Where are you at? Where are you going? How will you get there?
These are the questions every TEAM and individual must answer as they go through "life". For us, the plan was simple and that was to be the best player/TEAM we can be everyday. Nobody had any clue what this TEAM would accomplish or what we were capable of with only 7 players. All I know is that our institution, fellow students, and community should be proud of what these student-athletes achieved, because they deserve praise.
When it was all said and done, the Ladyjacks finished the season 15-16 followed by a 4th place finish at the Region Tournament. We began the tournament by losing the 1st round in 3 sets to Williston State who eventually took 2nd place. Our second round opponent was Dakota County Technical College, who beat us in 3 straight sets earlier in the year. This was a tremendous match won in 5 sets, with the last set being 26-24 (final set is only supposed to go to 15). Our Ladies fought tooth and nail to stay alive in the tournament as we went on to face Williston State....again. Although we lost in 3 straight sets it was very clear our TEAM would not lay down for the Tetons as each set was as competitive as you could imagine. It is never easy to finish the year, but there was no regret as we left everything we had on the floor.
Too often players, fans, and coaches get caught up in winning or losing. We forget that practice, bus travel, and road trips become the memories that are ever-lasting. For us the most important aspect of the season was to enjoy the journey, and forget about the destination. Our journey was filled with peaks and valleys. The peaks are what people remember, but bouncing back from the valleys is what this TEAM was all about. Our "legacy" should be completed by memories of a TEAM who never wasted a opportunity to compete regardless of the opponent, and strived to be better today than yesterday.
Hopefully those who followed our season have the same feelings as I do. These 7 Ladyjacks are a remarkable group of talented individuals who gave Bottineau and DCB a product of value. Great students, great people, great TEAM and great competitors.
Thank you for the support all year long.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Ladyjacks Finish Regular Season 14-14
It is often said the true test of a competitor is not what they do when people are watching, but rather when the athlete is on their own. Although our Ladyjack TEAM was not necessarily "alone" when traveling to Dawson Community College and going 2-0 on Friday, the circumstances had changed because I was not able to be present due to scheduling issues with Men's Basketball. Associate Head Coach Lindsay Manning made the trip and has been tremendous all year, but a Head Coach always gets a little concerned when routine is broken. Fortunately our Ladies had the focus to transfer practice repetitions to a live game and sweep DCC both matches.
With that being said, it is time for us to maintain focus on the most important matter which is preparation for the Region XIII tournament. Finishing 14-14 put our TEAM in 4th place in the Mon-Dak behind BSC, NDSCS, and Williston State. On Friday at 11am we will open up the tournament competing against Williston State. We have yet to win a match but we have grabbed a few sets this year from Williston. Commonly the thought is to make adjustments or changes to a team before they play in a tournament, but for us the equation is simple. Keep doing what we have been doing all year, just do it better. Our TEAM Goal is to get better everyday, and that has been accomplished I believe.
This year the Ladyjacks have been resilient by winning the matches you are supposed to win, and attempting to steal a tough when you are not expected to win. It is difficult to say what expectations are from the community or other institutions but are concern is how well can we play on Friday. Whatever happens after that we will deal with but until then we are in control of how well we can execute at practice day by day until Friday.
I will attempt to keep the blog updated match by match throughout the tournament. Thank you for the continued support from our Ladyjacks, and look forward to seeing what we have left come this weekend.
Get Jacked UP!
With that being said, it is time for us to maintain focus on the most important matter which is preparation for the Region XIII tournament. Finishing 14-14 put our TEAM in 4th place in the Mon-Dak behind BSC, NDSCS, and Williston State. On Friday at 11am we will open up the tournament competing against Williston State. We have yet to win a match but we have grabbed a few sets this year from Williston. Commonly the thought is to make adjustments or changes to a team before they play in a tournament, but for us the equation is simple. Keep doing what we have been doing all year, just do it better. Our TEAM Goal is to get better everyday, and that has been accomplished I believe.
This year the Ladyjacks have been resilient by winning the matches you are supposed to win, and attempting to steal a tough when you are not expected to win. It is difficult to say what expectations are from the community or other institutions but are concern is how well can we play on Friday. Whatever happens after that we will deal with but until then we are in control of how well we can execute at practice day by day until Friday.
