[It was the first day of school at Alexandria Area High School.  (Photo on loan from Echo Press.)]

Disclosure:  The supervisor did not attend this game, and I did not stay to the end, again.  The super said she was so wound up after the Marshall game that she couldn’t sleep that night.  She’ll wait for a game when she’s well rested before hand.  I experienced a “we’re only in the 7th inning and the game’s already over 3 hours long” syndrome.  I thought the Cards should have won in 3 games, but when it stretched to 5 it was past my bedtime!  Maybe they wanted to stretch out the agony for the Spuds for them beating us in sections last year when I believe we were favored?  😉

[I got there just in time to see how the nets are stored in the ceiling.  As it was rising, I heard a loud pop and thought a cable had snapped or something?  But it made it.  Oh, and the JV is playing in the foreground – I believe they won 2 – 1.]

[JV Coach Jackie Peters.]

[Nice game, nice game, way to go, are you going to Culver’s on the way home?]

[OK, this time I got all the players at introduction.  Morgan Melrose must still be a little nicked up – she only entered the game once to make one serve.]

[Katie Dolan]

[Alexis Stern played the most I’ve ever seen her play – and played well.]

[Liz Schultz]

[Kalley Bistrodeau]

[Abby Pohlen]

[Brooke Swanson]

[Amanda Haack]

[Jordyn Lamb]

[Gretchen Watkins . . . I’ve always wondered what is was that they throw into the stands.  In keeping with local heritage, I thought it was lefse wrapped around smelt – but now I’m not so sure.]

[As the team returns to the bench, the question has to be asked . . . where’s the Haackster?]

[I had to giggle when I first saw this in the background . . . ]

[A couple of guys were wearing t-shirts of questionable taste for such a venue . . . and I knew Sheree Saxton would get ’em . . .]

[I’m not sure of Sheree’s professional title, but I prefer to think of it as PICS . . . “Person In Charge of Students.”  She does it with a light touch and has a great rapport with the kids.  She made the guys wear their shirts inside-out.  I imagine in some places they would have been asked to leave.]

[Brooke up for a tip over.  Early on, and especially for the sophomores, we were having trouble timing our jumps.]

[Katie is probably our best server, with Gretchen right there too.]

[Liz directs traffic at the net, showing the ropes to the young Jordyn.]

[And then it’s up!!  See, kid, this is how you do it.]

[Liz jump serves.  And back from a starring role over the years at Jefferson – the blue garbage can!  🙂  ]

[The Twins bookend the rookie Abby.  Of course I call them The Twins, but I did hear a parent behind me last night saying sometimes he can’t tell them apart in the heat of the action.  🙂  ]

[Back to Liz.]

[Then Kalley.  OK, just checking to see if you noticed that the first of the three was Amanda?]

[After the opening game loss, the Cards roared out of the chute for game 2.  They faltered a bit as the game went on but hung on for the win.]

[Our first win at AAHS, after going 0 – 3 v. Marshall and losing the first game against the Spuds.]

[If you don’t win game 3, you’ll have to play 5.  I know you’re tired after 5 games in The Cities over the weekend.  Again, I heard parents behind me say how beat up the players get in these games.  In this 5 game match, for example, there’s over 200 points scored, and for each point the net players might be jumping to their max 3 or 4 times.  Try jumping as high as you can 600 times over the course of a couple hours.  Plus, all of the times they dive on the floor trying to save points.  After their long weekend, I thought we looked a bit worn out.]

[Anatomy of a “stuff” point: 1) Alexis, Liz, and Amanda all slide left; 2) Alexis and Liz go up, Amanda awaits a “foul tip;” 3) – 5) Oh joy, we stuffed ’em!!]

[Oh, the vicissitudes – then we lost one.]

[I may never understand positioning?]

[Kalley let’s out a roar . . . something good obviously happened!  🙂  ]

[Let’s celebrate our victory in game 3.  We did that despite at one time having 4 straight service faults, and it would have been a 5th except the Spuds played a serve that was going long.  This is a senior dominated team, led by the 3 up front all-arounders of Liz, Kalley, and Amanda; and the server/defenders, Gretchen and Katie.  We need a few more players to step forward to help balance the team for consistency.  Alexis may have done that on this night.]

[This was the game 3 score.  The match looked well in hand, but we let game 4 get away at the end.  Then it was on to game 5, which we learned we won handily 15 – 10 . . . as I was on to home and bed.]

Jerry Lundegaard to Wade: What are ya’ watchin’ there Wade?

Up next:  Maybe, finally, the last day in Paris?