Mabel-Canton volleyball coach Lonnie Morken entered the year with 679 career wins. Given the Cougars almost never stray below 25 wins in a season, 700 was just a matter of time. He entered the week of Monday September 23 just three short. M-C (18-2) won two SEC matches. Kingsland fell 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-15). Kenidi McCabe authored a triple-double (10 kills, 12-12 serving, 4 aces, 23 assists, 11 digs). Payton Danielson (8 kills, 11 digs, 13-13 serving, 4 aces), Sarina Stortz (7 kills), Jordyn Newgard (5 kills, 6 digs), and Emily Carolan (5 kills) helped. M-C was perfect at the service stripe (77-77, 18 aces), paced by Lauren Wyffels (23-23 serving, 7 aces, 12 assists, 9 digs). Kingsland got closer than an earlier meeting (25-6, 25-10, 25-9), led by Ellie Buchholtz (9 kills), Alyssa Link (12 assists), Audrey Webster (16 digs), and Caitlin Miner (6 kills). The Cougars then downed G-E 3-0 (25-15, 25-3, 25-9). Stortz (12 kills), Carolan (6 kills), McCabe (4 kills, 25 assists, 8 digs), and Danielson (4 kills, 29-30 serving, 7 aces, 6 digs) did work. M-C then took on the Decorah Tourney. A win over South Winn (21-5, 21-8) gave Morken victory number 700. The Cougars also beat Jesup (21-7, 21-12) in Pool B play. In Blue Pool play, M-C beat Central Elkader (21-15, 21-9) and MFL-Mar Mac (21-3, 21-7). In the Championship Pool, M-C beat Decorah (21-13, 21-17) and toughest competitor #7 in Class 1A (Iowa) Wapsie Valley (21-18, 21-23, 15-8) to claim first place. The Cougars had 92 digs versus Wapsie. Danielson (12 kills) and McCabe (31 assists, 24 digs) came up big. Tourney leaders: McCabe (22 kills, 58 digs, 115 assists, 16 aces), Newgard (18 kills, 66-67 serving, 10 aces, 45 digs), Danielson (42 kills, 39 digs), Stortz (36 kills), Molly Lee (40 digs), and Wyffels (29 digs). Morken is just the fifth coach in Minnesota history to eclipse 700 wins in volleyball, joining Ada-Borup’s Ruth Hayden, Lakeville-North’s Milan Mader, Hibbing’s Gail Nucech, and Stewartville’s John Dzubay. M-C (ranked #5 in Class A) is 10-0, 26-2. The next two teams in the SEC-East, SG (8-2, 16-6) and Lanesboro (7-3, 13-12), have 29 combined wins.
Morken Gets 700th, Cougars Win Decorah Invite
