The 14-2’s team took 1st place in the silver division in the final tournament of the year in Rochester, MN. What a great way to end a great season!

The girls traveled to Rochester with their families and stayed with many of the SAJO teams at a hotel getting a chance for fun and relaxation before the big tournament. Pizza, swimming and text-tag were part of the festivities.

The girls started off on a positive note getting to sleep in a little extra as they did not have to play or ref the first game of the day. After arriving at the Rochester volleyball center via bus the girls found a corner to “camp” out in and prepared for the first match. Having taken 2nd place in Blaine the prior week the girls were feeling very good about their chances.

The first match pitted the feisty SAJO team against a team from Goodhue. Game 1 started well as both teams were trying to get their serves in an keep the ball in play but as the game wore on it became evident that the much taller Goodhue team was going to be a problem. As the Goodhue team kept spiking away the girls from SAJO had little answers as blocking became an issue. They hung in there but lost game one. Game two was not much different than game one except the score was much farther apart. The SAJO team could not counter the exceptional setting and spiking by the Goodhue team. Slightly dejected they didn’t have to wait to see who they would play next as they were scheduled for back to back matches.

Match two saw the girls play against a team from Southern Minnesota Volleyball and watching them warm up the girls knew they were in for another challenge. The SMV team was similar in height as the Goodhue team and once again the inability to block would become the nemesis of the SAJO six-some. Although the girls played more soundly and kept plugging away at their SMV foes the task was too much and the 14-2’s fell 2 games to none.

After the second match was over the girls took a much needed break and refueled both physically and mentally. The coaches tried to reassure the team that they had just finished played two very good teams and not that they played great but that they were just over-matched.

After the hour break next up was a team from Byron. The sloppy play continued for the first half of game one before the SAJO team started finding it’s groove and started executing like they did the previous week in Blaine. After beating the team from Byron in a closer game then it should have been the girls kicked it in gear and dispatched the Byron team rather quickly in game two. Serving was once again the strong point for the SAJO girls with several of them serving in the 90% range with Ashley Green leading the way at 100%. Strong net play by Chandler Stormo and Kayla Novak led the rejuvenated girls to victory.

Having posted a 1-2 pool play record this put the girls in the Silver bracket for the playoffs. With confidence running high the team got a well deserved rest as they watched the SAJO 14-3’s play and eyed up their next opponent.

First up in playoff play was a team from kasson/mantorville Minnesota Volleyball. The girls came out flying and took a big lead led by serving once again. After settling in the KMVB team started their slow and methodical come back making the first game closer then it should have been. Game two started much like the first with the 14-2’s jumping out to a good lead. This time the girls held off the charging KMVB team and  finished them off.

Up next was the SMV-2 team which made the girls a bit nervous as they had not faired so well against the SMV-1 team earlier in pool play. The 14-3 team played them fairly well and came down to the wire before the SMV team prevailed so this allowed a bit of confidence to creep forward for the 14-2’s. After a sluggish start and some much needed words of wisdom from the coaches (only 4 games left to medal, etc.) the girls settled in to their comfort zone led again by stellar serving and exceptional positioning. The girls found their groove and beat the SMV team 2 games to none.

To show off there swagger and extra energy the SAJO 14-2’s played a lively 5 on 5 match while waiting for their next opponent who was playing on the court next door. This couldn’t have been too good to see for the next opponent as they must have been thinking what in the world is going on? Shouldn’t they be resting?

With all the confidence in the world and even though the next opponent had some height advantages the girls plugged along with the mantra , “only 2 more games to medal”. After overcoming some early serving miscues the SAJO team squeaked out a game one victory and then took care of business in game two easily earning their second medal in two weeks.

The 14-2’s had their most successful showing this year at the Blaine tournament on Saturday, April 17th taking 2nd place. It was a long day starting at 8AM and finishing at 7PM. The day featured 6 matches and 17 games with many of them going down to the deciding points for the victories.

The day started against a weaker opponent from Mound View which the team handled rather easily 3 games to none. Serving was a key to the success of the girls throughout the day and their serving proved to be too much for the MV team to overcome.

The second match pitted the girls against an even weaker team from the East Ridge Athletic Association. Again serving was the key as the girls even hit 100% during the second game. The SAJO girls beat the ERAA team 3-0.

