Volleyball roundup: Flathead topples unbeaten Sentinel, ties for conference lead
Tiana Johnson had 12 kills and Flathead rebounded after losing the third and fourth sets to hand Missoula Sentinel its first conference loss of the season Tuesday night, 29-27, 25-23, 17-25, 15-25, 15-13.
“The first time we played Sentinel they beat us pretty good,” Bravettes coach Courtney Baker said.
“The girls wanted to show them that we deserved to play up with them and show the growth of our team.”
The match kicked off the second half of the Western AA conference season and moved Flathead into a tie with the Spartans atop the league standings.
“(The win) sets the tone for how the second half of our season should go,” Baker said.
“The girls are working hard and we’re a team to watch out for. We trained hard for this one.”
The Bravettes (8-2, 6-1 Western AA) narrowly won the first two sets before the Spartans flexed their muscle and tied the match. Flathead was able to recover, however, taking the fifth and decisive set by two points.
“Tiana Johnson came out and got a couple of really big kills (in the fifth set) and it turned the momentum,” Baker said.
“We had some key plays that brought us some energy we had been lacking.”
Jourdon Schultz had 22 digs to lead all players. The Bravettes recorded 22 blocks, getting nine from Alyssa Wisher and eight more from Johnson.
Sentinel (9-2, 6-1) was led by Elsa Godwin’s 23 kills and three aces.
Flathead will rematch with its crosstown rival, Glacier, Thursday at 7 p.m.
Flathead def. Sentinel 29-27, 25-23, 17-25, 15-25, 15-13
Kills — Flathead 45 (Tiana Johnson 12), Sentinel 61 (Elsa Godwin 23). Assists — Flathead 36 (Xio Lopp 34), Sentinel 55 (Jordyn Schweyen 42). Digs — Flathead 90 (Jourdon Schultz 22), Sentinel 82 (Sarina Moreno 19). Blocks — Flathead 22 (Alyssa Wisher 9, Tiana Johnson 8), Sentinel 5.5 (Claire Bohnsack 3.5). Aces — Flathead 10 (Lizzie Sherwood 3), Sentinel 5 (Elsa Godwin 3).
Libby 3, Eureka 1
LIBBY — Libby kicked off homecoming week with an 18-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-21 win in Class B action Tuesday.
“It was a fun match to win,” Libby head coach Cindy Ostrem-Johnston said.
“It was a battle though, Eureka does not quit playing. They’re a good team and I was proud of our girls for pulling off the win tonight.
Mehki Sykes had 13 kills to lead the Loggers. Bailie Rosling chipped in 25 digs and three aces. Libby had 13 blocks to only one for the Lions.
Amanda Peterson (13) and Kassi Peterson (12) led Eureka in kills, with Amanda Peterson adding a team-high 17 digs.
Libby def. Eureka 18-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-21
Kills — Eureka 39 (Amanda Peterson 13, Kassi Peterson 12), Libby 38 (Mehki Sykes 13, Haylee Cannon 7). Assists — Eureka 34 (Liz Pacella 30), Libby 32 (Ashley Walker 19). Digs — Eureka 76 (Amanda Peterson 17), Libby 48 (Bailie Rosling 25). Blocks — Eureka 1 (Kassi Peterson), Libby 13 (Emily Mossburg 7). Aces — Eureka 11 (Erynn Their 5), Libby 11 (Ashley Walker, Bailie Rosling, India Croucher 3).