Bravettes fall to Bison

The Daily Inter Lake

BOZEMAN - Flathead got off to a rough start at the Class AA state volleyball tournament Thursday afternoon.

The Bravettes, the top seeded team from the Western Division, suffered a key injury before play even began and then dropped an opening-round match to Great Falls High, the No. 4 seeded team from the Eastern Division, 24-26, 25-17, 25-19, 24-26, 15-11.

The defeat drops Flathead, 15-7, into a loser-out match today with Missoula Sentinel at noon.

A victory over Sentinel and Flathead is back in action at 4 p.m. versus Billings Skyview.

Flathead setter Katie Swindall twisted an ankle during warm-ups for the outing with the Bison.

"So we scrambled," said Flathead coach Christy Harkins. "Taped her up, put her in the first game. (She was) really limping on it."

Swindall started the second game, but landed wrong on the other ankle and rolled that one too. She sat out the rest of that game.

Swindall returned to the court midway through the third game, which Flathead won.

"She did play (the fourth and fifth games)," said Harkins, "but didn't have much mobility at all."

Two setters stepping in and helping out were Sydni Gunlikson, a junior, and Lindsay Ingram, a sophomore. Harkins said both played well.

"We run a 5-1," Harkins said.

"(Swindall has been) our setter and leader all season long. She's never come off the floor. It was rough."

Flathead has defeated Sentinel twice in regular season play, but fell to the Spartans in the Missoula Invitational.

Great Falls, 13-12, pulled off another big win on Thursday, knocking off Bozeman in quarterfinal play.

Billings West defeated Billings Skyview in the other-quarterfinal matchup.

Also winning in the first round were Billings West, Billings Skyview and Bozeman.

See page B3 for complete list of scores.

Stats

Kills - Flathead 36, Cricket Johnston 9, Kristina Ylinen 8; Great Falls 53, Stephanie Schaffel 16, Kira Winkler 12; Blocks - Flathead 16, Alena Ori 5, Ylinen 5, Lindsay Bennett 5; Great Falls 6, Winkler 2, Stacey Erickson 2, Baylee Sorensen 2; Digs - Flathead 57, Johnston 12, Holli Hashley 11; Great Falls 47, Kari Schiller 18; Aces - Flathead 3, Sydni Gunlikson 2; Great Falls 11, Schaffel 3, Schiller 3, Keely Abbas 3; Assists - Flathead 33, Katie Swindall 24; Great Falls 46, Sorensen 35.