Four Mavs earn 1C Honors

The North Counrty Mavericks volleyball team landed four athletes on the 2020 1C All-Conference list, two of which earned all-state honors.

Seniors Kaitlyn McColly and Kia Wasson have been on the All-conference list in previous seasons, but this year, the hard-hitting duo landed on the list as All-State selections.

"Both of these athletes will be missed next season," Mavericks Coach Charlene Wasson said. "Kia made All-State because she was a consistent player. She could place the ball around the blocks and used her smarts to outwit the defense. She was also a player who made crazy saves."

Coach Wasson also said that Kia's leadership skills grew this season.

Having earned All-Conference honors every season since 2018, McColly ended her volleyball career on a high-note making the All-State list.

"Kaitlyn made All-State because she is an athlete who is powerful and smooth," Coach Wasson said. "She could kill the ball with a lot of force and was excellent at blocking and digging skills."

Next year, Coach Wasson said that she will have the hard task of replacing two outside hitters who complimented each other well.

Junior Jaycee Erickson earned first-team honors this season. According to Coach Wasson, coaches around the conference noticed her athleticism.

"For her size, she affected other teams hitting at the left front because she had great timing on blocks," Coach Wasson said. "Her jump serve became a scoring threat for us this season and she helped provide the hitters with those sets so we could score offensively."

Senior Jaydyn Erickson, a middle hitter, earned second-team honors this season.

"She worked hard during the course of the season to be involved in every block and her hitting just got better as the season proceeded," Coach Wasson said. "She was great at hitting around the block, something that older more experienced hitters do and do well."

The Mavericks had four athletes named this season, which is quite the feat in the crowded 1C Conference, a conference that included Plentywood, Scobey, and close to a dozen teams total and to reach the goal of being named to the All-Conference list, a team is needed.

"I believe individuals can be recognized for their accomplishments but without the aspect of the team, these awards and honors would not be achieved," Coach Wasson said. Volleyball is definitely a sport that needs all six players working together like a well-oiled machine.""

According to Coach Wasson, the hardest challenge this season was the fear of it being ended or disrupted due to the virus.

"I believe it added an extra stress to everyone on the squad," Coach Wasson said. "Seniors felt even more pressure than just being seniors. They tried to enjoy it but at times it was overwhelming. We did have to travel for our District tournament a bit but really nothing out of the ordinary for our large district."

Despite the threat of COVID-19, the Mavericks were able to stay focused and play hard throughout the year, according to Coach Wasson.

"It was amazing to see the kids pull together all season," Coach Wasson said. "I was very fortunate this season to have specialized players in all my positions on the floor. That doesn't really happen all the time. I believe this was a hard year but a special year.