did game one. We were never able to recover, and lost the match 16-25, 11-25.

After an officiating assignment, we took on Columbia Juniors out of the Tri-Cities, a team we have defeated earlier this year in two tough matches. They wanted it more than we did in a test of grit and determination as we fell 21-25, 12-25 to finish 7th in the 56 team event.

7th is a respectable finish, but our team is capable of competing and defeating all of the teams that were present in this years tournament. In an interesting twist, Columbia Juniors is our second opponent in the March Power League at Pacific University next weekend.

Statistics gathered from the tournament indicated very positive results, as individual and team performances were up in every category! As this group of 10 continues to grow, I anticipate great results. This team will, without a doubt, be "greater later", and my money is on Asics to defeat Columbia at Pacific University next weekend!

I cannot say enough about the great job this team has done to travel, play, and perform appropriately both on and off of the court. They are truly a magnificent bunch of student athletes, who represent their family, school, club, and community with class. Thanks to all who have had a part in their "becoming", and to the many fans that support us.

See you on the courts!

Las Vegas Desert Classic
February 18-20, 2006 @ Las Vegas, NV

What goes on in Vegas ... can only make you better!

Cowlitz Asics hit the road for the first of several big time national tournaments over President's Weekend. 10 athletes, 8 whom have never been to Vegas, made the trip, along with 10 adults to help keep them focused!! The experience and memories cannot be duplicated, and were memorable indeed.

Our two returners, Nicki Kent and Jessica Srajer, led the team through their paces both on and off the court with class. Team travel can be rough at times; these two worked the rest of the team over the tough times with class and dignity. I could not have received better behavior on a first trip to Vegas than these two helped provide.

There were some great memories provided both on and off the court, including:

An incredibly exciting and intense second game win over Central Cal 31-29
The lights going out in the middle of a match on day one … pitch black it was!
Communal living at the vacation home
Music in the vans
Lost in the desert
Prom night
America's next top model
Variety show
Volcanoes
Dancing lights
Sisters

It is a trip we will not soon forget, to be sure.

It was a tough draw for Cowlitz as we took on Top Gun in day one's pool final, and Texas Tornado, and X Court on day two. These are top teams in their regions, and we learned about intensity and the value of consistent play. We finally appeared at the Cashman Center on Monday for a very intense and entertaining three-game slugfest with Central Cal. The end result was a much stronger Asics team, exhausted, yet eager for the next challenge that is the Yakima Jamboree.

Annie Foreman rediscovered her serve in time to give us a much-needed assist against Club Vegas on day one, along with good defense

Allison Buck is emerging as a very solid player, leading the team in passing, and second in serving after 6 tournaments

Alyssa Wistrick is a big-time hitter, who when she connects draws rave reviews

Shyra Hoffman leads the team in blocking, kill % and service aces Jessica leads the team in kills per game, and total kills

Nicki is the team leader both physically and emotionally, who is also no less than third on the team in blocks and kills

Amy Higginson has been tearing it up, with top hitting results, is second in assists, and leads the team in service points

Joelle is the team assist leader and is in the top five in service points, aces, and is quickly learning the nuances of defense.

Kari Sarysz has top three results in aces, and service points and is giving us a solid defensive effort

Kim carter is tearing it up in both digs, and serve receive. She has earned her wings, with her frequent flyer miles!

In summary, each of our student athletes has found a way to contribute to the 71% winning percentage, while embroiled in the most difficult stretch of the season. Lineup adjustments have been made in preparation for the next Power League. It is exciting to watch the growth of this team, both on and off of the court. We enter the Jamboree seeded third. Stay tuned!!

Awards N' More Classic
January 29, 2006 @ Longview, WA

18 ASICS goes 10-2 and takes second place at the 18th annual Awards N' More Classic at LCC gymnasium Sunday.

It was a clean sweep through five matches prior to the final as ASICS rolled over Wind River, Narrows, and South Sound Ohana in pool play, prior to convincing wins in the quarters against LCH, 25-11, 25-8, and the semi's 25-11, 25-15 over Cowlitz Blue. It was a different story in the finals where Northwest Juniors, Nike Air Elite, rolled ASICS 16-25, and 11-25.

With 8 new players, with loads of potential, we faced an experienced and veteran Nike team with 8 returnees, who taught ASICS that there is work yet to be done. On the road to the finals, Amy Higginson was our most impressive offensive weapon, scoring often, and recording the highest kill percentage, followed by Shyra Hoffman, and Nicki Kent. Leading in the serving department were Allison Buck, followed by Kari Sarysz. Ball control was directed by Kim Carter, with Allison coming in a close second.

Blocking, particularly in the finals, was impressive, led by Joelle Perez and Amy Higginson, who set solid blocks that Nicki and Shyra closed on. This will be a major point to build on as we re-tool our offense and ball control skills in order to compete with the likes of NW Jrs. And PVC.

It is a young and enthusiastic group, led by seasoned veterans Nicki, Jessica and Kim, that prepares to enter the toughest stretch of the season with three major tournaments in the next four weeks. I anticipate a great ride with an eager and enthusiastic group of young people. Stay tuned!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Tournament
January 14-15, 2006 @ Juanita High School Field House

In a change of days of competition, 18 ASICS played on Saturday and Sunday rather than the previous Sunday and Monday schedule. Throw in the need for four players to return to Longview for the prom, and Allison staying home on Saturday to participate in her sister's wedding, (officiated by assistant coach, dad, school administrator, and pastor, Ted), it was a very busy weekend.

The results were very positive as the team recorded their best effort in the past three years, going 12-3. At this writing, final results and the all-star team had not yet been posted.

