The Lady Logger volleyball squad lost 3-0 to Columbia Falls on Thursday night in a hotly contested match marked by several shifts in momentum.

The Wildkats won 25-18, 27-25 and 25-22 before a raucous crowd in the first conference match for both teams. Columbia Falls (1-0 in league, 1-2 overall) took the first set on the strength of a 10-2 run of points after both teams had worked to a 15-all deadlock.  

The Wildkats continued to outplay the Loggers into the second set and took a 15-5 lead early on. The Loggers struggled from the service line with four errors in the first six rotations. From that point on, however, they turned the tables on the home team, fighting back to tie the score at 18 behind Hailey Craig’s strong serving. Blocks by Hailley Moe and Devon Gallagher kept the Loggers close, but with the score tied at 25 the Wildkats managed to close it out.  

The Loggers (0-1, 1-1) kept the momentum going in the third set jumping out to a five-point lead, but Columbia Falls gradually tied the game at 15. Both teams went back and forth at each other with the Loggers taking their final lead at 22-21, but a couple of Logger miscues opened the door for Columbia Falls, who scored the last four points on three kills by Wildkat outside hitter Haley Belgarde.  

Gallagher had nine of the Loggers’ 33 kills and three of their six blocks.  Hannah England had 29 assists and Mahalah Wedel had 18 digs.  

The junior varsity squad fell behind two games to none before coming back to steal their match 3-2, and the freshman-sophomore combined squad lost 3-1. The Loggers entertain Troy on Tuesday night.