Flathead spikers win in 5, again

Break out the brooms.

The Flathead Bravettes swept their crosstown volleyball series with the Glacier Wolfpack Thursday night in their home gym, winning in five sets.

There weren’t any fire alarms to deal with this time either.

Flathead last swept a crosstown series in 2018. Glacier won the last two after that. It’s with good reason that the pink-clad Flathead faithful stormed the court and spent a little extra time huddled together and cheering.

“It feels really good,” Flathead coach Emily Russell said.

The Wolfpack (9-11 overall, 6-4 Western AA) won the first set and led by as much as eight points in the second before Flathead started to fight back, going on a 6-2 scoring run to win that set.

“They took care of the ball,” Russell said. “They just were very aggressive, very aggressive with their swings and didn't give up.”

In the third set, Flathead (11-9, 7-3) was able to tie it 21-21 and got as close as two points from winning it — Glacier took that one.

It was Glacier that had to play the comeback game in the fourth set, clawing back from a 17-10 deficit, tying it 24-24 but coming up short.

Flathead’s hitters were in fine form. Savanna Sterck came up with 14 kills with her powerful arm and Akilah Kubi had four blocks. Sienna Sterck was also a threat in front of the net.

Kubi had a crucial block in the fifth set up 10-8 that seemed to keep things swinging Flathead’s way.

“Our blocks definitely changed the momentum of the game for sure,” Russell said. “Akilah did a great job. She fired up the team and that's what we needed.”

Flathead had 10 blocks to Glacier’s 1, so it’s hard to argue with Russell’s assessment.

Sophomore Kennedy Moore did some heavy lifting for Flathead, recording 10 digs, 16 assists and 20 digs. Moore was injured in the last crosstown but showed no sign of lingering effects.

Flathead’s Cyan Mooney served three aces and recorded 19 digs, and Maddy Moy had three blocks.

Glacier’s Sidney Gulick, a tremendous hitter in her own right, had 24 kills and two service aces.

Haven Speer and Maddie Frazier also stood out for Glacier — Speer with 41 assists and Frazier with 23 of 83 total digs.

Both teams are off until next Thursday. Glacier has a 7 p.m. game at Helena High, and Flathead also plays at 7 p.m. against Helena Capital.

Flathead def. Glacier 22-25, 25-23, 23-25, 26-24, 15-12.

Kills — Glacier 50 (Sidney Gulick 24), Flathead 44 (Savanna Sterck 14, Kennedy Moore 10); Assists — Glacier 44 (Haven Speer 41), Flathead 41 (Kylie Munsinger 22, Moore 16); Digs — Glacier 83 (Maddie Frazier 23), Flathead 78 (Moore 20, Cyan Mooney 19); Blocks — Glacier 1 (Sarah Downs 1), Flathead 13 (Akilah Kubi 4, Maddy Moy 3); Aces — Glacier 7 (Gulick 2, Ella Farrell 2), Flathead 6 (Mooney 3).