Lady Pirates stay perfect in league play with sweep of Ronan

The Polson Lady Pirates kept their unbeaten conference record intact last week with a straight-set sweep of rival Ronan, winning 25-19, 25-15, 25-14 in a Northwest A matchup on Oct. 27.

Polson (11-0 in league, 12-1 overall) controlled the match from start to finish, getting strong hitting from Embree Bird and McKenna Corley, who combined for 22 of the Lady Pirates’ 37 kills. Bird tallied 12 kills and 13 digs, while Corley added 10 kills and two blocks.

Setter Rylee Taylor-Jefferson distributed the offense with 24 assists and also contributed on defense with a block and two digs. Aleysia Black provided steady back-row play with 11 digs and two service aces, while Logan McCrae added six kills and two aces.

Ronan (4-8, 6-8) was led by Sierra Blood in kills and Audrey Krell on defense with a team-high in digs, but the Maidens couldn’t match Polson’s balance at the net and depth in the back row.

The victory capped a dominant stretch for Polson, who also swept Libby earlier in the week and outlasted Whitefish in a five-set thriller.

On Oct. 23, Polson swept Libby 25-17, 25-10, 25-17 behind a commanding performance from McKenna Corley, who hammered 13 kills and added three blocks. Bird contributed six kills, and Logan McCrae chipped in four kills and three aces.

Zailee Hewankorn and Taylor-Jefferson split setting duties, combining for 22 assists, while Black anchored the defense with 14 digs. The Lady Pirates tallied 11 service aces as a team, with McCrae and Greta Lund each delivering two.

Earlier in the week, the Lady Pirates had to battle to keep their unbeaten streak alive, surviving a five-set test against Whitefish on Oct. 21. Polson prevailed 25-17, 25-15, 15-25, 16-25, 15-7 behind Corley’s 22 kills and Bird’s 11. Black was everywhere on defense, piling up 32 digs, while Hewankorn and Taylor-Jefferson combined for 33 assists.