Western A Volleyball Divisional
November 7-9, 2019
Dillon, Montana

Thursday, November 07, 2019

C-Falls headed to Western A Divisional volleyball semifinal

DILLON — The Columbia Falls Wildkats are undefeated in pool play after the first day of action at the Western A Divisional volleyball tournament, which runs through Saturday in Dillon.

Columbia Falls beat Stevensville and Butte Central to advance to the semifinal game versus Corvallis, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. today.

Corvallis beat Polson in quarterfinals and Libby in the first round.

In loser-out play, Polson will face the winner of Whitefish vs. Stevensville at 4 p.m. today.

Whitefish lost its first-round game to Butte Central earlier in the day.

Butte Central plays the winner of the Dillon vs. Libby game at 2 p.m.

Stevi and Whitefish are scheduled to play at 2 p.m. and Dillon and Libby will play at 10 a.m.

The championship game is 12 p.m. on Saturday.

The top four teams go to the state tournament in Bozeman next weekend.

Lady Pirates win opener

Polson downed host Dillon in a five set slugfest. Maggie Todd led Polson with 13 ills, 30 digs, five aces and two blocks. Berkley Ellis and Lena Pawloski dished out 14 assists apiece for the Pirates and Ara Mercer came up with 38 digs. Charli Hazelbaker led Dillon with 10 kills.

POLSON 3 DILLON 2

Dillon 25 22 25 15 14
Polson 12 25 16 25 16

Team Stats

Dillon

Kills
31 (Charli Hazelbaker 10, Josey Jones 8)
Assists
25 (Madi Ruegsegger 23)
Digs
120 (Ainsley Shipman 21)
Blocks
10 ( Evey Hansen 2.5)
Aces
9 (Tylia DeJohn 3)

Polson

Kills
44 (Maggie Todd 13, Misty Tenas 11, Grace Quinones 10)
Assists
31 (Berkley Ellis 14, Lena Pawloski 14)
Digs
120 (Ara Mercer 38, Todd 30)
Blocks
9 (Quinones 2, Todd 2, Misty Tenas 2, Pawloski 2)
Aces
8 (Todd 5)

Lady Blue Devils prevail 3-0

Corvallis won a winners’ bracket math over Polson. Madeline Gilder led Corvallis with 12 kills and Hannah Hutchinson added 10. Grace Quinones and Maggie Todd had six kills apiece for Polson

CORVALLIS 3 POLSON 0

Corvallis 25 26 25
Polson 12 24 14

Team Stats

Corvallis
Kills
22 (Madeline Gilder 12, Hannah Hutchinson 10)
Assists
27 (Hannah Martin 27)
Digs
21 (Martin 11, Casey Fison 10)
Blocks
2 (Isabel Evans 2)
Aces
5 (Gilder 3, Martin 2)

Polson
Kills
19 (Grace Quinones 6, Maggie Todd 6)
Assists
18 (Lena Paulowski 10)
Digs
50 (Quinones 13, Berkley Ellis 13)
Blocks
5 (Todd 3)
Aces
6 (Paulowski 2, Kobbey Smith 2)

Friday, November 08, 2019

C-Falls still alive, Polson 4th at Western A

DILLON — Polson punched its ticket to the state tournament with its fourth place finish at the Western A Divisional Tournament in Dillon on Friday.

Polson beat Stevensville earlier Friday.

Columbia Falls dropped to Corvallis in the semis and will face Butte Central in the third place game today. The winner plays Corvallis in the championship.

Each team is headed to the state tournament on Nov. 14-16 but final placings will determine how seeding will play out.

Western A Divisional at Dillon

Friday’s Results

Loser out

Stevensville def. Whitefish 26-24, 20-25, 25-23, 25-20

Kills — Whitefish 36 (Kaiah Moore 14, Luci Ridgeway 9), Stevensville 43 (Maddalena Margini 16, Aliyah Anderson 13); Aces — Whitefish 5 (Ridgeway 2, Mikenna Ells 2), Stevensville 4 (Cassie Kopsa 3); Assists — Whitefish 31 (Ells 23, Jenny Patten 7), Stevensville 33 (Maddie Webber 28, Kennedy Proast 5); Blocks — Whitefish 3, Stevensville 8 (Andersin 4, Margini 3); Digs — Whitefish 94 (Ridgeway 31, Jasmine Matern 20, Moore 17), Stevensville 77 (Kopsa 23, Webber 16).

Butte Central def. Dillon 23-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-21

Kills — Butte Central 51 (Cassidy Strizic 14), Dillon 41 (Jess Zimmerman 11); Aces — Butte Central 4 (Emma Keeley 1), Dillon 9 (Ainsley Shipman 3); Assists — Butte Central 49 (Maci Reopelle 24, Keeley 21), Dillon 36 (Madi Roegsegger 33); Blocks — Butte Central 2 (Avery Kelly 1), Dillon NA; Digs — Butte Central 79 (Reopelle 22, Sophie Sullivan 14), Dillon 61 (Josey Jones 11).

