Vikings take third place Saturday at the Mackinaw City Tournament

The Viking volleyball team opened its season by earning a third place finish Saturday at the Mackinaw City Tournament. Posen went 5-3 in pool play to earn a number three seed and was matched up with the host school, which the Vikes had defeated earlier in the day in consecutive games, 15-6 and 15-13.

It wasn?t meant to be the second go-around as Posen won the first game, but dropped the next two. Sophomore Courtney Romel was voted to the all-tournament team while junior Shannon Ciarkowski earned team most valuable player honors.

THE ONLY scheduled action left in 2002 is at home tonight (Thursday) as the red and white open up North Star League play against Arenac Eastern. The Vikings swept both games from Brimley, went 1-1 against De Tour and lost both matchups with the Grand Marais Polar Bears, 15-7 and 15-5. Second year coach Elena Meharg said the opening-season tournament was a good expe

rience but there are some things that need to be worked on. ?Once we have a few more practices and get more into our rotation, then I think…it?s all going to come together for us,? said Meharg. The good news for the players is the early morning practices will be moved to after school, instead of before.

MEHARG WANTED to work on rotation, serving, and passing to the setter before the next match against Arenac. ?I would like to go over the basics right now. I don?t want to get into anything too complex,? said Meharg. Sophomore Katie Lewandowski had four ace serves, 35 digs, and four kills in Mackinaw City.

Julie Lewandowski had nine aces, 30 digs and five kills, while Romel had seven aces, 28 digs and two kills. Ciarkowski was in double figures in three statistical categories. She had 10 blocks, 11 kills, and 27 digs. Kyrie Kuffel had 53 sets and 12 assists to go with her 20 digs.