Eureka spikers upset Libby

Lions will battle Whitefish in Northwestern A undefeated semi

The Daily Inter Lake

WHITEFISH - Welcome to the Class A ranks, Eureka.

The Eureka High School volleyball team upset second-seeded Libby Thursday night in the second round of the Northwestern A divisional volleyball tournament.

The Lions did it in convincing style too - three games to one.

Eureka faces top-seeded Whitefish tonight at 7 for a berth into not only the championship match, but the state tournament. The Lions swept Bigfork in the first round earlier Thursday.

The top-seeded Whitefish Bulldogs beat Columbia Falls in four games in the other second-round match. The Bulldogs had a first-round bye.

Only two teams will advance from the seven-team conference to the all-class state tournament in Bozeman next week.

Columbia Falls and Libby advanced out of the first round with four-game victories over Polson and Ronan, respectively.

No Northwestern A teams were eliminated during the first day, but five of the seven are playing in loser-out action today. Play begins at 10 a.m. in the Whitefish gym with Ronan (1-12) against Bigfork (3-10). Polson (4-9) and Libby (12-2) follow at noon with Columbia Falls (5-9) awaiting the 10 a.m. winner at 2 p.m.

Saturday's consolation game is at noon. The winner not only wins a berth into the championship, but earns the league's final berth into the state tournament. The championship match starts at 2 p.m.

Second round

Eureka 3, Libby 1

Just a couple of hours after University of Montana volleyball coach Jerry Wagner officially announced the signing of Eureka's Amy Roberts, the 5-foot-10 senior outside hitter put the Lions one victory away from the program's first-ever Class A state tournament.

Roberts had 18 kills to help lead the Lions to a 25-22, 25-11, 23-25, 25-18 upset victory over Libby.

With the help of Briann Linnell, the Lions dominated the net. Linnell had 11 of the team's blocks as Eureka outblocked the Loggers, 22-5.

Melanie Finch had 29 digs and four aces in the victory. Megan Hannay assisted 29 of the Lions' 34 kills.

Karen Byrns had eight kills, five blocks and three aces to pace the Loggers.

Eureka def. Libby 25-22, 25-11, 23-25, 25-18

Kills - Lib. 29 (Brooke Hageness 8, Karen Byrns 8, Jackie Mee 7), Eur. 34 (Amy Roberts 18). Blocks - Lib. 5 (Byrns 4, Shelby Barton 2), Eur. 22 (Briann Linnell 11). Assists - Lib. 25 (Barton 22), Eur. 30 (Megan Hannay 29). Digs - Lib. 48 (Megan Wedel 11, Lacie Dedrick 11), Eur. 64 (Melanie Finch 29). Aces - Lib. 9 (Byrns 3, Dedrick 3), Eur. 11 (Finch 4).

Whitefish 3,

Columbia Falls 1

The Bulldogs took a bit to shake off their first-game rust, but held on and then dominated the the final game, 25-11.

Senior Courtney Ferda had six kills and four blocks and her cousin junior Ashley Ferda had six kills and 16 digs to help lead the Bulldogs to the 25-22, 25-19, 24-26, 25-11 victory.

The Wildkats came out in the first game and took an eight-point lead before Whitefish rallied. Then the Bulldogs rode the strength of their blocking as the Wildkats matched the heavily-favored Bulldogs in every other stat category.

Brielle Menegazzi added four blocks as Whitefish outblocked the Wildkats, 16-5.

Monica Burns had 10 kills, Callie Spencer tallied six kills and six aces, and Sarah Marcille had 22 assists, seven digs and three aces to help pace Columbia Falls.

Whitefish def. Columbia Falls 25-22, 25-19, 24-26, 25-11

Kills - Whtf. 31 (Ashley Ferda 6, Courtney Ferda 6), CF 31 (Monica Burns 10, Callie Spencer 6). Blocks - Whtf. 16 (C. Ferda 4, Brielle Menegazzi 4), CF 5 (Sarah Marcille, Alyssa Ladenburg). Assists - Whtf. 29 (Kali Schmidt 28), CF 27 (Marcille 22). Digs - Whtf. 50 (A. Ferda 16, Kaitlyn O'Leary 9), CF 47 (Staci Pence 15, Marcille 7). Aces - Whtf. 18 (Kirsten Blackburn 6), CF 17 (Spencer 6, Auttem Osborne 3, Marcille 3).

First round

Columbia Falls 3,

Polson 1

The Wildkats took advantage of Polson's slow start, broke a 1-1 game tie with 26-24 third-game victory and advanced to play top-seeded Whitefish with a 25-10, 23-25, 26-24, 25-21 victory.

While being outplayed at the net, Columbia Falls won on the strength of its serving game and junior setter Sarah Marcille.