Lady Pirates clinch state berth

Maggie Todd was all over the floor with 16 kills, 20 digs, three blocks and three aces, and Misty Tenas contributed 14 kills and two blocks to lead Polson over Stevensville 25-15, 16-25, 25-17, 25-16 in an elimination match. Maddalena Margini topped Stevi with 12 kills and three blocks, and Ella Hendrickson added 11 kills.

Polson def. Stevensville 25-15, 16-25, 25-17, 25-16

Kills — Polson 41 (Maggie Todd 16, Misty Tenas 14), Stevensville 39 (Maddalena Margini 12); Aces — Polson 7 (Todd 3, Chloe Ducharme 3), Stevensville 4 (Aliyah Anderson 4); Assists — Polson 29 (Lena Pawloski 15, Berkley Ellis 10), Stevensville 35 (Maddie Weber 30); Blocks — 8 (Todd 3, Tenas 2, Kobbey Smith 2), Stevensville 2; Digs — 79 (Todd 20, Ara Mercer 13), Stevensville 66 (Weber 19, Cassi Kopsa 13).

Lady Pirates fall to Butte Central, place fourth

Cassidy Strizic put down 17 kills, had three aces and 1.5 blocks, and Maci Reopelle pitched in with 21 assists, 26 digs, five blocks and four aces to lead Butte Central past Polson 25-16, 25-17, 23-25, 25-16 and into a showdown with Columbia Falls on Saturday for a shot at Corvallis in the championship. Avery Kelly added 10 kills and four blocks for the Maroons. For Polson, Maggie Todd had 17 kills, three blocks and two aces, and Berkley Ellis provided 13 digs and 11 assists.

BUTTE CENTRAL 3 POLSON 1

Polson 16 17 25 16 1
Butte Central 25 25 23 25 3

Team Stats

Polson

Kills
38 (Maggie Todd 17, Misty Tenas 10)
Assists
30 (Lena Pawloski 11, Berkley Ellis 11)
Digs
66 (Ara Mercer 27, Ellis 13)
Blocks
9 (Grace Quinones 3, Todd 3)
Aces
4 (Todd 2)

Butte Central

Kills
47 (Cassidy Strizic 17, Avery Kelly 10)
Assists
44 (Maci Reopelle 21)
Digs
74 (Reopelle 26, Sophia Burton 19)
Blocks
9 (Kelly 4, Strizic 1.5, Reopelle .5)
Aces
11 (Reopelle 4, Strizic 3)

State Class A Volleyball Tournament
Thurs-Sat, November 14-16, 2019
MSU Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, Bozeman

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Billings Central, Corvallis to square off in Class A undefeated semifinal

BOZEMAN — Isabel Evans couldn’t stop beaming while talking about her team’s second-round win at the Class A state volleyball tournament Thursday.

Evans and the Corvallis Blue Devils beat the Glendive Red Devils 25-20, 21-25, 25-18, 25-14 at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse earning a trip to the unbeaten semifinal on Friday.

Question after question came Evans’s way, and the smile stayed plastered on her face the whole time.

“Being here in (this) atmosphere and having all the crowd, even if it’s not someone cheering for you, just having the energy of other people here, it just really makes it worth doing,” said Evans, who had five blocks. “Makes you realize the sport you love.”

The Blue Devils love the spot they’re in. They’ll play Billings Central Friday at 6 p.m., with the winner advancing to the state championship. Even just by being in the undefeated semifinal, both teams have guaranteed themselves at least third place in the tournament.

“We’re ready to work hard,” Corvallis coach Laurie Jones said. “And I think that’s all, really, you can ask of your team at state, is just for them to be willing to go out there and try their best. So that’s what we’re going to do.”

Madeline Gilder led the Blue Devils with 18 kills and she added 12 digs. Hannah Hutchinson finished with 12 kills, while Hannah Martin had 33 assists and 15 digs.

Meadow Torres and Karsen Murphy led Glendive with 12 kills each. Torres also had 23 digs, Murphy added five blocks, and Ashley Clapp contributed 18 digs.

Billings Central 3, Columbia Falls 1

Not once, but twice, the two-time defending Class A champion Rams had to flash some mettle.

The first time came when the Rams trailed late in the first set, only to rally and win. The second came after they lost a lead in set three, and rebounded in force to win the second-round match 25-22, 25-21, 12-25, 25-15.

Following the third-set loss, Rams coach Kylie Reitz gathered her veteran team and told them they were fine. And it turned out they were.

“I think it’s a sign of a team that believes in themselves,” Reitz said. “And understands, because they’ve been here before, what it’s going to take.”

