Moy shines as Bravettes sweep Bruins

The Sterck sisters, Savanna and Sienna, and Akilah Kubi tended to steal the stat lines as the Flathead Bravettes’ volleyball season gained steam.

Nobody should forget about Maddy Moy. Helena Capital learned that Thursday at the Glacier High School gym, where Moy pounded down 10 kills — including the match-ender — to lead Flathead to a sweep of the Bruins.

Senior Alliyah Stevens added seven kills for the Bravettes, who take a 15-10 record into Friday’s 5 p.m. semifinal against Helena. Savanna Sterck was fierce at the net as well as on the back row, and her sister had two blocks.

Meanwhile Moy, a 5-foot-9 junior, was a force in the middle in the Bravettes’ 25-22, 25-16, 25-21 victory.

“She is definitely our workhorse,” Flathead coach Emily Russell said. “It’s pretty rare that a middle (blocker) gets to pass in serve-receive, and gets to serve, and gets great digs, great blocks, great swings. It’s been awesome to see her come full-circle with her game.”

It was kills from Stevens and Savanna Sterck that broke a 22-22 tie in the first set, which ended on the next point with a Capital hitting error.

Stevens then had two kills as Flathead scored the first six points of the second set. Flathead led 20-14 when Moy started a closing surge with a kill; Kubi had a block, then a spike to push the lead to 23-14 and Kennedy Moore’s kill ended that set.

Moy really stood out in the third game, in which Capital (8-17) led 10-6. Flathead scored the next five points, capped by Moy’s spike; she teamed with Moore for a block as the Bravettes bolted away from a 16-15 lead.

Moy’s tip kill made it 21-16. Savanna Sterck followed with two aces and while her next impressively hard serve was returned, that dig set up Moy perfectly for another spike that made it 24-16.

The junior then ended a long final point, prolonged by Capital’s Nyeala Herndon two denials at the net, with her 10th kill.

A sizable group of Flathead students then sang the school fight song on the court with the team.

“It’s pretty cool that we get to play divisionals in our home town,” said Russell, a 2013 Flathead graduate now in her third season as head coach. “Even though it’s not at our school, it’s cool to be able to experience this for our school and our program. I’ve never been a part of divisionals as an athlete or a coach.”

A win Friday would push the Bravettes into the State AA tournament for the first time since they finished fourth in 2018.

“It’s been good,” Russell said. “The girls respond to me, they listen — most of the time — and they do a great job. I’m proud of them and excited to see what they do tomorrow.”

Flathead def. Helena Capital 25-22, 25-16, 25-21

Kills — Flathead 34 (Maddy Boy 10, Alliyah Stevens 7), Capital 26 (Rachel Stacey 8, Nyeala Herndon 5). Assists — Flathead 27 (Kennedy Moore 8, Kylie Munsinger 8), Capital 25 (Kayla Almquist 21). Blocks — Flathead 7 (Moore 2), Capital 3 (Herndon 3). Digs — Flathead 46 (Moore 12, Cyan Mooney 10), Capital 50 (Kennedy Pocha 16, Almquist 8, Stacey 8). Aces — Flathead 6 (Sienna Sterck 2, Moy 2), Capital 5 (no leader).

Helena def. Big Sky 3-0

Lauren Heusier had 16 kills and Alex Bullock added nine kills and two blocks as the Helena Bengals swept Missoula Big Sky in Thursday’s nightcap.

Kim Feller had 13 assists and three aces for the Bengals (15-10), who split their two regular-season matches with Flathead.

Helena def. Missoula Big Sky 25-17, 25-14, 25-7

Kills — Helena 42 (Lauren Heuiser 16, Alex Bullock 9), Big Sky 8 (Shannon McGee 2, Rece Sandau 2). Assists — Helena 36 (Kate Onespot-Danforth 19, Kim Feller 13), Big Sky 7 (Natalie Ellis 4). Blocks — Helena 3 (Bullock 2), Big Sky 4 (Hadlea Fred 2. Digs — Helena 35 (Feller 10, Morin Blaise 9), Big Sky 41 (Jordan Whitmire 11). Aces — Helena 13 (Sidney Mattfeldt 5, Feller 3), Big Sky 2 (Shannon McGree 2).

Sentinel def. Hellgate 3-0

In the first match of the day Quincy Frohlich had 12 kills as the top-seeded Missoula Sentinel Spartans (20-5) swept their crosstown rival, Missoula Hellgate.

Paige Sawyer had 29 assists and five aces for Sentinel. Camille Sherrill had 17 kills, 15 digs and four aces for the Knights (1-20).

Missoula Sentinel def. Missoula Hellgate 25-21, 25-23, 25-12

Kills — Sentinel 37 (Quincy Frohlich 12), Hellgate 25 (Camille Sherrill 17). Assists — Sentinel 32 (Paige Sawyer 29), Hellgate 22 (Lydia Barrow 13). Blocks — Sentinel 6 (Liv Huntsinger 2), Hellgate 4 (Ashbeigh Hall 2). Digs — Sentinel 43 (Raia Chase 11), Hellgate 54 (Sherrill 15). Aces — Sentinel 13 (Sawyer 5, Chase 5), Hellgate 10 (Sherrill 4).

Western AA

Glacier High School

Friday’s matches

11 a.m. — Glacier (12-13) vs. Hellgate (1-20), loser out

1 p.m. — Capital (8-17) vs. Big Sky (3-22), loser out

3 p.m. — Sentinel (20-5) vs. Butte (10-15), semifinal

5 p.m. — Flathead (15-10) vs. Helena (15-10), semifinal