December 17, 2010
December 11, 2010
November 22, 2010
November 17, 2010
Sports : Season ends with tough 5-game match for Moose - Frontiersman
Sports : Season ends with tough 5-game match for Moose - Frontiersman
By GREG JOHNSON
Frontiersman
Published on Saturday, November 13, 2010 11:47 PM AKST
WASILLA — Fresh off an upset win at the Northern Lights Conference regional tournament, Palmer gave Moose fans an exciting end to their season Friday at the ASAA/First National Bank State Volleyball Championships.
With the tournament played at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center, Palmer ended the 2010 season with a tough 3-2 loss to Juneau-Douglas in the consolation semifinals (15-25, 25-22, 25-20, 16-25, 13-15).
In a match with contrasting styles, the Crimson Bears rode the dominating play of senior middle-hitter Sarah Tarver, who disrupted the Moose offense at the net for much of the match. With Palmer leading 2-1 in the match, Tarver elevated her play with seven kills and nine blocks in the final two games to help Juneau notch the win.
“She’s tall and tipped the ball around to good places and found openings a lot,” said Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds.
It was par for the course for Tarver, said Juneau head coach Sandi Wagner.
“She’s done that all season,” she said.
For Palmer, Friday’s consolation round match was difficult to get up for, especially at 9 a.m., Reynolds said. After winning the regional tournament, the Moose opened state tournament play Thursday with a first-round loss to Dimond.
When they quickly dropped the first game to Douglas, Palmer could’ve rolled over, he said. Instead, the Moose rebounded to win the next two games and nearly pulled out the win in the fifth and deciding game.
“That first game, we got off to a really slow start. But we showed that, at times, we’re good,” Reynolds said.
The Moose showed how good in the second game, holding off a late Juneau rally after coming from behind early in the game.
Palmer started the game getting out to a quick 4-1 lead, but the Crimson Bears, sparked by five straight service points from Megan Mauseth, put the Moose in a 9-4 hole. That’s when Palmer clamped down on defense and steadily erased the deficit and built a comfortable lead at 23-16 and held on for the 25-22 win. Offensively, junior Jessica Dennis sparked the Moose with three key kills near the end of the game.
The Moose were in control for much of the second game, sparked by four straight service points from senior Rebecca Stella, including an ace, to lead early 6-2.
Tarver tried to keep the Crimson Bears in the game, with three kills and five blocks, but it wasn’t enough. Palmer’s sharp play continued to build the lead to seven points at 21-14 before putting the game away.
The game three win put Palmer in the driver’s seat and the match was looking good, Reynolds said.
“We had our moments there where I thought we moved the ball well and controlled the ball well,” he said.
There seemed to be more of those moments as the fourth game began, with the Moose taking an early 4-1 lead, but Tarver would inspire the Crimson Bears with a late push to close out the game 25-16 and tie the match.
In the fifth and deciding game, Palmer put Juneau on the ropes early, leading 5-0 within the first minutes of play, spurred by a Stella Kill and four straight service points for Chantel Grover.
But Juneau had another answer for Palmer’s run. Mauseth served four straight points to pull the Crimson Bears even at 6. The teams were tied again at 13, and it would be Tarver who would step up again at the net with a block and the win, 15-13.
Palmer had its chances by leading early in games four and five, Reynolds said.
“Either by our own mental errors or unforced errors or something good that they would do, it would kind of squash the momentum,” he said.
Looking back on the season, the coach said he’s proud of his team and their region title.
“We started kind of slow, but people were working hard and making improvements, and as a team I thought we really improved as we got down to the last three weeks of the season,” he said. “That’s the perfect time.”
Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.
By GREG JOHNSON
Frontiersman
Published on Saturday, November 13, 2010 11:47 PM AKST
WASILLA — Fresh off an upset win at the Northern Lights Conference regional tournament, Palmer gave Moose fans an exciting end to their season Friday at the ASAA/First National Bank State Volleyball Championships.
With the tournament played at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center, Palmer ended the 2010 season with a tough 3-2 loss to Juneau-Douglas in the consolation semifinals (15-25, 25-22, 25-20, 16-25, 13-15).
In a match with contrasting styles, the Crimson Bears rode the dominating play of senior middle-hitter Sarah Tarver, who disrupted the Moose offense at the net for much of the match. With Palmer leading 2-1 in the match, Tarver elevated her play with seven kills and nine blocks in the final two games to help Juneau notch the win.
“She’s tall and tipped the ball around to good places and found openings a lot,” said Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds.
It was par for the course for Tarver, said Juneau head coach Sandi Wagner.
“She’s done that all season,” she said.
For Palmer, Friday’s consolation round match was difficult to get up for, especially at 9 a.m., Reynolds said. After winning the regional tournament, the Moose opened state tournament play Thursday with a first-round loss to Dimond.
When they quickly dropped the first game to Douglas, Palmer could’ve rolled over, he said. Instead, the Moose rebounded to win the next two games and nearly pulled out the win in the fifth and deciding game.
“That first game, we got off to a really slow start. But we showed that, at times, we’re good,” Reynolds said.
The Moose showed how good in the second game, holding off a late Juneau rally after coming from behind early in the game.
Palmer started the game getting out to a quick 4-1 lead, but the Crimson Bears, sparked by five straight service points from Megan Mauseth, put the Moose in a 9-4 hole. That’s when Palmer clamped down on defense and steadily erased the deficit and built a comfortable lead at 23-16 and held on for the 25-22 win. Offensively, junior Jessica Dennis sparked the Moose with three key kills near the end of the game.
The Moose were in control for much of the second game, sparked by four straight service points from senior Rebecca Stella, including an ace, to lead early 6-2.
Tarver tried to keep the Crimson Bears in the game, with three kills and five blocks, but it wasn’t enough. Palmer’s sharp play continued to build the lead to seven points at 21-14 before putting the game away.
The game three win put Palmer in the driver’s seat and the match was looking good, Reynolds said.
“We had our moments there where I thought we moved the ball well and controlled the ball well,” he said.
There seemed to be more of those moments as the fourth game began, with the Moose taking an early 4-1 lead, but Tarver would inspire the Crimson Bears with a late push to close out the game 25-16 and tie the match.
In the fifth and deciding game, Palmer put Juneau on the ropes early, leading 5-0 within the first minutes of play, spurred by a Stella Kill and four straight service points for Chantel Grover.
But Juneau had another answer for Palmer’s run. Mauseth served four straight points to pull the Crimson Bears even at 6. The teams were tied again at 13, and it would be Tarver who would step up again at the net with a block and the win, 15-13.
Palmer had its chances by leading early in games four and five, Reynolds said.
“Either by our own mental errors or unforced errors or something good that they would do, it would kind of squash the momentum,” he said.
Looking back on the season, the coach said he’s proud of his team and their region title.
“We started kind of slow, but people were working hard and making improvements, and as a team I thought we really improved as we got down to the last three weeks of the season,” he said. “That’s the perfect time.”
Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.
Sports : Fast tournament start not enough for Moose - Frontiersman
Sports : Fast tournament start not enough for Moose - Frontiersman
By JEREMIAH BARTZ
Frontiersman
Published on Thursday, November 11, 2010 11:48 PM AKST
WASILLA — During the first game of their match Thursday night, the Palmer Moose appeared to be headed right toward pulling off an upset. The Moose smacked two-time defending state champion Dimond with a 25-16 defeat in the first set.
But with that fast start, the Moose may have simply awoken a sleeping giant.
The Lynx took the final three games to secure a 3-1 (16-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-22) win over the Moose during the first round of the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Volleyball Championships at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla.
“Dimond definitely turned their heat up with their serves, and it kind of snowballed from there,” Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said after the loss.
Although Dimond was able to use its height to its advantage, both offensively and defensively, Reynolds said he felt it all started with Dimond’s superior serving.
“That was the biggest key,” Reynolds said. “They just came out strong, and the serves kept us off balance.”
The serving, Reynolds said, allow the Lynx to control the play of the match in other aspects.
“Once they got us out of sorts, they had their way with us,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds said the Moose had a particularly tough time passing the ball.
“Once the passing goes away, the setting gets tougher, everything gets harder,” Reynolds said. “When the hitters are not getting (the ball) as easily, it starts to affect other parts of the game.”
Led by the hitting of senior Kendal Venzke, Palmer jumped out to an early led in the first set.
“We just played very well that first game,” Reynolds said.
Palmer used a five-point run — that included kills by Jessica Dennis and Chantel Grover, and a Venzke ace — to take an 8-4 lead in the game.
Palmer capped a 5-1 run with a Jenna Arlow ace to take the 11-5 lead.
Kalene Smith scored another ace later in the game to give the Moose the 20-13 advantage, and Palmer closed the game thanks to consecutive Dimond hits into the net.
But after that, Dimond was able to quickly capture the momentum. The Lynx opened with four straight points in the second game and used a six-point run to take an 11-4 lead.
Dimond also led by significant margins in games 3 and 4, but Palmer was able to claw back. But each time, the rally fell short.
Dimond edged Palmer by three points in each of the final two games.
“I definitely liked that,” Reynolds said of the rallies. “But we had little lulls in our play early in those games. In the state tournament against good teams, like Dimond, you can’t take those little breaks.
Venzke led the Moose with 12 kills in the game. Arlow contributed 29 assists.
With the loss Palmer is pushed backward and will play Juneau-Douglas this morning at 9. Juneau suffered a 3-2 loss to Chugiak on Thursday.
Dimond moves forward to play Chugiak this afternoon at 3:45 p.m.
Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/matsu_sports.
By JEREMIAH BARTZ
Frontiersman
Published on Thursday, November 11, 2010 11:48 PM AKST
WASILLA — During the first game of their match Thursday night, the Palmer Moose appeared to be headed right toward pulling off an upset. The Moose smacked two-time defending state champion Dimond with a 25-16 defeat in the first set.
But with that fast start, the Moose may have simply awoken a sleeping giant.
The Lynx took the final three games to secure a 3-1 (16-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-22) win over the Moose during the first round of the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Volleyball Championships at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla.
“Dimond definitely turned their heat up with their serves, and it kind of snowballed from there,” Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said after the loss.
Although Dimond was able to use its height to its advantage, both offensively and defensively, Reynolds said he felt it all started with Dimond’s superior serving.
“That was the biggest key,” Reynolds said. “They just came out strong, and the serves kept us off balance.”
The serving, Reynolds said, allow the Lynx to control the play of the match in other aspects.
“Once they got us out of sorts, they had their way with us,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds said the Moose had a particularly tough time passing the ball.
“Once the passing goes away, the setting gets tougher, everything gets harder,” Reynolds said. “When the hitters are not getting (the ball) as easily, it starts to affect other parts of the game.”