I will attempt to keep the blog updated match by match throughout the tournament. Thank you for the continued support from our Ladyjacks, and look forward to seeing what we have left come this weekend.
Get Jacked UP!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Ladyjacks Back on Track: Sweep Lake Region
The Ladyjacks jumped back into the win column on Wednesday night after defeating Lake Region in 3 straight sets (28-26,25-14,25-21). It was by far our most competitive match with LRSC which could be expected as it was their last home match, so it was evident early on we were not going to be give any points. As a TEAM, we move to 12-14 on the year looking to grab two more wins at Dawson this Friday.
Sometimes the hardest part about being a player or coach is putting the current situation into a realistic perspective. Lately we did not seem to be playing well and our heads appeared to be hanging our heads. REALITY was our TEAM had played exceptional for 20 days and got off track for somewhere around 72 hours. From our perspective it did not seem fitting to be down on our recent play as it became obvious we have the ability to play at a high level for a sustained amount of time.
Jordyn Sondrol played above the blocks last night racking up 19 kills while putting the ball down on almost every set. Jackie Miller once again played a complete game but brought energy, and aggressiveness by totaling 4 aces. Ashleigh Aufforth tied a season high with 32 assists and that stat is probably most impressive because the match only last 3 sets. Although we continually talk offense and scoring, it is our defense which carries us at any time we achieve success. As long as we our willing to play harder/longer than the opponent we will always have a chance.
Look forward to updating the Jacks followers this weekend after the Dawson trip.
Sometimes the hardest part about being a player or coach is putting the current situation into a realistic perspective. Lately we did not seem to be playing well and our heads appeared to be hanging our heads. REALITY was our TEAM had played exceptional for 20 days and got off track for somewhere around 72 hours. From our perspective it did not seem fitting to be down on our recent play as it became obvious we have the ability to play at a high level for a sustained amount of time.
Jordyn Sondrol played above the blocks last night racking up 19 kills while putting the ball down on almost every set. Jackie Miller once again played a complete game but brought energy, and aggressiveness by totaling 4 aces. Ashleigh Aufforth tied a season high with 32 assists and that stat is probably most impressive because the match only last 3 sets. Although we continually talk offense and scoring, it is our defense which carries us at any time we achieve success. As long as we our willing to play harder/longer than the opponent we will always have a chance.
Look forward to updating the Jacks followers this weekend after the Dawson trip.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Ladyjacks Encounter Recent Struggles
I apologize for being a few days late on updates. Unfortunately recent events do not allow me to fill you on on any great happenings...
It has been 3 rough days for the Ladyjacks as we have dropped three of our last four matches. At the Bismarck State Classic we played well on Friday night by being Assiniboine in 3 straight sets, only to drop both matches on Saturday. Saturday began with a competiton against Bismarck State who continues to stand at the top of the Mon-Dak mountain. Although we were picked apart through 3 sets it felt as though we belonged on the same court with 2 out of 3 sets being highly competitive.
What happened next was a surprise...Dakota County Technical College has a few good players, and clearly a good coach after falling to them in 3 sets as well. The problem is not failing to win but rather failing to compete. All of the sudden we have lost our ability to keep a competitive edge while executing a team strategy.
Last night we were at home against Jamestown College JV who has an extrememly good volleyball program at the varsity level, and can be attributed to developing strong players at the JV level. Once again our Ladyjacks would play the beginning of each set with great attitudes, and relentless effort only to fizzle away mid-set all three sets. We had glimpses of solid play but were not able to string together enough winning plays.
As a coach you are aware your team may stumble from time to time, which is not necessarily a bad thing all the time but right now we must be concerned about our overall demeanor moving forward. This group of student-athletes has been tremendous bouncing back, and I believe this mental toughness will continue. If there was a good time to have a few physical/mental errors it would be now as we have two weeks to straighten up leading into the Region XIII Tournament.
Wednesday we will play Lake Region at Devils Lake as we have only two meetings left before the October 26th 1st Rd. of Region Tournament.
