November 15, 2009
Banquet
The volleyball banquet is this Wednesday (11-18-09) at 6:30. It is a potluck so everyone is required to bring a main dish. See you then!!
November 10, 2009
Frontiersman's Athlete of the Week!
Prep STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Nicole Cherrier
Published on Monday, November 9, 2009 8:35 PM AKST
Palmer High School senior Nicole Cherrier has been named the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman Prep Student-Athlete of the Week.
Cherrier posted 13 kills to lead the Palmer Moose to a 3-1 win over the Colony Knights during the Northern Lights Conference Championships volleyball tournament at Wasilla High School on Saturday.
Cherrier, a Palmer co-captain, was also named first-team All-NorthernLights Conference following the tournament.
Cherrier has been Palmer’s unquestioned offensive leader as the Moose rebounded from early-season struggles and captured the conference title.
“She’s come a long way,” Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said. “Even in the last two years, she’s just improved immensely.”
The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman congratulates Cherrier on her
success.
Straight from the Frontiersman:
Set for state
By Jeremiah Bartz
Frontiersman
Published on Monday, November 9, 2009 8:35 PM AKST
PALMER — While the Palmer Moose will know a bit about their first-round opponent, Colony’s draw will be somewhat of a mystery when both Mat-Su teams hit the court for the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Volleyball Championships at West Anchorage High School on Thursday.
The Moose, who beat Colony 3-1 in the Northern Lights Conference Championships at Wasilla High School last Saturday, face Dimond Thursday at 7:15 p.m.
Colony meets Southeast Conference champion Juneau-Douglas Thursday at 2 p.m.
It’s been only about two weeks since Dimond handed a 3-1 (17-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-23) loss. Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said the familiarity is nice, but regardless of how well a team knows its opponent, the players still have to execute.
“You still have to come out and perform,” Reynolds said. “You can have all the game plans in the world, but you still have to execute.”
Palmer played Dimond (14-4 overall, 11-3 in the Cook Inlet Conference) tough during the regular-season meeting. The Moose took the first set 25-17, and came within two points of forcing a fifth game. Reynolds said he feels there’s certainly room for improvement.
“It wasn’t one of our best outings,” Reynolds said.
But take away that loss, and Reynolds can see a very successful second half of the 2009 season. After early-season struggles, and a stretch of matches that includes losses to Valley rivals Colony and Wasilla, the Moose surged.
The Moose steadily improved, and climbed into the second spot of the NLC North with wins over the Knights and Warriors.
Palmer also beat West Valley and Chugiak late in the season. West Valley is the Mid-Alaska Conference champion and Chugiak won the CIC.
Even after the Dimond loss, Reynolds said he wanted to stress to his players that they deserved to be on the same court as the top squads in the state.
“I wanted them to know they’re certainly capable,” Reynolds said. “They don’t have to play out of their minds to beat the top teams in the state.”
When Colony takes the court against Juneau, the Knights won’t know much about the Bears. But head coach Amy Carter knows Juneau is typically one of the better teams in the state every year.
“Juneau is always good,” Carter said.
Other than that, the Knight will be going in fresh.
Juneau did finish 10-2 overall and 6-0 in the Southest Conference, according to ASAA.
The Bears had to rebound in the double-elimination Region V Volleyball Championships at Mt. Edgecumbe High School last weekend.
The Bears fell to Ketchikan 3-2 in the first round of the Region V tourney, according to the Juneau Empire. But thanks to the unique format of the tourney, Juneau could use wins in consecutive matches to earn Region V’s lone berth to the state tourney.
Carter said the Knights usually see the Bears at some point during the seasons, but their paths did not cross this year. But without any preconceived notions coming in, Carter said it may benefit a Colony squad that has only two players with significant state tourney experience.
In addition to NLC rivals Palmer and Soldotna, Colony has also seen West Valley, Chugiak, Dimond and South this season.
The Knights swept West Valley in the Interior and played each of the Anchorage schools during regular-season tournaments.
Overall, like Reynolds, Carter is proud of the steady improvement of her team this season.
