Libby spikers regroup, top 'Dogs

RONAN - Like flipping a switch.

The Libby Logger team that took the court for Game 3 of the Northwestern A volleyball divisional championship match on Saturday night at the Ronan Events Center was a completely different one than the squad that started it.

The athletes opening the match looked hesitant, a little fearful, and somewhat irritated with one another.

The unforced errors piled up in the first game while hitting errors and miscommunications littered the second game.

But, trailing the Whitefish Bulldogs two games to none, the Loggers regrouped and fought back.

As a result, Libby claimed its first divisional championship since 2003.

Scores were 20-25, 17-25, 25-9, 25-18, 15-7.

The Loggers go into next weekend's All Class Volleyball tournament as the No. 1 team from the Northwest. Whitefish will be the No. 2.

"They were playing mad, they were playing frustrated and we don't play well that way," Libby coach Cindy Ostrem-Johnston said of the Loggers' early effort.

"I just felt kind of helpless in the first couple of games. Whitefish was outplaying us, out hustling us," she said.

"We just weren't playing as a team. We weren't talking," said outside hitter Laice Dedrick.

"I think we were just all kind of frustrated. We came out and we were just a little hesitant. I think we were kind of lackadaisical the first two games," agreed senior outside hitter Brooke Hageness.

"We were kind of digging ourselves a hole," she said.

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, were still riding the high they'd achieved by downing Bigfork to guarantee their own trip to state.

"When you come out with a little momentum off that win over Bigfork, that carries with you," said Whitefish coach Jackie Fuller.

"The excitement of punching that ticket to the state tournament carried with us in games one and two. Libby just regrouped. They came out after us and we couldn't get our composure again," she said.

"We stepped it up. We have really good team chemistry. We just really pulled together," Hageness said.

"The last three games, we just came together. We figured out that we really wanted it and we came together as a team. We started trusting each other," Dedrick said.

Ostrem-Johnston spelled it out for the Loggers in the between-game huddle.

"We said 'this is what we need to do. We have to settle down, we have to pull together, and we have to go out there and play every point hard, every game hard,'" Ostrem-Johnston said.

"The girls just stepped it up in that third game and never looked back," she said. "Once they decided this is what we need to do, they were on a mission. Then I saw a totally different team out there. They didn't look mad, they didn't look frustrated. They looked focused. They looked like a team.

"That shows a lot of heart and guts," she added.

Once the first serve cleared the net in the third game, it was all Libby. The Loggers rushed to a 10-2 lead and were up 21-7 when Fuller called her second timeout.

Suddenly, it appeared the Loggers could do no wrong. They jumped ahead 12-8 in the fourth game and when it appeared the Bulldogs might make a comeback, the Loggers stepped in with four straight kills to slam the door.

Sophomore middle Jackie Mee had 19 kills and two blocks to lead Libby. Dedrick added 18 kills, 14 digs and five service aces. Hageness had 14 kills and 16 digs.

Ashley Ferda had 17 kills and 24 digs to lead Whitefish. Brielle Menegazzi added 14 kills, three aces and 15 digs and Kate Klundt had four blocks.

"Give them all the credit in the world," Fuller said. "To be down by two, then they turn around and regroup and come get us in three. They did well. They served the ball well. We didn't pass well, and when you don't pass well, you can't run an effective offense," she added.

"Libby is a solid ball club. We knew that. We respect them, give them all the credit. They're the divisional champs," Fuller added.

"They did well and we just could not get out of a funk," she said.

"We've got three days here to prepare for the big tournament. We're going to do that. I guarantee the Whitefish Bulldogs will be in the gym Monday. They're going to be ready to go and be refocused," she said.

"I really wanted (a divisional title) for this group," Ostrem-Johnston said.

"They're a very special group to me. They're one in a million. I've been coaching a long time and I haven't seen this kind of team chemistry except for a couple other times in my coaching career.

"These girls really know how to work through the adversities and pull it together when they need to. They showed that today," she said.

"Coming back when we were down two games … that showed a lot of heart and guts and a lot of team effort," she said.

Libby defeat Whitefish

20-25, 17-25, 25-9, 25-18, 15-7

Kills - Whitefish 33 (Ashley Ferda 17, Brielle Menegazzi 14), Libby 58 (Jackie Mee 19, Laice Dedrick 18, Brooke Hageness 14), Assists - Whitefish 32 (Hailey Farmin 30), Libby 45 (Shelby Barton 40), Blocks - Whitefish 7 (Kate Klundt 4), Libby 3 (Mee 2), Digs - Whitefish 66 (Ferda 25, Menegazzi 15), Libby 61 (Hageness 16, Dedrick 14) Aces - Whitefish 8 (Menegazzi 3),Libby 16 (Dedrick 5, Megan Wedel 3, Mee 3).