It has been 3 rough days for the Ladyjacks as we have dropped three of our last four matches. At the Bismarck State Classic we played well on Friday night by being Assiniboine in 3 straight sets, only to drop both matches on Saturday. Saturday began with a competiton against Bismarck State who continues to stand at the top of the Mon-Dak mountain. Although we were picked apart through 3 sets it felt as though we belonged on the same court with 2 out of 3 sets being highly competitive.
What happened next was a surprise...Dakota County Technical College has a few good players, and clearly a good coach after falling to them in 3 sets as well. The problem is not failing to win but rather failing to compete. All of the sudden we have lost our ability to keep a competitive edge while executing a team strategy.
Last night we were at home against Jamestown College JV who has an extrememly good volleyball program at the varsity level, and can be attributed to developing strong players at the JV level. Once again our Ladyjacks would play the beginning of each set with great attitudes, and relentless effort only to fizzle away mid-set all three sets. We had glimpses of solid play but were not able to string together enough winning plays.
As a coach you are aware your team may stumble from time to time, which is not necessarily a bad thing all the time but right now we must be concerned about our overall demeanor moving forward. This group of student-athletes has been tremendous bouncing back, and I believe this mental toughness will continue. If there was a good time to have a few physical/mental errors it would be now as we have two weeks to straighten up leading into the Region XIII Tournament.
Wednesday we will play Lake Region at Devils Lake as we have only two meetings left before the October 26th 1st Rd. of Region Tournament.
Friday, October 12, 2012
NDSCS Squeezes by Ladyjacks
Sprint vs. Marathon
Our TEAM has continually discussed the need to understand a competitive college season takes endurance, persistence, and resilience. The 1st meeting with NDSCS was not pretty for our Ladyjacks as it seemed we never stood a chance against a talented opponent. Wednesday evening was a different story as our TEAM competed to win each set although we lost in three (20-25,21-25,19-25). A couple breaks, a couple inches, a couple different calls would have made a difference and allowed our Ladies to possibly put the pressure on NDSCS.
Once again, the outcome may not have been in our favor but the direction of our TEAM continues to go in a positive manner. Teamwork, effort, strategy and enthusiasm will always be our main emphasis. Wednesday was another example of each player having an impact on the game. Hitters like Jackie Miller, Courtney Hart and Josie Degagne were put in a position to make plays as good teams make it a habit to double-team Jordyn Sondrol. Those three combined for 18 kills and Sondrol was became crucial on the defensive end by leading the team with 8 digs. To have your best hitter lead the team in a defensive category is huge, and to trust the other teammates will step up their game when give the opportunity just provides evidence we are making strides. Ashleigh Aufforth was tested to mix-up sets and approaches against a team that makes strong adjustments, but proved she was able to quarterback an offense with 25 assists in an important situation.
We may have not won the battle, but we believe our light is only shining brighter. This weekend we travel to Bismarck State for a three match classic. Along the way we will get another shot at BSC as well as compete against two new schools.
Stay tuned for updats.
Get Um' Jacks
Our TEAM has continually discussed the need to understand a competitive college season takes endurance, persistence, and resilience. The 1st meeting with NDSCS was not pretty for our Ladyjacks as it seemed we never stood a chance against a talented opponent. Wednesday evening was a different story as our TEAM competed to win each set although we lost in three (20-25,21-25,19-25). A couple breaks, a couple inches, a couple different calls would have made a difference and allowed our Ladies to possibly put the pressure on NDSCS.
Once again, the outcome may not have been in our favor but the direction of our TEAM continues to go in a positive manner. Teamwork, effort, strategy and enthusiasm will always be our main emphasis. Wednesday was another example of each player having an impact on the game. Hitters like Jackie Miller, Courtney Hart and Josie Degagne were put in a position to make plays as good teams make it a habit to double-team Jordyn Sondrol. Those three combined for 18 kills and Sondrol was became crucial on the defensive end by leading the team with 8 digs. To have your best hitter lead the team in a defensive category is huge, and to trust the other teammates will step up their game when give the opportunity just provides evidence we are making strides. Ashleigh Aufforth was tested to mix-up sets and approaches against a team that makes strong adjustments, but proved she was able to quarterback an offense with 25 assists in an important situation.
