Class A volleyball: Whitefish, Columbia Falls punch tickets to state tournament
HAMILTON — Whitefish and Columbia Falls each secured spots in next week’s state tournament but have work to do today in order to claim the Western A Divisional tournament title.
The Bulldogs and Wildkats each lost quarterfinal volleyball matches Friday afternoon in the double-elimination event before bouncing back to post evening wins. The teams will play each other at 10 a.m. today, with the loser claiming fourth place and the winner moving on to the semifinals.
The top four finishers in the tournament qualify for the double-elimination state tournament in Bozeman from Nov. 12-14.
The Bulldogs (12-5) nearly upset Southwestern A regular season champion Butte Central in the quarters, falling in extra points in the decisive fifth set. The Maroons ultimately prevailed 25-20, 19-25, 24-26, 25-19, 16-14.
Cailyn Ross led Whitefish with a match-high 19 kills. Ellie Dewan added 20 digs.
Northwestern A regular season champ Columbia Falls (15-2) suffered just its second loss of the season to Corvallis in the quarterfinals, 25-23, 25-20, 25-20. Morgan Stenger had nine kills in a losing effort.
The Wildkats responded with an emphatic 25-13, 25-15, 25-21 win over host Hamilton in the last match of the night. Stenger again led Columbia Falls, notching 12 kills. Cydney Finberg passed out 31 assists.
Whitefish got its first win of the day in a hard-fought match that ended Polson’s season, edging the Pirates 28-26, 25-22, 33-35, 25-19. Haley Fyant had a monster match for Polson in a losing effort, putting down 27 kills. Ross led the Bulldogs in kills with 18.
The same four teams that reached the quarterfinals — Butte Central, Corvallis, Columbia Falls and Whitefish — are locked into the top four spots in the tournament and each will see their seasons extend to next week.
In other action Friday, the Pirates eliminated Dillon in four sets in one of the day’s early matches. Chadelle Smith and Fyant each had 15 kills for Polson in the win.
Western A Divisional
Hamilton def. Frenchtown 16-25, 25-15, 25-14, 25-21
Kills — Hamilton 39 (Tristy Searle 14). Assists — Hamilton 34 (Caitlin Dillon 32). Digs — Hamilton 48 (Kloie Nye 19). Blocks — Hamilton 4 (Jordan Bauder 3). Aces — Hamilton 18 (Nye 7).
No Frenchtown stats provided.
Polson def. Dillon 15-25, 25-15, 25-23, 25-18
Kills — Polson 47 (Chadelle Smith, Haley Fyant 15), Dillon 29 (Lexie Belice 9). Blocks — Polson 4 (no leader), Dillon 2 (Belice, Kylie Christiansen 1). Digs — Polson 49 (Marlee Congdon 14), Dillon 77 (Kodi Ferris 18). Assists — Polson 40 (Erin Sampson 40), Dillon 28 (Bailey Berriochoa 23). Aces — Polson 8 (Sampson 4), Dillon 15 (Alex Rouse 5).
Butte Central def. Whitefish 25-20, 19-25, 24-26, 25-19, 16-14
Kills — Butte Central 51 (Teresa Piazzola 12, Sierra Pica 12), Whitefish 54 (Cailyn Ross 19). Blocks — Butte Central 11 (Ryan Tridnowski 6), Whitefish 8 (Mirielle Kruger 4). Digs – Butte Central 111 (Mollie Peoples 28), Whitefish 50 (Ellie Dewan 20). Assists – Butte Central 47 (Emily St. John 43), Whitefish 54 (Allie Schulz 32). Aces – Butte Central 6 (Corbyn Holm 3), Whitefish 11 (Serena Hemmingson 5).
Corvallis def. Columbia Falls 25-23, 25-20, 25-20
Kills — Corvallis 37 (Hannah Capko 15), Columbia Falls 29 (Morgan Stenger 9). Blocks — Corvallis 3 (Olivia Smart, Maureen Jessop 1.5), Columbia Falls 5 (Cydney Finberg 2). Digs — Corvallis 75 (Ashley Davis 17), Columbia Falls 41 (Kaitlyn Casazza, Kiara Burlage 8). Assists – Corvallis 33 (Holly Wilson 30), Columbia Falls 25 (Finberg 25). Aces – Corvallis 8 (Kate Hurlburt 3), Columbia Falls 0.
Whitefish def. Polson 28-26, 25-22, 33-35, 25-19
Kills — Whitefish 54 (Cailyn Ross 18), Polson 57 (Haley Fyant 27). Blocks — Whitefish 7 (Ross 2, Allie Schulz 2), Polson 9 (Fyant 3). Digs — Whitefish 72 (Ellie Dewan 19), Polson 56 (Marlee Congdon 14). Assists — Whitefish 54 (Schulz 28), Polson 52 (Erin Sampson 52). Aces — Whitefish 10 (Schulz 3, Dewan 3, Serena Hemmingson 3), Polson 11 (Shawna Lenz 3, Lydia Dupuis 3).
Columbia Falls def. Hamilton 25-13, 25-15, 25-21
Kills — Hamilton 18 (Brooke Huxtable 7), Columbia Falls 38 (Morgan Stenger 12). Assists — Hamilton 16 (Caitlin Dillon 16), Columbia Falls 33 (Cydney Finberg 31). Digs — Hamilton 26 (Kloie Nye 10), Columbia Falls 37 (Sam Collins, Anna Nicosia 7). Blocks — Hamilton 2 (Caitlin Gillespie 2), Columbia Falls 4 (Collins 2). Aces — Hamilton 4 (no leader), Columbia Falls 7 (Kaitlyn Casazza 2, Kiara Burlage 2).