As if from out of the Blue, Thompson Falls is in the thick of the Western 7B volleyball chase.

After an 0-2 start to the 2023 season, the Lady Hawks have switched to a higher gear and are now tied for the conference lead with Eureka with a 4-0 record.

Thompson Falls has now won six of their last seven matches, most recently a sweep of Troy on the Lady Trojans home court last Thursday.

The latest victory, fueled in large part by an outstanding game from junior Olivia Fitchett, was a quick sweep of the Trojans and lifted T Falls to 6-3 on the year.

The Lady Hawks got off to a good start against Troy, taking the first set by a 25-17 count, to grab a 1-0 match lead. They followed that win with a 25-19 second set triumph to secure a commanding 2-0 match advantage.

Utilizing their strong net play to their advantage, the Lady Hawks wrapped up the sweep with a convincing 25-12 third set victory.

Fitchett led the way with a match-high 21 assists to go with her team-leading seven digs and five service aces.

She was joined by junior Gabi Hannum, who was once again outstanding in the front line, racking up five blocks during the match. Hannum also had five kills and three aces, while teammate Addi Pardee had a team best 10 kills.

Next up for the Lady Hawks is a home match this Thursday against St. Ignatius, followed by a road trip to Superior Saturday to take on the Lady Bobcats.

Thompson Falls has two upcoming matches against conference co-leader Eureka, including a home game, October 9, in Thompson Falls.

They face the Lady Lions a second time on October 21 in Eureka in the last regular season game of the season in what could be a battle for the league crown.