Kats beat Lady Bulldogs in three

The Columbia Falls volleyball team settled for a split last week. They lost to Frenchtown in straight sets in a Sept. 26 away match, 25-15, 25-23, 25-10, but came back a couple of days later to drub Whitefish at home in three games, 25-16, 25-23, 25-18. The Wildkats are now 3-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play.

Against Whitefish, the Kats were down by several points in the second and third games only to battle back and beat the Lady Bulldogs. Senior Haley Belgarde led the Kats with 12 kills. Junior Winter Kemppainen had six blocks.

The Kats are getting important plays from their freshmen, including Cydney Finberg and Morgan Stenger. Finberg had 11 assists in the Whitefish win. Shaylene Fishel was key on the baseline with 12 digs.

Against Frenchtown, the girls didn’t have an answer for Morgan Ray, who had 15 kills on her own. As a team, the Lady Broncs had 38 kills to Columbia Falls 17.

“We didn’t play Frenchtown the way we played Whitefish,” said coach Josie Brown. “We were more timid.”

The Kats showed a mental toughness against Whitefish they haven’t had in recent seasons. It’s something they’ve been working on, Brown said.

“The girls are playing for each other as much as they’re playing for themselves,” Brown said. It was the first time in years that Columbia Falls has beaten Whitefish at home.

The girls faced Polson at home Tuesday after presstime and then have a doubleheader at home against Corvallis and Hamilton on Saturday.

Both southern teams beat the Kats earlier this year. But this is a different squad, Brown noted.

“We need to play the game we know how to play with the confidence that we have,” she said.

Frenchtown def. Columbia Falls, 25-15, 25-23, 25-10.

Kills – Columbia Falls 17 (Ciera Finberg 4, Cydney Finberg 4), Frenchtown 38 (Morgan Ray 15). Blocks – Columbia Falls 4 (Haley Belgrade 2), Frenchtown 13 (Vanessa Stavish 6). Digs – Columbia Falls 35 (Winter Kemppainen 8), Frenchtown 67 (Stavish 16). Assists – Columbia Falls 14 (Taylir Fairbank 8), Frenchtown 35 (Josie Anderson 24). Aces – Columbia Falls 5 (Fairbank 3), Frenchtown 7 (Anderson 3).

Columbia Falls, def. Whitefish, 25-16, 25-23, 25-18

Kills - Whitefish 28 (Marlow Schulz 10), Columbia Falls 32 (Haley Belgarde 12). Assists - Whitefish 26 (Allie Schulz 13), Columbia Falls 22 (Cydney Finberg 11). Aces - Whitefish 6 (M. Schulz 2, Bekah Weaver 2), Columbia Falls 6 (Taylir Fairbank 3). Blocks - Whitefish 4 (Rachael Seymour 3), Columbia Falls 7 (Winter Kemppainen 6). Digs - Whitefish 50 (M. Schulz 15), Columbia Falls 48 (Shaylene Fishel 12).