Esko finally gets one over on Carlton

For the past few years the Esko volleyball team has come up short against Carlton. After the graduation of a boatload of Bulldogs and only one Eskomo lost to graduation, this year it's the Eskomos who prevailed by downing Carlton 25-19, 25-13 and 25-18 Tuesday, Oct. 29.

"We've had a good start to the season and when you lose only one senior you expect your year to go well," said Esko coach Desi DeLeon. "We hadn't beaten Carlton in a few years, so whenever you can beat them it is a nice feeling."

Unlike the Eskomos, the Bulldogs are an inexperienced group this season and coach Barb Soukkala is still trying to get a sense of where her squad sits.

"Esko has a lot of returning seniors and some very good hitters," Soukkala said. "We are working hard at each practice. All of the girls can play different spots, so we have been trying different lineups."

Offensively, the Eskomos were led by Taiya Gregg, who had two ace serves, 11kills, two blocks and12 digs. Brenna Stark finished with 32 set assists, Zoie Johnson had 10 kills and eight digs and Jayden Karppinen finished with four ace serves and four digs.

"We have a lot of experience and a lot of offensive threats," DeLeon said. "It is nice to not have to rely on just one player so other teams can't just key in on that one particular player."

While DeLeon is busy putting the finishing touches on an already veteran team, Soukkala is trying to mold her team into another powerhouse at Carlton.

"The younger kids are working hard and improving all the time," Soukkala said. "Sam Matarelli and Ella Palmer are seniors that have been great leaders on the court."

Through her 20-plus years as head coach at Carlton, Soukkala has had numerous runs of success and state tournament experiences, including last year with a group of athletes who made runs to the state tournament in nearly every sport they participated in. DeLeon has also had her share of success and there is no doubt that the Eskomos would be among the favorites for a state tournament bid this year if it hadn't been canceled due to pandemic protocols.

"It's been an interesting year so far," DeLeon said. "At the start of the season it was crazy because everyone had to scramble and make some adjustments, but so far the girls are handling those adjustments and playing well."

Speaking of pandemic protocols ... both teams hit a big "pause" button after last week's game due to a possible Covid-19 exposure. According to the school superintendents, the entire Esko team is quarantined and eight players from the Carlton team are distance learning this week.

Carlton rescheduled games with Wrenshall, Floodwood and Cherry, and canceled games against Silver Bay and Cromwell. Esko canceled games against Duluth Marshall and Two Harbors and rescheduled games against Cloquet and South Ridge. The Cloquet game has been rescheduled for Nov. 13 and South Ridge for Nov. 27.