We may have not won the battle, but we believe our light is only shining brighter. This weekend we travel to Bismarck State for a three match classic. Along the way we will get another shot at BSC as well as compete against two new schools.
Stay tuned for updats.
Get Um' Jacks
Saturday, October 6, 2012
DCB Finishes Weekend Home Stand 3-0
Our Ladyjacks have continued to improve day by day over the course of the season. At this point we feel that mission has been accomplished, and our ceiling has yet to be reached. We began Saturday afternoon by defeating Dawson CC in 3 sets, followed with a win over Lake Region in 3 sets as well. Our main priority was to emphasize transfer learning from practice to game time. Hitters ran a variety of actions, defense rotated to open areas, and as a TEAM we competed on almost every play. There is no doubt we are happy with our collective play, but the challenge will be to not become satisfied because the peak has not been reached.
Over the weekend several stats stood out, but what seemed to be most impressive was the ability of every player to impact the outcome. Probably the most aggressive attack we had was from the serving line when Josie Degagne and Courtney Hart combined for 11 aces. As usual our offense is at its best with a good pass to our setter, and Ashleigh Aufforth worked to provide ample opportunties for hits as she assisted on 53 kills. Jackie Miller brought her A-game on Saturday racking up 16 kills and 14 digs. Jordyn Sondrol impacted the game from both sides of the net contributing 25 kills, and 8 blocks. Freshmen Amber Gabel and Leah Parizek took advantage of their opportunity while splitting time between back row, and front row. We are finding a good mixture of different ingredients match by match.
The Ladyjacks are 6-2 over the last 8 matches, and look to grab one more home game vs. NDSCS on wednesday evening at 7pm before heading back on the road. Come check us out as it is Homecoming Week!
Let's Get Jacked Up
Over the weekend several stats stood out, but what seemed to be most impressive was the ability of every player to impact the outcome. Probably the most aggressive attack we had was from the serving line when Josie Degagne and Courtney Hart combined for 11 aces. As usual our offense is at its best with a good pass to our setter, and Ashleigh Aufforth worked to provide ample opportunties for hits as she assisted on 53 kills. Jackie Miller brought her A-game on Saturday racking up 16 kills and 14 digs. Jordyn Sondrol impacted the game from both sides of the net contributing 25 kills, and 8 blocks. Freshmen Amber Gabel and Leah Parizek took advantage of their opportunity while splitting time between back row, and front row. We are finding a good mixture of different ingredients match by match.
The Ladyjacks are 6-2 over the last 8 matches, and look to grab one more home game vs. NDSCS on wednesday evening at 7pm before heading back on the road. Come check us out as it is Homecoming Week!
Let's Get Jacked Up
Friday, October 5, 2012
DCB Protects Home Court Against Trinity Bible
Our Ladyjacks started off a three game home stand over the weekend in the correct fashion by defeating Trinity Bible in four sets (25-16, 25-22, 18-25, 25-22). We were able to avenge a loss earlier in the season on the road which gave us a positive feeling, and believe we are in a great position to continue a successful weekend. Although we were able to get the match, a few adjustments must be made and executed in order for us to improve on Saturday.
Friday night belonged to Sophmore Jordyn Sondrol as she completed the match with 20 kills, and added 3 blocks along the way. Late in the match Trinity did a good job of making it difficult for her, and Jackie Miller picked up the slack with 9 overall kills. More importantly Miller had 5 kills in the final set to put us over the top. Ashleigh Aufforth is getting better by the match at quarterbacking the offense with 29 assists tonight. Defensively we attempted to mix up our approach which caused some confusion but I believe it will be a move that makes us more competitive down the stretch against athletic teams.
Come check out the Ladyjacks on Saturday morning against Dawson Community College at 11am and a match versus Lake Region will begin at 3pm. For those who enjoy volleyball we will also have DCC competing with LRSC between matches at 1pm. Look forward to seeing our community come support the Ladyjacks.
Let's Get Jacked Up.
