Cougar Volleyball Redeems Its Way to 10-0

It’s not a shock they are 10-0.  But a season ago, they weren’t.  A 9-0 week helped #6 in Class A Mabel-Canton volleyball to a decade’s worth of unabated wins to start the season.  The Cougars had no problem in two SEC league wins over Schaeffer Academy (25-8, 25-15, 25-13) and Grand Meadow (25-8, 25-7, 25-8).  Kenidi McCabe (25 assists, 11 digs, 3 aces), Sarina Stortz (11 kills), Payton Danielson (9 kills, 15-15 serving, 2 aces, 10 digs), and Emily Carolan (5 kills) did the big work versus the Lions.  McCabe (34 assists, 10 digs, 5 aces), Danielson (9 kills, 12 digs), Stortz (8 kills), Jordyn Newgard (7 kills, 9 digs, 3 aces), Carolan (7 kills), Molly Lee (27-28 serving, 4 aces), and Lauren Wyffels (10 digs) made it a true team effort versus the Larks.  GM is probably a favorite in the SEC-West, so holding them under ten in each set was a feat.  M-C then hosted its annual Labor Day Weekend Tournament.  A year ago, Spring Grove shocked the Cougars to claim the tourney title.  The 2019 event saw Lonnie Morken’s bunch get redemption with ease.  The Cougars handled everyone handily.  They beat Lanesboro (25-11, 25-13), R-P (25-10, 25-10), Kingsland (25-12, 25-5), Houston (25-10, 25-10), GM (25-12, 25-18), and SG (25-12, 25-12) in pool play, then SG (25-13, 25-8) again in the championship match.  An opponent has yet to reach 20 on M-C this season (23 sets).  McCabe (30 kills, 102 assists, 57 digs, 14 aces), Danielson (34 kills, 63 digs, 22 aces), and Stortz (46 kills, 13 blks) did the biggest work, supported by Wyffels (30 digs, 22 assists), Newgard (9 kills, 9 aces, 37 digs), Carolan (18 kills, 24 assists), Molly Lee (17 kills, 32 digs), Kaylor Soiney (23 digs), and Avery Davis (14 kills).  Stortz is hitting .470 for the year (77 kills on 149 attempts with seven errors).  Danielson had at least one ace in every tourney match, two in six of the seven contests.  M-C improved to 3-0 in the SEC, 10-0 overall.