Led by the hitting of senior Kendal Venzke, Palmer jumped out to an early led in the first set.
“We just played very well that first game,” Reynolds said.
Palmer used a five-point run — that included kills by Jessica Dennis and Chantel Grover, and a Venzke ace — to take an 8-4 lead in the game.
Palmer capped a 5-1 run with a Jenna Arlow ace to take the 11-5 lead.
Kalene Smith scored another ace later in the game to give the Moose the 20-13 advantage, and Palmer closed the game thanks to consecutive Dimond hits into the net.
But after that, Dimond was able to quickly capture the momentum. The Lynx opened with four straight points in the second game and used a six-point run to take an 11-4 lead.
Dimond also led by significant margins in games 3 and 4, but Palmer was able to claw back. But each time, the rally fell short.
Dimond edged Palmer by three points in each of the final two games.
“I definitely liked that,” Reynolds said of the rallies. “But we had little lulls in our play early in those games. In the state tournament against good teams, like Dimond, you can’t take those little breaks.
Venzke led the Moose with 12 kills in the game. Arlow contributed 29 assists.
With the loss Palmer is pushed backward and will play Juneau-Douglas this morning at 9. Juneau suffered a 3-2 loss to Chugiak on Thursday.
Dimond moves forward to play Chugiak this afternoon at 3:45 p.m.
Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/matsu_sports.
November 11, 2010
November 9, 2010
Sports : Home court - Frontiersman
Sports : Home court - Frontiersman
By Jeremiah Bartz
Frontiersman
Published on Monday, November 8, 2010 9:22 PM AKST
WASILLA — History has a funny way of repeating itself.
On Saturday, the Palmer Moose surprised top-seeded Wasilla in the final match of the Northern Lights championship to win the conference crown. Palmer’s road to the 2010 NLC title was somewhat similar to its path to a 2009 conference title. Much like this year, the Moose also upset a top seed en route to an NLC championship.
But that’s not where the similarities end.
Last season, Palmer opened play against defending state champion Dimond during the first day of the state tournament. And that’s exactly how the Moose will begin the 2010 tourney.
NLC champion Palmer will face 2010 Cook Inlet Conference runner-up and two-time defending state champion Dimond at 7:15 p.m., Thursday during the first round of the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Volleyball Championships at the Curtis. D. Menard II Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla.
When it comes to similarities, that’s where the Moose would like to see it end. Last year, Dimond edged Palmer 3-2 (25-17, 26-24, 21-25, 22-25, 15-9) in the first round, and the Lynx went on to beat Colony in the state title match.
Regardless, Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds likes the idea of a rematch with the Lynx.
“We’ve played them before, we’ve taken games from them,” Reynolds said Monday. “When we played Dimond last year, we went five and lost. We have enough girls on the team from last year, they’re already talking about how we need to take care of business.”
Palmer will be one of three Valley teams looking to take care of business Thursday. Wasilla, which suffered a 3-1 loss to the Moose in the conference title match, opens play against CIC champion South Anchorage at 5:30 p.m. Colony, the NLC No. 3 seed, faces Mid-Alaska Conference champ West Valley at 3:45 p.m.
Palmer upset a Wasilla team that was previously undefeated in conference play in the NLC title match. Reynolds said his team has steadily built confidence and momentum throughout the latter half of the season. An example of that is Palmer’s performance against Wasilla in the tourney.
During the regular season, the Moose dropped a pair of losses to Wasilla, including a quick 55-minute match on Palmer’s home court.
“We hadn’t done too well against Wasilla, but we still came in and played with confidence in regions,” Reynolds said.
He said he hopes that momentum can drive the Moose through the state tourney as well.
“Momentum is everything in volleyball,” Reynolds said. “Conversely, when things fall apart, things fall apart pretty badly. We always try to work on just leveling out those highs and lows.”
While Palmer will look to ride its momentum, Wasilla will attempt to get back on track when it opens against South Anchorage.
Wasilla’s Claudia Farias Pinard, the 2010 NLC Coach of the Year, said she has no doubt her team can rebound.
“We will come back, for sure,” Farias Pinard said Monday.
Farias Pinard was also not overly concerned about playing South, a squad that won three straight state titles from 2005-07.
“I don’t think any team in the tournament is better than another,” Farias Pinard said.
Wasilla cruised through the NLC regular season, beating most teams handily. The Warriors lone blemish on their regular season mark came in a nonconference loss to Grace Christian, a top 3A team in the state.
“I believe we have the potential to win,” Farias Pinard said.
Farias Pinard said she hopes her team can use that loss to Palmer to their advantage.
South swept Dimond in the CIC title match to earn the conference crown and remain undefeated in 2010.
Colony, which powered its way through the backside of conference bracket during the final day of the NLC tourney, opens with Mid-Alaska Conference champion West Valley.
The Wolfpack followed an undefeated season with a pair of wins during the MAC tourney at North Pole High School last weekend. West Valley swept fourth-seeded Houston and second-seeded North Pole in the tourney to improve to 15-0 overall.
West Valley also beat Colony during a regular season match at CHS in October.
In the NLC tournament, Colony rebounded from a semifinal loss to Wasilla and scored victories over Kodiak and Soldotna during the final day of the tourney. The Knights used the 3-0 sweep of the Stars in the tourney’s third-place match to earn the NLC’s final berth in the state event.
Colony, the 4A runner-up in 2007 and 2009 has not missed the state tourney since 2002.
Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com. Follow him at Twitter at twitter.com/matsu_sports.
By Jeremiah Bartz
Frontiersman
Published on Monday, November 8, 2010 9:22 PM AKST
WASILLA — History has a funny way of repeating itself.
On Saturday, the Palmer Moose surprised top-seeded Wasilla in the final match of the Northern Lights championship to win the conference crown. Palmer’s road to the 2010 NLC title was somewhat similar to its path to a 2009 conference title. Much like this year, the Moose also upset a top seed en route to an NLC championship.
But that’s not where the similarities end.
Last season, Palmer opened play against defending state champion Dimond during the first day of the state tournament. And that’s exactly how the Moose will begin the 2010 tourney.
NLC champion Palmer will face 2010 Cook Inlet Conference runner-up and two-time defending state champion Dimond at 7:15 p.m., Thursday during the first round of the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Volleyball Championships at the Curtis. D. Menard II Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla.
When it comes to similarities, that’s where the Moose would like to see it end. Last year, Dimond edged Palmer 3-2 (25-17, 26-24, 21-25, 22-25, 15-9) in the first round, and the Lynx went on to beat Colony in the state title match.
Regardless, Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds likes the idea of a rematch with the Lynx.
“We’ve played them before, we’ve taken games from them,” Reynolds said Monday. “When we played Dimond last year, we went five and lost. We have enough girls on the team from last year, they’re already talking about how we need to take care of business.”
Palmer will be one of three Valley teams looking to take care of business Thursday. Wasilla, which suffered a 3-1 loss to the Moose in the conference title match, opens play against CIC champion South Anchorage at 5:30 p.m. Colony, the NLC No. 3 seed, faces Mid-Alaska Conference champ West Valley at 3:45 p.m.
Palmer upset a Wasilla team that was previously undefeated in conference play in the NLC title match. Reynolds said his team has steadily built confidence and momentum throughout the latter half of the season. An example of that is Palmer’s performance against Wasilla in the tourney.
During the regular season, the Moose dropped a pair of losses to Wasilla, including a quick 55-minute match on Palmer’s home court.
“We hadn’t done too well against Wasilla, but we still came in and played with confidence in regions,” Reynolds said.
He said he hopes that momentum can drive the Moose through the state tourney as well.
“Momentum is everything in volleyball,” Reynolds said. “Conversely, when things fall apart, things fall apart pretty badly. We always try to work on just leveling out those highs and lows.”
While Palmer will look to ride its momentum, Wasilla will attempt to get back on track when it opens against South Anchorage.
Wasilla’s Claudia Farias Pinard, the 2010 NLC Coach of the Year, said she has no doubt her team can rebound.
“We will come back, for sure,” Farias Pinard said Monday.
Farias Pinard was also not overly concerned about playing South, a squad that won three straight state titles from 2005-07.
“I don’t think any team in the tournament is better than another,” Farias Pinard said.
Wasilla cruised through the NLC regular season, beating most teams handily. The Warriors lone blemish on their regular season mark came in a nonconference loss to Grace Christian, a top 3A team in the state.
“I believe we have the potential to win,” Farias Pinard said.
Farias Pinard said she hopes her team can use that loss to Palmer to their advantage.
South swept Dimond in the CIC title match to earn the conference crown and remain undefeated in 2010.
Colony, which powered its way through the backside of conference bracket during the final day of the NLC tourney, opens with Mid-Alaska Conference champion West Valley.
The Wolfpack followed an undefeated season with a pair of wins during the MAC tourney at North Pole High School last weekend. West Valley swept fourth-seeded Houston and second-seeded North Pole in the tourney to improve to 15-0 overall.
West Valley also beat Colony during a regular season match at CHS in October.
In the NLC tournament, Colony rebounded from a semifinal loss to Wasilla and scored victories over Kodiak and Soldotna during the final day of the tourney. The Knights used the 3-0 sweep of the Stars in the tourney’s third-place match to earn the NLC’s final berth in the state event.
Colony, the 4A runner-up in 2007 and 2009 has not missed the state tourney since 2002.
Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com. Follow him at Twitter at twitter.com/matsu_sports.
November 8, 2010
Breaking News : Palmer spikes Warriors to win region title - Frontiersman
Breaking News : Palmer spikes Warriors to win region title - Frontiersman
By JEREMIAH BARTZ
Frontiersman
Published on Saturday, November 6, 2010 11:27 PM AKDT
SOLDOTNA — When the Palmer Moose met the Wasilla Warriors for the final time during the regular season, Wasilla made quick work of the Moose, cruising past their rival during a quick, 55-minute match on Palmer’s home court.
That, coupled with Wasilla’s dominance of the Northern Lights Conference this season, Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds admittedly did not know what to think as he led his squad onto the court to play Wasilla in the conference title match Saturday evening.
But powered by a newfound sense of confidence, Reynolds’ Moose prevailed. Palmer scored a 3-1 (26-24, 25-27, 25-22, 25-22) win Saturday over the previously undefeated Warriors during the title match of the Northern Lights Conference Championships volleyball tournament at Skyview High School in Soldotna.
“If I’m being honest, I wasn’t sure (about the match),” Reynolds said by cell phone Saturday evening as his squad was returning to the Valley in the team bus. “We had just lost to them two times during the regular season, and the last time they killed us. But we gained confidence down here.”