Olivia Moten-Schell had 14 kills and Cindy Gray added 12 kills for the Rams. Four players reached double figures in digs — it was a lack of pride in defense, Reitz felt, that led to the third-set loss — led by Kristina Schafer’s 14. Maria Stewart had 14 digs, as well, to go with her 41 assists, and Grace Zeier and Izzy Erickson had 13 each.

Reitz said a dig by Zeier early in set four set the tone for the rest of the match.

“We just know we can’t settle for games like that, mental relapses,” said Moten-Schell. “We need to come prepared to play every single game.”

Central has played in each of the last three championship matches and can guarantee another trip with a win in Friday’s undefeated semifinal.

Mady Hoerner led Columbia Falls with 13 kills. Dillen Hoerner had 11 kills and 14 digs, and Angellica Street had a match-high 21 digs.
Corvallis 3, Havre 1

Corvallis coach Laurie Jones has been around the growth of the Blue Devils’ volleyball program for some time.

She graduated from the school in 2005, the first time the Blue Devils won a divisional title, and has been coaching the school’s junior varsity team for 11 seasons as Corvallis won a state title in 2013 and finished third the past two seasons.

Thursday, she was on the bench as the Blue Devils’ head coach in their 25-17, 25-20, 25-27, 25-21 first-round win over Havre in her first state match as head coach. Jones took over for Kasey Arceneiga, who stepped down last year after 10 seasons with the Blue Devils.

“There were adjustments in the beginning, I mean, no one’s exactly the same,” Jones said. “There’s some things I did differently that they adapted to really quickly. They were open to all of those suggestions, recommendations and growing pains and we just worked through it as a team.”

Corvallis had 54 kills to Havre’s 18. Madeline Gilder led the way with 15 kills, followed by Hanna Hutchison and Isabel Evans with 12 each. Hannah Martin had 43 assists and 18 digs, and Casey Fison had 19 digs.

Jessa Chvilicek led Havre with 10 kills and 2.5 blocks. Sam Oliver finished with 24 digs and Peyton Brown added 22 digs.

Glendive 3, Butte Central 0

Glendive senior Meadow Torres said the Red Devils had a little help in their first-round sweep of Butte Central.

The Red Devils won 25-16, 25-15, 25-20 and afterward, Torres talked about the loss of the team’s longtime bus drive Ken Zimmer, who passed away Tuesday morning after a long battle with a viral infection.

Zimmer, 76, had driven team buses for both Dawson County High School and Dawson Community College in Glendive for decades. The team visited Zimmer at a Billings hospital a couple weeks ago when they were in town to play Billings Central.

“Having that happen really helped us push, because we knew he’d be there with us on the court,” Torres said after she recorded a match-high 20 kills for the Red Devils. “He’s been our biggest fan and it was just super hard to see him go. But we’re happy he’s in a better place now.”

Ashley Clapp had 17 digs, Torres 16 and Tiana Carney 15 for the Red Devils, who are making their third consecutive trip to the state tournament. They had been 0-2 before this first-round win.

“This was a big goal for us,” Torres said, “We’re happy to accomplish it. This is big for us. We’re going on to our next goals now and hoping to keep going.”

Cassidy Strizic led Butte Central with seven kills. Maci Reopelle had 17 digs and Sophia Burton added 15 digs.

Columbia Falls 3, Hardin 0

Columbia Falls coach Jolandie Brooks wanted her team to be intimidating. Even if they didn’t feel that way, show it.

Fake it until you make it, so to speak.

The Wildkats didn’t have to fake much. They swept Hardin in the first round 25-21, 25-10, 25-17 to advance to the second round later in the day against Billings Central.

Dillen Hoerner and Mady Hoerner both had 11 kills for the Wildkats, who limited Hardin to 25 kills.

“I thought for our first match at state we played fairly clean,” Brooks said. “That was our goal. Play clean, stay aggressive, see what happens.”

Both Hoerners had two aces, while Kamber Brown had 37 assists and three blocks.

Alyssa Pretty Weasel and Jonna Lind led Hardin with six kills. Lind added 10 digs and Rilee Green led with 16 digs.

Hardin plays Polson in Friday’s early loser-out round at 10 a.m.

Rams down Lady Pirates in opener

Trying to win its third consecutive Class A volleyball championship, Billings Central got off to a good start with a three-set sweep of Polson in the first round.

The Rams received 17 kills from Olivia Moten-Schell and 33 assists and 10 digs from Maria Stewart to advance to the quarterfinals later in the day.

With the help of a five-point serving run by Carlyn Whitney, the Rams turned away what turned out to be the Pirates’ biggest threat in the second set.

Maggie Todd had 12 kills and Ara Mercer had 15 digs to lead the Pirates, who made their first appearance at state since 2011.

“We didn’t pass great, so that hurt us,” Polson coach Lizzy Cox said. “And we were a little bit timid. I don’t know if that’s from being our first time and getting used to the court a little bit. Everything didn’t quite click in that game.”

