Glacier finishes 3rd in state volleyball
BOZEMAN - Everything they had.
When the members of the Glacier Wolfpack volleyball team take occasion to look back on their Saturday morning loser-out match against Billings West at the Class AA state tournament, they will be proud to remember they had one of Montana's top volleyball teams on the ropes.
The Wolfpack put everything it had on the line - but came up a tiny bit short.
West defeated the Wolfpack 26-28, 16-25, 25-13, 25-21, 16-14.
The Golden Bears advanced to the Class AA state championship match against Helena High while the Wolfpack collected the third place trophy. It is the first traditional team sport hardware in Glacier's four-year history.
"I'm proud of them. I told them West has that tradition to come through in set five. They expect to," said Glacier coach Christy Harkins.
"We don't have that tradition. But we are getting there. The expectation now is that we will compete at the state tournament.
"We did not want to walk off the court feeling like we did on Friday night (Helena High swept Glacier in the semifinal). We wanted to walk away feeling like we gave everything we had. We should feel like that," Harkins said.
"I feel good about today. Of course I'm disappointed. but we will get there."
Of course, there are some coulda, shoulda, wouldas.
The Wolfpack had three match points - up 14-11 - in set five.
West got a block to save one and kills to save the next two. At 14-all, a Glacier tip landed wide. At match point for West, the Wolfpack serve receive overpasses right into the hands of West's Kylie Nielsen. She smacked it straight down.
The first two sets were fabulous volleyball.
Both sides swung away in a thrilling first set.
Neither team led by more than three points and West fought off two Wolfpack set points, pulling even at 24. Glacier finally finished the set off with a Cassidy Hashley tip and a dump by Paige Latimer.
Everything worked for the Wolfpack in the second set. It spread the offense among its hitters - Rachel Cutler, Cassidy Hashley and Kendra Bouley had three kills apiece and West's top hitters had trouble finding the court.
But West bounced back in the third.
"West turned their block on in set three," Harkins said. "I really think in set three West started figuring it out with the blocking and the defense. They play great defense," she said.
"We showed good fight in set four."
Team-wise, the statistics are as close as the match. Glacier had 54 kills, West 49.
Glacier had 50 assists, West 49. Blocks were within two, digs were close, aces were within one. Glacier came out on top in every area but digs.
Lexy Boschee had 17 kills for the Wolfpack, Hashley had six blocks and Bouley had 28 digs.
Harkins added that she thanked Glacier's six seniors - Bouley, Cami Mathison, Latimer, Cutler, Baylee Quay and Sierra Kenkel - for getting the Wolfpack tradition started.
"This senior class is fantastic. All six of them have contributed. It's disappointing right now but that third place trophy is going to be in the trophy case at Glacier forever," she said.
Kills - Glacier 54 (Lexy Boschee 54, Kendra Bouley 11), West 49 (Cherina Walen 18), Assists - Glacier 50 (Paige Latimer 49), West 49 (Liz King 46), Blocks - Glacier 13 (Cassidy Hashley 6), West 20 (Kylie Nielsen 15, Liz King 5), Digs - Glacier 104 (Kendra Bouley 28, Cami Mathison 20), West 116 (Walen 33, Jessyka MacDonald 19), Aces - Glacier 5 (Boschee 2, Mathison 2).
Class AA
Saturday
Third place
Billings West 3, Glacier 2
Championship
Helena 3, West 0
Helena def. West 25-12, 25-9, 26-24
Helena - Aces: 6 (Monica Grimsrud 3); Kills: 45 (Grimsrud 17, Sydne Simanton 12); Assists: 39 (Kyndal Williams 36); Blocks: 8 (Williams 4, Brianne Benson 3); Digs: 40 (Williams 11).
West - Aces: 3 (3 with 1); Kills: 19 (Cherina Walen 10, Kylie Nielsen 4); Assists: 18 (Liz King 18); Blocks: 8 (Janiel Olson 5, Nielsen 3); Digs: 52 (Olson 11, King 9).
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Friday
Loser-out
Bozeman 3, Flathead 0
Bozeman 3, Billings Senior 1
Billings West 3, Billings Skyview 1
Undefeated semifinal
Helena 3, Glacier 0
Fourth place
Billings West 3, Bozeman 0
Class A
Saturday
Third place
Lewistown 3, Billings Central 2
First championship
Lewistown 3, Livingston 0
Second championship
Lewistown 3, Livingston 0
Lewistown def. Billings Central 25-22, 19-25, 25-22, 24-26, 16-14
Lewistown - Aces: 9 (Dayna Jensen 3, Amanda Stenseth 3); Kills: 57 (Jensen 22); Assists: 50 (Allie Adams 48); Blocks: 10 (McCalle Feller 3); Digs: 96 (Abby Gordon 27, Jensen 20).
Billings Central - Aces: 10 (Katie Cummins 2, Molly Woodman 2, Ashley Heringer 2, Maggie Hanser 2); Kills: 58 (Heringer 16, M. Hanser 13); Assists: 45 (Cummins 36); Blocks: 9 (Kalli Sizemore 3, Tayler Eubank 2, Abbie Hanser 2); Digs: 101 (Cummins 25, Heringer 19).
Lewistown def. Livingston
25-17, 25-20, 25-19
Lewistown - Aces: 9 (Lissa Quinlan 2, Sierra Fox 2); Kills: 32 (McCalle Feller 8, Dayna Jensen 8, Erin Jensen 6); Assists: 28 (Allie Adams 26); Blocks: 11 (D. Jensen 6); Digs: 47 (D. Jensen 9, Quinlan 8).