That confidence, Reynolds said, skyrocketed during his team’s 3-1 upset win over host Skyview in the NLC semifinals on Friday.
“That game against Skyview, that was a great confidence booster,” Reynolds said. “That got us through tonight.”
Senior Kendal Venzke, who was named first-team All-Northern Lights Conference after the match, led the team with 18 kills to help Palmer win its second straight NLC crown. Both Palmer and Wasilla earned automatic berths to next week’s state tournament with their appearance in the conference final. Colony made it a clean sweep for the Valley, clinching its postseason bid with a 3-0 sweep of Soldotna during the third-place match Saturday afternoon.
For the Moose, the road to their second straight conference championship was eerily similar to their journey to the 2009 crown. Like last season, the Moose started the season a little bit slow, but quietly progressed and eventually stunned the top seed for the title.
“We did struggle some early on. We had some weird things happen, some injuries,” Reynolds said. “But it came together. Apparently, a slow start is not a problem.”
Reynolds said things began to click for his team during the Dimond/Service Tournament in Anchorage last month. Up to that point, the Moose coaching staff had been tinkering with starting lineups. But during that tourney, they found a combination that worked. Reynolds said the Moose used so many different sets of starters, once they did find that right group, it turned into somewhat of an inside joke.
“We were like, hey we’ve used that one before,” Reynolds said with a laugh.
But more important than that, he said, was the progression.
“The big thing was people were still improving right up to the end,” Reynolds said.
The players saw that confidence, too.
“I think we all started to realize that if we started working hard, working more as a team, no one could stop us,” hitter Rebecca Stella said by cell phone from the team bus Saturday.
Wasilla junior Sariah Tuisaula was named the most valuable player of the NLC North Division after the final match. Wasilla’s Aryn Crane, Palmer’s Jenna Arlow and Colony’s Shellina Irwin joined Venzke on the NLC first team. Wasilla’s Claudia Farias Pinard was named the NLC Coach of the Year.
Wasilla’s Kayla Bell and Haley Taylor, and Palmer’s Morgan Morfe were named to the second team.
By JEREMIAH BARTZ
Frontiersman
Published on Saturday, November 6, 2010 11:27 PM AKDT
SOLDOTNA — When the Palmer Moose met the Wasilla Warriors for the final time during the regular season, Wasilla made quick work of the Moose, cruising past their rival during a quick, 55-minute match on Palmer’s home court.
That, coupled with Wasilla’s dominance of the Northern Lights Conference this season, Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds admittedly did not know what to think as he led his squad onto the court to play Wasilla in the conference title match Saturday evening.
But powered by a newfound sense of confidence, Reynolds’ Moose prevailed. Palmer scored a 3-1 (26-24, 25-27, 25-22, 25-22) win Saturday over the previously undefeated Warriors during the title match of the Northern Lights Conference Championships volleyball tournament at Skyview High School in Soldotna.
“If I’m being honest, I wasn’t sure (about the match),” Reynolds said by cell phone Saturday evening as his squad was returning to the Valley in the team bus. “We had just lost to them two times during the regular season, and the last time they killed us. But we gained confidence down here.”
That confidence, Reynolds said, skyrocketed during his team’s 3-1 upset win over host Skyview in the NLC semifinals on Friday.
“That game against Skyview, that was a great confidence booster,” Reynolds said. “That got us through tonight.”
Senior Kendal Venzke, who was named first-team All-Northern Lights Conference after the match, led the team with 18 kills to help Palmer win its second straight NLC crown. Both Palmer and Wasilla earned automatic berths to next week’s state tournament with their appearance in the conference final. Colony made it a clean sweep for the Valley, clinching its postseason bid with a 3-0 sweep of Soldotna during the third-place match Saturday afternoon.
For the Moose, the road to their second straight conference championship was eerily similar to their journey to the 2009 crown. Like last season, the Moose started the season a little bit slow, but quietly progressed and eventually stunned the top seed for the title.
“We did struggle some early on. We had some weird things happen, some injuries,” Reynolds said. “But it came together. Apparently, a slow start is not a problem.”
Reynolds said things began to click for his team during the Dimond/Service Tournament in Anchorage last month. Up to that point, the Moose coaching staff had been tinkering with starting lineups. But during that tourney, they found a combination that worked. Reynolds said the Moose used so many different sets of starters, once they did find that right group, it turned into somewhat of an inside joke.
“We were like, hey we’ve used that one before,” Reynolds said with a laugh.
But more important than that, he said, was the progression.
“The big thing was people were still improving right up to the end,” Reynolds said.
The players saw that confidence, too.
“I think we all started to realize that if we started working hard, working more as a team, no one could stop us,” hitter Rebecca Stella said by cell phone from the team bus Saturday.
Wasilla junior Sariah Tuisaula was named the most valuable player of the NLC North Division after the final match. Wasilla’s Aryn Crane, Palmer’s Jenna Arlow and Colony’s Shellina Irwin joined Venzke on the NLC first team. Wasilla’s Claudia Farias Pinard was named the NLC Coach of the Year.
Wasilla’s Kayla Bell and Haley Taylor, and Palmer’s Morgan Morfe were named to the second team.
Congratulations to the varsity team who won regions this weekend!!
Jenna and Kendal made the All Region Team, while Morgan made Second Team plus the Good Sport Team. Way to be a good sport Morgan :)
They are set to play the first round of the state tournament at 7:15 on Thursday against Dimond. Hope everyone can make it out to support the team.
Good Luck Girls!
Jenna and Kendal made the All Region Team, while Morgan made Second Team plus the Good Sport Team. Way to be a good sport Morgan :)
They are set to play the first round of the state tournament at 7:15 on Thursday against Dimond. Hope everyone can make it out to support the team.
Good Luck Girls!
November 7, 2010
October 31, 2010
Sports : Moose sink Mariners to close out season - Frontiersman
Sports : Moose sink Mariners to close out season - Frontiersman
By TIM ROCKEY
For the Frontiersman
Published on Saturday, October 30, 2010 9:51 PM AKDT
PALMER — If you watched the Northern Lights Conference volleyball action at Palmer High on Friday, you wouldn’t have thought it was a fairly meaningless game.
Both teams have already been seeded for this week’s regional tournament, but the Senior Night match between the Moose and Panthers was no dud. Skyview won the match, but needed four games, 25-22, 25-17, (25-18), 25-21.
“Palmer’s always steady and they’re on their home floor. This should be a good match,” Skyview head coach Sheila Kupfershmid said.
Both teams play similar styles of volleyball, relying heavily on their setters for offense. Palmer junior Jenna Arlow and Panther Rebecca Egan provided the fireworks when it came to moving the volleyball.
Game one saw streaks back and forth as the teams jockeyed for dominance. Palmer started off playing somewhat sloppy, but junior Sarah Scoresby sparked a short rally when she rejected a thundering Holly Ransell hit back to the Skyview side of the court for a block, and then followed up with an ace from the service line.
Before that point, when Palmer looked finished for the game, the Moose played strong to tie the score at 22. But Palmer couldn’t stay perfect forever and Skyview’s raw power proved too much in the first game and the Panthers came out on top 25-22.
Palmer picked up its play in the second game, but Skyview didn’t let up. Holly Ransell rattled off three aces in a serve streak of four. Setter Rebecca Egan showed her versatility on the court and gave Palmer’s defense fits with a serve streak of five later in the game.
After the second game, Palmer sophomore Lily Cullers and junior Morgan Morfe switched out on defense, allowing Arlow to find Morfe for the kill again and again. Morfe’s powerful spikes, along with the blocking presence of Jessica Dennis and serve streaks of seven and four by junior KaLene Smith, Palmer found its groove.
The Moose surged to a 25-18 victory and re-energized the Senior Night crowd at Palmer High School.
Morfe took over for the majority of the fourth game. Arlow repeatedly found her teammate along the net for a blistering spike. When Arlow was not setting up Morfe, she was using her own creative methods to give the Skyview defense problems. Arlow’s attempted to score on the “no-look” by gently setting the ball to the other side of the net behind her back when the defense is under the impression she will pass to a hitter.
Arlow met her match on Friday, though. Skyview’s Rebecca Egan bested Arlow with 32 assists to her 27.
The final game was close with Skyview leading late 20-18.
Following the break in action, the Knights could not put together a valid attempt at scoring and their hopes of a fifth game evaporated.
Hill finished with 13 kills to lead the Panthers.
Skyview will wait until the region tournament for their next action, where they are seeded second. The Panthers only region loss this season was to Wasilla, which finished undefeated against conference teams and seeded No. 1.
Palmer 3, Homer 0
Palmer followed up with an easy win Saturday over the Homer Mariners at Palmer High School. The Moose outscored the Mariners by 27 points over the three-game sweep, 25-10, 25-11, 25-18.
The first game started off close until Palmer junior Sarah Scoresby busted it open with three aces in a row, causing a Mariner time-out and beginning the lopsided victory.
Senior Rebecca Stella led the effort with nine kills. Stella and junior KaLene Smith each had four blocks. Palmer junior Jenna Arlow distributed 26 assists, allowing all but two Moose to score at the net.
Game two was another lopsided win, featuring multiple streaks upwards of five serves. If it wasn’t for an impressive defensive play from the Mariners, the Moose would have won the game without allowing Homer to get into double digits.
“We played Colony close in all three games last night,” said Homer head coach Elizabeth Trowbridge. “We’ve figured out how to play at a high level, we just haven’t figured out how to finish.”
The Moose became somewhat complacent in the third game, but played well enough to handle Homer. Both teams advance to the region tournament at Skyview this week, where Valley teams have three of the top four seeds in the region.
Tim Rockey is a senior at Palmer High School who also writes for the Frontiersman’s Sports section.
By TIM ROCKEY
For the Frontiersman
Published on Saturday, October 30, 2010 9:51 PM AKDT
PALMER — If you watched the Northern Lights Conference volleyball action at Palmer High on Friday, you wouldn’t have thought it was a fairly meaningless game.
Both teams have already been seeded for this week’s regional tournament, but the Senior Night match between the Moose and Panthers was no dud. Skyview won the match, but needed four games, 25-22, 25-17, (25-18), 25-21.
“Palmer’s always steady and they’re on their home floor. This should be a good match,” Skyview head coach Sheila Kupfershmid said.
Both teams play similar styles of volleyball, relying heavily on their setters for offense. Palmer junior Jenna Arlow and Panther Rebecca Egan provided the fireworks when it came to moving the volleyball.
