Bravettes stop Bozeman, West in state AA volleyball
The Daily Inter Lake
BOZEMAN - This can't possibly be happening again.
That's the thought that ran through the head of Flathead volleyball coach Christy Harkins Thursday night when she saw the Bravettes' senior middle hitter Chelsea Vaudt limping toward the side of the court at the Brick Breeden Field House at Montana State University.
It was two years ago - on the last ball of warmups before the first game of the Class AA state tournament - that Flathead lost its senior setter to a sprained ankle.
Flathead, which had gone into that state tournament as the No. 1 team from the West, wound up losing out much earlier than expected.
With her all-state middle hitter limping off just after the start of Flathead's second match of the day, Harkins had visions of that day.
"Not again. This can't be happening," she thought.
It didn't.
Vaudt missed the rest of the match, but the rest of the Bravettes turned their play up and beat the Billings West Golden Bears 21-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-17.
Flathead swept Bozeman in the opening round.
The Bravettes, who will play Billings Senior at 6 tonight in the Class AA state semifinals, can do no worse than third place.
And Vaudt believes she'll be able to play tonight.
"She's got until 6. If anybody can do it, it's her," Harkins agreed.
"I'm so proud of them," Harkins said of the Bravettes.
"It took awhile to recover," she admitted.
Flathead dropped the first game of the match as it struggled to readjust.
"It was really crazy not having Chelsea there. I almost didn't register it," senior setter Lindsay Ingram said.
"She's the captain, she's the leader, she's the big middle blocker," Ingram said.
Without the 6-foot Vaudt there to block, the back row had to make changes.
"I was so proud of the younger girls for stepping up," Ingram said. "We didn't even feel doubt when they came in," she added.
The entire team was in a holding pattern that first game as Vaudt was being looked at and taped up.
"We were waiting to see if she'd be able to go," Harkins said.
Junior Kaylyn Heaton and sophomore Kayla Smart were two who stepped up big when they got the chance.
"Everybody that went in had to do a job," the coach said.
"I'm just really proud of the kids. We played everybody - in important roles," she said.
Junior outside hitter Kendalyn Habel had 18 kills and nine digs.
Sophomore Emilee Hashley added seven stuff blocks and served six aces. Ingram had 26 assists.
First Round
Flathead def. Bozeman 26-24, 25-15, 25-17
Kills - Bozeman 23 (Sara Mackie 5, Randi Stephens 5, Jeni Guertin 4, Abby Schmaltz 4), Flathead 32 (Emilee Hashley 11). Blocks - Bozeman 6 (Coriann Clark 2, Kandi Stephens 2, Gretchen Kramer 2), Flathead 10 (Chelsea Vaudt 4, Hashley 4). Assists - Bozeman 19 (Coburn 11, Katie Cox 7, Jeni Guertin 1), Flathead 25 (Lindsay Ingram 16). Digs - Bozeman 42 (Megan Murphy 10, Coburn 9), Flathead 33 (Kendalyn Habel 9). Aces - Bozeman 5 (Coburn 1, Mackie 1, Cox 1, Katie Kennedy 1, Kramer 1), Flathead 6 (Vaudt 2).
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Second Round
Flathead def. Billings West 21-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-17
Aces - Flathead 10 (Emilee Hashley 6), West 6 (Caitlin Tocci 2, Julie Egeland 2; Kills - Flathead 44 (Kendalyn Habel 18), West 41 (Laurny McKay 10, Sarah James 9, Mikensi Romersa 9); Assists - Flathead 35 (Lindsay Ingram 26), West 34 (Tocci 33); Blocks - Flathead 12 (Hashley 7), West 3 (McKay 2); Digs - Flathead 33 (Kelsey Kottraba 9, Habel 9), West 37 (Mikensi Romersa 12, Erin Compton 7).