FLORENCE – A little thing called Addy-tude helped take the Hawks almost all the way to Bozeman but, win or lose, the Addy Deal-led Lady Hawk volleyball team deserves the respect of all involved, friends and foes and those on the fence about Thompson Falls. The Hawks certainly earned that with their fine play last week and all season long.

The Lady Hawks completed season play with a 14-5 season match record and fourth place finish in the first-ever 11-team Super Western B divisional tournament in Florence Wednesday through Saturday, just missing the State B tourney bid in Bozeman everyone in the Bitterroot was playing for last week.

Unbeaten Florence won the tournament to clinch the west’s top seed into the State B, Plains finished second and will accompany the Falcons to Bozeman, and Anaconda placed third.

After opening their Western B appearance with a four-set win over Eureka Thursday, the Hawks fell in five tough sets to Anaconda Friday before rebounding with a win over Loyola Friday night in another grueling five-setter.

Back on court for a heavy metal match with Plains (the winner was assured of no worse than third in the division), the Hawks fell to the rival Trotters in another epic five-set match early Saturday afternoon to complete season play. Due to the condensed nature of the tournament, fatigue could have played a role as the Hawks ended up playing three difficult, time-consuming five-set matches in the space of a little over 24 hours Friday and Saturday.

“It was a lot, it just hit me, I’m pretty tired right now,” coach Sandra Kazmeirczak said Sunday afternoon. “But I can’t take anything away from our girls, they played very resilient volleyball, kept fighting right until the end, the very last point.”

The Lady Hawks played this season with something that could best be described as Addy-tude, as the incomparable Deal, a senior and court-covering dynamo the likes of which has rarely been seen in Thompson Falls net history helped lead them through the volleyball wilderness this season. Deal physically, emotionally and vocally led her

teammates right to the doorstep of Thompson Falls’ first State B tournament berth in five years.

Playing her final matches as a Lady Hawk with typical Addy-tude, Deal blasted away for 82 kills and blocked 15 shots at the net in the tourney, and dug up a team-high 72 kill attempts from the backcourt in the four matches. She was seemingly everywhere, hitting shots, making saves and most importantly, keeping her teammates in the moment with her.

Kazmierczak became a little emotional talking about Deal. “I usually don’t do this for individual players but Addy really is pretty special,” she said. “Not just for the way she plays so much as for the teammate she is.

“She is always just so positive, so encouraging to the other players, always talking to them, keeping them in the game with her,” Kazmierczak added. “She lifts the whole team up, made everyone better, has really been a joy to coach and watch these last few years.”

The tournament began for the Hawks with the 25-21, 25-20, 23-25, 25-20 win over Eureka. Deal slammed 21 kills, blocked three shots, hit 25 digs and two aces to lead Thompson Falls, first-year senior phenom Aubrey Baxter was good for eight kills, a block and 15 digs and super soph Marley Robinson five kills, 13 digs and an ace.

Senior Jasmin Risch also rallied well with two kills, eight digs and four aces, promising freshman Shea Haas floored four kills and sophomore setter Audrey Fairbank (who also earned All-State B honors in cross country several weeks ago) direct the net action for the Hawks with 30 set assists, besides hitting up eight digs.

In the 18-25, 25-22, 25-23, 23-25, 15-13 loss to Anaconda, Deal bounced 15 kills, blocked three Copperhead kill attempts and hit 22 digs, Baxter slammed 12 Ks, blocked five shots, hit 12 digs and an ace, and Fairbank passed out 26 assists and hit three kills.

The Hawks had their ups and downs but came out ahead in their 25-23, 23-25, 25-17, 11-25 win over Loyola later Friday.

Deal collected 26 kills, five blocks, 13 digs and two aces to lead Thompson Falls, Baxter added 15 kills, two blocks and 13 digs, Robinson four kills and eight digs, Risch two kills, nine digs and four service aces, and Fairbank 36 set assists, two kills, three aces and 11 digs.

Wrapping up season play against Plains, Deal got down for the Hawks one last time with 20 kills, four blocks and 15 digs, Baxter added 10 kills, seven blocks and 18 digs, Risch three kills, 12 digs and two aces, and Fairbank 29 assists, four kills, two blocks, two assists and 16 digs.

Kazmierczak spread the love around for her Lady Hawks. “Aubrey played great for it being her first year, we could not have done what we did without her,” she said. “She just kept getting better every match, you could just see her grow into her role.”

On the others, “Audrey really stepped up into her role as setter, played great for us,” she said, also praising the play of Robinson, Risch and Haas for stepping up to the task this season. In spite of having only a few experienced players to build around from last season, the Hawks very nearly earned their desired trip to Montana’s promised land of volleyball in Bozeman.

“Our goal of course was to make State and we didn’t quite get there,” Kazmierczak said. “But this team still has a lot to be proud of, they played a great season, made some great memories.”

    LADY HAWKS Audrey Fairbank and Addy Deal challenge Eureka’s Elizabeth Schmidt at the net during the Hawks’s four-set win over the Lions in Florence Nov. 5. (John Hamilton/vp-mi)
  

    MAKING THE PLAY – Lady Hawk sophomore Marley Robinson dives for a tough service return at the Western B divisional tournament in Florence Saturday. Hawks finished fourth in the Western B. (John Hamilton/vp-mi)
  

    LADY HAWK FRESHMAN Shea Haas hits a shot against Eureka in the Western B divisional tournament in Florence Nov. 5. Hawks finished fourth in the tourney. (John Hamilton/vp-mi)
  

    NET WARS – Lady Hawk senior Aubrey Baxter battles Trotter senior Claire Lakko at the net during action at the Western B divisional tournament in Florence Saturday. (John Hamilton/vp-mi)