Game one saw streaks back and forth as the teams jockeyed for dominance. Palmer started off playing somewhat sloppy, but junior Sarah Scoresby sparked a short rally when she rejected a thundering Holly Ransell hit back to the Skyview side of the court for a block, and then followed up with an ace from the service line.
Before that point, when Palmer looked finished for the game, the Moose played strong to tie the score at 22. But Palmer couldn’t stay perfect forever and Skyview’s raw power proved too much in the first game and the Panthers came out on top 25-22.
Palmer picked up its play in the second game, but Skyview didn’t let up. Holly Ransell rattled off three aces in a serve streak of four. Setter Rebecca Egan showed her versatility on the court and gave Palmer’s defense fits with a serve streak of five later in the game.
After the second game, Palmer sophomore Lily Cullers and junior Morgan Morfe switched out on defense, allowing Arlow to find Morfe for the kill again and again. Morfe’s powerful spikes, along with the blocking presence of Jessica Dennis and serve streaks of seven and four by junior KaLene Smith, Palmer found its groove.
The Moose surged to a 25-18 victory and re-energized the Senior Night crowd at Palmer High School.
Morfe took over for the majority of the fourth game. Arlow repeatedly found her teammate along the net for a blistering spike. When Arlow was not setting up Morfe, she was using her own creative methods to give the Skyview defense problems. Arlow’s attempted to score on the “no-look” by gently setting the ball to the other side of the net behind her back when the defense is under the impression she will pass to a hitter.
Arlow met her match on Friday, though. Skyview’s Rebecca Egan bested Arlow with 32 assists to her 27.
The final game was close with Skyview leading late 20-18.
Following the break in action, the Knights could not put together a valid attempt at scoring and their hopes of a fifth game evaporated.
Hill finished with 13 kills to lead the Panthers.
Skyview will wait until the region tournament for their next action, where they are seeded second. The Panthers only region loss this season was to Wasilla, which finished undefeated against conference teams and seeded No. 1.
Palmer 3, Homer 0
Palmer followed up with an easy win Saturday over the Homer Mariners at Palmer High School. The Moose outscored the Mariners by 27 points over the three-game sweep, 25-10, 25-11, 25-18.
The first game started off close until Palmer junior Sarah Scoresby busted it open with three aces in a row, causing a Mariner time-out and beginning the lopsided victory.
Senior Rebecca Stella led the effort with nine kills. Stella and junior KaLene Smith each had four blocks. Palmer junior Jenna Arlow distributed 26 assists, allowing all but two Moose to score at the net.
Game two was another lopsided win, featuring multiple streaks upwards of five serves. If it wasn’t for an impressive defensive play from the Mariners, the Moose would have won the game without allowing Homer to get into double digits.
“We played Colony close in all three games last night,” said Homer head coach Elizabeth Trowbridge. “We’ve figured out how to play at a high level, we just haven’t figured out how to finish.”
The Moose became somewhat complacent in the third game, but played well enough to handle Homer. Both teams advance to the region tournament at Skyview this week, where Valley teams have three of the top four seeds in the region.
Tim Rockey is a senior at Palmer High School who also writes for the Frontiersman’s Sports section.
October 29, 2010
Sports : Moose notch narrow victory - Frontiersman
Sports : Moose notch narrow victory - Frontiersman
By TIM ROCKEY
For the Frontiersman
Published on Thursday, October 28, 2010 11:27 PM AKDT
PALMER — The Palmer Moose used an all-around effort to notch a victory over cross-town nemesis Colony Knights Tuesday night. Avenging a loss to the Knights earlier this year, the Moose steadily gained momentum. Sophomore Jessica Dennis came up big along with a cast of Palmer Moose to edge past the Colony Knights 20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 26-24.
“Ball control is always the key” said Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds. “We just need to play error free volleyball.”
Junior setter Jenna Arlow notched a game-high 27 sets, solving Palmer’s ball control problems. Her 27 sets were spread across eight Moose hitters. All but two Moose scored kills.
Colony Sophomore Olivia Martin served a game-high 7 aces, causing the Moose defense problems all night. Shellina Irwin and Mary Klapperich led the team in kills. Irwin finished with 12. Klapperich had seven to go along with her team-high four blocks. Martin also lead the team with 15 sets.
Colony started the match off hot in game one. Martin opened up a lead with a serve streak of four, serving two aces in the process. The game stayed fairly even until Kathryn Mayer put the game out of reach for the Moose with her own serve streak of four. The Knights’ serves paired with sloppy play from Palmer resulted in a 25-20 first game victory for Colony.
The Moose would settle down in a big way. With Kendal Venzke, KaLene Smith, and Rebecca Stella serving streaks of four, the Moose built a strong lead.
The momentum swung quickly in game two. Jenna Arlow went far out of bounds and made a leaping one-handed save on a ball that would eventually turn into a point for the Moose. Fittingly, Arlow then stepped back to the service line to attack the Knights from there.
Sophomore Jessica Dennis caught fire in the third game. Dennis tallied five kills and two of her game-high five blocks. Dennis’ hard hits gave the Moose something to compete with those of Colony senior Shellina Irwin.
Palmer senior Kendal Venzke added seven kills, playing through a pulled quadricep.
With defeat staring them dead in the eye, the Colony Knights fought back. Senior Laura Maresh built an early lead for the Knights.
Irwin would fight for her final Palmer-Colony game with 6 game four kills. Fellow Senior Tess Forstner would add four.
But the Moose would chip away throughout the game until it was dead even. With the score 24-18, Colony Sophomore Allison Leigh, most often noted for her blocking prowess, rattled off six straight points from the service line to put the Knights back in the hunt.
The Knights comeback was denied by Senior Chantel Grover.
“It’s pretty big” said Grover. “We played them to five games and lost by two last year, so it was really good to come back this year and win.”
The Moose are coming off some tough matches last weekend. Palmer split with South Anchorage and went to three games with Dimond.
The Moose host Skyview and Homer this weekend. Colony plays Homer tonight.
Tim Rockey is a senior at Palmer High School who also writes for the Frontiersman’s Sports section.
By TIM ROCKEY
For the Frontiersman
Published on Thursday, October 28, 2010 11:27 PM AKDT
PALMER — The Palmer Moose used an all-around effort to notch a victory over cross-town nemesis Colony Knights Tuesday night. Avenging a loss to the Knights earlier this year, the Moose steadily gained momentum. Sophomore Jessica Dennis came up big along with a cast of Palmer Moose to edge past the Colony Knights 20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 26-24.
“Ball control is always the key” said Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds. “We just need to play error free volleyball.”
Junior setter Jenna Arlow notched a game-high 27 sets, solving Palmer’s ball control problems. Her 27 sets were spread across eight Moose hitters. All but two Moose scored kills.
Colony Sophomore Olivia Martin served a game-high 7 aces, causing the Moose defense problems all night. Shellina Irwin and Mary Klapperich led the team in kills. Irwin finished with 12. Klapperich had seven to go along with her team-high four blocks. Martin also lead the team with 15 sets.
Colony started the match off hot in game one. Martin opened up a lead with a serve streak of four, serving two aces in the process. The game stayed fairly even until Kathryn Mayer put the game out of reach for the Moose with her own serve streak of four. The Knights’ serves paired with sloppy play from Palmer resulted in a 25-20 first game victory for Colony.
The Moose would settle down in a big way. With Kendal Venzke, KaLene Smith, and Rebecca Stella serving streaks of four, the Moose built a strong lead.
The momentum swung quickly in game two. Jenna Arlow went far out of bounds and made a leaping one-handed save on a ball that would eventually turn into a point for the Moose. Fittingly, Arlow then stepped back to the service line to attack the Knights from there.
Sophomore Jessica Dennis caught fire in the third game. Dennis tallied five kills and two of her game-high five blocks. Dennis’ hard hits gave the Moose something to compete with those of Colony senior Shellina Irwin.
Palmer senior Kendal Venzke added seven kills, playing through a pulled quadricep.
With defeat staring them dead in the eye, the Colony Knights fought back. Senior Laura Maresh built an early lead for the Knights.
Irwin would fight for her final Palmer-Colony game with 6 game four kills. Fellow Senior Tess Forstner would add four.
But the Moose would chip away throughout the game until it was dead even. With the score 24-18, Colony Sophomore Allison Leigh, most often noted for her blocking prowess, rattled off six straight points from the service line to put the Knights back in the hunt.
The Knights comeback was denied by Senior Chantel Grover.
“It’s pretty big” said Grover. “We played them to five games and lost by two last year, so it was really good to come back this year and win.”
The Moose are coming off some tough matches last weekend. Palmer split with South Anchorage and went to three games with Dimond.
The Moose host Skyview and Homer this weekend. Colony plays Homer tonight.
Tim Rockey is a senior at Palmer High School who also writes for the Frontiersman’s Sports section.
October 28, 2010
Jersey's
We will be collecting the cteam and JV jersey's immediately after the game on Friday night and Saturday morning. No, you do not need to wash them. Yes, we know they probably stink.
Make sure you bring an extra shirt to change into, or you will have to borrow one :)
Make sure you bring an extra shirt to change into, or you will have to borrow one :)
October 26, 2010
Midnight Sun Tryouts
November 6: for those playing on their high school C and JV level teams
JV players will be from 9:00am to 11:30
C team level players will be 12:00 to 2:00Please arrive early to be processed.
November 20: for those playing on their high school
Varsity level team 10:00 to 1:00
JV players will be from 9:00am to 11:30
C team level players will be 12:00 to 2:00Please arrive early to be processed.
November 20: for those playing on their high school
Varsity level team 10:00 to 1:00
AVA Tryouts
CTeam & JV Players:
C14, JV Silver or JV Gold
Tyouts Sun Nov 7th 2:30pm-5pm @ Eagle River HS
Mon Nov 15 6:30-8:30pm @ AT&T Sport Ctr Wasilla/Palmer
Open to players currently playing at a HS C/JV team level
Varsity Players:
JV Gold, Varsity Silver or Gold & Feb Travel Team
Tryouts (U17 Las Vegas?)Wed Nov 17 6:30-8:30pm @ AT&T Sport Ctr Wasilla/PalmerSat
Nov 20 2:30pm-5:30pm @ Mirror Lake Middle, Peters Creek
Open to players currently playing on HS JV & Varsity level
C14, JV Silver or JV Gold
Tyouts Sun Nov 7th 2:30pm-5pm @ Eagle River HS
Mon Nov 15 6:30-8:30pm @ AT&T Sport Ctr Wasilla/Palmer
Open to players currently playing at a HS C/JV team level
Varsity Players:
JV Gold, Varsity Silver or Gold & Feb Travel Team
Tryouts (U17 Las Vegas?)Wed Nov 17 6:30-8:30pm @ AT&T Sport Ctr Wasilla/PalmerSat
Nov 20 2:30pm-5:30pm @ Mirror Lake Middle, Peters Creek
Open to players currently playing on HS JV & Varsity level
October 21, 2010
October 20, 2010
October 18, 2010
Varsity Dimond/Service Tournament Schedule
Friday @ Service
2 game to 25
5:00 vs Eagle River
6:00 vs Seward
7:00 vs Ketchikan
8:00 vs South
Saturday
Bracket play, best 2 of 3.
