State Volleyball: Pack, Bulldogs and Lions rise up

Two of the cool things about Class AA volleyball is the pair of crossover tournaments held during the season, in which the Western AA squads take measure of their counterparts from the Eastern AA.

Less cool is that the Eastern AA has, well, out-measured the West. 

Glacier coach Christy Harkins notes that in one of those crossovers, her Wolfpack faced Bozeman, their first-round opponent Thursday at the State AA tournament at Breeden Field House at Montana State University.

The Hawks prevailed two sets to one, but Harkins feels her team, which is 20-7 after winning the Western AA Divisional, has gotten better since.

“I think we’ve developed a lot more consistency for sure,” she said Wednesday. “We have some different people playing at different positions, and we’re definitely improved.

“And so have they.”

Glacier is joining 31 other teams at the All-Class state tournament that concludes Saturday afternoon on the MSU campus. Among the programs sending teams to Bozeman is Whitefish for the State A tournament and Eureka for the State B.

State AA

Billings West is for real (and 27-0) and on the opposite side of the bracket from the Wolfpack, who go in with some girls playing really good volleyball. Kenedee Moore tops the team in digs; Sarah Downs leads the team in kills, and Harkins noted Downs’ play from the back row, serving and hitting, has been a boost.

“Haven Speer in that setter leadership role,” Harkins added. “She not only does a great job running the offense, but she’s an offensive weapon as well.

“And Ella Farrell, the second half of the season especially, has done a great job for us. We’ve continued to rely on her at the net as a hitter and blocker. Everything we ask her to do, she does. She steps up and is a great competitor.”

Bozeman is but the first hurdle, with attacker Morgan Jones and fellow junior Sofie Kimmel, who leads AA in set assists.

The Eastern division (Great Falls CMR, Billings Senior) has won the last two state titles, but don’t count out the Pack.

“It’s why you play the game,” Harkins said. “We know we’re underdogs going in. Even though we’re a No. 1 seed, we know. And that’s not a bad place to be.”

State A

Similarly to Glacier, Whitefish saw its first-round opponent, Billings Central, earlier in the season at a tournament in Butte three weeks ago.

The super-set went to the three-time defending state champion Rams, 30-27.

“It was a tight game,” seventh-year coach Addy Connelly said. “We were competitive with each other.”

The Bulldogs (17-10) got the Western A’s third seed into State, playing four tough matches in Polson. Two of them went five sets.

Brooke Zetooney had 60 kills while Myli Ridgeway, Bailey Smith and Hailey Ells also had strong matches at the net. Connelly noted the group has put in a lot of time in club volleyball and camps, and it has paid off with the Bulldogs’ first state berth since 2018.

“My players have all, at different times, stood out. They’re biggest strength is that they play together. If one player is down they surround her and pick her up,” Connelly added. “Brooke Zetooney has had a great season but wouldn’t be able to do it. without the passing of (libero) Maggie Mercer, Ainsley Scott and Kayden Blackwell.”

Billings Central (14-6), which lost in the Eastern divisional championship to Hardin, has a couple big hitters in Garcie Loveridge and Kamryn Reinker. 

Polson (11-6) is in the tournament for a fifth straight season after earning the fourth seed out of the Western A; the Pirates take on Eastern A champ Hardin in the first round.

State B

Eureka’s second-place finish at the Western B sewed up the Lions’ first State B berth since 2017; head coach Todd Brouillette was in Plains then, but current assistant Riley Morgan was on that squad.

This season’s Lions boast junior outside hitter Kara Senger and junior setter Anni Vaughn.

Sophie Vaughn keeps the ball off the floor on the back row and Aubrey Casazza is another hitter for a team that tries for 150-180 attacks per match.

“Which is a pretty high-volume offense,” Brouillette said. “We’re not big, so we can’t rely on our blocks. We just have to attack relentlessly.”

The bad news is the Lions’ first opponent is pretty much synonymous with Class B volleyball: Huntley Project has won 14 state titles, including the last two and five of the last six.

“The nice part is we have nothing to lose,” Brouillette said. “There’s no expectation there so might as well go shock the state.”

All-Class Tournament Pairings

Nov. 9-11, Breeden Field House, MSU

State AA

Thursday

Game 1: Glacier vs. Bozeman, 10 a.m.

