VOLLEYBALL: Glacier 4th at Electric City Invitational
GREAT FALLS — Glacier picked up a pair of hard-fought wins en route to a fourth place finish at the 16-team Electric City Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
The Wolfpack went 13-1 in their 14 sets on Friday to qualify for the eight-team championship bracket, with matches played at Great Falls High School. Glacier edged Great Falls C.M. Russell 23-25, 26-24, 18-16 in the first round before falling 22-25, 25-17, 15-11 to Billings Senior in the semifinals.
The Pack bounced back to beat Billings West 21-25, 25-20, 16-14 in a loser-out contest to reach the third place match where it was beaten in two sets by defending state champion Bozeman.
Flathead was in the consolation bracket Saturday, across town at C.M. Russell High School. The Bravettes went 1-2 on the day, defeating Butte before being eliminated by Missoula Big Sky in the loser-out semifinals.
Missoula Sentinel won the event, knocking off Senior 25-22, 25-19 in the championship match.
Electric City Invitational
Saturday
Championship bracket
at Great Falls High
First round
Missoula Sentinel def. Billings West 25-15, 25-12
Bozeman def. Billings Skyview 23-25, 25-23, 16-14
Glacier def. Great Falls C.M. Russell 23-25, 26-24, 18-16
Billings Senior def. Helena Capital 25-20 25-21
Semifinals
Sentinel def. Bozeman 25-22, 25-12
Senior def. Glacier 22-25, 25-17, 15-11
Second round, loser out
West def. Skyview 25-18, 25-18
Capital def. CMR 25-15, 25-21
Loser-out semifinals
Glacier def. West 21-25, 25-20, 16-14
Bozeman def. Capital 27-25, 27-25
Third place
Bozeman def. Glacier 25-126, 25-19
Championship
Sentinel def. Senior 25-22, 25-19
Consolation bracket
at C.M. Russell High
(Match score not available)
First round
Helena def. Havre
Missoula Big Sky def. Lewistown Fergus
Great Falls High def. Flathead
Missoula Hellgate def. Butte
Semifinals
Helena def. Big Sky
Great Falls def. Hellgate
Loser-out second round
Lewistown Fergus def. Havre
Flathead def. Butte
Loser-out semifinals
Hellgate def. Lewistown Fergus
Big Sky def. Flathead
Consolation third place
Big Sky def. Hellgate
Consolation championship
Helena def. Great Falls
Columbia Falls 3, Stevensville 0
COLUMBIA FALLS — Columbia Falls remained undefeated in defense of its Class A state championship, downing Stevensville in the Wildkats’ first home match of the year.
The hosts won by a 25-10, 25-22, 20-25, 25-16 score.
“Stevensville made a lot of errors in the first game, which we capitalized on, but then they turned it around for the rest of the match and forced us to have a lot of errors,” Columbia Falls coach Jessy Matthews said.
Kiara Burlage led a potent Wildkats attack with 17 kills and Cydney Finberg handed out 34 assists. Columbia Falls had 44 kills in the match to just 29 for Stevi.
K.J. Schweikert added five aces and three blocks.
Columbia Falls def. Stevensvile 25-10, 25-22, 20-25, 25-16
Kills — Stevensville 29 (Mariah Hinson 13), Columbia Falls 44 (Kiara Burlage 17); Blocks — Stevensville 7 (Angel Richard 4), Columbia Falls 6 (KJ Schweikert 3); Assists — Stevensville 21 (Quinn Larson 20), Columbia Falls 36 (Cydney Finberg 34); Digs — Stevensville 44 (Cassi Kopsa 12, Abby Austin 12), Columbia Falls 64 (Morgan Stenger 12, Kaitlin Casazza 12); Aces — Stevensville 5 (Mikayla Hall 3), Columbia Falls 13 (Schweikert 5).
Bigfork, Libby split at quad
BIGFORK — Libby and Bigfork each swept Missoula Loyola-Sacred Heart but both fell short against Florence at the Bigfork Quad.
The host Valkyries (3-1) easily stopped the Breakers, winning 25-8, 25-18, 25-22, but Florence squeaked out a five-set 22-25, 25-16, 25-19, 21-25, 15-11 win to hand Bigfork its first loss of the season.
Abbie Fraley had 17 kills to lead the way against the Falcons. Kalia Wicklund passed out 52 assists over the two matches.
Libby (2-1) also suffered its first loss of 2016 to Florence, going down 25-21, 25-22, 25-13. The Loggers had a much easier time with the Breakers, rolling 25-15, 25-16, 25-17.