Next up was a team from White bear Lake. This was a much more evenly matched set of games and the girls recovered from a sluggish start to take the first game. Maybe the sluggish start was the result of playing weaker opponents in the first two matches. The WBL team was up to the challenge in the second game and eeked out a victory making the rubber game important if the 14-2’s were going to pull a number one seed in the tournament play. The girls started out a bit slow in the final game which was played to 15 points but came roaring back with strong serving and awesome position play. With hearts pounding they played a spirited final point to come away with the match 2-1. This victory gave the 14-2’s one of the 1 seeds in the gold division tournament.

First up in the gold division tournament was a team from the Anoka-Ramsey Junior Olympic club. After the spirited match with WBL the girls were fired up and easily dispatched of the ARJO team 2-0. Again serving was the key and proved to be too much for the ARJO team. Fine net play throughout the day was also key as the girls were really aggressive at the net.

Next up was a tough team from Alexandria. The girls started out slow going down 8-1 before starting a long climb back in the game only to lose 25-23. This comeback must have been on the minds of both teams as the SAJO girls came out firing in the second game and started 8-0 and never looked back. The girls from Alex looked a bit shocked and came out sloppy in the third and final game with serving once again a key factor in the decision. While the SAJO girls served 100% the team from Alex missed their final four serves in what must have been a disappointing end to their tournament but was another heart pounding victory for the SAJO team.

With no time to rest next up was the evil SAJO 14-1’s (just kidding! don’t hate! just adding drama). The 14-1’s played like a well oiled machine and the lifeless 14-2’s easily succumbed to the taller team making uncharacteristic mistakes throughout the match. Unlike the spirited scrimmages at practice this match seemed very subdued. Maybe it was the exhaustion. Maybe there was no gas left in the tank. Maybe there will be a next time. Who Knows. Hopefully…

Congratulations to the 14-2’s for a great showing and taking second place.

Oh Yeah. Congrats to the 14-1’s for their awesome 1st place finish as well.

Doors will open at 7:30am on Saturday.

COACHES
*Meeting at 7:35am on Court 2 (1st court as you enter gym)
*Please bring your own warm-up balls. We will provide game balls

CONCESSIONS
*NO outside food is allowed. We will have full concessions including
Gatorade, water, bagels, muffins, “tacos in a bag”, Subway, hot dogs,
fruit, veggies & dip, popcorn, candy & MORE!
*Stand will open at 7:30am and remain open until the conclusion of the
tournament

T-SHIRTS
*If teams pre-ordered, coaches will need to pick up their team’s
shirts at the concessions stand during a playing break. Make sure you
send me payment for these shirts!
*Limited number of t-shirts available for sale for $13 at concessions.

NOTES
*All teams will “camp” in the wrestling room, which is located off of
the East end of the gym past Court 4. Players can store their
belongings in there, but they should still eat around the concessions
area on the balcony…Food is not allowed on gym floors.
*We are not responsible for stolen items, so make sure your girls
leave their valuables at home or with parents…Do NOT leave valuables
in camp room!!!

BJO Tourney Schedule 4-17-10

Blaine High School Directions Here. (Google maps. Just add your address to get directions.)

There was a schedule mix-up and this tournament should have been removed several weeks ago when the Blaine tournament was scheduled. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have posed to your schedules.

The last two remaining tournaments for the 14’s are the Blaine tournament on 4/17 and the 4/24 tournament in Rochester.

The M1 schedule for this weekend is posted. The SAJO Red (14-1's) play in pool 3 and ref the first game.
The SAJO White (14-2's) play in pool 1 and do not participate in the first match so they can arrive at
the site by 8:00 a m. The SAJO Black (14-3's) play in pool 2 and play in match 1.

http://www.m1volleyball.org/schedules.htm

See everyone on Saturday!!!!

If you have not reserved a room yet you should do it ASAP! 4/2 is the deadline for discounted rates.

Here is the info:

Best Western Soldiers Field Tower & Suites
Welcomes SAJO 14 Volleyball
April 23-24, 2010 

Non Smoking Tower Guestrooms with
Two Queen Beds, Microwave, and Refrigerator
$79.00 

(The hotel will do its best to keep the rooms together for the group. However; we cannot guarantee this.
If you would like to request to be near another guest, please make the request at time of booking reservation.)
To speak to a reservation agent call 1-800-366-2067 and ask for the SAJO 14 Volleyball rate.
Or
Book Online at
https://www.msiwebbooking.com/ajax/default.aspx?id=e65c5b80-29c3-4068-9c96-5a4c0b240d89 

Click on “Group Reservation” and enter SAJO14VB for group code.
Please reserve your room by April 2, 2010 to receive special rate. 

