Fast-starting Wolfpack fall in 3

Helena High prevails over winless Glacier spikers

So close.

The Glacier Wolfpack had the visiting Helena High Bengals on their heels in a Western AA volleyball match Saturday.

Glacier (0-3, 0-1) is still waiting for that first victory - it fell 27-25, 25-18 and 25-16 - but when all was said and done, the Bengals (1-3, 1-1) knew they'd been in a match.

"We obviously came out pretty slow that first game," said Helena coach Sheila Williams.

Williams wasn't sure why Helena was slow-starting.

"We had a five-game match last night and we got on the bus at 6 a.m., so you never know," she said.

Glacier, on the other hand, bolted from the gate.

Junior middle hitter Emilee Hashley owned the net during the early going with four stuff blocks in the first 12 points as the Wolfpack built an 11-1 advantage.

"Glacier gave us all that we could handle. It could have gone either way," Williams said of the first game.

"It would have been pretty easy to give up when they got down early by so many points. That's a real testimony to (the Bengals) that they hung in there," she added.

"Then I think we just wore them down with our size. We have a lot of girls that can swing at the ball," she said.

Glacier had a first-game win at its fingertips - it not only had the big lead, it had two game points at 24-22.

Those slipped away with a Helena kill and block. The Bengals took their first lead of the game on an ace by libero Cami Boughn.

Glacier bounced right back with a Kayla Smart kill. But the Wolfpack was called in the net on the next play - and Helena finished the game with a kill.

"We talked about how important it is to hold onto a lead, and not letting go. That's youth," Glacier head coach Christy Harkins said.

"You get up a couple points and you think; 'all right.' You take a deep breath and you relax. In a game like volleyball, you can't do that.

"But we're learning," she said.

Harkins found plenty of things to be encouraged about.

"I feel so much better than Tuesday when we went up to Libby. I feel so much better about our competitive level, that we're just fighting harder, getting it," she said.

"We're understanding how hard you have to play. I feel good about that.

"They work hard every day, they come to practice trying to get better, they set great goals," she continued.

"We have some skill things we need to shore up.

"We need to pass better. We did pass better today, and our hitting was much better today. We didn't make as many errors."

Kayla Smart led the Glacier effort with 11 of the team's 26 kills.

Lindsea Vaudt had 22 assists.

Defensively, Hashley finished with six blocks and Chaela Liss had 10 digs. Liss and Jolee Kampf also served three aces each.

"I'd like to praise my little libero, Brandi Parmelee," Harkins added.

"She's just a sophomore, this is the first varsity she's played. (Libero) is a huge responsibility and she did great. She did very well," the coach said.

Leaders for Helena were sophomore Kelsey Williams with 16 kills, Boughn with 14 digs, Kelsey Johnson with 33 assists and Jordyn Pillatzke with four blocks.

Helena def. Glacier 27-25, 25-18, 25-16

Kills - Helena 42 (Kelsey Williams 16), Glacier 26 (Kayla Smart 11); Assists - Helena 33 (Kelsey Johnson 33), Glacier 25 (Lindsea Vaudt 22); Digs - Helena 38 (Cami Boughn 14), Glacier 37 (Chaela Liss 10); Blocks - Helena 4 (Jordan Pillatzke 4), Glacier 6 (Emilee Hashley 6), Aces - Helena 7 (Kelsey Williams 3), Glacier 10 (Chaela Liss 3, Jolee Kampf 3).