Billings Central 3, Polson 0

25-13, 25-19, 25-15

Billings Central: Kills:43 (Oliva Moten-Schell 17). Assists: 39 (Maria Stewart 33). Aces: 7 (Carlyn Whitney 3). Digs: 41 (Maria Stewart 10). Blocks: 5 (Izzy Erickson 3)

Polson: Kills:28 (Maggie Todd 12). Assists: 22 (Lena Pawlowski 14). Aces: 5. Digs: 44 (Ora Mercer 15). Blocks: 3

Friday, November 15, 2019

Class A State Volleyball Day 2: Corvallis upends two-time defending champ Billings Central

BOZEMAN — Corvallis took control of the fifth set early and earned its way into the Class A girls volleyball championship match for the first time since 2015 with a win over two-time defending champion Billings Central in the undefeated semifinal Friday night at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.

Corvallis won 25-20, 25-16, 14-25, 23-25, 15-9 by scoring five of the first six points in the deciding set, grabbing whatever momentum the Rams had gained when Cindy Gray put down the final kill in set four.

Even first-year Corvallis coach Laurie Jones wasn’t exactly sure how her team recovered so quickly.

“Yeah, that might be a loaded question,” she said with a chuckle. “I don’t think there’s any black-and-white answer. I think no matter what the match is, no matter what the score is, our goal was to keep pushing and it panned out that fifth game.”

Give Jones bonus points for honesty. And give the Blue Devils a chance to win their first state title since 2013.

“It’s what we’ve been talking about all season, and we knew (Billings Central) was the favorite,” said Corvallis senior Hannah Hutchison, who had nine kills and 13 digs. “So it means a lot. We’re probably going to see them again in the championship.”

The Rams hope so, too, but they’ll have to win the third-place match Saturday morning against Glendive for a chance to defend their title. Then, whomever advances to play Corvallis, they’ll have to beat the undefeated Blue Devils twice in the double-elimination format tournament.

“We made it tough on ourselves but I definitely think we’re capable,” Rams coach Kylie Reitz said. “I told the girls we got outplayed in so many different aspects that we have lots of room to play better tomorrow and change the tide for us. Hopefully, it’s going to be a long day.”

Olivia Moten-Schell had 21 kills for lead the Rams. Gray had 10 kills and four blocks, while Maria Stewart had 22 digs and 35 assists.

Isabel Evans had 16 kills and Madeline Gilder 11 kills and 12 digs for Corvallis. Hannah Martin finished with 40 assists and Casey Fison 13 digs.

“I’m feeling a lot of things right now, honestly,” Jones said. “I’m just kind of in shock right now. I’m glad for all of us, the fans, the players, the coaches, that we’re in the championship match.”

Glendive 3, Havre 0

When Karsen Murphy sent down the final kill, she also sent the Red Devils’s spirits soaring.

Glendive’s 25-22, 25-9, 25-21 over the Blue Ponies in the fourth-place match meant the Red Devils will earn their first volleyball trophy in school history.

“It’s insane, honestly,” said Murphy, who had 13 kills and 24 assists. “We have worked so incredibly hard this season and we have earned this, for sure. I’m so proud of the girls.”

Fourth-place Havre was led by Jessa Chvilicek, who four kills and three blocks. Sam Oliver had 12 digs.

Meadow Torres paced Glendive with 21 kills, and Tiana Carney had six aces. Ashley Clapp had 35 digs.

All that remains to be seen for the Red Devils is the color of their trophy. All three — first, second and third — are all in play for them Saturday, starting with the 10 a.m. third-place match against Billings Central.

“One of our goals coming into this tournament was to get into the championship game,” Murphy said. “We still have that opportunity and we’re still reaching for that goal.”

Havre 3, Columbia Falls 2

Havre’s Jessa Chvilicek scored the final two points with a kill and a block as the Blue Ponies edged Columbia Falls 25-17, 21-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-13 in a loser-out match.

The decisive set was tied 9-9, 11-11, 12-12 and 13-13 before Havre’s senior closed it out.

Chvilichek finished with 12 kills and 2.5 blocks. Sam Oliver contributed 10 assists and 32 digs, while Peyton Brown had 24 digs and 24 assists.

Kiera Brown had 15 kills and Dillen Hoerner 13 kills for Columbia Falls. Maddie Stutsman had 35 assists and Angellica Street had 39 digs.
Glendive 3, Hardin 1

Glendive bounced back from a first-set loss and eliminated Hardin with a 23-25, 25-13, 25-18, 25-15 win in a loser-out match.

Murphy led Glendive with 18 kills and eight blocks, and had 24 assists, as well. Madison Wahl added 14 kills, while Kayla Brown had 26 assists. Meadow Torres led three players in double figures with 33 digs, with Clapp adding 23 and Carney 14.

Nicole Green had nine kills and 10 digs for Hardin. Rilee Green added 13 digs.

