Volleyball: Glacier spikers 3rd at Electric City Invitational

by The Daily Inter Lake
| September 13, 2014 9:15 PM

GREAT FALLS — Glacier volleyball rolled to a third-place finish, losing only to eventual champion Billings Senior on Saturday at the Electric City Invitational.

The Wolfpack rolled into the championship bracket topping Great Falls High in two sets 25-10, 27-25 to advance to the semifinals. Glacier was overwhelmed by two-time defending Class AA state champion Senior in the next round, falling 25-15, 25-19 into the loser’s bracket.

Flathead, which lost narrowly in three sets 25-19, 23-25, 27-25 to Helena Capital in the first round of the championship bracket, rebounded by beating Helena High 25-23, 25-13 in the first round of the loser’s bracket.

“I was really happy with the way we rebounded,” Glacier coach Christy Harkins said. “The way that tournament works is five minutes later you’re starting the next match.”

Flathead and Glacier ran into each other in the consolation semifinals, the Wolfpack coming out on top 27-25, 25-19.

Glacier capped the weekend with a quick two set 25-11, 25-13 win over Bozeman in the third-place match.

“We finished the day very strong,” Harkins said. “We found our groove serving and passing. Our offense was clicking pretty well by then.

“It was great seeing all the teams from the East that we never see. It was great competition, the tournament is run very well. We learned a ton about ourselves and our opponents this weekend.”

Senior beat Capital in the championship in two sets 25-17, 25-14.

Electric City Invitational

Saturday

Consolation Bracket

First round

Skyview def. Big Sky 25-22, 25-20

Butte def. CMR 15-25, 25-22, 25-19

Lewistown def. West 25-21, 13-25, 25-23

Sentinel def. Havre 25-16, 12-25, 25-23

Semifinals

Skyview def. Butte 25-10, 25-18

Sentinel def. Lewistown 25-15, 25-22

Loser’s bracket

Big Sky def. CMR 23-25, 25-22, 25-20

West def. Havre 25-113, 26-24

Lewistown def. Big Sky 25-21, 25-21

West def. Butte 25-19, 25-16

Third place consolation

West def. Lewistown 25-20, 23-25, 25-15

Consolation championship

Skyview def. Sentinel 25-20, 25-22

Championship Bracket

First round

Bozeman def. Helena 25-16, 22-25, 25-16

Helena Capital def. Flathead 25-19, 23-25, 27-25

Billings Senior def. Missoula Hellgate 25-18, 25-12

Kalispell Glacier def. Great Falls 25-10, 27-25

Second round/loser’s bracket

Flathead def. Helena 25-23, 25-13

Great Falls def. Hellgate 25-20, 25-18

Semifinals

Capital def. Bozeman 25-21, 16-25, 26-24

Senior def. Glacier 25-15, 25-19

Loser’s bracket semifinals

Glacier def. Flathead 27-25, 25-19

Bozeman def. Great Falls 25-14, 25-10

Third place match

Glacier def. Bozeman 25-11, 25-13

Championship

Senior def. Capital 25-17, 25-14

Libby 3, Whitefish 1

LIBBY — The Loggers were out of sorts in the first set against Whitefish, but found their form quickly, winning in four sets 23-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-17 behind a powerful serve that registered 31 aces against the Bulldogs.

Hannah England led Libby with nine aces, 30 assists and had 14 digs. The Loggers were attacking the seams of the Whitefish defense off the serve, forcing the Bulldogs to move to make a pass on the return.

“It was a big part of it,” Libby coach Cindy Ostrem-Johnston said. “We like to try to keep teams out of their offense as mucj as possible. We passed really well too.”

Mahalah Wedel led the Loggers with 13 digs and Hailley Moe had 10 kills.

Whitefish, which was tough throughout and led nine in the first set before taking it by two points, was led by Myndi Holbrook with nine kills, four blocks and a pair of aces.

Libby def. Whitefish 23-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-17

Kills — Whitefish 25 (Myndi Holbrook 9), Libby 41 (Hailley Moe 10). Assists — Whitefish 20 (Ali Schulz 18), Libby 34 (Hannah England 30). Digs — Whitefish 59 (Maura Kalbfleisch 16, Schulz 12), Libby 56 (Mahalah Wedel 15, England 14). Blocks — Whitefish 4 (Holbrook 4), Libby 2 (no leader). Aces — Whitefish 3 (Holbrook 2), Libby 31 (England 9, Staci Regh 7).

Florence 3, Bigfork 0

BIGFORK — Florence rolled against the Valkyries, winning in three sets 25-11, 25-17, 25-16.

“Florence is a great team,” Bigfork coach Melody Strauss said. “They’re well coached and disciplined. They’ve got some power in the front row.

“We played hesitant and had a lot of unforced errors. It definitely showed things we need to work on.”

Lana Berg had a team-high six kills, three blocks and seven digs and Talia Wicklund had 10 assists and four aces for Bigfork.

Florence def. Bigfork 25-11, 25-17, 25-16

Kills — Florence 32 (Megan Bryne 13), Bigfork 14 (Lana Berg 6). Assists — Florence 32 (Rylie Hawkins 31), Bigfork 11 (Talia Wicklund 10). Blocks — Florence 6 (Jessica Dufrense 3), Bigfork 7 (Berg 3). Digs — Florence 42 (Kristyne Drozdz 23), Bigfork 27 (Berg 7, Marissa Hiza 7). Aces — Florence 13 (Drozdz 6), Bigfork 8 (Wicklund 4).