Friday night belonged to Sophmore Jordyn Sondrol as she completed the match with 20 kills, and added 3 blocks along the way. Late in the match Trinity did a good job of making it difficult for her, and Jackie Miller picked up the slack with 9 overall kills. More importantly Miller had 5 kills in the final set to put us over the top. Ashleigh Aufforth is getting better by the match at quarterbacking the offense with 29 assists tonight. Defensively we attempted to mix up our approach which caused some confusion but I believe it will be a move that makes us more competitive down the stretch against athletic teams.
Come check out the Ladyjacks on Saturday morning against Dawson Community College at 11am and a match versus Lake Region will begin at 3pm. For those who enjoy volleyball we will also have DCC competing with LRSC between matches at 1pm. Look forward to seeing our community come support the Ladyjacks.
Let's Get Jacked Up.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Ladyjacks Fall to WSC in 4 Sets
Recently our Ladyjacks TEAM has found the winning formula by going 3-1 in the past week, while winning 7 straight sets along the way. Wednesday evening against Williston State College it appeared we would continue to roll as we made it 8 straight by taking the 1st set on the road. Following an exciting 1st set in which we came from behind to steal an early win, the Tetons found their rhythm and continued to use their size to outplay us by defeating our TEAM the next 3 sets (25-22,25-13,25-17,25-13).
Although a loss is a loss, and moral victories are truly hard to get excited about I felt it was evident this TEAM is improving week by week. WSC is big at the net and our hitters used a variety of attacks to offset the difference in size. Defensively we made a few adjustments that were not specific to beat WSC, but rather prepare us to be collectively better as the season winds down. The TEAM did a good job of executing a new strategy even though we only had two days to install a new philosophy. Jordyn Sondrol continues to be our go to hitter with 14 kills against a usual double team. Jackie Miller, Leah Parizek, and Courtney Hart did a great job of keeping the defense honest by combining for 17 kills. Ashleigh Aufforth did her part by executing a few new attacks from hitters and completing 28 assists.
Competing with WSC is extremely challenging for our Ladyjacks because the lack of size, and athleticism eventually catches up. Our margin for error is very small when we play teams who are as talented as WSC, BSC, and NDSCS but we have also made it clear we can beat you at any given moment. The main priority for our TEAM is to understand there is no room to take a play off or to simply give away a meaningful point by way of poor pass, serving violation, or miscommunication. Those errors are going to be apart of the match, but ours must be few and far between.
Moving forward, we are due for a nice home stretch. Friday evening we will compete against Trinity Bible at 6pm. Saturday, "The Woodshed" will be host to a 3-team triangulr classic with our 1st match beginning at 11pm vs. DCC followed by a 3pm start against Lake Region.
Come join us and catch the Football Game in between matches.
Although a loss is a loss, and moral victories are truly hard to get excited about I felt it was evident this TEAM is improving week by week. WSC is big at the net and our hitters used a variety of attacks to offset the difference in size. Defensively we made a few adjustments that were not specific to beat WSC, but rather prepare us to be collectively better as the season winds down. The TEAM did a good job of executing a new strategy even though we only had two days to install a new philosophy. Jordyn Sondrol continues to be our go to hitter with 14 kills against a usual double team. Jackie Miller, Leah Parizek, and Courtney Hart did a great job of keeping the defense honest by combining for 17 kills. Ashleigh Aufforth did her part by executing a few new attacks from hitters and completing 28 assists.
Competing with WSC is extremely challenging for our Ladyjacks because the lack of size, and athleticism eventually catches up. Our margin for error is very small when we play teams who are as talented as WSC, BSC, and NDSCS but we have also made it clear we can beat you at any given moment. The main priority for our TEAM is to understand there is no room to take a play off or to simply give away a meaningful point by way of poor pass, serving violation, or miscommunication. Those errors are going to be apart of the match, but ours must be few and far between.
Moving forward, we are due for a nice home stretch. Friday evening we will compete against Trinity Bible at 6pm. Saturday, "The Woodshed" will be host to a 3-team triangulr classic with our 1st match beginning at 11pm vs. DCC followed by a 3pm start against Lake Region.
Come join us and catch the Football Game in between matches.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)