STATE VOLLEYBALL: Weary Wolfpack finishes third

BOZEMAN — One day after back-to-back dramatic comebacks, the Glacier Wolfpack just didn’t have another one.

Glacier scrapped throughout against well-rested Billings Senior but had to settle for third place in Class AA after the Broncs earned a 25-21, 25-20, 25-19 win Saturday morning at the all-class state volleyball tournament at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.

The third-place finish is the program’s best ever, equaling the 2010 squad.

After the match, however, the Wolfpack wasn’t thinking about the history it made. The pain of the loss was visible on several players’ faces and a handful were in tears when the team collected its third-place plaque.

“It’s the weirdest thing to accept your third-place trophy with tears in your eyes,” Glacier coach Christy Harkins said. “You’ve got some people that had their expectations higher and to see some tears from my seniors is awesome. That means they weren’t happy with just achieving third — they wanted a little bit more and I’m proud of them for that fight.”

Glacier earned its trophy with a determined effort throughout the three-day tournament, facing elimination twice on Friday and rallying both times to win in five sets, including an electrifying comeback against Helena High late Friday night. The Wolfpack dropped the first two sets to the Bengals before rallying to win the next three.

Less than 13 hours later, Glacier was back on the court against the Broncs and could never quite muster enough against a Senior team that played only one match on Friday. Harkins, though, thought her team was — at least physically — more than ready.

“I felt like we were good,” she said. “I thought they did a good job [Friday] night of managing that. They got to bed quick, got fueled up and physically I thought we were fine. I don’t think we looked tired or anything like that.”

Glacier started strong and led the Broncs 10-3 in the first game, but an 8-0 Senior run not long after put the Wolfpack behind and it spent most of the rest of the match playing catch-up. Glacier led only briefly in the second set before Senior closed on a 5-1 run, and the Broncs led wire-to-wire in the decisive third.

Nikki Krueger had 11 kills to lead all players in her final prep contest. A three-sport star at Glacier, Krueger played nearly every point of the Wolfpack’s six matches in the tournament, with the ferocious 6-foot-1 hitter even leading the team in digs in one match.

Harkins heaped praise onto her entire senior class — Krueger, libero Brietta Russell and hitters Meagan Gillespie and Abi Fiske — after the contest.

“They really worked, they really fought and they were still learning,” Harkins said of the four.

“Even [Saturday] in this match, they were still asking questions and trying to learn and wanting to be coached, not just to be out there and play, and that’s a really special group of girls that can do that.

“They have a lot of grit and determination, and they had to find that throughout the season, so that was pretty cool.”

Missoula Sentinel beat Senior 25-14, 19-25, 25-22, 25-21 later Saturday to complete an undefeated season with a state championship, the program’s first since 1988.

Loser Places Third

Billings Senior def. Glacier 25-21, 25-20, 25-19

Kills - Senior 31 (Raegan Steiner 10), Glacier 24 (Nikki Krueger 11). Blocks - Senior 9 (Koala Bad Bear 5), Glacier 9 (Abi Fiske 6). Assists - Senior 26 (Courtney Bad Bear 13, Sam Bonenberger 13), Glacier 23 (Ashley Montini 22). Digs - Senior 49 (Jordan Gilcrist 17), Glacier 22 (Brietta Russell 11). Aces - Senior 15 (Kelsey Sargent 5, Bonenberger 5), Glacier 2 (Russell 2).

Championship

Missoula Sentinel def.

Billings Senior, 25-14, 19-25, 25-22, 25-21

Kills - Senior 38 (Raegan Steiner 15, Kelsey Sargent 7), Sentinel 60 (Elsa Godwin 15, Kylie Frohlich 14, Shelby Schweyen 14). Blocks - Senior 12 (April Cross 7, Kola Bad Bear 6), Sentinel 7 (Tizzy Weida 4, Jordyn Schweyen 4). Digs - Senior 60 (Jordan Gilcrist 19, Steiner 13), Sentinel 62 (Sarina Moreno 16, Elsa Godwin 15). Assists - Senior 30 (Courtney Bad Bear 16), Sentinel 53 (Chelsea Bone 44). Aces - Senior 3 (C. Bad Bear, Gilcrist, Sargent), Sentinel 8 (Godwin 3, Frohlich 3).