Polson volleyball plays in close battles at state tournament

against top teams

BOZEMAN - Polson battled to the end, quite literally in their first two games of the Class A state volleyball tournament last weekend in Bozeman and while they didn't come away with a trophy, the Lady Pirates once again showed their patented toughness and competitive drive.

The Lady Pirates went 1-2 in the tournament, with two matches going to five sets. However, Billings Central defeated Polson 3-1 last Friday afternoon to end their season.

"Billings Central didn't miss a beat," Polson head coach Jan Toth said. "We had a tough time with how quick their offense was."

Polson will say goodbye to seniors Ashley Johnson, Macall Banner, Kenzie Clay and Riley Kenney. They were all very important players on the team and talented athletes that helped guide the Lady Pirates to their second straight conference title and fourth straight state appearance.

"It showed the level of our kids and the work ethic they're at," Polson head coach Jan Toth said. "Volleyball has definitely taken on a different perspective by other people. We are looked at like a powerhouse now."

Kenney and junior Shalaina Duford were also named to the All-State tournament team after very impressive seasons.

Thursday - Belgrade 3, Polson 2

Kenzie Clay and Riley Kenney both had eight kills, Heidi Rausch had four blocks and Mackenzie Banner had 28 digs but it just wasn't enough and the Lady Pirates were downed in five sets in the first round of the Class A State Tournament.

Polson started out strong defeating Belgrade 25-19 and 25-17 in the first two games of the match.

Belgrade won the third 25-20, coming back from 10 points down, and won rather controversially, 27-25, in the fourth game. Polson had a match point overturned in that set by the officials.

"The girls wanted it so bad and sometimes you make those little mistakes," Toth said. "It got so intense when we thought we had won it. After that everyone, including the coaching staff, was in panic mode and we were playing not to lose."

The momentum would carry on to the fifth game for Belgrade and they would win the match, 15-11.

Shalaina Duford had 28 assists in the game.

The loss sent Polson to an early-morning Friday matchup against Hamilton.

Friday - Polson 3, Hamilton 2

It was an early-morning thriller for the Lady Pirates as they came from behind in the fifth set to knock No. 1 seed Hamilton out of the Class A State Tournament. Polson had four girls in double-digit kills in the 3-2 victory, led by Riley Kenney with 15.

While Hamilton won the first set 25-21, thanks to a 7-1 run midway through the game,

Polson bounced back in the second stanza by going on a 10-0 run to gain the 20-14 lead and they held on for the extra points 26-24 victory.

The third set went into extra points too, but Hamilton won that one 27-25. It appeared they might upend the Lady Pirates in the tournament but Polson won the fourth game 25-15.

In the thrilling fifth set, Hamilton had the 10-5 lead, but the Lady Pirates went on a improbable 10-2 run to win the match.

"I called a timeout and said this isn't over, we've comeback so many times before," Toth, who makes her team scrimmage the JV squad with a 10-point disadvantage, said. "There was no way they were losing that game. The girls gave everything they had."

Shalania Duford had an eye-popping 49 assists, and the Lady Pirates' defense was just as impressive. Duford had 33 digs, Mackenzie Banner had 29 and Macall Banner had 20.

The win moved the Pirates on in the bracket against Billings Central.

Friday - Billings Central 3, Polson 1

The Lady Pirates showed balance in their attack, with three different players getting an impressive number of kills, but they couldn't get past Billings Central to extend their season in a 3-1 loss. Ashley Johnson (14), Heidi Rausch (10) and Kenzie Clay (9) combined for a monster-like performance in kills for Polson.

"They went out playing as hard as they could. Our defense was outstanding," Toth said to the Inter Lake. "Billings Central had to really work hard to get it past our defense

- and that's all I ever wanted for them ... to leave it on the court."

The Lady Rams used large runs to put down the Lady Pirates. In the first game with everything tied at 10-10, Billings Central went on a 10-4 run to take a commanding lead. They would go on to win 25-20.

In the second set, things were tight the entire way before Polson scored the last three points for the 25-22 victory. It was also close in the third match and both teams were tied 15-15 before the Lady Rams went on a 10-0 run to win the match.

In the fourth and deciding match, both teams were tied 8-8 but Billings Central outscored the Lady Pirates 17-7 the rest of the way for the victory.

Shalaina Duford was her usual impressive self out on the volleyball court, notching 34 assists and 21 digs. Showcasing Polson's awesome defense were three other players in double-digit digs: Riley Kenney (17), Macall Banner (15) and Mackenzie Banner (15).

While Polson will return plenty of talent, this year's team was special in the way they outworked other squads that were taller, and the way they made their own expectations to do well.

"This was a team that was hard to let go," Toth said. "They've continued the legacy and so will the next team. We're going to continue, the kids are hungry and they know how to win."