Owl volleyball team to host Sunrise final
PRESQUE ISLE – This weekend, the 2010 Sunrise Conference Tournament will take place in Wieden Gymnasium on the University of Maine at Presque Isle campus. The three teams involved are UM-Machias, UM-Fort Kent, and the defending champion Owls.
Contributed photo
UMPI VOLLEYBALL – Members of the Owl volleyball team are, in front from left, Taylor Dulmage, Amanda Moore, Allison MacDonald and Shaina Hood. Back, head coach Jay Beaulieu, Courtney Churchill, Karen Creighton, Megan Korhonen and assistant coach Michelle Ferry. Dulmage and Churchill are no longer with the team and absent when photo was taken were Jordan Tweedie, Kayla Fleming and Rashell Saucier.
The 2010 UMPI women’s volleyball team had three veterans return to this year’s squad in Karen Creighton of Sussex, New Brunswick; Allison MacDonald of Antigosh, Nova Scotia and Megan Korhonen of Littleton. Creighton and Korhonen were the lone returning starters from last year’s Sunrise Conference championship team and Korhonen is a senior and the only four-year player.
Two freshmen, Shaina Hood of Princeton and Rashell Saucier of Washburn have joined and remained on the team. Amanda Moore is a transfer on student-exchange from Seattle, Wash. Fleming is a reserve player and Tweedie, from Houlton, has only recently joined the Owl team.
The learning curve has been high throughout the season, but the team has made a lot of positive progress in its rebuilding year under first-year coach Jay Beaulieu.
Korhonen is the team’s setter, leader and all-around solid player for the Owls. Moore has been a fantastic defensive addition to the team and a smart attack player. She came aboard with a good knowledge of the game. MacDonald has always been a great defensive player, but has also become a reliable outside attack hitter. Creighton has developed into a hard hitting and blocking force in the middle front. Hood has had a great attitude and a willingness to try and learn everything about the game of volleyball and is gaining knowledge and skill with every practice.
Ferry, a previous two-year member of the Owl squad, is the assistant coach and has been very helpful with team bonding and with keeping and coordinating statistics at every game. She is also a leader by example and always steps into practice with the team. Tweedie, Saucier and Fleming have all helped the Owls field a full six-member team.
At 1 p.m. Saturday, the semi-final match will take place between second-seeded UMM and No. 3 UMPI. The winner takes on top-ranked UM-Fort Kent in the championship at 3 p.m.
