Lady Dogs bump rival Kats

Whitefish came out on top in a long

battle with rival Columbia Falls Sept. 1 to earn their first

conference volleyball win of the season.

Senior Abby Strellnauer tallied nine

kills at the net to help the Bulldogs post a 25-18, 13-25, 25-15,

26-28, 15-10 win.

“The girls hustled really hard and our

leadership stepped up to provide the motivation to win,” Whitefish

coach Sarah Scott said.

“I told the girls that it set the stage

for the rest of the conference games.”

Bekah Weaver had 15 digs and three aces

and sophomore Marlow Schulz hit 14 assists. Brooke Silliker and

Baylee Tveidt had four blocks each to lead the Lady Bulldogs.

Whitefish led from start to finish in

the first set. Silliker had a nice one-timer kill to put the Dogs

up 14-10 and Tveidt got a kill to close the set at 25-18.

Columbia Falls cruised in the second

set 13-35, then Whitefish stormed right back with a 25-15 third-set

win after opening an 8-1 lead. The Kats made a run late in the

third, but Strellnauer powered down two kills to end their

rally.

“Abby’s come out really motivated to

prove herself and help her team in any way she can,” Scott

said.

After a 24-24 tie in the fourth set,

the Kats squeezed out a tough 26-28 win to force the fifth and

final frame.

“Outlasting them in that fifth game was

really impressive,” Scott said.

Kills - Columbia Falls 33 (Hope Burlage

10, Taylor Peterson 9), Whitefish 27 (Abby Strellnauer 9, Emily

Sullivan 7), Assists - Columbia Falls 28 (Erika Nelson 16, Burlage

11), Whitefish - 25 (Marlow Schulz 14, Taylor Havens 11), Blocks -

Columbia Falls 5 (Peterson 3, Haley Belgarde 2), Whitefish 12

(Brooke Silliker 4, Baylee Tveidt 4), Digs - Columbia Falls 82

(Shaun Rowe 20, Belgarde 16, Peterson 15), Whitefish 52 (Bekah

Weaver 15); Aces - Columbia Falls 10 (Rowe 5, Burlage 2), Whitefish

7 (Weaver 3).