Havre 3, Butte Central 0

Sam Oliver had eight kills and 10 digs, and Havre picked up its first state tournament win since 2007 with a 25-11, 25-17, 25-21 sweep of Butte Central in a loser-out match.

Jessa Chvilicek also had eight kills and Talia Ralph contributed four blocks for the Blue Ponies, who are at state for the first time since 2015.

Butte Central was also making its first state appearance since 2015, when the Maroons finished third. Cassidy Strizic led the Maroons with nine kills. Maci Reopelle had 15 digs and 13 assists.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Lady Pirates eliminated by Bulldogs

Alyssa Pretty Weasel and Jonna Lind combined for 30 kills to help Hardin sweep Polson.

Pretty Weasel finished with 16 kills and Lind 14 for the Bulldogs, who finished with 37 kills overall compared to Polson’s 27 in the 25-13, 26-24, 25-22 win.

Lind added 13 digs, and Nicole Green had six aces for Hardin, which served 10 aces for the match.

Grace Quinones led Polson with 11 kills and added 11 digs. Maggie Todd had 10 kills and 22 digs, while Ara Mercer had a match-high 24 digs.

Hardin 3, Polson 0

25-13, 26-24, 25-22

Polson: Kills:27 (Grace Quinones 11). Assists: 22 (Lena Pawlowski 11). Aces: 9 (Maggie Todd 4). Digs: 79 (Ava Mercer 24). Blocks: 1 (Kobby Smith 1)

Hardin: Kills:37 (Alyssa Pretty Weasel 16). Assists: 33 (Natalie Edgar 32). Aces: 10 (Nicole Green 6). Digs: 48 (Jonna Lind 13). Blocks: 4 (Alyssa Pretty Weasel 1.5)

Regular Season Results listed below in order of event completion

Day 1 – August 30th

C-Falls, Libby pace NW A spikers at Tip-Off Tourney

August 30, 2019 | The Daily Inter Lake

BUTTE — Columbia Falls and Libby led the way for Northwest A volleyball teams on Friday at the Northwest A/Southwest A Tip-Off Tournament at the Butte Civic Central.

Both teams posted 3-1 marks to tie for first place in their division for pool play. Corvallis tops Southwest A with a 4-0 mark.

Tournament action resumes this morning.

NorthwestA/Southwest A

Tip-Off Tournament

Friday

At the Butte Civic Center

Team Records

Northwest

W L

Columbia Falls 3 1

Libby 3 1

Polson 1 3

Ronan 1 3

Whitefish 0 4

Browning 0 4

Southwest

W L

Corvallis 4 0

Stevensville 3 1

Butte Central 3 1

Frenchtown 3 1

Dillon 2 2

Hamilton 1 3

Match Scores

Butte Central def. Polson 25-22, 25-23

Dillon def. Ronan 25-22, 25-23

Columbia Falls def. Frenchtown 25-10, 25-16

Whitefish split with Stevensville 25-22, 20-25

Libby def. Hamilton 25-18, 25-19

Corvallis def. Browning 25-9, 25-12

Butte Central def. Ronan 25-21, 25-16

Columbia Falls def. Dillon 25-15, 25-22

Frenchtown split with Whitefish 23-25, 25-19

Stevensville split with Libby 25-22, 11-25

Hamilton split with Browning 25-17, 23-25

Corvallis def. Polson 25-15, 25-8

Columbia Falls def. Butte central 25-11, 25-15

Dillon def. Whitefish 25-19, 25-20

Frenchtown split with Libby 25-13, 15-25

Stevensville def. Browning 25-15, 26-24

Polson def. Hamilton 25-12, 25-17

Corvallis def. Ronan 25-21, 25-4

Butte Central split with Whitefish 23-25, 25-21

Libby def. Dillon 25-23, 25-17

Frenchtown def. Browning 25-22, 25-15

Stevensville split with Polson 22-25, 25-19

Ronan def. Hamilton 26-24, 25-23

Corvallis def. Columbia Falls 25-20, 25-20

Day 2 – Saturday, August 31

Columbia Falls win tip-off tournament

A day after losing to Corvallis in two sets, Columbia Falls downed the Blue Devils in three (25-23, 24-26, 15-14) to win the Southwest vs. Northwest Tip-Off Tournament at the Butte Civic Center. The scores between the two Class A titans were 25-23, 24-26, 15-14. Libby downed Butte Central 24-17, 22-25, 15-9 in a battle of second-place teams, Dillon nipped Polson 23-15, 25-17, 15-14 in the third-place match, Stevensville routed Ronan 25-15, 25-22 for fourth, Frenchtown tripped Whitefish 20-25, 25-20, 15-14 for fifth and Hamilton routed Browning 25-9, 25-15 in the sixth-place matchup.

“This was a great idea for the tournament,” Hancock said about the Civic Center venue. “Being able to use three courts at the same time and have all the matches in the same building was good, I think. I think all the coaches probably liked it, but I’m not sure they would want to have it here every year. Most would probably still like to have it at their places (on their turns in the Western A host rotation).”