    • Indoor pool, whirlpool, kiddie pool, and arcade
    • On-site restaurant and lounge
    • Free parking
    • Complimentary hot breakfast buffet with scrambled eggs, sausage, waffles and continental breakfast items
    • Friday Night Sports Reception from 6pm-9pm…..Free Keg of Beer, 1919 Root Beer Keg, and Snacks
    • Twigs logo Tavern and Grille final copy.jpgPLUS Free shuttle transportation to anywhere and everywhere in town!
Check out our new restaurant Twigs Tavern & Grille
www.twigstavernandgrille.com
“Fetch a Friend . . . Share a Rock” 

Best Western Soldiers Field
401 6 th Street SW * Rochester, MN 55902
www.soldiersfield.com

The SAJO Black team plays at 8AM on 3/6.

The SAJO White team plays at 2:30PM on 3/6.

The SAJO Red team plays at 2:30PM on 3/7.

Complete schedule can be found here.

Good luck teams!

By the way the 14_2’s got this information earlier via twitter!

The SAJO white team found out that there was a no-show after arriving for the M1 tournament in Bloomington on 2/27.  Because of the no-show all three games were played, each to 25 to give the participants ample playing time. The SAJO white team did excellent in pool play defeating each of the other teams in the pool 2 games to 1. This put them in the gold division tournament.

The team faced arguably the best team in the tournament in the first round of the gold tournament and gave a very gutty and spirited performance against a much taller and highly skilled team. It went back and forth with excellent play from both sides with the SAJO team finally succumbing 25-23. The second game didn’t fair quite so well as the girls seemed to have run out of gas.

There was not a 3rd place game unfortunately (the M1 team they would have played had ex-SAJO players that the girls knew well which would have been fun to play) so the girls finished 3rd or 4th out of 16 teams.

Several good things occurred in this tournament as a Libero was introduced into the mix and substituting front row players for taller blockers. The girls adapted well to the change and performed extremely well.

This should set us up well for the next several tournaments.

Great job girls!

We are the D team in Pool 3 this weekend don’t play until the second match. Please be at M1 no later then 8AM to ensure we are ready to go when game time arrives. Pool play is first followed by single elimination playoffs. Please see the M1 site for more information. Food can be brought into the facility so pack an assortment of healthy food.

The tournament info can be found here.

Google Maps shows it to be just off 35W and 94th street. Find a link here and put in your address for directions.

See you on Saturday.

The 14-2’s (white) were part of the B pool which featured teams from Cannon Falls, Forest Lake and and St. Paul. The first game was scheduled for 8AM so the girls had to get up extra early to make the 1 hour and 15 minute drive to Northfield.

8AM can be a struggle but the SAJO team came out firing on all cylinders and played the Rebels from Cannon Falls Extremely tough. Led by great athleticism by Kayla Novak and steady play from Chandler Stormo our two middle hitters aided the 14-2’s, 3 games to none,  past a sloppy Rebels team.

The second match pitted the girls against a tough Lakers team. The opponents were much taller then the SAJO vballers and took advantage of that height squeeking past the 14-2’s 3 games to none. The SAJO team kept each game close with exceptional serving by several members of the team including Maggie Ogren, Rachel Birkholz and Megan Krieglemeier. All day long the SAJO team served well.

The third match drew the Northern Lights team which SAJO handled easily, 3 games to none. Led by Ashley Green’s exceptional setting, Michaela Carter’s steady outside hitting, Hannah Fazendin’s steady defense, Natalie Gjermo’s versatility (she played all 3 front positions throughout the day) and Sarah Nelson’s hustle the SAJO team finished the tournament taking 2nd place with a 6-3 record.

Congrats to Coach Mike and the players for a successful tournament.

We will be playing in Northfield on Saturday at St. Olaf Collage. Here is the Schedule and here is a map of the campus.

Players should arrive no later than 7:30AM. According to Google maps the time to drive from Stillwater to Northfield is approximately 1 hour and 16 minutes but times will vary so plan accordingly.

As always players should eat a appropriate meal the night before tournaments. Pasta is always a good meal to have the evening before tournaments. Plenty of rest and an appropriate breakfast will help as well. Talk to your coaches about nutrition if needed.

The 14-2’s team, led by coach Mike, played a successful first tournament taking 2 out of 3 matches. This was an important first step for the team as they start down the journey of tournaments coming fast and furious. After 4 weeks of practice the girls were anxious to see how they were progressing and ready for some real time action.

