The Western AA Divisional volleyball tournament begins Thursday in the spacious Butte Civic Center, and Kalispell has a pair of teams with the very reachable goal of the State AA next week at Montana State.

Glacier goes in as the No. 1 seed to the tournament, which will send its top four teams to Bozeman; Flathead comes in as No. 4.

Both teams have very potent serve games; Glacier has been a powerhouse with just one league loss.

“I knew the team had the potential,” said coach Christy Harkins, who returned to guide the Wolfpack this season after a short-lived retirement in the fall of 2022. “It’s many of the same girls that I coached in 2021, when they were sophomores, and so you knew there was potential.

“Like any year, you look at that potential, try to take advantage, get a little bit of luck and hope for the best. But I knew they were a talented group.”

Five seniors are on the roster, including setter Haven Speer. She’s among the Western AA leaders in assists, aces and hitting percentage.

“She’s been a great leader for us and is doing a great job for us,” Harkins said, then mentioned the growth of senior middle hitter Leila Major. She’s part of a front line that while no player ranks among the state’s leaders in blocks, has the Wolfpack atop Class AA at 2.80 a set as a team.

Junior Kenedee Moore is among the state’s leaders in digs; senior Sarah Down ranks third in the Western AA in kills; Speer and senior Natalie Herne lead Glacier’s aggressive service game.

The immediate goal is to get to state, though Harkins notes the Wolfpack had set their sights on a conference title (check) and now want to take divisionals.

“Somewhere between Thursday, Friday and Saturday we have to get two wins,” said Harkins, whose club opens with Missoula Hellgate at 1 p.m.. “The sooner the better. It’s always a goal, but when you’ve been coaching long enough, you take it one match at a time — because anything can happen.”

Speaking of serving, no AA team has piled more aces than Flathead, which has three Bravettes among the top 10. Olive Lyngholm and Kendall Kratofil rank first and third and Sienner Sterck is tied for eighth.

“That’s huge,” Flathead coach Emily Russell said. “My favorite aspect of volleyball is serving.”

Beyond that Flathead has a top blocker in Emma Eve, a solid setter in Anna Baine and Kratofil sitting second in the league in digs.

“All my girls have had great moments during the season, fighting through adversity of injuries, lineups or crazy bus rides,” Russell said. “We’ve just had a lot of resilience. Which is a good thing. It’s hard to teach that.”

Flathead’s trip to Helena in early October featured a bus breakdown near Mission; subvarsity players had to catch rides with assorted parents while the varsity waited for a new bus.

“But the sun was shining and we made it all in one piece,” Russell said. .

Flathead plays the host Butte Bulldogs at 3 p.m. The Bravettes, 7-7 in league, won both regular-season battles in straight sets.

“They’re very scrappy and tough,” Russell said of the Bulldogs. “It’s going to be a great game. I’m glad we’re opening with them. They’re going to have a big home crowd and it will be a fun atmosphere.

“The Bravettes are looking to make some noise at divisionals. We want to win three. We want to be playing Saturday afternoon.”

The tournament championship is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. that day.