Saturday’s Southwest Northwest Scores. Teams seeded by Friday’s pool play records.

#6’s Hamilton defeats Browning 25-9, 25-15

#5’s Frenchtown defeats Whitefish 20-25, 25-20, 15-14

#4’s 2:30 Stevensville defeats Ronan 25-15, 25-22

#3’s 2:30 Beaverhead Co. defeats Polson 23-25, 25-17, 15-14

#2’s 3:30 Butte Central defeats Libby 25-17, 22-25, 15-9

#1’s Columbia Falls defeats Corvallis 25-23, 24-26, 15-14

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Lady Pirates subdue Lady Broncs

Polson 3, Frenchtown 0

not stats available

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Lady Pirates get conference win at Libby

It’s been a few years but the Lady Pirate volleyball team finally got a conference win at Libby. Polson defeated Libby in four sets, 25-19,26-24, 23-25, 25-15, as Misty Tenas had l3 kills and three blocks for the Pirates. Grace Quinones had four aces and Berkley Ellis added 15 assists.

Polson 3, Libby 1
25-19. 26·24. 23-25, 25·15

Stats

Libby: Not available
Polson: Kills:40 (Misty Tenas 13). Assists: Z7 (Berkley Ellis 15). Aces: 10 (Grace Quinones 4). Digs: 95 (Ara Mercer 30). Blocks: 7 (Misty Tenas 3)

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Polson sweeps Browning

Polson rolled over Browning in a Northwest A meeting, 25-23, 25-15, 25-14 on Thursday evening. Kobbey Smith had six kills and three aces while Berkley Ellis added eight assists and one block for Polson.

25-23, 25-15, 25-14
Browning: Kills:0. Assists: 0. Aces: 0. Digs: 0. Blocks: 0

Polson: Kills:22 (Kobbey Smith, Maggie Todd 6). Assists: 16 (Berkley Ellis 8). Aces: 12 (Kobbey Smith, Berkley Ellis 3). Digs: 50 (Ara Mercer 15). Blocks: 1 (Berkley Ellis 1)

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Lady Pirates on a roll in volleyball

Polson defeated Hamilton in four sets on Tuesday, 25-23, 22-25, 25-17, 25-12. Maggie Todd led Polson with 10 kills and 20 digs. Maggie Ringer had eight kills and 16 digs for Hamilton.

Polson def. Hamilton

25-23, 22-25, 25-17, 25-12

Hamilton: Kills:23 (Maggie Ringer 8). Assists: 17 (Taryn Searle 11). Aces: 13 (Searle 5). Digs: 67 (Ringer 16). Blocks: 6 (Camas Cratty 2)

Polson: Kills:42 (Maggie Todd 10). Assists: 27 (Lena Pawloski 13). Aces: 12 (Berkley Ellis 4). Digs: 65 (Todd 20). Blocks: 8 (Misty Tenas 4)

Thursday, September 19, 2019

WildKats hand Lady Pirates first conference defeat

Polson’s Misty Tenas had five kills and five blocks but the Pirates dropped a home match to Columbia Falls, 25-16, 25-19, 25-13. Polson is now 4-1 in conference play.

Polson (2-1nw, 4-1), C-Falls (5-0nw, 6-0)

C-Falls def. Polson 25-16, 25-19, 25-13

KILLS – CF26 (Dillen Hoerner 9, Kiera Brown 7, Madyson Hoerner 3, Falkner 3, Schweikert 3), P18 (Misty Tenas 5, Maggie Todd 4, Kobbey Smith 4, Grace Quinones 2, Pawlowski 2, Moss).

ACES – CF7 (Lauren Falkner 3, Street 2, D.Hoerner 2), P1 (GQ). ASSISTS – CF19 (Hannah Schweikert), P15 (Lena Pawlowski 10, Hallie Moss 2, Berk 2, Tenas).

BLOCKS – CF4 (Brown 2BS, Schweikert BS, Falkner BS), P4 (Tenas BS, GQ BS, Pawlowski BS, Kobb BA).

DIGS – CF37 (Angellica Street 14), P44 (Todd 13, Ara Mercer 12, Kobb 7, Pawlowski 5, GQ 4, Berk 2, Tenas).

Friday, September 20, 2019

Polson Pirates eke out Homecoming win over Ronan Maidens

By JOHN HEGLIE, Special for the Leader

At Ronan Friday night during Homecoming, the volleyball clash with cross-county rival Polson held extra significance for the Maidens beyond mere conference implications. Tradition and pride were also on the line. It was patently evident that both teams were geared up for showcasing some of their best capabilities because the contest would extend to a fifth and final set that hung in the balance until the very end.

Ronan took an early lead in the first set, but Polson battled back to knot the set at 11-11. The match would see-saw through four more ties before the Lady Pirates emerged with the first set.

