Flathead faces Senior, Wolfpack gets West in AA state volleyball

Libby, Polson also get their assignments for state tournament

The Daily Inter Lake

Flathead will have a big assignment on opening day of the Class AA State Volleyball Tournament on Thursday in Bozeman.

The Bravettes, seeded No. 4 from Western AA, face undefeated and three-time state champ Billings Senior at 10 a.m.

Flathead, 10-13, advanced by virtue of a 3-0 victory at Missoula Big Sky last Friday in a playoff match.

Senior, 27-0, earned an automatic bye to state for finishing first in Eastern AA.

Senior has won 61 straight matches, going undefeated three times in the last four seasons.

Senior coach Jeff Carroll recently passed the 500th career victory mark.

The Broncs, however, must contend with a 12-day wait between their regular-season finale and state opener.

Flathead finished third last year at state.

Glacier made school history last week, qualifying for its first state tournament. The Wolfpack, 13-9, advanced by downing Missoula Hellgate 3-0 in a playoff match.

Glacier is the No. 3 seed from Western AA and will play No. 2 Eastern AA seed Billings West, 21-7, in the final first-round match at 4 p.m.

West finished second in league play, and beat Butte 3-0 last Thursday in a playoff match.

In Class A state play, Northwestern A champion Libby will meet Belgrade, the second seed from Central A, at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Northwestern A runner-up Polson draws defending state champion Lewistown, the top seed from Central A, at noon.

All four classes - AA, A, B and C - will hold their state tournaments at Montana State University's Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.

Thursday's 10 a.m. and noon winners will play again at 6 p.m. The losers of those matches will face off Friday at 10 a.m.

Thursday's 2 and 4 p.m. winners will play again at 8 p.m. The losers of those matches will meet Friday at noon.

Huntley Project and Circle both return to defend their titles in B and C, respectively.

The tournament ends Saturday.

Thursday's Pairings

First-Round Matches

Class AA

10 a.m. - Billings Senior vs. Flathead

Noon - Great Falls High vs. Missoula Sentinel

2 p.m. - Helena High vs. C.M. Russell

4 p.m. - Glacier vs. Billings West

Class A

10 a.m. - Miles City vs. Dillon

Noon - Lewistown vs. Polson

2 p.m. - Libby vs. Belgrade

4 p.m. - Anaconda vs. Billings Central

Class B

10 a.m. - Manhattan Christian vs. Florence/Carlton

Noon - Choteau vs. Townsend

2 p.m. - Colstrip vs. Fairfield

4 p.m. - Missoula Loyola vs. Huntley Project

Class C

10 a.m. - Highwood vs. Bridger

Noon - Gardiner vs. Circle

2 p.m. - Absarokee vs. Simms

4 p.m. - Saco/Hinsdale vs. White Sulphur Springs