Earliest possible start time 9:00am
Latest possible game starting at 5:30pm.
2 game to 25
5:00 vs Eagle River
6:00 vs Seward
7:00 vs Ketchikan
8:00 vs South
Saturday
Bracket play, best 2 of 3.
Earliest possible start time 9:00am
Latest possible game starting at 5:30pm.
JV Tournament Schedule
Monday
Pool Play
1 game to 25
4:30 vs Colony
5:00 line/score duties
5:30 line/score duties
6:00 vs Su-Valley
Tuesday
Pool Play
1 game to 25
4:30 vs Houston
5:00 line/score duties
5:30 vs Wasilla
6:00 vs Grace
Wednesday
Bracket play, best 2 out of 3.
First games start at 4:00 with the last possible games starting at 7:00.
Pool Play
1 game to 25
4:30 vs Colony
5:00 line/score duties
5:30 line/score duties
6:00 vs Su-Valley
Tuesday
Pool Play
1 game to 25
4:30 vs Houston
5:00 line/score duties
5:30 vs Wasilla
6:00 vs Grace
Wednesday
Bracket play, best 2 out of 3.
First games start at 4:00 with the last possible games starting at 7:00.
October 5, 2010
Weekly Schedule
So the blog is being wierd and wont let me update our schedule, but in case you didn't know, Palmer plays Wasilla on Friday @ home.
Cteam 4:00
JV 5:00
Varsity 6:30
Good Luck!
Cteam 4:00
JV 5:00
Varsity 6:30
Good Luck!
October 4, 2010
Sports : MOOSE SPIKED - Frontiersman
Sports : MOOSE SPIKED - Frontiersman
By Micah Villanueva
For the Frontiersman
Published on Friday, October 1, 2010 4:08 AM AKDT
PALMER — Coming off a solid fourth-place finish at the West High Spectacular, it would seem the Palmer Moose had all the momentum coming into Thursday night’s match against Cook Inlet Conference powerhouse Chugiak. Unfortunately for the Moose, that wasn’t the case.
In a non-conference match-up at Palmer High, the Chugiak Mustangs defeated the Palmer Moose 3-1(25-19, 21-25, 25-19, 25-18), rolling to a victory over the defending Northern Lights Conference champions.Chugiak improved to 13-4 overall on the season, while the Moose dropped only their second regular season loss of the season.
Chugiak dominated the match defensively, countering each Palmer attack with a disciplined and tight formation, which would lead into devastating hits by the Mustangs’ Laila Hansen, who led all players with 12 kills. Palmer, who faced a similar attack last week against Wasilla, simply had no answer.
“We’re still working on our overall game,” Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said. “Serve, receive, passing.”
The Moose started strong, beginning the first game with a 4-0 spurt. But from there, things started to roll downhill.
Chugiak capitalized on Palmer mistakes, scoring points at ease on the Moose, and they carried that momentum through the first game and into the second.
But the Moose wouldn’t give up without a fight.Trailing 5-4 in the second game, Palmer went on a 13-2 run to take a lead they would never relinquish in that second set. At that point, Chugiak put its foot down. Through the hard hitting of Hansen, the Mustangs dispatched the Moose in the next two games, taking the match.
“We did well at making plays come together,” Palmer senior outside hitter Kendal Venzke said. “There were just lapses on the serve-receive that made it difficult for the offense.”
Despite the loss, the Moose are not too concerned as they head into this weekend’s NLC matches on the Kenai Peninsula.
“It’s early in the season, so we’re still working on our offense,” Reynolds said. “We’re not too concerned about who we’re playing and what they are doing.”
Still, Palmer has a bit riding on its upcoming matches, contests that will help determine where the Moose sit in the NLC standings.“We have to work on shortening our lapses … and pushing through to the end,” Venzke said, referencing the mid-match collapse.
By Micah Villanueva
For the Frontiersman
Published on Friday, October 1, 2010 4:08 AM AKDT
PALMER — Coming off a solid fourth-place finish at the West High Spectacular, it would seem the Palmer Moose had all the momentum coming into Thursday night’s match against Cook Inlet Conference powerhouse Chugiak. Unfortunately for the Moose, that wasn’t the case.
In a non-conference match-up at Palmer High, the Chugiak Mustangs defeated the Palmer Moose 3-1(25-19, 21-25, 25-19, 25-18), rolling to a victory over the defending Northern Lights Conference champions.Chugiak improved to 13-4 overall on the season, while the Moose dropped only their second regular season loss of the season.
Chugiak dominated the match defensively, countering each Palmer attack with a disciplined and tight formation, which would lead into devastating hits by the Mustangs’ Laila Hansen, who led all players with 12 kills. Palmer, who faced a similar attack last week against Wasilla, simply had no answer.
“We’re still working on our overall game,” Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said. “Serve, receive, passing.”
The Moose started strong, beginning the first game with a 4-0 spurt. But from there, things started to roll downhill.
Chugiak capitalized on Palmer mistakes, scoring points at ease on the Moose, and they carried that momentum through the first game and into the second.
But the Moose wouldn’t give up without a fight.Trailing 5-4 in the second game, Palmer went on a 13-2 run to take a lead they would never relinquish in that second set. At that point, Chugiak put its foot down. Through the hard hitting of Hansen, the Mustangs dispatched the Moose in the next two games, taking the match.
“We did well at making plays come together,” Palmer senior outside hitter Kendal Venzke said. “There were just lapses on the serve-receive that made it difficult for the offense.”
Despite the loss, the Moose are not too concerned as they head into this weekend’s NLC matches on the Kenai Peninsula.
“It’s early in the season, so we’re still working on our offense,” Reynolds said. “We’re not too concerned about who we’re playing and what they are doing.”
Still, Palmer has a bit riding on its upcoming matches, contests that will help determine where the Moose sit in the NLC standings.“We have to work on shortening our lapses … and pushing through to the end,” Venzke said, referencing the mid-match collapse.
September 27, 2010
West Spiketacular Recap
Varsity spent the weekend in the West High gym getting lots and lots of volleyball action. Friday night and saturday morning they played in pool play, and Saturday afternoon they were seeded in the gold bracket.
The girls placed 4th in the 20 team tournament. Well done!
The girls placed 4th in the 20 team tournament. Well done!
September 26, 2010
September 20, 2010
West Spiketacular Schedule
Varsity plays at the following times:
Friday:
Pool Play
12:00 vs. Colony
1:50 vs. East
6:25 vs. Barrow
7:20 vs. ACS
Saturday:
Pool Play
9:00 vs. Juneau
11:45 vs. ACS
12:40 vs. West
Saturday:
Bracket starts at 3:00 with the last possible game starting at 6:00
Friday:
Pool Play
12:00 vs. Colony
1:50 vs. East
6:25 vs. Barrow
7:20 vs. ACS
Saturday:
Pool Play
9:00 vs. Juneau
11:45 vs. ACS
12:40 vs. West
Saturday:
Bracket starts at 3:00 with the last possible game starting at 6:00
September 17, 2010
Anchorage Daily News
Palmer 3 Colony 1
Palmer's Kendall Vanzke and Morgan Morfe each recorded 13 kills Tuesday in a 21-25, 25-13, 25-14, 25-20 home win over Colony.
Jenna Arlow set up the offense for the Moose, notching 28 assists, and Chantel Grover led the defense with seven digs.
Colony's offensive leaders were Shellina Irwin and Allison Leigh with 13 kills apiece, Mary Klapperich with eight kills and Olivia Martin with 22 assists. The defense was anchored by Irwin's nine digs and Klapperich's six blocks.
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Palmer's Kendall Vanzke and Morgan Morfe each recorded 13 kills Tuesday in a 21-25, 25-13, 25-14, 25-20 home win over Colony.
Jenna Arlow set up the offense for the Moose, notching 28 assists, and Chantel Grover led the defense with seven digs.
Colony's offensive leaders were Shellina Irwin and Allison Leigh with 13 kills apiece, Mary Klapperich with eight kills and Olivia Martin with 22 assists. The defense was anchored by Irwin's nine digs and Klapperich's six blocks.
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Sports : Moose spike rival Knights - Frontiersman
Sports : Moose spike rival Knights - Frontiersman
Moose spike rival Knights
BY TIM ROCKEY
For the Frontiersman
Published on Friday, September 17, 2010 12:33 AM AKDT
PALMER — The Palmer Moose used a variety of weapons to wear down Colony and improve to 4-0 in Northern Lights Conference play with a 3-1 (17-25, 25-23, 25-14, 25-20) win over the Knights at Palmer High School on Tuesday.
Palmer underclassmen Lilly Cullers sent the Moose on one of their bigger momentum swings of the match, serving for nine straight points during the win over their rival.
“She was clutch,” Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said. “She was serving with pinpoint accuracy. She was hitting all her spots. I havn’t seen that out of her yet.” Cullers picked up two aces on three concecutive short serves to the Colony front row. To get the home crowd excited, Palmer’s Rebecca Stella made an outstanding diving hustle play to keep the streak alive.
Mary Klapperich ended the run with a powerful block. Klapperich finished with a team-high 12 kills. Klapperich and fellow sophomore twin tower Allison Leigh teamed for five blocks, wreaking havoc for Moose hitters throughout the match.
After losing the second game, Colony bounced back strong in the third set.
Colony senior Shellina Irwin used a unique underhand serve for a streak of three points during the final game. Irwin, who typically hits the ball with a high velocity, sported sort of an ironic twist to her game with the underhanded attempts. Reynolds said, overall, a key was containing the Colony senior.
“She plays great defense,” Reynolds said. “We want to keep the ball away from her.”
Irwin, Leigh and Klapperich weren’t enough for the Knights though. After catching the Moose off balance in the first game, Palmer slowly got back on track. After battling through a tough second set, Palmer found it’s rhythm.
Junior Morgan Morfe helped spark that momentum with five of her team-high 13 kills in the third game. Morfe wasn’t the only Moose player in on the action. Palmer setter Jenna Arlow spread the wealth around, finishing with 28 assists in the win.
Five Moose had at least four kills in the victory.
The Moose stay undefeated with the win, but Reynolds stressed the need to continue to improve.