Marcille served 11 of the Wildkats' aces to pound the Pirates in that stat category, 19-9.

Senior Monica Burns and junior Michelle Murphy paced the Wildkats at the net, but Polson's 5-10 sophomore Aislinn Nielson ruled the net with 15 kills and three blocks.

The Pirates outkilled Columbia Falls, 34-17, and outblocked it, 7-2. Senior setter Angela Schuman assisted 24 of the Pirates' kills and led the team with four blocks.

With 26 assists, Marcille set all but one of the Wildkats' kills.

C. Falls def. Polson 25-10, 23-25, 26-24, 25-21

Kills - CF 27 (Monica Burns 7, Michelle Murphy 5, Callie Spencer 4, Auttem Osborne 4), Pol. 34 (Aislinn Nielson 15, Nicole Davey 6). Blocks - CF 2 (Spencer, Murphy), Pol. 7 (Angela Schuman 4, Nielson 3). Assists - CF 26 (Sarah Marcille 26), Pol. 24 (Schuman 24). Digs - CF 51 (Spencer 10, Osborne 8), Pol. 68 (Schuman 14, Davey 11, Lindsey Rafter 11). Aces - CF 19 (Marcille 11, Osborne 3), Pol. 9 (Rafter 4).

Libby 3, Ronan 0

The Maidens were no match for Laice Dedrick, Jackie Mee, Brooke Hageness, Karen Byrns and the second-seeded Loggers.

Libby swept Ronan, 25-12, 25-20, 25-17 to advance to play Eureka in the second round.

Dedrick had 12 kills and 16 digs; Mee had 10 kills, five aces and six digs; Hageness and Byrns each posted eight kills and four aces.

The Loggers didn't have any blocks, but outkilled the Maidens, 39-13, and had 10 more aces, 12-2.

Shelby Barton assisted 27 of the Loggers' kills.

Ronan was paced by Kaylee Larson and Ishan Wylie.

Libby def. Ronan 25-12, 25-20, 25-17

Kills - Ron. 13 (Kaylee Larson 4, Ishan Wylie 4), Lib. 39 (Laice Dedrick 12, Jackie Mee 10, Brooke Hageness 8, Karen Byrns 8). Blocks - Ron. 1 (Allison Crenshaw), Lib. 0. Assists - Ron. 10 (Kallia Orr 3, Larson 3), Lib. 29 (Shelby Barton 27). Digs - Ron. 46 (Stephanie Salomon 13), Lib. 51 (Megan Wedel 16, Dedrick 16, Mee 6). Aces - Ron. 2 (Wylie 2), Lib. 12 (Mee 5, Hageness 4, Barton 2).

Eureka 3, Bigfork 0

Roberts and Co. made quick work of Bigfork with a 25-10, 25-18, 25-18 first-round sweep.

Roberts had 19 of Eureka's 26 kills and 10 of its 24 aces. No other leaders were reported in those stats.

The Lions posted huge advantages in nearly every stat: kills 26-15, aces 24-5, blocks 12-1 and assists 24-13.

KaeDee Shay helped Roberts at the net by registering six blocks and setter Megan Hannay assisted 21 kills.

The Valkryies were paced by Alyssa Fierro, Ashlee Gordon and Roxy Thurman.

Eureka def. Bigfork 25-10, 25-18, 25-18

Kills - Eur. 26 (Amy Roberts 19), Bgfk. 15 (Alyssa Fierro 8, Roxy Thurman 4). Blocks - Eur. 12 (KaeDee Shay 6), Bgfk. 1 (Fierro). Assists - Eur. 24 (Megan Hannay 21), Bgfk. 13 (Ashlee Gordon 6, Avery Vogel 5). Digs - Eur. 30 (Melanie Finch 7), Bgfk. 27 (Vogel 8, Gordon 4, Thurman 4). Aces - Eur. 24 (Roberts 10), Bgfk. 5 (Thurman 3, Gordon, Fierro).

Northwestern A

divisional

in Whitefish

Thursday

First round

Whitefish, bye

Columbia Falls 3, Polson 1

Libby 3, Ronan 0

Eureka 3, Bigfork 0

Second round

Whitefish 3, Columbia Falls 1

Eureka 3, Libby 1

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Today

Undefeated semifinal

7 p.m. - Whitefish (12-1) vs. Eureka (10-4)

Losers' bracket

10 a.m. - Ronan (1-12) vs. Bigfork (3-10)

noon - Polson (4-9) vs. Libby (12-2)

2 p.m. - Columbia Falls (5-9) vs. 10 a.m. winner

Fourth-place game

5 p.m. - noon and 2 p.m. winners

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Saturday

Consolation

noon - Friday's 5 p.m. winner vs. Friday's 7 p.m. loser

Championship

2 p.m. - Friday's 7 p.m. winner vs. noon winner