The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
Mercedes Lura gets some air on this point as she has the volleyball trained in her sights. Isabel Wendel is visible at left.
Kacie Rexin puts a serve in play.
While the Carrington Cardinals had their own agenda to follow, Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier's season-long ascension into the top of the district world has proven to be no passing fad.
The Rebels continued their landmark 2023 fall campaign with a win over Carrington, 3-1, on Friday, October 27, in the semifinal round of the District 5 Tournament in Oakes.
In the 25-23, 19-25, 20-25 and 21-25 loss for the Cards, the two teams played through over 30 set ties in the hyper-tense matchup of the top seed and the fourth seed via three-way tiebreaker.
E-K-M improved to 27-4 with the win, and advanced to face LaMoure/Litchville-Marion, a four-set winner over Oakes in the other semi, in the district championship. Both the Rebels and Loboes advanced to the Region 3 Tournament in Ellendale with their victories.
Mataeya Mathern's big offensive night proved impossible for the Cards to contain. The Rebel senior pounded down 22 kills, and junior Libby Mathern made an impact with 11.
The latter Mathern had two solo blocks, and the E-K-M front net defenders combined for 16 assisted blocks.
Abby Mathern had 43 assists and Tiahna Wald 42 digs for the Rebels.
The Cards had three hitters reach double figures in kills, with Harper Kollman and Isabel Wendel sharing co-leadership with 13 and Madison Johnson adding 12 more.
Junior Kenadie Pazdernik was available for the Friday match with the state cross country meet being moved to Saturday, and she was an active back row force at libero with 51 digs. She also found the floor for four aces.
Edyn Hoornaert's four blocks led the Cardinal front line defenders, and Mercedes Lura had two more. At setter, Kacie Rexin had 29 assists and Wendel finished with 18 of her own.
The loss dropped CHS into a Region 3 qualifying match with Ellendale last Monday, and the Cards responded with a 3-0 win to enter regional action as the number four seed.
Even with a date with the District 6 champions in the first round at Region 3, Carrington has a legitimate shot, along with about five other teams in a parity-dominated region, to advance to the Fargodome November 16-18.
Victory for Carrington ensured the continuation of a 17-year streak of regional tournament qualification, which covers their time as members of Regions 3 and 4.
Johnson had 13 kills in the qualifier, while Pazdernik keyed play on point defense with 30 digs. Kaydence VanRay had three blocks for Carrington, and other leaders included Wendel (16 assists) and Rexin (three aces).
In the District 5 championship, E-K-M roared back from a 2-0 set deficit to defeat L-L-M, and clinched their first tourney title since the 2007 season. The Rebels also got the top senior individual and coaching awards, with those going to libero Tiahna Wald and Darci Moch.
Johnson, Rexin and Wendel were the three Cardinal players named to the All-District 5 team for 2023.
Today, CHS (24-10) draws District 6 champion Linton-HMB in the first game of play at the Region 3 Tournament in Ellendale at 3 p.m.
District 5 Volleyball
Tournament, Oakes
Semifinals
E-K-M 3, Carrington 1
Cgtn. 25 19 20 21 - 1
E-K-M 23 25 25 25 - 3
Carrington Individual Stats
Kills: Harper Kollman and Isabel Wendel 13, Madison Johnson 12, Edyn Hoornaert and Mercedes Lura 5, Kaydence VanRay 3.
Aces: Kenadie Pazdernik 4, Kacie Rexin 2, Johnson 1.
Assists: Rexin 29, Wendel 18.
Blocks: Hoornaert 4, Lura 2.
Digs: Pazdernik 51, Johnson 37, Kollman 27, Rexin and Wendel 23, Hoornaert 12, Lura, Brynn Smith and VanRay 2.
E-K-M Individual Stats
Kills: Mataeya Mathern 22, Libby Mathern 11, Elli Loyd 7, Grace Irey 4, Anicka Boruvka 3, Abby Mathern 1.
Aces: A. Mathern and Lloyd 1.
Assists: A. Mathern 43, Lloyd, L. Mathern and Tiahna Wald 1.
Blocks (Solo): L. Mathern 2.
Blocks (Assisted): Irey and Lloyd 4, A. Mathern 3, Boruvka and M. Mathern 2, L. Mathern 1.
Digs: Wald 42, Lloyd 30, Boruvka 19, A. Mathern 17, M. Mathern 12, L. Mathern 5, Irey 2.
Region Qualifier
Carrington 3, Ellendale 0
Ellen. 17 23 9 - 0
Cgtn. 25 25 25 - 3
Carrington Individual Stats
Kills: Johnson 13, Wendel 7, VanRay 4, Lura 3, Hoornaert and Kollman 2, Rexin 1.
Aces: Rexin 3, Pazdernik and Wendel 2.
Assists: Wendel 16, Rexin 13, Sydney Friedt 1.
Blocks: VanRay 3, Kollman and Wendel 2, Hoornaert, Johnson and Lura 1.
Digs: Pazdernik 30, Johnson and Wendel 20, Kollman 17, Rexin 12, Hoornaert 7, Lura 5, Friedt 3, Smith 2.
All-District 5 Team
Carrington: Madison Johnson, Kacie Rexin, Isabel Wendel
E-K-M: Abby Mathern, Mataeya Mathern, Tiahna Wald
Ellendale: Ariel Hagen
LaMoure/L-M: Bailie Kelley, Heidi Steffes
Oakes: Ann Muggli, Lily Thorpe
District 5 Senior Athlete of the Year
Tiahna Wald, E-K-M
District 5 Coach of the Year
Darci Moch, E-K-M
