Lady Pirates best Vals for Class A volleyball crown

BOZEMAN — Seven matches and one state championship.

The Polson Lady Pirates completed an epic run through the loser's bracket at the State A volleyball tournament Saturday, winning three matches — two over Bigfork — to claim the first title in program history. 

Polson beat Frenchtown in four sets in the loser-takes-third match, setting up a championship round with the Bigfork Valkyries. The Lady Pirates needed to beat the Vals twice and did, both times in four sets; a block by McKenna Corley, who had a huge tournament, on match point capped a 25-19, 20-25, 25-20, 25-22 win in the if-necessary match. 

It's the first championship in the sport for Polson, which came out of the Western A as the No. 1 seed, only to fall to Frenchtown in Thursday's second round. The Lady Pirates dispatched Billings Central and Laurel in loser-out play Friday. The Central Rams had won the last two State A titles. 

Fall's sports have been beyond successful in Polson: The football team made the Class A playoffs; the girls won the State A cross country title; the boys were second in State A golf; and the defending champion Pirates made the semifinals in State A boys soccer. 

The volleyball team went 25-2 in non-pool play matches, with five of those victories coming over a very good Bigfork squad. 

"We're so excited to raise the banner at Linderman Gym," Polson coach Lizzy Cox said. "Seeing all those banners for all of Polson's successes, but not one in volleyball. I'm so excited to have a banner go up there." 

The Vals (24-6) got to the finals unbeaten and seemed on the verge of tying the first championship match 2-2, having taken a 19-10 lead in Set 4. Polson called timeout and regrouped; starting with three straight aces from Aleysia Black the Lady Pirates rallied to win the set 28-26 and the match, 3-1. 

"We reflected on how we lost to Frenchtown on Day 1," Cox said of the critical time out. "We kind of forgot who we were a little bit. It was, 'Hey, we are a great team; they have to stop us. We have to adjust to them and what they do, but they also have to stop us.' " 

Quick sets to Corley, who had 64 kills on Saturday, helped fuel the rally. The fourth set ended with Polson staving off two match points; Bigfork survived one as well. Down 26-25, Polson got the ball to Eliza Todd on the right side for a kill, a block and a clinching kill. 

Todd had eight kills in the match; Corley had 18, mostly off lightning-fast sets. 

"The thought process is, 'Set Kenna, set Kenna," Cox said. "And if we go to someone else and it doesn't work, it's, 'Set Kenna.' Statistically, it makes sense.  

"Once we do that a couple times it opens everybody else up." 

Corley had another 25 kills in the if-necessary match. 

"Our passing was amazing," Cox said. "Logan (McCrea) battled so much — she was so sick coming out of divisionals, and you wouldn't know that. She just came in and did our job. If you can't pass, you can't play — and we passed so well." 

Polson def. Bigfork 3-1

Todd added 16 kills to the Polson offense in this if-necessary match. 

Embree Bird's back-row kill capped a 25-19 win in the first game; after Bigfork won the second game, Tood had three kills to fuel Polson back from a 20-19 deficit in the third set for a 25-21 win. 

The fourth game was tied 18-all but Todd had four kills down the stretch of a 25-22 Polson win, setting off the celebration. 

Somer Campos, who had a huge tournament as well for Bigfork, led the Vals with 15 kills and three blocks. Sophia Lowell had six blocks to go with five kills. 

Polson def. Bigfork 25-19, 20-25, 25-21, 25-22

Kills — Polson 58 (McKenna Corley 25, Eliza Todd 16, Embree Bird 7, Logan McCrea 6), Bigfork 37 (Somer Campos 15, Raegan Waller 9, Sophia Lowell 5). Assists — Polson 55 (Rylee Taylor-Jefferson 35, Kendyl Jaeger 16), Bigfork 32 (Payton DeSpain 32). Digs — Polson 89 (Aleysia Black 29, Bird 24), Bigfork 91 (Waller 31, Kenley Wheeler 22, Lowell 14). Blocks — Polson 7 (Todd 3, Corley 2, Opal Nash 2), Bigfork 15 (Suffia 6, DeSpain 4, Campos 3). Aces — Polson 13 (Black 4, Bird 4, Anniston Flynn 2, Todd 2), Bigfork 8 (DeSpain 3, Waller 2, Wheeler 2). 

Polson def. Bigfork 3-1

Corley's 18 points offset 16 kills and six blocks by Bigfork's Campos. Raegan Waller had 21 digs, four aces and eight kills for the Valkyries, who were vying for their first state title since the B/C crown in 1986. 

Polson def. Bigfork 25-17,25-19, 14-25, 28-26

Kills — Polson 43 (Corley 18, Todd 8, Bird 7, McCrea 5), Bigfork 36 (Campos 16, Waller 6, Emily Wisman 6). Assists — Polson 41 (Taylor-Jefferson 24, Jaeger 14), Bigfork 34 (DeSpain 32). Digs — Polson 67 (Black 19, Bird 17, McCrea 17), Bigfork 85 (Waller 21, Lowell 14, Wheeler 13, DeSpain 13). Blocks — Polson 7 (Todd 3, Corley 3), Bigfork 17 (Suffia 7, Campos 6). Aces — Polson 10 (Black 3, Bird 2, McCrea 2), Bigfork 6 (Waller 4). 

Polson def Frenchtown 3-1

Corley had 21 kills as the Lady Pirates avenged that Thursday loss to the Broncs. Bird had 12 kills to go with 19 digs and an ace. 

Polson def. Frenchtown 25-20, 211-25, 25-23, 25-17

Kills — Polson 49 (Corley 21, Bird 12, Todd 10), Frenchtown 53 (Rachel Walls 19, McKenzie Brush 17). Assists — Polson 48 (Taylor-Jefferson 29, Jaeger 16), Frenchtown 46 (Blake Hardy 46). Digs — Polson 72 (Black 20, Bird 19, McCrea 13), Frenchtown 84 (Jezzy Palmer 22). Blocks — Polson 3 (Corley 2, McCrea), Frenchtown 6 (2 with 2). Aces — Polson 9 (3 with 2), Frenchtown 1 (Walls).