Glacier spikers bow out to Capital

BOZEMAN — A day after a gut-wrenching five-set loss to crosstown rival Flathead, the Glacier volleyball team’s season came to an end with a 25-19, 26-24, 25-23 loss to Helena Capital in a loser-out match at the Class AA state tournament Friday.

Glacier (19-8) and Capital (11-14) finished even in kills (32) and digs (55), but a loss in the first set and slow starts in the second and third forced the Wolfpack to battle from behind the entire match.

“I don’t think we had any momentum today,” Glacier coach Christy Harkins said.

“I think they had the momentum the whole time and we never could get ahead enough where we thought we were in control.”

Harkins said the previous day’s loss to Flathead was not a factor in her team’s sluggish start.

“I think yesterday was yesterday and today was a slow start,” she said.

After 11 ties in the first set, Capital took the lead for good when a kill by Savannah Smith and a Glacier hitting error put the Bruins ahead 19-17. Rachel Chery answered with a kill for Glacier, but Capital middle hitter Michaela Dowdy kept the Bruins in front with a kill.

The two teams traded errors to make the score 21-19, then Capital won the next four points, finishing the set when Julia Anderson blasted a kill off the block of Glacier’s Cassi Hashley.

Aggressive serving from Smith helped Capital take a 10-5 lead in the second set before Hashley hit three kills in a Glacier run that knotted the score at 11. An ace by Hannah Atlee gave the Wolfpack its first lead before Capital forced a tie at 12.

Three more ties ensued before Capital’s Sadie Pilgeram smashed a shot into Glacier’s back row. Jessica Stenberg chased down the dig, but Glacier couldn’t get the ball over on its third hit.

A Glacier hitting error ended the set at 26-24.

Capital raced ahead 13-4 in the third set. Glacier strung together nine straight points later in the set to tie it at 23, but a hitting error ended the run. Capital’s Kenzi Johnston hit a kill on the next point to end the set and the match.

Tiffany Marks led the Wolfpack with 10 kills and four blocks.

Kills – Capital 32 (Savannah Smith 9), Glacier 32 (Tiffany Marks 10). Assists – Capital 29 (Aran Hines 25), Glacier 27 (Hannah Liss 25). Aces – Capital 3 (Smith 2), Glacier 7 (no leader). Blocks – Capital 7 (Michaela Dowdy 4), Glacier 5 (Marks 4). Digs – Capital 55 (Sadie Pilgeram 15), Glacier 55 (Kailea Vaudt 16).