Volleyball: #2 Cougars Win Heritage Tourney, Improve to 18-0

Mabel-Canton volleyball was about as busy as a team could be in a week. The #2 in Class A Cougars played three SEC games and then took on the two-day Heritage Christian Academy Tourney. M-C posted nine wins and racked up their second tourney title of the year. In league action, the Cougars easily downed Schaeffer Academy 3-0 (25-6, 25-4, 25-5), Kingsland 3-0 (25-4, 25-4, 25-6), and Lanesboro 3-0 (25-13, 25-2, 25-8). Said foes scored under 10 eight times with the collective score 225-52. Sahara Morken (25 assists, 6 digs, 24-25 serving, 11 aces) led the way versus the Lions. Kinley Soiney (13 kills, 8 digs, 3 aces), Saijal Slafter (10 kills, 17-18 serving, 5 aces), and Tylar Wenthold (6 kills) helped. M-C had 27 ace serves with six girls notching multiple. Versus the Knights, Morken (30 assists, 13 digs, 18-19 serving, 5 aces) again was strong. Soiney (13 kills, 15-15 serving, 3 aces), Kailey Ingvalson (10 kills, 9 digs, 3 aces), Slafter (9 kills, 5 digs), and Lydia Vatland (6 digs, 14-15 serving, 3 aces) helped. Kingsland was led by Morgan Phillips (3 kills, 5 digs) and Kadence Aarsvold (5 digs). Versus the Burros, Slafter (10 kills, 6 digs, 25-25 serving, 3 aces) scored a lot. Morken (38 assists, 14 digs), Soiney (15 kills, 6 digs), Wenthold (10 kills), Ava Jacobsen (14 digs), and Ingvalson (6 kills, 5 digs) made it a team effort. Jensyn Storhoff (13 digs) and Claire Keasling (7 assists) led Lanesboro. The Burros entered at 4-1, M-C 11-0. The Cougars ended the Burros’ four-game win streak. M-C then took on the HCA Tourney. In pool play, they downed the hosts 2-0 (25-8, 25-2), Class AA Holy Family 2-0 (25-20, 25-18), and Class AAA Minneapolis-Patrick Henry 2-0 (25-9, 25-4). In the championship bracket, they beat Class AAA South St. Paul in the quarters 2-0 (25-8, 25-21), Class AA Spectrum in the semis 2-0 (25-10, 25-16), and Class AAA Hutchinson in the finals 2-0 (25-10, 25-19), a repeat of last year. Soiney (16 kills), Slafter (8 kills, 10 digs), and Morken (25 assists) led M-C in the finals match. Cougars tourney leaders were Morken (8 kills, 144 assists, 30 digs, 52-53 serving, 11 aces), Soiney (69 kills), Slafter (43 kills, 28 digs, 12 aces), Ingvalson (23 kills, 34 digs), Jacobsen (47-47 serving, 10 aces, 21 digs), and Vatland (28 digs). East-leading M-C (6-0, 18-0) has lost just one set, to division second place squad Spring Grove (4-1, 7-1).