Volleyball: Glacier sweeps Hellgate
<p>Glacier junior Brielle Bumgarner (26), center, and her teammates celebrate during the game against Missoula Hellgate on Tuesday, October 29, in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Glacier senior Cassi Hashley (21) tips the ball over the net during the game against Missoula Hellgate on Tuesday, October 29, in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
Glacier wasn’t especially sharp, but it was good enough to beat Missoula Hellgate 25-17, 25-23, 25-19 in a Western AA volleyball match Tuesday at Glacier High School.
Clutch hitting from Katie Wiley turned a close second set in Glacier’s favor and the Wolfpack overcame an error-riddled third set to earn a sweep in its home finale.
“I did not think it was our strongest performance,” Glacier coach Christy Harkins said. “I think we passed well, I think we struggled at the service line.”
Glacier (20-3 overall, 11-0 Western AA) had already locked up the conference championship and a state tournament berth by beating Helena High and Helena Capital over the weekend, but the Wolfpack was eager to keep its unbeaten conference record intact.
“(We were looking) to compete,” senior outside hitter Hannah Atlee said. “Just to go out there, have fun, win the game, go undefeated.”
Glacier never trailed in a comfortable first set and pulled away during a 7-0 run that included four aces by Atlee.
The second set was a different story with nine ties and two lead changes. Hellgate (7-15, 2-9) took its first lead at 18-17 on a kill by Mari Lundin and led 22-19 when Wiley changed the momentum. The junior outside hitter put down two kills from the left side to help Glacier pull even at 22-22. A tip restored the lead for Hellgate before Wiley smacked back-to-back kills from the right side to bring up set point for the Wolfpack. Setter Hannah Liss followed with an ace that ricocheted off Hellgate’s Kailey Pfaff and into the bleachers.
“It was really important that we got that one so we could just get it done in three,” Wiley said. “That one gave us more confidence.”
Hellgate briefly led early in the third set but Glacier took a 5-4 lead on kills from Atlee and Cassi Hashley. Three ties ensued before Wiley broke a 17-all deadlock with a kill from the right side. Kylie Peck finished the match for Glacier with an ace.
Glacier outhit Hellgate 38-16. Wiley had a match-high 13 kills and Liss had all 33 of Glacier’s assists. Lundin led Hellgate with six kills.
Atlee served a match-high five aces and Peck led the Wolfpack with 13 digs.
Glacier played without one of its top outside hitters, Tessa Krueger, who was nursing a foot injury.
The Wolfpack will wrap up its regular season on Thursday at Missoula Big Sky.
Kills - Hellgate 16 (Mari Lundin 6), Glacier 38 (Katie Wiley 13). Assists - Hellgate 14 (Paula Woerlein 11), Glacier 33 (Hannah Liss 33). Aces - Hellgate 4 (Hannah Lasche 2), Glacier 13 (Hannah Atlee 5). Blocks - Hellgate 8 (Rachel Martens 3), Glacier 6 (3 with 3). Digs - Hellgate 69 (Kallie Elliott 22), Glacier 47 (Kylie Peck 13).