Volleyball: Flathead hosts Helena; Wolfpack tops coaches' poll
Area volleyball teams will be looking to qualify for the upcoming all-class state volleyball tournament with either play-in matches or divisional tournaments scheduled this week.
Flathead will host a Class AA Western Division state play-in match 6 p.m. Thursday at home versus Helena High.
The Bravettes (12-10 overall, 6-6 league) earned the right to host by being the No. 3 seed. Helena High (7-14, 4-8) is seeded sixth.
Flathead has been to state five-straight years and six out of the last seven years.
Glacier, by winning the Western regular-season title, has a bye to state. The Wolfpack was rewarded for another stellar campaign on Monday when it was voted No. 1 for the first time ever in the final coaches’ poll of the season. The Wolfpack, ranked No. 2 for much of the year, has won back-to-back divisional titles with perfect records.
Libby will host the two-day Northwestern A Divisional tournament. That action is set for Friday and Saturday. The top two teams advance to state.
Bigfork and Eureka will compete in the Western B Divisional in Ronan. That starts Thursday. The top two finishers go to state.
The state tournament for Class AA, A, B and C will be held Nov. 13-15 in Bozeman.
Class AA
Coaches’ Power Poll
Final 1st Place
Votes
School 1. Glacier (4)
2. Bozeman (1)
3. Billings Senior (3)
4. Helena Capital
5. Billings Skyview
Also receiving votes: Flathead
Final Regular Season Standings
Western Division
Overall League
W L W L
Glacier 23 1 12 0
Helena Capital 13 9 9 3
Flathead 12 10 6 6
Missoula Hellgate 9 11 5 7
Missoula Sentinel 10 12 5 7
Helena High 7 14 4 8
Missoula Big Sky 5 18 1 11
Eastern Division
Bozeman 22 3 11 1
Billings Senior 27 1 11 1
Billings Skyview 19 9 8 4
Billings West 15 13 6 6
Great Falls High 8 15 3 9
C.M. Russell 4 18 2 10
Butte 4 16 1 11
State Play-In Schedule
Seeds in parenthesis
Western Division
Glacier (1) — automatic bye to state
Tuesday
7 p.m. — Missoula Big Sky (7) at Helena Capital (2)
Thursday
6 p.m. — Helene High (6) at Flathead (3)
7 p.m. — Missoula Sentinel (5) at Missoula Hellgate (4)
—————
Eastern Division
Bozeman (1) — automatic bye to state
Thursday
4 p.m. — Butte (7) at Billings Senior (2)
5 p.m. — Great Falls High (5) at Billings West (4)
6 p.m. — Great Falls C.M. Russell (6) at Billings Skyview (3)
Class A
Northwestern Divisional
At Libby
Friday
Columbia Falls, Frenchtown, Libby — have first-round byes
First Round
11 a.m. — Whitefish vs. Polson
Second Round
1 p.m. — Frenchtown vs. Libby
3 p.m. — Columbia Falls vs. Whitefish/Polson winner
Class B
Western Divisonal
At Ronan
Thursday
First Round
10 a.m. — Florence vs. Bigfork
11:30 a.m. — Eureka vs. St. Ignatius
1 p.m. — Thompson Falls versus Ronan
2:30 p.m. — Missoula Loyola vs. Plains
6 p.m. — Winners of Games 1/2
7:30 p.m. — Winners of Games 3/4