The Maidens countered in the second set. The score stayed tight through the first quarter of points before Ronan began to create some distance, taking the second set 25-16 to knot the contest 1-1.

The third set was a barn burner. After seven ties through 10 apiece, the Maidens began to create some separation, holding at one point a half dozen point edge after they reached the 20s first. But the Lady Pirates dug deep, roaring back into contention to knot the match at 23, then tied again at 24 apiece, before taking the set.

The end of the set wasn’t without a small measure of controversy as some herculian efforts by the Maidens that seemed to keep play alive were cited for infractions that twice awarded a crucial point to Polson.

With Polson now leading 2-1, the Maidens seemed to harnass the buzz from the bee in their bonnets stemming from the sting of the end of the previous set as they took control early and knotted the match at two apiece, forcing a fifth and final set.

The final set unfolded with a Madeline McCrea block, a pair of kills and a Rylie Lindquist service ace that had the Maidens with an early lead 4-1, maintaining the margin at 6-3. But a calamity of attack errors knotted the set at 6-6. Polson edged ahead, but an Olivia Clairmont block and a Haylee Walchuk ace knotted things back at 8-8. Thereafter, Polson harnassed the momentum in their favor with the aid of some untimely Maiden miscues to capture the match with the fifth set win.

One unique occurrence that took place during the first set after being tied 18-all that precipitated from the unintentional errant trajectory of the ball. Maiden Madeline McCrea was making a dig attempt, but the ball made an irregular spin off of her wrists, curled into the air behind her, banked off the backboard of the raised basketball backboard and fell through the net of the basket. In basketball, the play would have been worth two points. But since the game was volleyball, a point was awarded to their opponent on account of the play being dinged as a dig deficiency.

Maiden princess nominees of the royal court collaborated to contribute seven kills, a half dozen service aces, a block assist and 31 defensive digs.

Polson will hold their Homecoming match against Libby Thursday, followed by a visit from Butte Central Saturday. Ronan embarks upon a road trip against Wildcats of Columbia Falls and Lady Bulldogs of Whitefish.

Polson def. Ronan 3-2 Polson (3-1nw, 5-1)

Ronan (1-3nw, 1-5)

Polson def. Ronan 25-18, 16-25, 26-24, 15-25, 15-12

KILLS – P37 (Misty Tenas 13, Maggie Todd 11, Kobbey Smith 6, Grace Quinones 4, Pawlowski 2, Berk), R29 (MadelineMcCrea 16, Madison Clairmont 7, LaReina Cordova 2, Olivia Clairmont 2, Kiana King, Lindquist).

ACES – P10 (Pawlowski 4, GQ3, Kobb 2, Todd)

R18 (Rylie Lindquist 7, Haylee Walchuk 4, McRae 4, ReganClairmont 2, Rowe)

ASSISTS

P27 (Lena Pawlowski 17, Berkley Ellis 9, Tenas)

R26 (Hannah Rowe 25, Lindquist).

BLOCKS

P8 (Tenas 3, Hallie Moss 3, Kobb, Todd)

R3 (McCrea 2BS, M.Clairmont BA, Cordova BA).

DIGS

P72 (Ara Mercer 23, Kobb 13, Berk 9, Todd 9, Pawlowski 7, GQ 6, Moss 3, Chloe DuCharme 2)

R71 (Lindquist 22, R.Clairmont 10, Walchuk 8, Rowe 8, McCrea 8, M.Clairmont 7, Brooklyn Kenelty 6, Cordova 2).

Thursday, September 26,2019

Lady Pirates win homecoming match over Lady Loggers

Polson won a back-and-forth match with Libby, 25-10, 10-25, 25-23, 18-25, 17-15. Maggie Todd led Polson with 18 kills and eight digs. Ara Mercer and Kobbey Smith combined for 51 of the Pirates’ 80 digs. Lena Pawloski dished out 18 assists.

Polson def. Libby

25-10, 10-25, 25-23, 18-25, 17-15.

Polson: Kills: 47 (Maggie Todd 18). Assists: 39 (Lena Pawloski). Aces: 10 (four with two). Digs: 80 (Ara Mercer 26). Blocks: 8 (Misty Tenas 4).

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Maroons take down Pirates in five-set battle

Butte Central passed a tough road test Saturday afternoon in Polson. The Maroons overcame some inconsistent play to knock off the Pirates in a five-set non-conference volleyball match.

The scores were 22-25, 25-21, 25-20, 19-25 and 15-8.

“We fought until the end and finished in the fifth, so I am proud of the girls for that,” BC coach Becky Hancock said. “But we played pretty inconsistent, and we need to work on the rhythm of our game.”

Cassidy Strizic and Avery Kelly led the BC offensive at the net, combining for 24 kills. Strizic spiked 13, while Kelly tallied 11. Marissa Anderson killed nine in the win.

