State Volleyball: Helena ends Flathead's season
<p>Flathead's Alyssa Wisher pushes the ball over the net during the Bravettes' season-ending loss to Helena on Friday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Flathead's Xio Lopp (24) and Alyssa Wisher (16) attempt to block the shot of Helena's Taelyr Krantz during the Bravettes' five-set loss in an elimination game at the state tournament in Bozeman on Friday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
BOZEMAN — In a loaded Class AA state tournament field, the margin between celebrating a state title and an agonizing bus ride home is eyelash-thin.
Flathead found that out the hard way.
One day after nearly pulling off a stunning upset of the three-time defending state volleyball champs, the Bravettes’ season came to an abrupt end with an 18-25, 25-16, 20-25, 25-18, 15-9 loss to Helena on Friday afternoon at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.
“We knew it was going to be a tough run,” Flathead coach Courtney Baker said.
“Helena’s a great team.”
In the opening set, Flathead (16-9) looked like the team that went to extra-points with Billings Senior in a pair of sets on Thursday. The Bravettes comfortably won the first set with a dominating late run, but were plagued by miscues and never led in the second set. After a tight third, the Bengals (16-10) pulled away late in the fourth and, after falling behind 2-1, never again trailed in the decisive fifth.
Taelyr Krantz put down a pair of fifth-set kills and had a backbreaking ace late to lead Helena. Baker praised the junior after the match.
“Their outside hitter really stepped up for them,” Baker said of Krantz.
“We stopped her a couple of times but our block let her through towards the end.”
The loss brought to an end the careers of seven Bravettes seniors, five of whom — Xio Lopp, Jourdon Schultz, Lizzie Sherwood, Abbie O’Brien and Marisa Postovit — were fixtures in the lineup.
“They’re an awesome group of kids and so I told them I was proud of them, that they fought hard, and that they’ve given a new face to Flathead volleyball,” Baker said.
“What they’ve done here, even though we’re not taking home any trophies, what they’ve built in the program is worth far more than that and it’s going to outlast them.”
Sherwood had a match-high 32 digs, nine kills and two aces in her final high school match. Lopp added 37 assists.
Junior Tiana Johnson was Flathead’s leader in kills in every tournament match, and put down 15 on Friday along with five blocks.
Baker was optimistic the experience for Johnson and the Bravettes’ other younger players would be valuable next year.
“Just seeing the gym and the state atmosphere is awesome for them,” she said.
“I also know that seeing the passion of these older girls and how much they did fight this weekend — we didn’t have an easy game — hopefully will give them a little bit of fight.
“I think they’re excited to come back.”
Flathead seniors Trista Pemberton and Sophie Asa also saw their prep careers end on Friday.