Coach Taylor Salmi and her Savage Heat volleyball team had a very busy week of home matches in Hot Springs last week, falling to Sanders County rival Plains in five sets Sept. 15, defeating District 14C foe Superior in five sets Thursday and topping Philipsburg in four sets Saturday.

Accustomed to home cooking so far, the Heat have two more home matches in Hot Springs this week, with Alberton Tuesday and Seeley-Swan Thursday.

Salmi was glad to get the match with Plains, a larger Class B school. “It was a tough match and we were thankful for the experience,” she said. “Plains is by far the toughest team we have faced this year and our girls really stepped up to that level.”

Coach Kim Lakko’s Trotters outlasted the Heat 25-19, 21-25, 17-25, 25-8, 15-10.

Lanet Jakabosky led the Heat against the Trotters with six of Hot Springs’ 18 kills in the match, and Mackenzie Johnson served up four aces and set 13 assists.

Salmi was glad to get the win over Superior but felt her team could have played better. “We really need to focus on how to finish a match and a game. When we get up we cannot let teams back in and have to finish at the game and match level better,” she offered.

The Savage Heat ended up winning the tough match 19-25, 25-21, 18-25, 25-21, 17-15.

Jakabosky floored 15 of the Heat’s 44 kills in the match to lead the Heat at the net, Kora Hensrude hit 18 of the team’s 35 assists, Alisha Jakabosky had a team-high 10 digs and Hollis Key three service aces.

“The Jakabosky sisters really dominated this one for us,” Salmi said. “They left it all on the floor literally and figuratively!”

The Savage Heat wrapped up their busy week of net play with a 25-12, 25-11, 20-25, 25-19 win over Philipsburg Saturday.

Key clocked eight aces and blocked six Prospector kill attempts, Johnson hit 28 set assists, Lanet Jakabosky spiked 14 kills and Dakota Slonaker posted a team-high 15 digs.

Salmi is happy where she’s at and who she’s coaching at her alma mater this season. “We have an incredibly well rounded, talented group of girls who I LOVE coaching, they are one of the easiest groups of kids I have ever coached in terms of their coachability and kindness,” she said. “We just need to light a fire and it can't ever stop burning in the match.”

    Lady Savage Heat Lanet Jakaboskky taps a shot over the net against Superior. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
 Tracy Scott