“We have Wasilla coming up, and the West Spiketacular,” Reynolds said. “We’ll get a lot of work on the whole team thing. We have so much to prepare for, so much stuff to work on,”
The Knights fell to 1-3 with the loss.
“We’re struggling at this point, so we’re hoping tonight is the turnaround point,” Colony head coach Amy Carter said.
Colony served well, picking up four aces spread throughout the team during the game, but just like during its loss to Wasilla last week, unforced errors led to the Knights’ downfall.
Colony will try to rebound tonight against Chugiak. The Knights host the Mustangs at 4:30 p.m. at CHS.
Tim Rockey is a senior at Palmer High School and contributes to the Mat-Su Valley schools and sports sections.
Moose spike rival Knights
BY TIM ROCKEY
For the Frontiersman
Published on Friday, September 17, 2010 12:33 AM AKDT
PALMER — The Palmer Moose used a variety of weapons to wear down Colony and improve to 4-0 in Northern Lights Conference play with a 3-1 (17-25, 25-23, 25-14, 25-20) win over the Knights at Palmer High School on Tuesday.
Palmer underclassmen Lilly Cullers sent the Moose on one of their bigger momentum swings of the match, serving for nine straight points during the win over their rival.
“She was clutch,” Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said. “She was serving with pinpoint accuracy. She was hitting all her spots. I havn’t seen that out of her yet.” Cullers picked up two aces on three concecutive short serves to the Colony front row. To get the home crowd excited, Palmer’s Rebecca Stella made an outstanding diving hustle play to keep the streak alive.
Mary Klapperich ended the run with a powerful block. Klapperich finished with a team-high 12 kills. Klapperich and fellow sophomore twin tower Allison Leigh teamed for five blocks, wreaking havoc for Moose hitters throughout the match.
After losing the second game, Colony bounced back strong in the third set.
Colony senior Shellina Irwin used a unique underhand serve for a streak of three points during the final game. Irwin, who typically hits the ball with a high velocity, sported sort of an ironic twist to her game with the underhanded attempts. Reynolds said, overall, a key was containing the Colony senior.
“She plays great defense,” Reynolds said. “We want to keep the ball away from her.”
Irwin, Leigh and Klapperich weren’t enough for the Knights though. After catching the Moose off balance in the first game, Palmer slowly got back on track. After battling through a tough second set, Palmer found it’s rhythm.
Junior Morgan Morfe helped spark that momentum with five of her team-high 13 kills in the third game. Morfe wasn’t the only Moose player in on the action. Palmer setter Jenna Arlow spread the wealth around, finishing with 28 assists in the win.
Five Moose had at least four kills in the victory.
The Moose stay undefeated with the win, but Reynolds stressed the need to continue to improve.
“We have Wasilla coming up, and the West Spiketacular,” Reynolds said. “We’ll get a lot of work on the whole team thing. We have so much to prepare for, so much stuff to work on,”
The Knights fell to 1-3 with the loss.
“We’re struggling at this point, so we’re hoping tonight is the turnaround point,” Colony head coach Amy Carter said.
Colony served well, picking up four aces spread throughout the team during the game, but just like during its loss to Wasilla last week, unforced errors led to the Knights’ downfall.
Colony will try to rebound tonight against Chugiak. The Knights host the Mustangs at 4:30 p.m. at CHS.
Tim Rockey is a senior at Palmer High School and contributes to the Mat-Su Valley schools and sports sections.
September 16, 2010
September 15, 2010
ACS on 9/16/10
Congratulations to each team last night in their win over Colony.
We play ACS on Thursday 9/16/10. The bus will leave PHS at 1:00pm. Meet upstairs. The games are scheduled at 3:00, 4:00 and 5:00.
We play ACS on Thursday 9/16/10. The bus will leave PHS at 1:00pm. Meet upstairs. The games are scheduled at 3:00, 4:00 and 5:00.
September 2, 2010
Kodiak Information
The bus leaves from PHS Friday morning at 7am. Do not be late. Your coach will tell you what time they would like to see you at the school. Again, do not be late, we wont miss the plane just for one person.
What should you bring? ONLY THE ESSENTIALS!!!
Both jerseys
Spandex
Both Shoes
Both Kneepads
Both Ankle braces
Coat
Sweats
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Hairties
Pillow
Sleeping bag
Money
I think that's it. Make your own list. I could have forgotten to mention something.
Pack light. This is a one night trip. If you pack to much, we might make you leave half of it at the school. :)
As for the money- you should need $20-$40. You'll have to buy two days worth of food. If you bring snacks, you can get away with bringing less money.
We play Friday night and Saturday Afternoon. We will be back to PHS around 11pm Saturday night.
What should you bring? ONLY THE ESSENTIALS!!!
Both jerseys
Spandex
Both Shoes
Both Kneepads
Both Ankle braces
Coat
Sweats
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Hairties
Pillow
Sleeping bag
Money
I think that's it. Make your own list. I could have forgotten to mention something.
Pack light. This is a one night trip. If you pack to much, we might make you leave half of it at the school. :)
As for the money- you should need $20-$40. You'll have to buy two days worth of food. If you bring snacks, you can get away with bringing less money.
We play Friday night and Saturday Afternoon. We will be back to PHS around 11pm Saturday night.
August 27, 2010
Sports : Defending champs return to court - Frontiersman
Sports : Defending champs return to court - Frontiersman
By Jeremiah Bartz
Frontiersman
Published on Monday, August 23, 2010 9:47 PM AKDT
PALMER — Just as he did in each of his first 10 years at the helm of the Palmer volleyball program, head coach Steve Reynolds is entering the 2010 season with a few questions.
There are a few players who Reynolds can quickly ink into the starting lineup. But it may take time until he can pencil others in. Reynolds is still wondering how to replace a few of his valuable graduated seniors who helped Palmer win the 2009 Northern Lights Conference title, and is curious how his Moose will fare in the upcoming Chugiak Invitational.But Reynolds said there are also things the longtime Moose mentor is very confident about
“I really like this group as a whole,” Reynolds said Monday. “It’s a real nice, cohesive group.”
If Reynolds and the Moose aren’t able to find that perfect mesh immediately, Palmer shouldn’t panic. Last season, Palmer overcame a slow start, peaked at the end of the season and beat rival Colony for the NLC title.
Leading the charge this season is a group that includes senior outside hitter Kendal Venzke.“She does a lot of nice, quiet work,” Reynolds said. “She’s not a flashy player, but her whole game is real solid.”
Venzke is joined in the senior class by Chantel Grover. Setter Jenna Arlow, outside hitter Morgan Morfe and middle blocker Kalene Smith are juniors returning to the varsity squad.
Arlow earned a wealth of setting experience as a sophomore and will be the unquestioned court general this year, Reynolds said.“She’ll be our quarterback,” Reynolds said. “She’ll be running the show.”Junior middle blocker Kasara Brandenburg and junior setter Anna Koehn, who were promoted from the junior varsity squad before the NLC tourney last season, also return.
Palmer graduated a pair of first-team all-conference players in Nicole Cherrier and Brittany Arlow. Reynolds said it’s been difficult finding a replacement for Brittany Arlow, the team’s libero in 2009.“She’s a tough one to replace,” Reynolds said. “We’re trying out some different people.”Reynolds’ squad will have an opportunity to hit the court again this weekend during the Chugiak Invitational at Chugiak High School.
Palmer begins pool play in the Chugiak Invitational Friday at 2:50 p.m. against defending state champion Dimond.The Moose start the 2010 NLC season Sept. 3-4 at Kodiak.Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.
By Jeremiah Bartz
Frontiersman
Published on Monday, August 23, 2010 9:47 PM AKDT
PALMER — Just as he did in each of his first 10 years at the helm of the Palmer volleyball program, head coach Steve Reynolds is entering the 2010 season with a few questions.
There are a few players who Reynolds can quickly ink into the starting lineup. But it may take time until he can pencil others in. Reynolds is still wondering how to replace a few of his valuable graduated seniors who helped Palmer win the 2009 Northern Lights Conference title, and is curious how his Moose will fare in the upcoming Chugiak Invitational.But Reynolds said there are also things the longtime Moose mentor is very confident about
“I really like this group as a whole,” Reynolds said Monday. “It’s a real nice, cohesive group.”
If Reynolds and the Moose aren’t able to find that perfect mesh immediately, Palmer shouldn’t panic. Last season, Palmer overcame a slow start, peaked at the end of the season and beat rival Colony for the NLC title.
Leading the charge this season is a group that includes senior outside hitter Kendal Venzke.“She does a lot of nice, quiet work,” Reynolds said. “She’s not a flashy player, but her whole game is real solid.”
Venzke is joined in the senior class by Chantel Grover. Setter Jenna Arlow, outside hitter Morgan Morfe and middle blocker Kalene Smith are juniors returning to the varsity squad.
Arlow earned a wealth of setting experience as a sophomore and will be the unquestioned court general this year, Reynolds said.“She’ll be our quarterback,” Reynolds said. “She’ll be running the show.”Junior middle blocker Kasara Brandenburg and junior setter Anna Koehn, who were promoted from the junior varsity squad before the NLC tourney last season, also return.
Palmer graduated a pair of first-team all-conference players in Nicole Cherrier and Brittany Arlow. Reynolds said it’s been difficult finding a replacement for Brittany Arlow, the team’s libero in 2009.“She’s a tough one to replace,” Reynolds said. “We’re trying out some different people.”Reynolds’ squad will have an opportunity to hit the court again this weekend during the Chugiak Invitational at Chugiak High School.
Palmer begins pool play in the Chugiak Invitational Friday at 2:50 p.m. against defending state champion Dimond.The Moose start the 2010 NLC season Sept. 3-4 at Kodiak.Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.
Sports : Moose sweep Houston to open regular season - Frontiersman
Sports : Moose sweep Houston to open regular season - Frontiersman
Published on Thursday, August 26, 2010 11:49 PM AKDT
PALMER — The Palmer Moose opened the 2010 season with a 3-0 (25-11, 25-9, 25-6) win over the Houston Hawks Tuesday at Palmer High School.Junior Morgan Morfe led the Moose with seven kills, while senior Chantel Grover added six. Jenna Arlow collected 18 assists and six aces for Palmer.Samantha Dodds had a pair of kills for Houston.
Palmer is one of three Valley squads that hit the court for the Chugiak Invitational, starting today at Chugiak High School. Wasilla and Colony are also among a dozen teams competing in the two-day tournament.
