One Nation, Under God
One Nation, Under God
Mavericks retain plenty of talent in 2021
The 2021 North Country Mavericks Volleyball team. Pictured left to right: #1 Junior Kora LaBrie - Whitewater, #9 Junior LouAnn Chartier - Whitewater (foreign exchange student), #17 Freshman Layna Jones - Hinsdale, #13 Senior Zandora Longtree - Hinsdale, #4 Junior Cienna Strommen - Hinsdale, #16 Sophomore Kendall Scheffelmear - Whitewater, # 12 Junior Mattea McColly - Hinsdale, #11 Sophomore Teagan Erickson - Saco, #5 Sophomore Paige Wasson - Whitewater, #8 Freshman Jessa Erickson - Saco, #19 Sophomore Abby Yeska - Saco, #18 Junior Ava Reyes - Hinsdale, #10 Senior Jaycee Erickson - Saco, #14 Freshman Berkley Hillman - Hinsdale, #6 Junior Codi Donniaquo - Hinsdale, and #7 Freshman Shelbi LaBrie - Whitewater. Coaches not pictured: Head Coach Charlene Wasson, Assistant Coaches: Amber Erickson, Chrisy Hillman. Photo by Heidi Cummings.
Maverick Junior Kora LaBrie serves during the Malta Invitational. Photo by Pierre Bibbs.
The North Country Mavericks lost a few strong hitters to graduation, but the team has returned plenty of young talent for their 2021 campaign.
"I think we feel pretty confident," Mavericks Head Coach Charlene Wasson said. "We are pretty experienced even though we are young."
The Mavs welcome back only two seniors this year, including their only returning All-Conference athlete senior Jaycee Erickson, and Zandora Longtree. The team's other 2020 All-Conference selections; Kia Wasson, Kaitlyn McColly, and Jaydyn Erickson each graduated in 2020. Danika Soper also graduated last spring.
The team returns six athletes with varsity experience including Ja. Erickson, Longtree, juniors Mattea McColly, and Kora LaBrie, and sophomores Teagan Erickson and Paige Wasson.
Jaycee played setter last season, a position that she will keep, but this season will also play outside hitter.
"She just brings a lot of power," Coach Wasson said. "When she hits, she hits hard. When she hits, it either goes off of a block and out of bounds or down on the floor."
Coach Wasson likes using Jaycee as a setter because of her experience at the position.
Longtree was the team's Libero last season, but this season the team hopes to utilize her in different roles given her experience throughout the past three seasons.
"A little setting, a little right-side hitting, outside hitting," Coach Wasson said. "She is one of my most consistent kids as far as passing and serving. She reads the floor well."
Coach Wasson then talked about Kora LaBrie, a setter, as being really consistent at passing.
"I feel like the kids setting on the floor have a really good intuition with each other and kind of know when to set and when not to set," Coach Wasson said.
She said that McColly is a really good blocker, who possesses big hands, and will take on a role as a back-row passer on defense.
"She has done a very good job as a back row passer," Coach Wasson said.
Paige Wasson and Teagan Erickson have plenty of experience after seeing time on the court as freshmen last year.
"They bring a lot of size to the floor," Coach Wasson said.
The team is without Cienna Strommen early in the season, who is recovering from an injury. Kendall Scheffelmear will also eventually join the team.
In all, the Mavericks and sixteen athletes, many of which will be playing JV at the start of the season.
"I think that one of our goals is to give ourselves the opportunity to get to the state tournament," Coach Wasson said, when asked about the team's goals.
In order to do that, the team will have to place in the top five at the district tournament and then in the top two at the Eastern Divisional Tournament.
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