“I’m very pleased with where my team’s at,” Carter said. “especially when compared to where we were at in the beginning of the year.”
The steady progression of each program led to a meeting in the NLC final.
It marked the fourth time since 2003 that Palmer and Colony had met for the conference crown. The rivals also met in the 2003, 2004 and 2007 title matches. Palmer beat Colony 3-2 in 2003 and 2007. Colony swept Palmer 3-0 to win the 2004 NLC championship.
Palmer’s win on Saturday also marked the seventh straight season that Palmer or Colony had won the region title. Palmer won the championship in 2003, 2007 and 2009. Colony finished first in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008.
This season also marks Palmer’s ninth trip to the state tourney in the last 10 years. Colony has advanced to the state event in each of the last seven seasons.
Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.
By Jeremiah Bartz
Frontiersman
Published on Monday, November 9, 2009 8:35 PM AKST
PALMER — While the Palmer Moose will know a bit about their first-round opponent, Colony’s draw will be somewhat of a mystery when both Mat-Su teams hit the court for the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Volleyball Championships at West Anchorage High School on Thursday.
The Moose, who beat Colony 3-1 in the Northern Lights Conference Championships at Wasilla High School last Saturday, face Dimond Thursday at 7:15 p.m.
Colony meets Southeast Conference champion Juneau-Douglas Thursday at 2 p.m.
It’s been only about two weeks since Dimond handed a 3-1 (17-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-23) loss. Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said the familiarity is nice, but regardless of how well a team knows its opponent, the players still have to execute.
“You still have to come out and perform,” Reynolds said. “You can have all the game plans in the world, but you still have to execute.”
Palmer played Dimond (14-4 overall, 11-3 in the Cook Inlet Conference) tough during the regular-season meeting. The Moose took the first set 25-17, and came within two points of forcing a fifth game. Reynolds said he feels there’s certainly room for improvement.
“It wasn’t one of our best outings,” Reynolds said.
But take away that loss, and Reynolds can see a very successful second half of the 2009 season. After early-season struggles, and a stretch of matches that includes losses to Valley rivals Colony and Wasilla, the Moose surged.
The Moose steadily improved, and climbed into the second spot of the NLC North with wins over the Knights and Warriors.
Palmer also beat West Valley and Chugiak late in the season. West Valley is the Mid-Alaska Conference champion and Chugiak won the CIC.
Even after the Dimond loss, Reynolds said he wanted to stress to his players that they deserved to be on the same court as the top squads in the state.
“I wanted them to know they’re certainly capable,” Reynolds said. “They don’t have to play out of their minds to beat the top teams in the state.”
When Colony takes the court against Juneau, the Knights won’t know much about the Bears. But head coach Amy Carter knows Juneau is typically one of the better teams in the state every year.
“Juneau is always good,” Carter said.
Other than that, the Knight will be going in fresh.
Juneau did finish 10-2 overall and 6-0 in the Southest Conference, according to ASAA.
The Bears had to rebound in the double-elimination Region V Volleyball Championships at Mt. Edgecumbe High School last weekend.
The Bears fell to Ketchikan 3-2 in the first round of the Region V tourney, according to the Juneau Empire. But thanks to the unique format of the tourney, Juneau could use wins in consecutive matches to earn Region V’s lone berth to the state tourney.
Carter said the Knights usually see the Bears at some point during the seasons, but their paths did not cross this year. But without any preconceived notions coming in, Carter said it may benefit a Colony squad that has only two players with significant state tourney experience.
In addition to NLC rivals Palmer and Soldotna, Colony has also seen West Valley, Chugiak, Dimond and South this season.
The Knights swept West Valley in the Interior and played each of the Anchorage schools during regular-season tournaments.
Overall, like Reynolds, Carter is proud of the steady improvement of her team this season.
“I’m very pleased with where my team’s at,” Carter said. “especially when compared to where we were at in the beginning of the year.”
The steady progression of each program led to a meeting in the NLC final.