Livingston - Aces: 8 (Jordyn Yarborough 4, Alyssa Cornell 4); Kills: 25 (Johanna Chapel 7, Tory Njardvik 5, Yarborough 5); Assists: 21 (Yarborough 10, Cornell 9); Blocks: 7 (Njardvik 6); Digs: 38 (Chapel 8, Yarborough 7, Emmy Handl 7, Alex Ricketts 7).
Lewistown def. Livingston
25-16, 25-18, 25-9
Lewistown - Aces: 12 (Sierra Fox 8); Kills: 33 (McCalle Feller 11, Dayna Jensen 6); Assists: 29 (Allie Adams 28); Blocks: 8 (Amanda Monger 3); Digs: 45 (D. Jensen 14, Adams 9).
Livingston - Aces: 3; Kills: 21 (Jordyn Yarborough 6, Johanna Chapel 4, Alex Ricketts 4, Tory Njardvik 4); Assists: 18 (Alyssa Cornell 11, Yarborough 7); Blocks: 7 (Njardvik 3, Chapel 2, Lorraine Adams 2); Digs: 25 (Emmy Handl 10, Chapel 7).
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Friday
Loser-out
Dillon 3, Whitefish 0
Polson 3, Stevensville 1
Laurel 3, Dillon 0
Billings Central 3, Polson 0
Undefeated semifinal
Livingston 3, Lewistown 2
Fourth place
Billings Central 3, Laurel 0
Class B
Saturday
Third place
Red Lodge 3, Choteau 0
Championship
Huntley Project 3, Red Lodge 0
Red Lodge def. Choteau
25-14, 25-14, 25-16
Red Lodge - Aces: 9 (Carter Theade 3, Jodi Lindgren 2); Kills: 39 (Tess Hellerud 15, Elli Hellerud 12); Assists: 35 (Anna Brajcich 32); Blocks: 3 (E. Hellerud 1.5); Digs: 43 (Tia Roller 12).
Choteau - Aces: 2 (Alisha Breen 2); Kills: 16 (Mariah Renteria 4, Amber Graf 3); Assists: 15 (Kelci May 12); Blocks: 10 (Graf 3); Digs: 38 (Nicole Muroz 11, May 9).
Huntley Project def. Red Lodge
25-18, 25-18, 25-18
Huntley Project - Aces: 5 (Kelsey Oblender 2, Nikki Bolton 2); Kills: 37 (Brittany McKenney 10, BrieAnna Geck 9); Assists: 35 (Kaylee McNeal 26); Blocks: 6 (Geck 2); Digs: 72 (McNeal 18, Stormy Siemion 13, Bolton 12).
Red Lodge - Aces: 2 (Elli Hellerud, Teagan Martin); Kills: 34 (E. Hellerud 9, Tess Hellerud 9, Jodi Hellerud 7); Assists: 28 (Anna Brajcich 27); Blocks: 5 (E. Hellerud 2); Digs: 55 (Tia Roller 17, Brajcich 12, Carter Theade 11).
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Friday
Loser-out
Glasgow 3, Florence-Carlton 1
Missoula Loyola 3, Colstrip 1
Choteau 3, Glasgow 1
Manhattan Christian 3, Missoula Loyola 1
Undefeated semifinal
Huntley Project 3, Red Lodge 1
Fourth place
Choteau 3, MCHS 0
Class C
Saturday
Third Place
Terry 3, Gardiner 0
First championship
Terry 3, Ennis 2
Second championship
Terry 3, Ennis 2
Terry def. Gardiner 25-22, 25-14, 25-18
Terry - Aces: 12 (Dani Dukart 5); Kills: 33 (Carly Stickel 17); Assists: 31 (Amanda Haidle 17); Blocks: 3 (Stickel 2); Digs: 31 (Amy Browning 8, Lindsay Stickel 8).
Gardiner - Aces: 4 (Jackie Brennan 2); Kills: 24 (Maddie Hoeninghausen 12); Assists: 24 (Alexis Perius 22); Blocks: 7 (Hoeninghausen 4, Perius 3); Digs: 46 (Perius 13, Kelly Harbach 11).
Terry def. Ennis
19-25, 25-22, 25-19, 20-25, 15-8
Terry - Aces: 3; Kills: 56 (Dani Dukart 31, Carly Stickel 19); Assists: 52 (Lindsay Stickel 24, Amanda Haidle 24); Blocks: 10 (Dukart 8); Digs: 52 (Haidle 11, C. Stickel 11, L. Stickel 10).
Ennis - Aces: 18 (Rachael Croy 6, Haley Konan 5); Kills: 44 (MiKayla Sullivan 22); Assists: 29 (Croy 19); Blocks: 22 (Sullivan 17); Digs: 37 (Tori Durham 12, Megan Barney 11).
Terry def. Ennis 18-25, 25-20, 14-25, 25-20, 15-12
Terry - Aces: 4 (Amy Browning 2); Kills: 57 (Dani Dukart 27, Carly Stickel 17); Assists: 54 (Lindsay Stickel 31, Amanda Haidle 19); Blocks: 4 (Dukart 3); Digs: 56 (Dukart 18).
Ennis - Aces: 12 (Megan Barney 4); Kills: 54 (MiKayla Sullivan 28, Rachael Croy 12); Assists: 38 (Croy 24, Sullivan 10); Blocks: 18 (Sullivan 9, Croy 8); Digs: 30 (Barney 10, Tori Durham 9).
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Friday
Joliet 3, Geraldine 0
Fort Benton 3, Bridger 2
Circle 3, Joliet 1
Terry 3, Fort Benton 0
Undefeated semifinal
Ennis 3, Gardiner 2
Fourth place
Terry 3, Circle 2