Emerald City Classic always a fun tournament to be a part of and this year was no exception.  Perfect weather, amazing rooms and the best group of girls and parents you could want.  Oh and the fact that we played AWESOME didn't hurt much either!!!

We started off on Saturday as the 19th seed and our first match at 9am was against a team called "Splash".  We were not quite ready for the task at hand unfortunately which ended up being our worst game of the weekend losing 12-25.  Now for those of you that know me that score did not sit with me too well. So I had to kick up the coaching a notch and get the girls fired up.  In response to that they kicked up their individual games which contributed to a complete team effort and suddenly the defense rallied with Shantel making defensive play after defensive play in left back position.  We were down 15-20 playing hard and we got a side out and Mikaela went back to serve 5 straight points and the score was even.  Everyone at this point was working as team and looked confident and wanted to win.  From 20-20 the points bounced back and forth and with a couple key blocks we held out to win 26-24.  Third game, the effort was like the second game. Everyone playing their position, staying aggressive and playing smart.  It was tight till the very end and Splash came out on top at the end 15-13.  The girls did their job and it was a great match to watch.

We played again right after the loss to Splash against KJ Baden and they were seeded #1 in our pool.  Again the girls came out with fire and determination.  All out effort was given by all....there was nothing more I could ask for from these girls....defensive positions, offensive plays everything we have worked on was really coming together and you could see the confidence in each one of them as they executed certain plays more consistently and made incredible digs.  KJ took the first game 25-21.  The second game we dug ourselves a bit of a hole from serve receive.....we took a time out and I told the girls to just relax....once they did that they started to move to the ball again....Shantel again was solid at serve receive and making more defensive plays.  But we just waited too long to play relaxed and we lost 19-25.

We came into Saturday as the #3 seed in our pool so we really needed to get the next win to keep our seed.  We played a team from Edmonds.  The girls really played well. Calm...confident.....smart and aggressive.  We did have a bit of a bump in the road...or should I say bump in the nose!!....Nicole came running off the court with a bloody nose out of no where......I have no subs.....so I had to use an "irregular substitute".  placing another player in a different position....normally this will create a bit of confusion and loss of points, but it did not shake the girls at all.  They stayed calm and at the end Mikaela made some pressure serves and we got the win 25-23.  The second game we were back with our regular line-up and we just kept on playing aggessively and never gave up.  Hailey stepped up her game and passed well and served the ball tough along with Maddie reacting well to the soft blocks and tips!! We took this game 25-21.

Sunday......and now our first match is against Cascade 13's.  9 am game but we didn't care, we came out ready to compete!!  Solid defense, aggressive serves....Maddie served twice in the game and her aggressive floater serves helped the team earn 8 points keeping the girls fluent on the court, calm in their reactions and confident in their decision making.  We took the game 25-18.  Second game another great job from all....the communication is noticeable and is making a huge difference. The defense is moving and reading the ball so well in both games......we also made no serving errors in this match. We won 25-21.

Next match we played the #1 seed in our pool Sandpoint. We struggled with serve receive right off the bat...communication took a break....movement to the ball was not happening in the beginning......we took a time out discussed what needed to be done and once again the girls picked up their game and made a solid effort but could not get the win and we lost 19-25.  Second game was a fight to the end......again we lost some critical points due to serve receive but they never gave up!!! It was an awesome game great all out effort.....both teams fighting for every point.....each team running an offense and each team with their defense ready to dig up anything that was hit.....again,  I could not have asked for more from the girls.....the game ended up with a loss for us 24-26.

Our last pool match for the day was against Canby.  Win this and we move up to 2nd in our pool.  All I can say was this was THE BEST MATCH PLAYED BY THESE GIRLS THIS SEASON!!!  We completely dominated this match from beginning to end.  There was never a question who was going to win. The girls showed confidence, drive and focus like never before.  We won both games 25-9 and 25-12. Kelsie really found her swing in this game from the outside and was pounding the ball.  The team never yo-yo'd they kept the same intensity from beginning to end it looked almost effortless.........it's something you work for as a team always as a goal and they did it without question.  The match was very impressive.  Besides the entire team in sync.....Anna had one HUGE solo block that was very cool!! 

I was one PROUD coach after that match let me tell you!!!!

So moving into Monday we had moved up to the 16th seed and now playing for the Bronze Division.  This is a single elimination bracket......we played against a team from Puget Sound called "Narrows".  We has a slow start in the first game, effort from yesterday wasn't quite there and serve receive was shakey.   We lost the first game 16-25.  I can tell you that I knew these girls had more in them than what they had just shown.  So they were reminded of the successful weekend they have had as players and as a team and that we are not going out with out fight.  To dig deeper and push themselves to get to that competitive level that they know they can reach.   Guess what!! THEY DID!!  Everyone took the challenge and stepped up their game and we made it a fight.  We took control of the game right from the start and never really looked back.  Hailey came thru with some great serve receive passes and serving as well as Anna did on consistent serving and Nicole had an incredible solo block too!!   Making pressure plays and stepping up your game can only effect everyone around you.  Fun game to watch...we won 25-17.  So now a third game...this decides if you stay or go home......Another great effort by this team....we fell short 11-15 and finished 17th overall. 

We could have the best passers and the best hitters but it would not mean anything unless we had a setter that was able to get to the ball and run the offense effectively.  Molly, did just that.   But she could not have done it without each of her teammates.  You all need each other 100% to succeed individually and as a team on the court....and you did that and more this weekend.  You should be very proud of yourself as a player and as a team.  We just moved up to the next level girls.......

A special HUGE thanks to all the PARENTS for ALL that they continue to do for me without a thought and for all they do for everyone of the girls.  Also thank you to all the "extra" family members that took the time to watch. It was awesome to see that many people there to watch our team.