Mehki Sykes led Libby in kills in both matches, totaling 22 on the day. Jayden Winslow had three blocks in the loss to Florence.
Bigfork def. Loyola 25-8, 25-18, 25-22
Kills — Bigfork 32 (Abby Ellison 9). Blocks — Bigfork 3 (no leader). Digs — Bigfork 34 (Jaclyn Saunders 9). Assists — Bigfork 26 (Kalia Wicklund 25). Aces — Bigfork 8 (Ellison 3).
Florence def. Bigfork 22-25, 25-16, 25-19, 21-25, 15-11
Kills — Florence 55 (Hudsyn Doty 16), Bigfork 34 (Abbie Fraley 17). Blocks — Florence 8 (Megan Kowalski 4), Bigfork 3 (Wilson Vogt 2). Digs — Florence 73 (Doty 30), Bigfork 51 (Wicklund 10, Brooke Fraley 10). Assists — Florence 45 (Shay Waldbillig 45), Bigfork 28 (Wicklund 27). Aces — Florence 18 (Doty 5), Bigfork 11 (Fraley 4).
Libby def. Loyola 25-15, 25-16, 25-17
Kills — Libby 37 (Mehki Sykes 14). Blocks — Libby 4 (Emily Mossburg 2). Digs — Libby 34 (Linsey Walker 7). Assists — Libby 31 (Alli Collins 25). Aces — Libby 17 (Haylee Cannon 7).
Florence def. Libby 25-21, 25-22, 25-13
Kills — Libby 24 (Sykes 8), Florence 29 (Kowalski 8). Blocks — Libby 8 (Jayden Winslow 3), Florence 5 (Kowalski 3). Digs — Libby 20 (Emma Gruber 7), Florence 45 (Doty 17). Assists — Libby 25 (Collins 15), Florence 27 (Waldbillig 26). Aces — Libby 8 (Cannon 4), Florence 9 (Doty 3).
Eureka sweeps host quad
EUREKA — Eureka’s Lions battled back after dropping the first set to beat Anaconda, then swept Ronan to cap off a two-win day at their host quad.
Troy went 1-1 at the event.
The Lions (4-0) beat Anaconda 22-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-14 in their first match, then blew past the Maidens 25-21, 25-18, 25-19.
Kassi Peterson had 28 kills in the two wins, adding a pair of aces and a block against the Copperheads.
“They just played great volleyball,” Eureka coach Charli Chapman said. “They played as a team, they were aggressive when they needed to be and they finished at crucial times. Definitely a great team effort to sweep.”
Troy (4-2) outlasted Ronan in five sets, 25-17, 20-25, 25-13, 20-25, 15-10 behind 16 service aces, five from Alyssa Lewis. The Trojans fell in four, 25-23, 25-11, 24-26, 25-19 to Anaconda.
Lewis added 11 blocks over the two matches and put down a team-high eight kills against the Maidens.
Eureka def. Anaconda 22-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-14
Kills — Eureka 51 (Kassi Peterson 19). Blocks — Eureka 2 (Jessica Wilson 1, Peterson 1). Digs — Eureka 54 (Kaylee Kronsperger 14, Rylee Morgan 14). Assists — Eureka 48 (Liz Pacella 48). Aces — Eureka 6 (Peterson 2, Erynn Their 2).
Eureka def. Ronan 25-21, 25-18, 25-19
Kills — Eureka 36 (Kassi Peterson 9, Kaylee Kronsperger 8). Blocks — Eureka 4 (Jessica Wilson 2). Digs — Eureka 14 (Rylee Morgan 7). Assists — Eureka 34 (Liz Pacella 34). Aces — Eureka 9 (Morgan 4).
Troy def. Ronan 25-17, 20-25, 25-13, 20-25, 15-10
Kills — Troy 25 (Alyssa Lewis 8). Blocks — Troy 7 (Lewis 4). Digs — Troy 40 (Kaitlyn Downey 25). Assists — Troy 17 (Allie Brown 17). Aces — Troy 16 (Lewis 5, Downey 4).
Anaconda def. Troy 25-23, 25-11, 24-26, 25-19
Kills — Troy 21 (Sami Rohrich 10). Blocks — Troy 7 (Alyssa Lewis 7). Digs — Troy 39 (Kaitlyn Downey 22). Assists — Troy 18 (Allie Brown 17). Aces — Troy 10 (Downey 4).