It marked the fourth time since 2003 that Palmer and Colony had met for the conference crown. The rivals also met in the 2003, 2004 and 2007 title matches. Palmer beat Colony 3-2 in 2003 and 2007. Colony swept Palmer 3-0 to win the 2004 NLC championship.
Palmer’s win on Saturday also marked the seventh straight season that Palmer or Colony had won the region title. Palmer won the championship in 2003, 2007 and 2009. Colony finished first in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008.
This season also marks Palmer’s ninth trip to the state tourney in the last 10 years. Colony has advanced to the state event in each of the last seven seasons.
Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.
Club Volleyball
Club season is right around the corner. Tryouts are November 15th at Mirror Lake Middle School.
click here for the flier. Or you can visit the AVA Website to get all the information you might need. AVA is working hard on recruiting the best coaching staff around so you will be sure to get a great coach no matter which team you're on.
Remember- You'll only get as much out of it as you put in. If you go in thinking, I'm going to improve no matter what, you'll generally improve. If you go into club season thinking, well my coach is crap I didn't have much fun last year, then that's what you'll get out of it. It is all about you and the effort you're willing to put in.
November 9, 2009
State Bracket
If you want to take a look at the state bracket Click Here Palmer plays Dimond in the first round and then South or West Valley second.
November 8, 2009
Sports : Moose work way to top - Frontiersman
Sports : Moose work way to top - Frontiersman
Posted using ShareThis
By Jeremiah BartzFrontiersmanPublished on Saturday, November 7, 2009 10:46 PM AKST
WASILLA — The 2009 season has been a work in progress for the Palmer Moose.Throughout early-season struggles and mid-season slumps, Palmer continued to work. And on Saturday, the Moose showed their progress.Palmer scored a 3-1 (25-27, 25-17, 25-17, 25-21) win over Valley rival Colony in the title match of the Northern Lights Conference Championships volleyball tournament at Wasilla High School.
“We were a really new team at the beginning and we struggled. But throughout the year we just came together, and we did it,” Palmer senior Nicole Cherrier said after the match. “I’m just really proud of my team.”
The Moose rebounded from a tight, two-point loss in the first game of the match, and won the following three sets to capture Palmer’s second NLC title in three years and third since 2003.
Winning in that fashion was appropriate for a Moose squad that found itself losing early in the season, but gaining confidence and momentum as the year went on.
“It took a while for things to come together. We spent at least half of the season figuring things out,” Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said. “We lost a bunch in the early-going, people were frustrated.”
Palmer led by as many as four points early in the first set of the match, and three points late, but Colony used a late rally to win the first game 27-25.
That first-set win could have set the tone for the Knights, but the Moose muscled back. “Everybody has ups and downs, it’s just a matter of how you bring it back up in the next game,” Palmer senior Brittany Arlow said.
And with a balanced attack on offense and Arlow leading the way on the defensive side of the floor, the Moose were able to steadily march to the title.
“They play real well as a team,” Colony head coach Amy Carter said. “They just played steady the whole match and kept to their game plan.”
Cherrier led the Moose with 13 kills in the game. Junior Kendal Venzke added 11 and senior Mallory Manier chipped in eight.Sophomores Jenna Arlow and Morgan Morfe combined for 12 kills in the win.
“We got real good production for all of our hitters,” Reynolds said. “It was a real nice balance.”
Brittany Arlow led the Moose defensively with 19 digs. Senior Jaimi Cox stood out in front of the net, with a season-high six total blocks.
Led by the likes of Cherrier, Venzke and Manier, Palmer was able to build significant leads in every game of the match.
Palmer led by as much as eight points in the second game, seven in the third and five in the fourth. But in every game, the Knights chewed into the advantage.“I was real proud of the girls for fighting back every time,” Carter said. Senior Siobhan Johansen, who was named the most valuable player of the NLC North following the tourney, led Colony with 32 assists and five blocks. Senior Sierra Hodgson posted a match-high 14 kills. Shellina Irwin added nine kills and Brittany Brown added eight. Katie Gonski led CHS with 18 digs.
