Kats dream the impossible dream, earn state berth
<p>Photo by Matt Baldwin - Wildkat Hope Burlage spikes one over the net against Libby.</p>
They made the improbable, probable. After winning just two games in the conference all season long, the Columbia Falls volleyball team came up with three huge wins in the Northwest Class A volleyball tournament Nov. 2-3 to earn a trip to the state tournament.
Things started out glum for the Wildkats as they lost their first match to Frenchtown in four games, 29-27, 25-21, 18-25, 25-12. But the girls weren’t finished.
“We just sat down and talked about what we could do better,” coach Addy Connelly said. “We weren’t ready to go home Friday.”
The Kats came out and blanked Libby, a team they haven’t lost to all season, 25-20, 25-22, 25-23. That gave them some confidence going into Saturday play.
They opened Saturday with a win against Whitefish in three, 25-17, 25-22, 25-21. Whitefish was undefeated in conference play heading into the tourney. It was the Kats’ first win against the Lady Bulldogs in years. Then they topped off the ice cream of a day with a four-game win against the Polson Lady Pirates, 25-17, 25-13, 15-25, 25-23.
Hello Bozeman.
In the championship match, the girls lost to Frenchtown in three straight, 25-23, 25-13, 25-9.
“They were exhausted. They knew they were going to state, and it didn’t make a difference,” Connelly said. “They just focused on what they needed to take care of. They trusted in their teammates and worked together and finally had confidence.”
It’s the Wildkats’ first state tournament berth since 2003. That year, they beat Whitefish once and Bigfork twice to make it to the tournament. It’s been a long drought since.
The Kats will open state tournament play Thursday with a match against Corvallis — a team they’ve beaten earlier this year.
“The girls are pretty excited,” Connelly said. “Now they have the knowledge they can win a big game.”
The match starts at 2 p.m. at the Brick Breeden Field House on the Montana State University campus in Bozeman.
Friday
Frenchtown def. Columbia Falls, 29-27, 25-21, 18-25, 25-12.
Kills – Columbia Falls 37 (Hope Burlage n/a), Frenchtown 46 (Morgan Ray 11). Blocks – Columbia Falls 5 (Burlage n/a), Frenchtown 4 (Ray 2). Digs – Columbia Falls 102 (Tiffany Hummer n/a), Frenchtown 79 (Jadan Ross 22). Assists – Columbia Falls 26 (Alli Dierenfield n/a), Frenchtown 39 (Josie Anderson 23). Aces – Columbia Falls 5 (Dalton Halden n/a), Frenchtown 6 (Anderson 2, Ross 2).
Columbia Falls def. Libby, 25-20, 25-22, 25-23.
Kills – Libby 32 (Lauren Wepprecht 16), Columbia Falls 36 (Haley Belgarde 11). Blocks – Libby 2 (Harley Nelson, Taylor Quinn), Columbia Falls 5 (Winter Kemppainean 2, Shannon Hay 2). Digs – Libby 36 (Mahalah Wedel 16), Columbia Falls 50 (Ashton Berta 11, Belgarde 11). Assists – Libby 28 (Hannah England 27), Columbia Falls 26 (Alli Dierenfield 19). Aces – Libby 11 (Hailey Craig 4), Columbia Falls 3 (Berta, Ciera Finberg, Hope Burlage).
Saturday
Columbia Falls def. Whitefish, 25-17, 25-22, 25-21.
Kills – Columbia Falls 22 (Hope Burlage, Haley Belgarde 8), Whitefish 28 (Baylee Tveidt 8). Blocks – Columbia Falls 6 (Belgarde 4), Whitefish 2 (two with 1). Digs – Columbia Falls 51 (Tiffany Hummer 20), Whitefish 2 (Emily Sullivan, Tveidt). Assists – Columbia Falls 23 (Alli Dierenfield 12), Whitefish 18 (Bekah Weaver 17). Aces – Columbia Falls 5 (Ashton Berta 2), Whitefish 5 (Weaver 3).
Columbia Falls def. Polson, 25-17, 25-13, 15-25, 25-23.
Kills – Columbia Falls 44 (Haley Belgarde 19), Polson 43 (Chloe Huerta 18). Blocks – Columbia Falls 8 (Hope Burlage 4), Polson 6 (Tanisha Matt 3). Digs – Columbia Falls 89 (Tiffany Hummer 27), Polson 111 (Jaiden Toth, Mackenzie Banner 23). Assists – Columbia Falls 35 (Alli Dierenfield 25), Polson 35 (Shalaina Duford 34). Aces – Columbia Falls 5 (Dierenfield, Ciera Finberg 2), Polson 10 (Banner 3).
Frenchtown def. Columbia Falls, 25-23, 25-13, 25-9.
Kills – Columbia Falls 21 (Ciera Finberg 7), Frenchtown 31 (Jadan Ross 9). Blocks – Columbia Falls 4 (Winter Kemppainean 3), Frenchtown 6 (Morgan Ray 3). Digs – Columbia Falls 43 (Haley Belgarde 15), Frenchtown 44 (Josie Anderson 9). Assists – Columbia Falls 19 (Alli Dierenfield 15), Frenchtown 29 (Anderson 16). Aces – Columbia Falls 8 (Dierenfield, Kemppainean, Belgarde 2), Frenchtown 10 (Vanessa Stavish 4).