Published on Thursday, August 26, 2010 11:49 PM AKDT
PALMER — The Palmer Moose opened the 2010 season with a 3-0 (25-11, 25-9, 25-6) win over the Houston Hawks Tuesday at Palmer High School.Junior Morgan Morfe led the Moose with seven kills, while senior Chantel Grover added six. Jenna Arlow collected 18 assists and six aces for Palmer.Samantha Dodds had a pair of kills for Houston.
Palmer is one of three Valley squads that hit the court for the Chugiak Invitational, starting today at Chugiak High School. Wasilla and Colony are also among a dozen teams competing in the two-day tournament.
August 23, 2010
Chugiak Invitational Info
Friday
Palmer Plays:
2:50 vs Dimond
4:30 vs Wasilla
6:10 vs Bartlett
7:50 vs Eagle River
9:30 vs South
Saturday
Bracket Play:
Tournament scheduled to start at 9am with the last game starting at 2:00pm
Palmer Plays:
2:50 vs Dimond
4:30 vs Wasilla
6:10 vs Bartlett
7:50 vs Eagle River
9:30 vs South
Saturday
Bracket Play:
Tournament scheduled to start at 9am with the last game starting at 2:00pm
August 19, 2010
Friday's Jamboree Schedule
Varsity - See Below
JV @ COLONY
4:00 vs Colony
5:00 vs Wasilla
6:00 vs Houston
C-Team @ Wasilla
4:00 vs Colony
5:00 vs Wasilla
6:00 vs Houston
JV @ COLONY
4:00 vs Colony
5:00 vs Wasilla
6:00 vs Houston
C-Team @ Wasilla
4:00 vs Colony
5:00 vs Wasilla
6:00 vs Houston
August 18, 2010
Varsity Jamboree Schedule
Day One: August 20
#1 Houston #2 Wasilla #3 Valdez #4 Palmer
#5 Colony #6 Grace #7 ACS #8 Cordova
Time Court 1 Court 2
2:30 1 V 2 (5) 3 V 4 (7)
3:00 5 V 6 (2) 7 V 8 (1)
3:30 2 V 4 (6) 1 V 3 (5)
4:00 6 V 8 (2) 5 V 7 (1)
4:30 5 V 4 (7) 1 V 8 (2)
5:00 7 V 3 (1) 2 V 6 (8)
5:30 1 V 5 (3) 8 V 4 (7)
6:00 3 V 6 (8) 7 V 2 (4)
6:30 7 V 1 (3) 4 V 6 (5)
7:00 3 V 8 (4) 5 V 2 (6)
7:30 4 V 1 (2) 6 V 7 (8)
8:00 2 V 3 (4) 8 V 5 (6)
8:30 4 V 7 (8) 6 V 1 (3)
9:00 8 V 2 (1) 3 V 5 (4)
Day 2:
Seeded after the first day. Play starts at 9:30am with the last game starting at 2:00pm.
#1 Houston #2 Wasilla #3 Valdez #4 Palmer
#5 Colony #6 Grace #7 ACS #8 Cordova
Time Court 1 Court 2
2:30 1 V 2 (5) 3 V 4 (7)
3:00 5 V 6 (2) 7 V 8 (1)
3:30 2 V 4 (6) 1 V 3 (5)
4:00 6 V 8 (2) 5 V 7 (1)
4:30 5 V 4 (7) 1 V 8 (2)
5:00 7 V 3 (1) 2 V 6 (8)
5:30 1 V 5 (3) 8 V 4 (7)
6:00 3 V 6 (8) 7 V 2 (4)
6:30 7 V 1 (3) 4 V 6 (5)
7:00 3 V 8 (4) 5 V 2 (6)
7:30 4 V 1 (2) 6 V 7 (8)
8:00 2 V 3 (4) 8 V 5 (6)
8:30 4 V 7 (8) 6 V 1 (3)
9:00 8 V 2 (1) 3 V 5 (4)
Day 2:
Seeded after the first day. Play starts at 9:30am with the last game starting at 2:00pm.
August 16, 2010
August 13, 2010
TURN IN YOUR MONEY & PAPERWORK!!
If you haven't turned in your paperwork, physical and money. BRING IT TODAY!!!!
August 12, 2010
August 6, 2010
Info for Next Week
It was great to see you all at open gym this week. I hope you had a good time. Now moving into tryouts and the season, here is the information you will need:
Monday: Tryouts fresh/soph 2-4
Tryouts junior/senior 2-4
Tuesday: Tryouts fresh/soph 2-4
Tryouts junior/senior 4-6
Wednesday: Tryouts fresh/soph 2-4
Tryouts fresh/soph 4-6
Thursday: Cteam practice: 1:00-4:00
JV practice: 4:30-6:00
Varsity practice 4:00-6:00
6:00 Mandatory Parent meeting
Friday: Cteam practice 1:00-4:00
JV practice 4:30-6:30
Varsity practice 4:00-6:00
Saturday: Everyone: 3:30-5:30
Make sure you have your paperwork and money turned in. See you Monday.
Monday: Tryouts fresh/soph 2-4
Tryouts junior/senior 2-4
Tuesday: Tryouts fresh/soph 2-4
Tryouts junior/senior 4-6
Wednesday: Tryouts fresh/soph 2-4
Tryouts fresh/soph 4-6
Thursday: Cteam practice: 1:00-4:00
JV practice: 4:30-6:00
Varsity practice 4:00-6:00
6:00 Mandatory Parent meeting
Friday: Cteam practice 1:00-4:00
JV practice 4:30-6:30
Varsity practice 4:00-6:00
Saturday: Everyone: 3:30-5:30
Make sure you have your paperwork and money turned in. See you Monday.
August 1, 2010
Open Gym
Don't forget!
Open gym at PHS, Wednesday & Friday 6-8.
Bring anyone who likes to play volleyball!
Open gym at PHS, Wednesday & Friday 6-8.
Bring anyone who likes to play volleyball!
July 29, 2010
Summer Camp Over
Last night concluded our summer camp. I really did enjoy both groups all summer and I looked forward to wednesday nights. Their was a lot of improvement across the board, from the 8th graders to the seniors. Dont forget- you can always keep practicing at home! :) I hope you got a lot out of it. We will see you at open gym!
July 16, 2010
Tryout Information
Tryout Information:
August 9th, 10th, 11th
Freshman/Sophomores – 2-4pm.
Juniors/Seniors – 4-6pm.
Bring your paperwork which can be found in the front office and the $100 sports fee. Anyone who qualifies, can get information about a reduced fee when they get their paperwork at the front office. (office will be open in August)
Remember- Open Gym: Wednesday Aug 4th 6-8, Friday August 6th, 6-8.
August 9th, 10th, 11th
Freshman/Sophomores – 2-4pm.
Juniors/Seniors – 4-6pm.
Bring your paperwork which can be found in the front office and the $100 sports fee. Anyone who qualifies, can get information about a reduced fee when they get their paperwork at the front office. (office will be open in August)
Remember- Open Gym: Wednesday Aug 4th 6-8, Friday August 6th, 6-8.
July 14, 2010
Recap of the Sand Tourney
I went in and watched the sand tournament in anchorage this last weekend. There was a good turnout of 16 teams. Five of the teams had Palmer players and alumni on them. Morgan & Kendal were the only Palmer pair to match up and play together. They did real well and I think they had a good time. Jordan and Zoe, who played for Palmer in 08, paired up and hit the court. They did pretty well, but once they were out, challenged Morgan and Kendal to game and they duked it out all by themselves with the youngest Venske reffing their game.
I'll mention Stella too, even though she isn’t a Palmer kid, because we see her every week at our Palmer camp. She played well and took a solid 3rd place, which was a nice improvement over last time. Well done!
Kasara was there with a friend from Anchorage, I was only able to see a bit of them playing, but I heard about her bball camp down in Stanford and how she saw Foluke Akinradewo standing on the side of the court watching. If you don't know who that is, I suggest googling her. Amazing player for Stanford a couple years ago. Its to bad Kasara didn't go say hi to my friend John for me. I'm sure he would have like that.
Tiffany Secoy, who played for Palmer in 03, made her sand debut with a decent finish in bracket play, while Emily Sakis who played in 02, won her second straight sand championship.
I'll mention Stella too, even though she isn’t a Palmer kid, because we see her every week at our Palmer camp. She played well and took a solid 3rd place, which was a nice improvement over last time. Well done!
Kasara was there with a friend from Anchorage, I was only able to see a bit of them playing, but I heard about her bball camp down in Stanford and how she saw Foluke Akinradewo standing on the side of the court watching. If you don't know who that is, I suggest googling her. Amazing player for Stanford a couple years ago. Its to bad Kasara didn't go say hi to my friend John for me. I'm sure he would have like that.
Tiffany Secoy, who played for Palmer in 03, made her sand debut with a decent finish in bracket play, while Emily Sakis who played in 02, won her second straight sand championship.
Morgan & KasaraJune 28, 2010
May 26, 2010
Summer Camp Reminders
Ok a couple things to remember:
1. Use the downstairs door, by the football field.
2. Don't be late, or you'll get locked out. If you're running late, call my cell phone before 4:30 so we can watch the doors for you after we start.
3. If you dont have your paperwork and money turned in, make sure you bring it.
1. Use the downstairs door, by the football field.
2. Don't be late, or you'll get locked out. If you're running late, call my cell phone before 4:30 so we can watch the doors for you after we start.
3. If you dont have your paperwork and money turned in, make sure you bring it.
May 20, 2010
Summer Camp - Updates
Updated:
Group 1 will meet from 4:30-6:30 it is typically filled with incoming freshmen, and sophomores.
Sophomores we are moving you to the older group - refer to Group 2 times.
Group 2 will meet from 6:30-8:30 this group is for the more experienced players, typically juniors, and seniors.
Both groups meet on the following dates:
May 26 June 2, 9, 23, 30 July 7, 14, 21, 28
When you arrive at Palmer High School you will need to drive (or walk) around to the back side of the building by the football field. The lower back door is the one we will be using all summer. If you get confused, or lost, call Jayme's cell phone.
Palmer High has security now so if you are late you may find yourself locked out so please be on time. If you know you are going to be late, or if you find yourself locked out, call Jayme's cell phone before the practice starts.
Group 1 will meet from 4:30-6:30 it is typically filled with incoming freshmen, and sophomores.
Sophomores we are moving you to the older group - refer to Group 2 times.
Group 2 will meet from 6:30-8:30 this group is for the more experienced players, typically juniors, and seniors.
Both groups meet on the following dates:
May 26 June 2, 9, 23, 30 July 7, 14, 21, 28
When you arrive at Palmer High School you will need to drive (or walk) around to the back side of the building by the football field. The lower back door is the one we will be using all summer. If you get confused, or lost, call Jayme's cell phone.