Palmer’s third title in seven years also marked the third meeting between the Moose and the Knights in the past six NLC championship matches. Palmer and Colony also met in the 2004 and 2007 conference title matches. Palmer edged Colony 3-2 in 2007 and the Knights swept the Moose 2-0 in 2004.This also marks the seventh straight season that either Palmer or Colony has won the NLC title. The Knights won the conference tournament in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008.Skyview was the last non-Palmer area team to win a NLC volleyball title, scoring a 3-2 win over Palmer in 2007.
The Moose and Knights also earned automatic berths to the upcoming ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Championships. Palmer is headed to state for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons.Soldotna earned the final NLC berth with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-21) win over Kodiak in the third-place match Saturday afternoon. That contest was actually a rematch of a first-round meeting. On Thursday, fourth-seeded Kodiak upset top-ranked Soldotna, the conference’s lone undefeated team during the regular season, 3-1.After a 3-0 loss to Palmer in the semifinals Friday, Kodiak pulled off another upset Saturday, beating host Wasilla 3-1 in the 9 a.m. match.
The Warriors were eliminated from tourney play with the 3-1 (25-17, 25-16, 17-25, 26-24) loss.Soldotna moved into the third-place match with a 3-1 (22-25, 25-17, 25-13, 25-21) win over Kenai and 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-13) victory over Skyview.
Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.
All-Northern LightsConference
NLC North MVP: Siobhan Johansen, Colony
NLC South MVP: Shana Powell, Soldotna
Coach of the Year: Bruce King, Soldotna
First-team All-NLC:Sierra Hodgson, Colony; Jaxon HIll, Skyview; Nicole Cherrier, Palmer; Emily Rohloff, Soldotna; Mara Yatsik, Kodiak; Mariah Huhndorf, Kenai; Brittany Arlow, Palmer; Aryn Crane, Wasilla.
Second-team All-NLC:Jessie Erickson, Homer; Emily Horn, Kodiak; Sariah Tuisaula, Wasilla; Casee Penrod, Skyview; Jenna Arlow, Palmer; Mariah Hamilton, Soldotna; Monica Hutchinson, Skyview; Lexi Beeson, Kenai.
Good sport team:Gaynor Johansen, Colony; Carla Muller, Homer; Lierin Flanagan, Kenai; Karly Sternberg, Kodiak; Danielle Pempek, Palmer; Jaci Lamborn, Skyview; Jasmine Woodland, Soldotna; Kaitlin Pevan, Wasilla.
Posted using ShareThis
By Jeremiah BartzFrontiersmanPublished on Saturday, November 7, 2009 10:46 PM AKST
WASILLA — The 2009 season has been a work in progress for the Palmer Moose.Throughout early-season struggles and mid-season slumps, Palmer continued to work. And on Saturday, the Moose showed their progress.Palmer scored a 3-1 (25-27, 25-17, 25-17, 25-21) win over Valley rival Colony in the title match of the Northern Lights Conference Championships volleyball tournament at Wasilla High School.
“We were a really new team at the beginning and we struggled. But throughout the year we just came together, and we did it,” Palmer senior Nicole Cherrier said after the match. “I’m just really proud of my team.”
The Moose rebounded from a tight, two-point loss in the first game of the match, and won the following three sets to capture Palmer’s second NLC title in three years and third since 2003.
Winning in that fashion was appropriate for a Moose squad that found itself losing early in the season, but gaining confidence and momentum as the year went on.
“It took a while for things to come together. We spent at least half of the season figuring things out,” Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said. “We lost a bunch in the early-going, people were frustrated.”
Palmer led by as many as four points early in the first set of the match, and three points late, but Colony used a late rally to win the first game 27-25.
That first-set win could have set the tone for the Knights, but the Moose muscled back. “Everybody has ups and downs, it’s just a matter of how you bring it back up in the next game,” Palmer senior Brittany Arlow said.
And with a balanced attack on offense and Arlow leading the way on the defensive side of the floor, the Moose were able to steadily march to the title.
“They play real well as a team,” Colony head coach Amy Carter said. “They just played steady the whole match and kept to their game plan.”
