Scarlets win four matches and reach district championship

game

NOXON - Maybe they went into the district tournament in Noxon as dark horses, but after their grueling six-match weekend, the Arlee Scarlets are a clear threat to do big things in divisionals this weekend in Butte.

The Scarlets wrapped up a second-place finish at districts, but took the tough road to get there.

Arlee started the weekend on Friday, Oct. 29 with a dominant 3-0 sweep of St. Regis, 25-14, 25-17, 25-13. Cortney Dix had a big match with all 18 assists and six aces. She and Becca Nelson each had a block as well, while Whitney Malatare had eight kills and Bailey Rice 15 digs.

The journey to the championship match got tougher than that from there when they lost to Lake County rival Charlo 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 25-19.

Dix again led the way with 14 kills, 19 assists, four aces and four blocks. Rice notched 17 digs and Malatare four aces, but the defeat left Arlee with little room for error, as they had to win their next two matches to continue their season.

In their final match on Friday, the Scarlets eliminated Noxon, the tournament hosts, 25-13, 25-14, 22-25, 25-18.

Malatare helped lead a balanced attack with 19 of the team's 93 digs, while Mahalia Hendren added 13 kills. Nelson stuffed two Noxon kill attempts and Dix again set up the Scarlet offense with all 24 of the team's assists and six of their 14 aces.

Arlee opened up play on Saturday by defeating Hot Springs in another loser-out match, this time winning 25-10, 25-8, 23-25, 25-20.

"Going in [to the two loser-out matches], we told one another that this is it," Scarlet head coach Brian Big Sam said. "Step up and play like we know we can, and our girls buckled down and did it."

Hendren and Nelson locked down the net play with eight kills apiece, Hendren added a pair of blocks, Dix notched 16 of 17 Scarlet assists and Malatare hit seven aces in the victory.

The win set up a rematch between Arlee and Charlo, this time with a spot in the championship game against Superior on the line. According to Big Sam, it was the match of the weekend for the Scarlets and they didn't disappoint.

Led by teamwork and a will to win, Arlee upended the Lady Vikings 25-27, 29-27, 25-17, 25-15.

"They went in knowing it'd be a good game," Big Sam said. "They gave themselves mental talks and did what they had to do, hustling after every loose ball. The past three weeks, we've been playing like that."

The stats showed a commitment to playing hard and not giving in. As a team, the Scarlets recorded 127 digs, 22 by Skyla Perry, and 47 kills, 26 by Hendren. Hendren also had seven blocks, helping Arlee control net play, while Dix had 30 of the team's 35 assists and Nelson added seven aces.

Despite being one match away from the end of their season twice, Arlee advanced to face top-ranked Superior. Needing to defeat the Lady Bobcats in back-to-back matches, the Scarlets kept their momentum going in the first set before ultimately falling 12-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-21.

"We went in excited and knew we could beat them," Big Sam said. "As the game went on, the girls got tired. Their upper bodies moved, but the legs wouldn't. I was so proud, they did so well as a team."

Vintage teamwork contributed to such a close match against a Superior team which hasn't been knocked off all season. Nelson had 12 of Arlee's 37 kills, Hendren seven of 15 blocks, Malatare 18 of 78 digs, Dix 21 of 26 assists and Violet Pablo six of 17 aces. Each girl played their part and, considering the work they put in over two days, as well as all season, the Scarlets could be a team to hand Superior their first loss down the road.

"They've come together as a team, more of a family team," Big Sam said. "They're really jelling together."

This weekend, the Scarlets head to Butte for divisionals. Riding a wave of momentum from such a busy, successful weekend, Big Sam thinks his team is capable of turning some heads.

"If we play like we did against Charlo and Superior, we'll do well," Big Sam said. "The first set against Superior, we still had adrenaline. They have the ability and so much talent, they can go further than divisionals."