Palmer High has security now so if you are late you may find yourself locked out so please be on time. If you know you are going to be late, or if you find yourself locked out, call Jayme's cell phone before the practice starts.
May 11, 2010
Beach Tournaments
Alright, the schedule is out for the beach volleyball tournaments this summer. They take place at Springer Park, 3809 arctic blvd, Anchorage, AK.
Dates:
June 12, 2010
July 10, 2010
July 24, 2010
August 7, 2010 ***
August 14, 2010
Tournaments start at 10:00, $15 per person, USAV members get a $5 discount.
***Juniors Championships:
Divisions:
14 & under
16 & under
18 & under
Dates:
June 12, 2010
July 10, 2010
July 24, 2010
August 7, 2010 ***
August 14, 2010
Tournaments start at 10:00, $15 per person, USAV members get a $5 discount.
***Juniors Championships:
Divisions:
14 & under
16 & under
18 & under
May 1, 2010
April 26, 2010
A Few Updates
We are working on getting some open gyms in May hopefully. I'll post it when we have dates and Steve will email you, so don't worry, you'll get the info.
Make sure you get signed up for the summer camp if you are planning on attending. Once a week all summer, except the week of June 16th. I think that means there will be 9 sessions, and its only $125 this year. All you need to do to sign up is email Steve (his email is listed on the right hand side if you dont have it) and tell him you want signed up. Its easy and you can do it right now since you're already on your computer.
I guess thats it for now. I'll be seeing you all soon!!
Make sure you get signed up for the summer camp if you are planning on attending. Once a week all summer, except the week of June 16th. I think that means there will be 9 sessions, and its only $125 this year. All you need to do to sign up is email Steve (his email is listed on the right hand side if you dont have it) and tell him you want signed up. Its easy and you can do it right now since you're already on your computer.
I guess thats it for now. I'll be seeing you all soon!!
February 11, 2010
Poll Results
Will you play in a beach volleyball tournament this summer (Anchorage)?
Heck Yes!
4 (80%)
Maybe, we'll see.
1 (20%)
Nope.
0 (0%)
Total Votes: 5
Heck Yes!
4 (80%)
Maybe, we'll see.
1 (20%)
Nope.
0 (0%)
Total Votes: 5
February 5, 2010
Open Volleyball Tournaments
Two Volleyball Tournaments in March
March 6th - Open, this is a tournament for anyone who wants to play. It will have reverse coed rules which means you can have up to 2 guys on your team, but they can't jump, so no blocking or hitting for them. However, if you don't have any guys on your team that's fine too.
March 7th - Youth (high school girls)
Team fee is $275 if you get signed up before Feb 22nd, $300 if you sign up after Feb 28th.
If you want to play and need help finding extra players, let me know and I'll see if I can help you out.
March 6th - Open, this is a tournament for anyone who wants to play. It will have reverse coed rules which means you can have up to 2 guys on your team, but they can't jump, so no blocking or hitting for them. However, if you don't have any guys on your team that's fine too.
March 7th - Youth (high school girls)
Team fee is $275 if you get signed up before Feb 22nd, $300 if you sign up after Feb 28th.
If you want to play and need help finding extra players, let me know and I'll see if I can help you out.
January 21, 2010
Sports : Menard Sports Center new home of prep volleyball tourney - Frontiersman
Sports : Menard Sports Center new home of prep volleyball tourney - Frontiersman
Posted using ShareThis
By Jeremiah Bartz
Frontiersman
Published on Saturday, December 26, 2009 6:41 PM AKST
WASILLA — Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds admitted he was surprised when he first learned Palmer High School would be hosting the 3A and 4A state volleyball tournaments at the Curtis C. Menard Memorial Sports Center starting in 2010.
But the longtime Palmer head coach wasn’t sure what surprised him more — the reality the state’s biggest tourney would be in the Valley or the fact that the event would no longer be at West Anchorage High School.“It’s been at West High for so long, and Bartlett before that,” Reynolds said. “I thought it was pretty monumental that they moved it at all.”
But earlier this month, thanks to some quick work by officials at both Palmer High and the Menard Sports Center, the Alaska Schools Activities Association Board of Directors awarded a three-year bid to PHS to host the tourney at the Menard for the next three years.
“It’s cool to see it move a little bit,” Reynolds said. “The Valley is definitely growing and has some facilities it didn’t used to have. It’ll be cool to have it out here.” Palmer High School activities director Jeff Thiede said Tedman Allen, a city of Wasilla and Menard Memorial Sports Center recreation coordinator, called him just days before the ASAA’s bid deadline to gauge Palmer’s interest in hosting the tournament.
Thiede said he was hesitant at first, fearing the overall cost of hosting the tournament at the Menard. But after Matanuska Telephone Association agreed to sponsor the event to help out with the rental costs, Thiede said the school submitted its bid.
Thiede said everyone was on board — the school, booster club and officials at the sports complex — but everyone was still unsure about the likelihood of the event finding a home in the Valley.
“Everybody didn’t think we’d get it because West had it for years,” Thiede said.
But Palmer was awarded the bid, and Thiede now believes the opportunity will be beneficial to the school, the sports center and the sport.
Thiede said a pair of volleyball courts — one for 4A action and the other for 3A action — will be temporarily set up inside the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Arena, which is typically home to the Alaska Avalanche Junior A hockey program and local high school hockey teams.
“This truly makes it a multisport facility,” Thiede said. “It showcases what they have to offer.”
The arena sits about 2,100 people. Both Reynolds and Thiede feels the layout of the Menard could also be more fan-friendly than that of West High.
At West, the bleachers are perpendicular to the court and fans are often behind the action. At the Menard, the courts will be set up parallel with the bleachers.
“No one likes to watch volleyball from the back, especially from low and behind,” Reynolds said.
Thiede also said the Menard provides ample locker room space for the teams.
The other unique aspect of the partnership, Thiede said, is Palmer High hosting an event in Wasilla.
“This is showcasing the Valley,” Thiede said.
The Menard has been home to the ASAA state hockey championships for the last two seasons, and Wasilla High School will host the state hockey tourney at the facility again in February.
In addition to hockey, the Menard has also hosted the Alaska state freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments in the past.
Posted using ShareThis
By Jeremiah Bartz
Frontiersman
Published on Saturday, December 26, 2009 6:41 PM AKST
WASILLA — Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds admitted he was surprised when he first learned Palmer High School would be hosting the 3A and 4A state volleyball tournaments at the Curtis C. Menard Memorial Sports Center starting in 2010.
But the longtime Palmer head coach wasn’t sure what surprised him more — the reality the state’s biggest tourney would be in the Valley or the fact that the event would no longer be at West Anchorage High School.“It’s been at West High for so long, and Bartlett before that,” Reynolds said. “I thought it was pretty monumental that they moved it at all.”
But earlier this month, thanks to some quick work by officials at both Palmer High and the Menard Sports Center, the Alaska Schools Activities Association Board of Directors awarded a three-year bid to PHS to host the tourney at the Menard for the next three years.
“It’s cool to see it move a little bit,” Reynolds said. “The Valley is definitely growing and has some facilities it didn’t used to have. It’ll be cool to have it out here.” Palmer High School activities director Jeff Thiede said Tedman Allen, a city of Wasilla and Menard Memorial Sports Center recreation coordinator, called him just days before the ASAA’s bid deadline to gauge Palmer’s interest in hosting the tournament.
Thiede said he was hesitant at first, fearing the overall cost of hosting the tournament at the Menard. But after Matanuska Telephone Association agreed to sponsor the event to help out with the rental costs, Thiede said the school submitted its bid.
Thiede said everyone was on board — the school, booster club and officials at the sports complex — but everyone was still unsure about the likelihood of the event finding a home in the Valley.
“Everybody didn’t think we’d get it because West had it for years,” Thiede said.
But Palmer was awarded the bid, and Thiede now believes the opportunity will be beneficial to the school, the sports center and the sport.
Thiede said a pair of volleyball courts — one for 4A action and the other for 3A action — will be temporarily set up inside the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Arena, which is typically home to the Alaska Avalanche Junior A hockey program and local high school hockey teams.
“This truly makes it a multisport facility,” Thiede said. “It showcases what they have to offer.”
The arena sits about 2,100 people. Both Reynolds and Thiede feels the layout of the Menard could also be more fan-friendly than that of West High.
At West, the bleachers are perpendicular to the court and fans are often behind the action. At the Menard, the courts will be set up parallel with the bleachers.
“No one likes to watch volleyball from the back, especially from low and behind,” Reynolds said.
Thiede also said the Menard provides ample locker room space for the teams.
The other unique aspect of the partnership, Thiede said, is Palmer High hosting an event in Wasilla.
“This is showcasing the Valley,” Thiede said.
The Menard has been home to the ASAA state hockey championships for the last two seasons, and Wasilla High School will host the state hockey tourney at the facility again in February.
In addition to hockey, the Menard has also hosted the Alaska state freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments in the past.
January 19, 2010
Randomness
Just a quick hello, there is not much going on right now that is blog-worthy.
Many volleyball players are in the middle of their basketball season right now. I've read some articles in the Frontiersman and it sounds like they're doing awesome. Nice job girls. I heard that Jaimi Cox had a bad knee injury and I'd like to wish her a speedy recovery. We were all sorry to hear about that.
Other girls are playing AVA and hopefully getting a lot out of it. I know our team gets a lot of repetition in the 2 nights week meet each week. Remember, club volleyball is what you make it. If you show up, work hard and try and get lots of reps, you'll come out a better player. I've seen some of you in the gym playing and it looks like everyone is having a good time.
As of now, we are planning to do the summer camp again this year, we'll have more details in a month or so, but it will be similar to last year. Once a week in the gym all summer.
If anyone would like to play open gym volleyball, give me a call or an email and I'll try and get enough people together to have an open gym at AT&T.
Have fun!
Many volleyball players are in the middle of their basketball season right now. I've read some articles in the Frontiersman and it sounds like they're doing awesome. Nice job girls. I heard that Jaimi Cox had a bad knee injury and I'd like to wish her a speedy recovery. We were all sorry to hear about that.
Other girls are playing AVA and hopefully getting a lot out of it. I know our team gets a lot of repetition in the 2 nights week meet each week. Remember, club volleyball is what you make it. If you show up, work hard and try and get lots of reps, you'll come out a better player. I've seen some of you in the gym playing and it looks like everyone is having a good time.
As of now, we are planning to do the summer camp again this year, we'll have more details in a month or so, but it will be similar to last year. Once a week in the gym all summer.
If anyone would like to play open gym volleyball, give me a call or an email and I'll try and get enough people together to have an open gym at AT&T.
Have fun!
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