Mace Reopelle and Emma Keeley ran the Central offense. Reopelle served up 25 assists, and Keeley dished 13.

A collective effort in the backcourt carried BC’s defense. Sophia Burton collected 15 digs, while Sophie Sullivan, Strizic and Reopelle each netted 11 kills. Keeley dug up seven, Anderson dug five, and Amira Bolton dug four.

“Serving was off for us tonight, which is one of our strong suits,” Hancock said. “Avery Kelly had a great game for us up there at the net, along with Sophie Sullivan back there on defense. We are getting there practice to practice, game to game, just about putting all the pieces together.”

The Maroons improved their overall record to 4-1. The Pirates fell to 4-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference.

Butte Central def. Polson 22-25, 25-21, 25-20, 19-25, 15-8

Butte Central stats — Kills 43 (Cassidy Strizic 13, Avery Kelly 11, Marissa Anderson 9, Maci Reopelle 4, Sophia Burton 2, Amira Bolton 2, Makala Doherty). Assists 38 (Reopelle 25, Kelley 13). Blocks 1 (Kelly .5, Strizic .5). Aces 8 (Strizic 2, Keeley 2, Burton 1, Bolton 1). Digs 69 (Burton 15, Sophie Sullivan 11, Strizic 11, Reopelle 11, Keeley 7, Kelly 5, Bolton 4)

No stats available for Polson

Lady Pirates pound Lady Dawgs

Polson 3, Whitefish 1

WHITEFISH — The Whitefish Bulldogs fell in four sets to the Polson Lady Pirates in Northwest A action.

Scores were 20-25, 25-23, 17-25, 25-27.

“Rough night for senior night,” Whitefish coach Addy Connelly said. “We had a tough time putting together runs and our emotions were running high. There were glimmers of greatness, we just need to have shining games beginning to end.”

For Polson (11-7 overall, 6-1 NWA), Ara Mercer had 19 of 77 digs. Kobbey Smith had 15 digs and seven service aces.

Luci Ridgeway of Whitefish had three aces and eight kills. Kaiah Moore had 12 kills and 25 digs.

Kills — Polson 42 (Maggie Todd 16, Misty Tenas 10), Whitefish 32 (Kaiah Moore 12, Luci Ridgeway 8); Assists — Polson 33 (Lena Pawloski 20), Whitefish 29 (Mikenna Ells 16, Jenny Patten 10); Digs — Polson 77 (Ara Mercer 19, Kobbey Smith 15), Whitefish 94 (Moore 25, Payton Reisinger 19); Blocks — Polson 8 (Tenas 5), Whitefish 6 (Jadi Walburn 4, Hope Brown 3); Aces — Polson 16 (Smith 7), Whitefish 8 (Ridgeway 3, Mary Alsey 2).

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Jackets top Lady Pirates in 5

6-25, 26-24, 25-22, 22-25, 15-10

Polson: Kills: 48 (Maggie Todd 48). Assists: 39 (Lena Pawloski 17). Aces: 16 (Kobbey Smith 6). Digs: 44 (Berkley Ellis 11). Blocks: 9.5 (Hallie Moss 4).

Stevensville: Kills: 45 (Aliyah Anderson 16). Assists: 41 (Maddie Weber 38). Aces: 11 (Weber 5). Digs: 61 (Cassi Kopsa 20). Blocks: 9 (Anderson 5)

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Lady Pirates sweep Browning

Polson improved to 12-8 with a 25-21, 25-17, 25-23 win over Browning. Maggie Todd had 13 of the Pirates’ 26 kills. Lena Pawloski had four aces and 11 assists, both team highs. Misty Tenas tallied three of Polson’s eight blocks.

25-21, 25-17, 25-23

Polson: Kills: 26 (Maggie Todd 13). Assists: 20 (Lena Pawloski 11, Berkley Ellis 8). Aces: 11 (Pawloski 4, Kobbey Smith 3, Ellis 3). Digs: 42 (Ellis 9, Todd 7, Smith 7, Grace Quinones 6). Blocks: 8 (Misty Tenas 3).

Browning: No stats submitted.

Friday, October 18, 2019

MCPS Invitational

Championship bracket results

(No set scores provided)

Quarterfinals: Great Falls CMR def. Sentinel; Kalispell Glacier def. Missoula Hellgate; Corvallis def. Kalispell Flathead; Florence def. Columbia Falls.

Semifinals: CMR def. Glacier; Florence def. Corvallis.

Final: CMR def. Florence, 26-24, 25-11.

Consolation final: Sentinel def. Glacier.

Consolation bracket results

(No set scores provided)

Quarterfinals: Belgrade def. Libby; Whitefish def. Polson; Great Falls def. Frenchtown; Stevensville def. Missoula Big Sky.

Semifinals: Belgrade def. Whitefish; Great Falls def. Stevensville.

Final: Great Falls def. Belgrade.

Consolation final: Big Sky def. Libby.