District 7B volleyball is obviously not a sport for the faint of heart.

Every conference match promises to be a potential meeting of epic proportions and will go a long ways to determining which teams eventually earn the higher seeds for upcoming divisional tournament play.

In just such a match, an exciting encounter that wasn’t decided until overtime of the overtime final game to 15, the Trotters eventually fell 25-23, 21-25, 25-10, 24-26, 16-14 to visiting Thompson Falls in 7B action in Plains Friday.

In a non-conference match at Hot Springs Thursday, the Trotters fought past the Savage Heat 25-19, 21-25, 17-25 ,25-8, 15-10 in another five-set test, although a non-conference one, with a Sanders County opponent.

Now 3-3 overall, coach Kim Lakko and the Trotters play at Florence in another non-conference tilt Tuesday and will host Troy Thursday in another District 7B match.

Against Thompson Falls, Hadyn Rice hit 13 kills and 12 digs to pace the Trotters at the net, Aubree Butcher spiked another 13 kills and 11 digs, Claire Lakko passed out 37 set assists and added 11 digs, and Mila Rivinius had three solo blocks.

The Trotters hit 11 service aces in the match with Thompson Falls.

At Hot Springs, Claire Lakko dished out 45 set assists, hit 10 service aces and seven digs; Rice knocked down 15 kills, Butcher 14 and Bri Kulawinski 13; Jaycee Carr dug up a team-high 10 Savage Heat kill attempts; and Emery Josephson had two solo blocks and two in tandem with a Trotter teammate.

    TROTTER SENIOR Jaycee Carr bumps up a shot as teammates Hadyn Rice and Aubrey Butcher watch in action against Thompson Falls in Plains Friday. (John Hamilton/vp-mi)
  

    TROTTER BLOCKER Emery Josephson, a sophomore, looks to contend a shot by Thompson Falls sophomore Audrey Fairbank in Plains Sept. 18. Hawks won the match in five games. (John Hamilton/vp-mi)
  

    RISING TO CHALLENGE a shot by Aubree Butcher of Plains, Makarlie Stein and Aubrey Baxter of Thompson Falls defend the net for the Lady Hawks in Plains Sept. 18. (John Hamilton/vp-mi)