Colleyville
7th:
Tonight, your North Cougars A teams faced off against Colleyville in an exciting match. Although North dropped the first set 25-17, they roared back with determination in the second, winning 25-21 to force a decisive third set. Despite their best efforts, Colleyville secured the win in the final set 15-4. Annabelle Ross, Brylee Felix, and Halle Marvin stood out with their powerful serves, while Holiday Lora delivered a strong performance in the front row. Emmy Anene showcased her versatility, playing brilliantly across the entire court. Peyton Dougher stepped up in the libero role, showing excellent defense and control, while Sydney Stuchal made plays all over the court, including impressive serves, earning them both the title of Players of the Game. Great effort from all the players—let's keep pushing forward, Cougars!
Next up were the B teams, and both sides came ready to compete! This match will be remembered for its incredible rallies, with both teams leaving it all on the court. Despite a strong effort from North, they were ultimately defeated in two sets. The standout players of the game were Bryce Wilson and Maddie Berumen, who dominated the front row and served multiple aces, showcasing their skill and determination. Great job, Cougars!
Wrapping up the night were the C teams. After a tough 25-10 loss in the first set, your North Cougars came out determined in the second set, taking a late lead at 22-17. Despite their relentless fight, they narrowly fell short, losing the set 25-22. The player of the game was Sitarah Nimalaratne, who delivered an outstanding performance not only in the front row but also with her impressive serves and exceptional play in serve receive. Don't miss next week’s action as we host Heritage Middle School!
8th
B team
Thursday night was an exciting night for your hometown Cougars. After 2 weeks of playing away, it was time to bring volleyball back home. B team started the night off strong and sent a message to Colleyville that they were not invisible. Charlotte Baade, Laurel Storey, Sienna Petereit, and Jalina Suarez all contributed with amazing passing and showed flawless defense. Colleyville woke up in the second set after realizing the fight they were in for. While there was a noticeable size difference between the two teams, the Cougars dug deep, embraced their grit and fought hard. While the outcome did not result in a win, nothing felt like a loss with this match. Tarusi Aphale, one of our Players of the Game, stepped in for Kate Kingsford as middle blocker, while also setting on the back row. She had some of her best passing and serving all season. Charlotte Baade had numerous kills playing front row despite back row being her normal speciality. Laurel is usually the team libero but this game stepped up to play all the way around and did a fantastic job as a 6 rotation player. Jalina Suarez had 9 points off her serving alone and also stepped in on the front row with several solid swings. Also Player of the Game, Sienna Petereit, led the back row in passing and showed out in what was her best performance all season on defense.
25-23, 12-25, 13-15
A team
The competition for A team was steep, as the Cougars faced off against the 2023 District Champions and a team that has only tasted defeat one time in 2 years. The first set score of 8-25 did not adequately reflect the unity and athleticism of North’s team. Taylor Mechsner unleashed on the Colts early in the first set with multiple kills and backrow attacks, while Allison Lewis remained a constant in the back row and refused to let any balls drop. The Cougars took control of the second set with Kaitlyn Thiele serving 8 consecutive points and giving the Cougars an 8-1 advantage. While the Colts began to close the gap in scoring, North remained calm, collected and continued to push with almost flawless defensive coverage. In the end, Colleyville’s offense was too much for North and the final set score was 16-25. Even though it was a loss in the books for North, this was by far one of the best matches that the A team has played, as they not only faced tough competition which added to their growth, but they excelled on defense, communication, and serve receive, which have been focal points for the Cougars. Players of the game are awarded to Kaitlyn Thiele, Co-Captain and Setter/OH, and Emma Rose, Setter/RS, for their game adjustments in critical moments, using their voice, defensive coverage and overall game play.
8-25, 16-25
C team
The C team match ended in what perhaps was the most exciting game for the C team all season. Pamela Brown, Harper Fiveash, Aneesha Anand and Kaylee Carpenter all had over 6 points off of serving alone! Colleyville suffered their first loss of the season and the Cougars’ first win. The stellar performance of our servers really helped set the tone for the matches. Madison Tooke’s passing was strong as the team’s libero. Reese Shortino and London Lock, Middle Blockers, showed tremendous growth in transitions, blocking and front row play. Players of the Game were: Annesha Anand, Kaylee Carpenter, Pam Brown and Harper Fiveash. They all received the honor for their consistency on the end line, pushing through the pressure and taking control of each set to secure the match win! Nicely done ladies!
25-21, 25-21