Volleyball: Flathead wins eighth straight, beats Hellgate in four sets
<p>Flathead's Xio Lopp sets up her teammate for a kill during the first game against Missoula Hellgate at Flathead on Tuesday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Flathead libero Jourdon Schultz digs out a ball against Missoula Hellgate on Tuesday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Flathead's Tiana Johnson knocks a kill past Missoula Hellgate's Erin Szalda-Petree during the second game of a Western AA match at Flathead on Tuesday, Oct. 13 in this file photo. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
Missoula Hellgate star Hannah Lasche put down two straight kills to get her team one point away from winning a second set on the road at Flathead on Tuesday night.
Then Courtney Baker used a timeout and flipped the match.
“I just completely changed things,” Baker said of her strategy. “I had Tiana (Johnson) go to right side, I had a JV player in her second game (Allie Gagnon) go middle and I’m glad I did.”
The move — designed to shut down Lasche — spurred the Bravettes to three straight points and a 27-25 victory in the third set of a match they would go on to win 25-20, 22-25, 27-25, 25-17.
“It’s just fun to be able to make some of those changes and see the girls not only make them but thrive,” Baker said. “It was a fun game with long rallies, and it was good to see my girls respond and get a win.”
The victory was the eighth in a row for the Bravettes (10-2, 8-1 Western AA) who remain tied with Missoula Sentinel at the top of the conference.
Lasche stood out all over the court, notching a match-high 18 kills and seeing work on the Knights’ back line, as well. The Braves had hoped to be able to contain the senior with their block, but Lasche had a hard-to-negate answer for that.
“Part of it is that (Lasche) jumps so high she was hitting over the top of our block,” Baker said. “We struggled a little bit but luckily our left back defense really stepped up. Lizzie Sherwood had 20 digs. She was back there most of the time when (Lasche) was hitting and stepped in and took some of those hard hit balls.”
“(Lasche)’s a great player, she’s a really great player,” Baker continued.
Hellgate did not just force the Bravettes to adjust defensively; they also stifled the Flathead attack with their own back row play.
“We’ve been used to just hammering the ball over and no one being there,” Baker said. “(Hellgate) never gives up. They just passed and recovered and dug everything that we put over so it was a little bit of a frustrating night for the girls.”
Eventually, however, it was Flathead’s balance that would win out. After the emotional late comeback to win the third set, the Bravettes raced out to a 10-1 lead in the decisive fourth set and held on to win the match.
Marisa Postovit led Flathead with 12 kills, one of three Bravettes with at least 10 in the match. Johnson finished with 11 kills and two blocks, with Alyssa Wisher adding a match-high five blocks and 10 kills.
Xio Lopp led the way passing with 29 assists. Abbie O’Brien recorded five aces.
The Bravettes return to action Thursday and Friday at the Missoula Invitational.
Flathead def. Hellgate 25-20, 22-25, 27-25, 25-17
Kills — Hellgate 56 (Hannah Lasche 18), Flathead 44 (Marisa Postovit 12, Tiana Johnson 11). Assists — Hellgate 44 (Emily Jones 20), Flathead 32 (Xio Lopp 29). Digs — Hellgate 84 (Becca Jones 22), Flathead 72 (Lizzie Sherwood 20). Blocks — Hellgate 4 (Erin Szalda-Petree), Flathead 8 (Alyssa Wisher 5). Aces — Hellgate 7 (Lasche, Mari Lundin 2), Flathead 11 (Abbie O’Brien 5).
Records — Hellgate (4-5 Western AA), Flathead (10-2, 8-1)