Game 2: Missoula Sentinel vs. Gallatin, noon

Game 3: Billings West vs. Helena Capital, 2 p.m.

Game 4: Billings Skyview vs. Helena, 4 p.m.

Game 5: Winner 1 vs. Winner 2, 6 p.m.

Game 6: Winner 3 vs. Winner 4, 8 p.m.

Friday

Game 7: Loser 1 vs. Loser 2, 10 a.m.

Game 8: Loser 3 vs. Loser 4, noon

Game 9: Winner 7 vs. Loser 6, 2 p.m.

Game 10: Winner 8 vs. Loser 5, 4 p.m.

Game 11: Winner 5 vs. Winner 6, 6 p.m., semifinal

Game 12: Winner 9 vs. Winner 10, 6 p.m., loser is fourth

Saturday

Game 13: Winner 12 vs. Loser 11, 10 a.m., loser is third

Game 14: Winner 11 vs. Winner 13, noon, championship

Game 15: 2 p.m., if necessary

State A

Thursday

Game 1: Hamilton vs. Lockwood, 10 a.m.

Game 2: Hardin vs. Polson, noon

Game 3: Frenchtown vs. Glendive, 2 p.m.

Game 4: Whitefish vs. Billings Central, 4 p.m.

Game 5: Winner 1 vs. Winner 2, 6 p.m.

Game 6: Winner 3 vs. Winner 4, 8 p.m.

Friday

Game 7: Loser 1 vs. Loser 2, 10 a.m.

Game 8: Loser 3 vs. Loser 4, noon

Game 9: Winner 7 vs. Loser 6, 2 p.m.

Game 10: Winner 8 vs. Loser 5, 4 p.m.

Game 11: Winner 5 vs. Winner 6, 6 p.m., semifinal

Game 12: Winner 9 vs. Winner 10, 6 p.m., loser is fourth

Saturday

Game 13: Winner 12 vs. Loser 11, l10 a.m., loser is third

Game 14: Winner 11 vs. Winner 13, noon, championship

Game 15: 2 p.m., if necessary

State B

Thursday

Game 1: Huntley Project vs. Eureka, 10 a.m.

Game 2: Fairfield vs. Deer Lodge, noon

Game 3: Florence vs. Columbus, 2 p.m.

Game 4: Townsend vs. Fairview, 4 p.m.

Game 5: Winner 1 vs. Winner 2, 6 p.m.

Game 6: Winner 3 vs. Winner 4, 8 p.m.

Friday

Game 7: Loser 1 vs. Loser 2, 10 a.m.

Game 8: Loser 3 vs. Loser 4, noon

Game 9: Winner 7 vs. Loser 6, 2 p.m.

Game 10: Winner 8 vs. Loser 5, 4 p.m.

Game 11: Winner 5 vs. Winner 6, 6 p.m., semifinal

Game 12: Winner 9 vs. Winner 10, 6 p.m., loser is fourth

Saturday

Game 13: Winner 12 vs. Loser 11, l10 a.m., loser is third

Game 14: Winner 11 vs. Winner 13, noon, championship

Game 15: 2 p.m., if necessary

State C

Thursday

Game 1: Broadus vs. Roy-Winifred, 10 a.m.

Game 2: Manhattan Christian vs. Chester-JI, noon

Game 3: Bridger-Belfry vs. Twin Bridges, 2 p.m.

Game 4: Belt vs. North Country, 4 p.m.

Game 5: Winner 1 vs. Winner 2, 6 p.m.

Game 6: Winner 3 vs. Winner 4, 8 p.m.

Friday

Game 7: Loser 1 vs. Loser 2, 10 a.m.

Game 8: Loser 3 vs. Loser 4, noon

Game 9: Winner 7 vs. Loser 6, 2 p.m.

Game 10: Winner 8 vs. Loser 5, 4 p.m.

Game 11: Winner 5 vs. Winner 6, 6 p.m., semifinal

Game 12: Winner 9 vs. Winner 10, 6 p.m., loser is fourth

Saturday

Game 13: Winner 12 vs. Loser 11, l10 a.m., loser is third

Game 14: Winner 11 vs. Winner 13, noon, championship

Game 15: 2 p.m., if necessary