1A DISTRICT 1 VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: Coeur du Christ falls to Clark Fork, awaits play-in fate

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

COEUR d'ALENE — Coeur du Christ ruled the North Star League in volleyball the past two years, winning league and District 1 championships each season, since becoming a full member of the Idaho High School Activities Association in fall 2024. 

This year marked the return to the North Star League for Clark Fork, a small-school power in North Idaho that spent the last two years in a higher classification, the 2A Scenic Idaho Conference. 

On Thursday night, the past and present North Star League powers met in the 1A District 1 championship match, with Clark Fork winning 25-14, 20-25, 25-15, 25-14 at North Idaho College to earn the district's automatic berth to state. 

"Clark Fork is a great team," first-year Coeur du Christ coach Mason Trevena said. "They can run a pretty fast offense, and we were slow in rotations, and it happens; it's the game of volleyball." 

Clark Fork (17-0) advances to state Oct. 29-31 at Thunder Ridge High in Ammon. The Wampus Cats last made it to state in 2022, and last won a match at state in 2018. 

"Going into this year, I saw Coeur du Christ as a very well-coached, very solid net play team," said fourth-year Clark Fork head coach Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, a Wampus Cat alum. "So we focused on that a lot over the summer especially, and then we focused on being the aggressor. The last couple of seasons we have waited for the other team to tell us, what's the vibe tonight, guys? And I said nope, we're going to set the tone. That was our focus coming back into this league specifically." 

Coeur du Christ (13-5), which made its first state tournament appearance last year, figures to be in the mix to earn a spot in a state play-in match a week from Saturday. The Saints are ranked ninth in 1A by MaxPreps, whose rankings determine most of the teams that qualify for play-in matches.

"The girls played great; it's just volleyball, man," Trevena said of Thursday's match. "Errors; if the other team has less errors, you lose the game. In the end, we played our best, but we just made some small mistakes." 

Clark Fork, ranked fourth in 1A by MaxPreps, won both matches vs. Coeur du Christ in league play in three sets.  

Sophomore Kiylah Anderson, named the league's MVP as the all-league team was announced following the match, had a career-high 36 assists for the Wampus Cats. She also had five kills, five digs and three aces.

Sophomore Vanessa Rogier added 14 kills, five digs and four aces. Freshman Grace Thompson had 15 kills and a block, and senior Nora-Jean Hoy had eight kills, three blocks, six digs and two aces. 

    MARK NELKE/Press Coeur du Christ sophomore Rebecca Clute (13) sets against Clark Fork in the 1A District 1 volleyball championship match Thursday night at North Idaho College.