Cherrier led the Moose with 13 kills in the game. Junior Kendal Venzke added 11 and senior Mallory Manier chipped in eight.Sophomores Jenna Arlow and Morgan Morfe combined for 12 kills in the win.
“We got real good production for all of our hitters,” Reynolds said. “It was a real nice balance.”
Brittany Arlow led the Moose defensively with 19 digs. Senior Jaimi Cox stood out in front of the net, with a season-high six total blocks.
Led by the likes of Cherrier, Venzke and Manier, Palmer was able to build significant leads in every game of the match.
Palmer led by as much as eight points in the second game, seven in the third and five in the fourth. But in every game, the Knights chewed into the advantage.“I was real proud of the girls for fighting back every time,” Carter said. Senior Siobhan Johansen, who was named the most valuable player of the NLC North following the tourney, led Colony with 32 assists and five blocks. Senior Sierra Hodgson posted a match-high 14 kills. Shellina Irwin added nine kills and Brittany Brown added eight. Katie Gonski led CHS with 18 digs.
Palmer’s third title in seven years also marked the third meeting between the Moose and the Knights in the past six NLC championship matches. Palmer and Colony also met in the 2004 and 2007 conference title matches. Palmer edged Colony 3-2 in 2007 and the Knights swept the Moose 2-0 in 2004.This also marks the seventh straight season that either Palmer or Colony has won the NLC title. The Knights won the conference tournament in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008.Skyview was the last non-Palmer area team to win a NLC volleyball title, scoring a 3-2 win over Palmer in 2007.
The Moose and Knights also earned automatic berths to the upcoming ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Championships. Palmer is headed to state for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons.Soldotna earned the final NLC berth with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-21) win over Kodiak in the third-place match Saturday afternoon. That contest was actually a rematch of a first-round meeting. On Thursday, fourth-seeded Kodiak upset top-ranked Soldotna, the conference’s lone undefeated team during the regular season, 3-1.After a 3-0 loss to Palmer in the semifinals Friday, Kodiak pulled off another upset Saturday, beating host Wasilla 3-1 in the 9 a.m. match.
The Warriors were eliminated from tourney play with the 3-1 (25-17, 25-16, 17-25, 26-24) loss.Soldotna moved into the third-place match with a 3-1 (22-25, 25-17, 25-13, 25-21) win over Kenai and 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-13) victory over Skyview.
Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.
All-Northern LightsConference
NLC North MVP: Siobhan Johansen, Colony
NLC South MVP: Shana Powell, Soldotna
Coach of the Year: Bruce King, Soldotna
First-team All-NLC:Sierra Hodgson, Colony; Jaxon HIll, Skyview; Nicole Cherrier, Palmer; Emily Rohloff, Soldotna; Mara Yatsik, Kodiak; Mariah Huhndorf, Kenai; Brittany Arlow, Palmer; Aryn Crane, Wasilla.
Second-team All-NLC:Jessie Erickson, Homer; Emily Horn, Kodiak; Sariah Tuisaula, Wasilla; Casee Penrod, Skyview; Jenna Arlow, Palmer; Mariah Hamilton, Soldotna; Monica Hutchinson, Skyview; Lexi Beeson, Kenai.
Good sport team:Gaynor Johansen, Colony; Carla Muller, Homer; Lierin Flanagan, Kenai; Karly Sternberg, Kodiak; Danielle Pempek, Palmer; Jaci Lamborn, Skyview; Jasmine Woodland, Soldotna; Kaitlin Pevan, Wasilla.
November 2, 2009
Fruit & Sleep
Regions begins in only a few days and I'd just like to take a moment to discuss your eating/sleeping habits :) You may not believe me when I say this, but what you eat and how much sleep you get is going to impact your performance.. If you want to get the absolute most out of your body I would recommend getting plenty of sleep all week and eat decent meals. Sugary stuff might give you lots of energy but in the end its going to slow you down. You're welcome to do as you please, but if you want to play your absolute best, fruits and sleep will help you tremendously.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)