Spikers punch ticket to state tournament

The Columbia Falls Wildkat volleyball team placed fourth at the Western Class A Divisionals held in Hamilton over the weekend.  The placement paved the way for them to continue their postseason journey by advancing to the State tournament this upcoming weekend in Bozeman.

Thursday morning, the Kats faced the No. 1 seed from the Southwest conference, Dillon.  Dillon won the first set, 21-25, but Columbia Falls fought back and secured the next three, 25-23, 25-13, and 25-14.  

Throughout the contest, they would accumulate a total of 51 kills, 8 aces, 6 blocks, 70 digs, and 46 assists.  Peyton Ross stood out as the offensive leader, contributing 15 kills and making significant defensive plays at the net with 3 blocks.  Her performance was further enhanced by Rylee Sweeney, who added 11 kills, 3 blocks, and an ace to the team’s tally.  Annabelle Middlesworth also had a strong showing, securing 11 kills of her own.  Ava Scholz emerged as the top digger, accumulating 22.  Jezanie Brooks led the assists with 42, and she also contributed 3 aces and 3 kills to the team’s success.

The Kats’ first loss would occur Thursday evening when they faced Polson.  They would lose the match in three sets, with scores of 19-25, 23-25, and 18-25.  

Columbia Falls had a remarkable performance, amassing 22 kills, 1 ace, 4 blocks, 46 digs, and 20 assists throughout the match.  Ross once again emerged as the leading offensive player for the Kats, contributing 6 kills.  Kamryn Ladenburg and Middlesworth each added 4 kills and 1 block of their own.   Sweeney would end her night with 3 kills, 2 blocks, and 3 assists along with 1 ace, while Gabby Riley would have 2 kills and 1 ace.  Scholz collected more digs for her season’s overall count with 20, and Brooks had 14 assists in the game.

The first game of the Friday afternoon action play would be against the rival Whitefish Bulldogs.  The game would be over in three with the Kats winning 25-23, 25-19, and 25-20.

Ross had a great game at the net with 11 of the team’s 38 kills and 17 of the 51 overall digs.  Middlesworth racked up 8 kills and 2 blocks, and Ladenburg had 7 kills as well.  Sweeney added 7 kills, 1 ace, and 1 block, and Scholz collected 14 digs along with 3 aces.  Brooks also had 3 kills, 1 block, and 29 assists in the win.

After a grueling five-set battle, Frenchtown emerged victorious in the next game that evening:  14-25, 25-22, 17-25, 26-24, and 9-15.

Sweeney contributed 11 kills, 1 block, and 2 aces, and Middlesworth had 11 kills and 1 block, respectively.  Ladenburg served 2 aces and had 9 kills.  Ross had 3 blocks, 8 kills, and 25 digs, and Riley contributed 5 blocks and 4 blocks.  Scholz accumulated another 32 digs on the season, and Brooks would end with 40 assists and 6 kills.

“I’m super proud of them!  They played some of their best volleyball in our opening match against Dillon.  Now, our focus will be on finding a way to string that level of play together for multiple matches in a row,” coach Jolandie Brooks said. “I’ve been watching this group of girls play together since 7th grade, and I truly can’t say enough about what it means to me to get one more week with them.  I’m incredibly proud of how far they’ve come, and we’re excited for the opportunity to keep playing together and see what we can do at state.” 

The Wildcats head to Bozeman for the state Class A volleyball Tournament starting on Thursday.  Their first game will be against the No. 1 team out of the East, Billings Central.  Game time is 4 p.m.