The competition took place in the Juanita High School field house, a massive building that allowed six courts for play with lots of room in between. It was a dream for those desiring to watch non-stop volleyball for two days. The format called for three out of three sets, all to 25 in a 90-minute time frame. Teams did not play any other teams from their own region, so all new opponents made for an interesting two days of competition.

First up was Northshore from the Seattle area. They worked us pretty good in the first half of the set. After the first timeout, we took care of business with a clean sweep, 25-18, 25-10, 25-19.

After officiating, we faced the host club in Northwest Juniors Storm. In a change of approach, we played well early, and then suffered from early-season passing blues, eventually falling in three, 25-20, 19-25, 24-26. It was not pretty, but a well deserved wake-up call!

We then faced Power Surge 1, who gave us fits in Longview last month, as we managed to win in the third game 15-13. It was a different story this time around. With Kari Sarysz firing serves from the back and kills from the front, it was over very quickly 25-12, 25-16, 25-16.

On Sunday we faced off against undefeated Yakima in a post-prom / Seahawk victory competition. It was high caliber play from both sides that saw us prevail 23-25, 25-20, 25-14. I was very pleased with the adjustments that the kids made after set one, which was the reason for the widening gap in the latter two set victories.

We finished with Sudden Impact Black, 25-15, 25-16, 25-21.

Solid defense was the order of the day as team leader Kim Carter led in passing and defense, with help from Kari and Annie, particularly on Sunday. Joelle Perez stepped it up in the setting department with solid results, feeding her counter-part Amy Higginson, and Nicki Kent for solid kills. Amy added to the assist total with help from Alyssa Wistrick, and Jessica Srajer.

Allison, straight from her rousing speech at her sister's wedding, added to her totals from the back line, serving tough on Sunday, and assisting with the ball control duties.

Thanks to the many parents who endured the two days, several who drove three round trips!! Good progress was made, as we prepare to finish our first month of the season on January 29 at our own Awards and More Tournament.

Pre-Qualifier Tournament
January 7, 2006 @ Skyview Middle School - Vancouver, WA

The season began in earnest Saturday at Skyview Middle School where the team competed in one of numerous qualifying rounds of the 18's division that served to place teams in February's Power League divisions. ASICS began as the 4th seed, and after competing with six different teams in a modified format, finished as the number one seed.

Greater Columbia offered the first competition leading by as much as 7 point before ASICS began to wake up. Sparked by a serving run by Shyra Hoffman, and another later by Allison Buck, the team crawled back into it, escaping with a 25-20 first game. Fully functioning in game two, the result was a 25-11 sweep. Cowlitz dispatched Mt. Hood in quick fashion, dominating game one 25-7, and then escaping 25-22 in game two. In our Canby third match, we rolled 25-15, and 25-11, securing us a spot in the Gold division, and placing us with the other three pool winners.

In an abbreviated format, (one game to 25) ASICS worked very hard to defeat Columbia Juniors 25-16, worked even harder in a tight 2 point loss to Rimrock, (26-28) and capped off the day with a 25-16 victory over PVC Black. In a pool so tight that ties were broken by point differential, Cowlitz prevailed as the #1 seed going in February's Power League.

There are some very solid teams in the region and February promises to be a very competitive Power League tournament.

Highlights for the day were numerous. Amy Higginson's play was outstanding, leading in the assist department, and providing an unexpected offensive boost with her attack opportunities from right front. She managed to find the floor at a very solid rate.

Kim Carter played exceptionally at libero, banged her head on the floor extremely hard, and still knew what day it was! Putting balls to the floor becomes a challenge with Allison and Kari contributing as well.

An over-enthusiastic opponent managed to crash onto our side of the court on two occasions with the second one resulting in injury to Alyssa. Her ankle was compromised, but she managed to return for modified play with her trademark boomers.

Shyra's second hit attacks, and aggressive serving, boosted her contributions, and Jessica and Nicki played some very solid back row to go along with their front row dominance.

For as early as it is in the season, it was comforting to see the teamwork on concepts needed for a good solid season. We will venture into Seattle this weekend to challenge the top teams from neighboring regions in the Martin Luther King Tournament.

Pre-Qualifier Tournament
December 31, 2005 @ Longview, WA

ASICS Wins Pre-Qualifier Tournament

Junior teams and two exhibition alumni teams gave everyone a jump-start to the upcoming Regional season. It was the earliest season start ever, due to calendar issues, as Cowlitz kicked off the season on December 31st. It turned out to be a round robin marathon with each team playing 6 matches. Cowlitz ASICS compiled a 5-1 match record and a 11-4 game record winning in three against Cowlitz Judy, losing to Cowlitz Mo in three, and winning the junior championship in grueling fashion, bettering Power Surge one 23-25, 25-12, and 15-12.

The Cowlitz Alumni teams presented monumental challenges to a very green ASICS squad (8 new players) who made great progress throughout the day. It was, without question, the most challenging opening tournament ever.

The team was led offensively by Nicki Kent, with able assistance from Jessica Srajer, Shyra Hoffman, and the booming kills of Alyssa Wistrick. These four also contributed in the blocking department.

Newcomers Amy Higginson and Joelle Perez set the offense, and doubled up on the front row for much of the day with great intensity.

Defensively we sparkled, led by Kim Carter, with assistance from Allison Buck, Annie Forman and Kari Sarysz.

Kari was our top server, with help from Shyra, Allison, and Jessica. Our passing leader was Allison Buck.

Next up is the Power League Qualifier next Saturday at Skyridge Middle School in Camas.

Match scores:

Angels : 25-12, 25-12
Cowlitz Judy : 22-25, 25-20, 15-12
Power Surge 2 : 25-10, 25-12
Cowlitz Blue : 25-23, 25-16
Cowlitz Maureen : 17-25, 29-27, 14-16
Power Surge 1 : 23-25, 25-12, 15-12