Lake City 3, Sandpoint 0 

Sandpoint High volleyball got off to a rough start in their season-opening match against Lake City High on Saturday afternoon, falling in three sets (25-16, 25-20, 25-10) in a non-league game. 

The Bulldogs were led by a pair of sophomores, Darby Rust and Ali Gunter, who posted 10 and nine kills, respectively. Senior Marlee Lane racked up one block and two aces, while sophomore Abi Williams totaled seven digs. Sophomore Averi Meyer stuffed the stat sheet with 19 set assists against the Wolves. 

Sandpoint head coach Karen Alsager said Lake City is a very complete team that excels in nearly every aspect of the game, leaving few weaknesses for Sandpoint to attack. The Bulldogs’ head coach said her team ran the middle well, but their blocking hurt them throughout the game. 

Sandpoint 3, Timberlake 0 

The Bulldogs were led by Darby Rust yet again as they got back on the right track in their home opener against the 4A Timberlake Tigers on Monday evening at Les Rogers Court. 

Sandpoint took home every set (25-18, 25-8, 25-20) in the non-league matchup. Rust hit 13 kills and added 11 digs, boasting her versatile playstyle early in the season. Alsager said Rust has been a real positive for the team, showing up as a consistent force in their two matches so far.  

Ali Gunter hit three service aces, while Hailey Goin led the Bulldogs with 15 digs. Senior Averi Mire totaled 22 set assists on Monday. 

Alsager said it was good for the team to get a victory on their home court, and they ran the offense well. She said the team will continue to work on their on-court communication, but they brought great energy to the Timberlake matchup. The head coach added that the JV Bulldogs won their game as well.

The Bulldogs continued a grueling start to the season, five games in seven days, on Wednesday night at Post Falls. Full results from that matchup will be in the Thursday edition of the Daily Bee. 

Bonners Ferry 3, Priest River 2 

On the other side of Bonner County, the Priest River Lamanna High Spartans came up short in a fifth-set thriller against the Bonners Ferry High Badgers in a non-league matchup in Priest River on Monday night. 

The Spartans jumped out to a two-set lead (25-22, 25-22) but lost momentum in the final three sets (25-23, 25-18, 15-1) and never regained it. Junior outside hitter McKinley Burgess-Duquette led Priest River with nine kills and three service aces, while senior Raygn Turner followed closely with six kills and two blocks. Freshman Ava Griesemer also contributed two blocks. 

Senior Haylee Jepson-Church led the Spartans with 15 assists, and senior Callie Stanger posted a team-leading 10 digs. 

Priest River volleyball returns to action against Timberlake on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m. in Spirit Lake.