They came out fired up for their first match at 8AM and handled a weaker team from Moundsview two games to one. Nerves might have played a part in giving away the middle game.

After shaking off the nerves and rust the 14-2’s faced a much stiffer challenge in a team from Minnetonka. The Tonka team was much taller then the SAJO girls and liked to tip the ball which became SAJO’s nemesis. After falling in the first game 25-23 they came back in the second 25-22 before falling 20-18 in the final game. This experience should go along way in helping them figure out to play against taller teams.

The 14-2’s finished up against a solid STMA-JO team taking two quick games and finishing out the tournament.

This first tournament showed several good things such as communication, leadership, positioning, nerves under pressure and much more. Only a few items showed up that need to be addressed in practice so all in all parents and players alike should be pleased with the first tournament results.

Good going team!

All three 14’s teams are playing this weekend. Here is the schedule.

For this weekend only the teams will be listed this way:

14-1’s = SAJO RED, 14-2’s = SAJO WHITE, 14-3’s = SAJO BLACK

The 14-3’s play the afternoon wave on Saturday and the 14-1’s and 14-2’s play the morning wave on Sunday. Good luck everyone.

For driving directions to Ralia Sports Center (8686 Valley Forge Lane, Maple Grove, MN 55369) or to view this schedule online,
go to www.mnselect.com.

Just a reminder to bring your player info sheets with you to practice today. Some of you already turned yours in, we  just need to get the rest of them from everyone else.

Thank you and see you this afternoon

Here is an email to get a hold of me at. I would like to have everyone, with the 14-2’s, email me so I can setup a group and email out more info, as in my cell number.

mniles77@frontiernet.net

Also, Great practice last night!!! I was very happy with the movement and how well everyone got back into the 6-2 flow. Keep up the hard work!!!!!

I have the apparel for all 3 teams.   The warm-ups look awesome!  Mike and I will distribute them with the Player Information worksheet(homework) after practice on Sunday.  See you then!

Laurie

Here is list of tournaments that we have asked for so far. This is subject to change so check back for final schedule.

1/23 Crossfire is FULL
1/31 Ralia – all 3 - Maple Grove
2/13 and 14 – Pres Day - Various Locations
2/27 – M1 – sent inwaiting for confirmation – Bloomington
3/6 – Ralia – all 3 - Maple Grove
3/27 – M1 – sent in waiting for confirmation – Bloomington
4/11 – M1 sent in waiting for confirmation – Bloomington
4/24 – NCR Area Event – Rochester

We are looking for a replacement for the 1/23 weekend since is is full and are waiting for confirmation on the M1 tournaments. There is a possibility that the 3 14’s teams will play in different tournaments due to capacity so stay tuned. This will be added to the calendar as well.

Here are the teams for 14’s (in no particular order):

14-1

14-2

14-3

Please note that these teams are final and if you have any questions or concerns then please bring them to your coach.  I also want to thank the girls for putting up with two extra weeks of tryouts!  These teams were not easy to decide and the coaches thought long and hard about where each girl would be given the chance to be the most successful this year.

A final reminder about practice tomorrow, 14-1’s practice is from 6-7:30 at Oak-Land and the 14-2’s and 14-3’s practice from 7:30 – 9 (also at Oak-Land).

Thanks again,
Coach G

Hi ladies!

Thanks for all your hard work last night!  I just wanted to remind you of your homework assignment for Tuesday…

Name

Position Preference (list one or two)

3 things you feel strong at in volleyball

3 things you would like to work on this year

See you Tuesday night at 6!

Coach G

Had a good practice tonight. Eye opening for some girls I think. Looking forward to Tuesday.

Aren’t we all glad the first practice is over!

I thought practice went OK for the first time. We are trying to learn names and evaluate players. It will take a few weeks for all to feel comfortable.

I think some of the girls had a tough time with the practice. Lots of wind sprints. Probably not what they expected if this was their first year in SAJO. The first few practices are always tough. The players need to build up endurance and get used to the different drills. Everyone will get used to it in time and make everyone a better player for it. Remember. The way you practice is the way you play so take practice serious. Come prepared, listen, participate and learn.

I anticipate a great season ahead. See everyone Tuesday.

Coach Green.

This is the place to come for all of your 14’s only information.

Check here for practice schedules, tournaments and general information from the coaches.

Your coaches:

14’s – 1 Lori Gartner

14’s – 2 Mike Niles

14’s – 3 Lori Evans

Assistant coaches are Pam Carter and John Green