Glacier spikers beat Flathead to win Missoula Invite

MISSOULA — Dropping just three sets in two days, the Glacier volleyball team topped crosstown rival Flathead in the championship game of the Missoula County Public Schools Invitational on Saturday, 25-13, 29-27.

“We started out really well,” Glacier coach Christy Harkins said. “We started serving really aggressively.”

The Wolfpack fell behind 10 points in the second set before battling back to take the set, and the match, in extra points.

“That was a good one,” Harkins said. “We had to come back and it was just point for point at the end.”

Flathead played both days without starting outside hitter Kwyn Johnson, but was able to beat Sentinel in two sets and Helena High in three to advance to the championship.

“Cassie (Krueger) had 22 kills in three games against Helena,” Flathead coach Leon Wilcox said. “She had to take on more of a role with Kwyn gone.

“We were playing the bench all weekend, trying different stuff. It was really good for the young kids. They got a lot of time, a lot of experience, had a lot of success this weekend.”

Glacier beat Great Falls High and Helena Capital in straight sets to advance to the championship game.

“They played very consistently all weekend,” Harkins said. “I was really proud of how they improved this weekend. Heading into the final weeks of some pretty intense play, it’s a good way to head into that.”

Both teams are on the road in the Capital City this week. Glacier will play Capital on Thursday while Flathead plays at Helena High.

Missoula County Public

Schools Invitational

Championship bracket

at Sentinel High School

First round – Helena Capital def. Missoula Big Sky, 25-14, 25-19; Glacier def. Great Falls High, 25-19, 25-19; Helena High def. Polson, 25-13, 28-26; Flathead def. Missoula Sentinel, 25-16, 25-21.

Semifinals – Glacier def. Capital, 25-14, 25-20; Flathead def. Helena, 19-25, 25-21, 26-24.

Loser-out first round – Great Falls def. Big Sky, 25-19, 25-23; Sentinel def. Polson, 25-16, 25-11.

Loser-out semifinals – Helena def. Great Falls, 25-9, 25-21; Sentinel def. Capital, 25-23, 25-14.

Third-place match – Sentinel def. Helena, 25-18, 16-25, 25-20.

Championship

Glacier def. Flathead, 25-13, 29-27.

Kills – Glacier 32 (Cassidy Hashley 10), Flathead 10 (Cassie Krueger 6). Blocks – Glacier 5 (Tiffany Marks 3), Flathead 5 (Emma Andrews 3). Digs – Glacier 25 (Hashley 5, Hannah Liss 5), Flathead 26 (Emily Russell 5, Nouf Rashoodi 5). Assists – Glacier 27 (Liss 25), Flathead 12 (Russell 10). Aces – Glacier 6 (Liss 3), Flathead 4 (Rashoodi 2).

Consolation bracket

at Hellgate High School

First round – Anaconda def. Whitefish, 25-23, 25-18; Great Falls CMR def. Libby, 23-25, 26-24, 16-14; Frenchtown def. Butte, 25-14, 25-16; Missoula Hellgate def. Columbia Falls, 25-16, 25-16.

Semifinals – CMR def. Anaconda, 25-22, 25-22; Hellgate def. Frenchtown, 25-18, 25-20.

Loser-out first round – Libby def. Whitefish, 25-17, 25-22; Butte def. Columbia falls, 25-13, 25-20.

Loser-out semifinals – Frenchtown def. Libby, 25-17, 25-21; Anaconda def. Butte, 25-21, 25-14.

Third-place match – Anaconda def. Frenchtown, 27-25, 25-15.

Championship – Hellgate def. CMR, 26-24, 25-22.