Whitefish volleyball enters postseason play with positive energy
MAGGIE MERCER Whitefish Pilot | Whitefish Pilot | UPDATED 1 hour, 33 minutes AGO
Allie Shors at the game against the Wildcats Oct. 22. (Seth Anderson/Hungry Horse News)
The Whitefish volleyball team will head into postseason play after winning their final regular season game against Browning in three straight sets on Monday night.
The Bulldogs celebrated five seniors: defensive specialists Meghan Amick, Lyla Haigh and Sofia Christ, and right-side hitters Clair Easterly and Edolie Petersen.
“I enjoyed this group of seniors and the positive energy they brought this season,” Head Coach Addy Connelly said. “They worked hard, cared for each other and got better.”
Captains Allie Shors, Christ and Annabelle Barrile speak strongly about the team's improvements throughout the season.
“One thing that we’ve really improved on is mental resiliency,” Shors said. “Being put in hard situations and not getting, and playing, scared.”
As they prepare for the upcoming matches, Connelly is focused on polishing the team’s performance. Her gameplan includes finalizing the roster, cleaning up serve receive, and working on some specific plays.
“I am excited for that little bit of additional pressure,” Barrile said of the postseason. “It’s going to be fun, and another step from normal season.”
Christ said, “Our effort has been a lot stronger lately. At C-Falls, we definitely didn’t let up, we kept going, we wanted to win.”
The Bulldogs fell short in a 5-set match last Thursday in the Columbia Falls gym, making the rival teams one and one.
“They fought hard and improved from earlier in the week against Polson,” Connelly said. “I have seen personal growth from each athlete. They have focused on individual areas and gotten better with each game."
The Whitefish Bulldogs have been battling for the top spots in the Northwest A conference alongside the Bigfork Valkyries, Polson Pirates, and Columbia Falls Wildcats. The top three teams will automatically qualify for Western A divisionals and the fourth-place team will be decided through a series of play-in games.
The Western A divisional tournament will be in Hamilton Nov. 5 - 7 followed by the All Class state volleyball tournament in Bozeman Nov. 11 - 14.