A Family United

The East Ridge varsity volleyball team is stepping toward a high level of excellence.  They’re only one of the few fall sport teams, to not play down in a conference for sections.  Their teamwork, skill, and hard strive of being the best team they could be has brought them to their success. They had to override a few conflicts, like playing their former teammates in Woodbury and Park games.  They also knew that they were a team, without seniors, but for them this was no excuse.  They play with heart, passion, and intensity.  The match on Thursday October 22^nd was a very good match .  They played against the Harding Knights. It started out with the national anthem sung by Amanda Maki. Not only does she cheer her fellow friends on, but she sings the National anthem beautifully, for every mach.  Coach Katie Plummer (former Cretin High school player) does a good job preparing her team before the game.  Her players call her a fantastic coach.  Emily the “Yeester” Yee is the team manager. She does a great job helping the team stay hydrated and cheering them on.  She says Felicia Ulrich and Dale Hoeffel are “beasts.”  From what I saw of them, they definitely fit the part.  Kate Kelzenberg, Felica, and Dale are the captains of the team.  Felicia leads the team in kills as well as Dale following her.  Kate plays right and block.  Cassie Yurick plays libero for the team.  She does a great job saving balls from deep in the court. Jessica Bertrand and Mellissa Sieben do a fantastic job of playing middle.  They do a good job communicating for the ball and for making good spikes.  Tess Kelzenberg, being the only ninth grader on varsity, does a great job as well.  Her sister Kate says she is a great setter and a future candidate for being a team leader at East Ridge.  I was a spectator for the Harding game and I saw many great plays.  Felicia and Dale lead the team in hard hitting kills.  Mellissa and Kate also did a great job making kills and good plays.  Maggie Remke had two bone jarring kills as well as Jessica Bertrand. Erica Bohlke did an amazing job serving. She served up some “sweet” aces.  Brooke Reinhart did a great job serving she also made a point saving play.  Brandi Knupp is a good asset to the game.  She does a great job communicating with the team and supports the team with all of her hits.  Kristin Jorgensen made a great dig in the first game, and in the three games played she made some great saves and good plays following as well. The first game was close but the second and third game East Ridge owned Harding.  The final score of the second game was 25-7.  That shows how great East Ridge plays together. Kate says East Ridge is much more then just a team to her. She quotes “Our team was expected to be the underdogs, but through our hard work and dedication, not only did we succeed in conference play, we became a family.”

-Erin Driscoll