Kats clinch conference volleyball title
Kiera Brown reaches to the push the ball past the Polson defense Tuesday. (Jeremy Weber photo)
Dillen Hoerner goes up for one of her nine kills against the Lady Pirates Tuesday. (Jeremy Weber photo)
Kiera Brown goes up for a kill against Polson last week. (Jeremy Weber photo)
Grace Gedlaman goes up for a block in the second set against Polson Tuesday. (Jeremy Weber photo)
Kiera Brown goes up to attack the ball in the second set against Polson Tuesday. (Jeremy Weber photo)
Kiera Brown goes high to attack the ball in the second set against Polson Tuesday. (Jeremy Weber photo)
The Wildkat volleyball team clinched the Northwest A Conference title in dominating fashion at home Tuesday, sweeping second-place Polson in three sets.
Columbia Falls held the Lady Pirates to 11 points or less in all three sets, downing Polson 25-11, 25-10, 25-11 to improve to 9-0 in conference play and 11-1 overall.
“We played hard, we played well and we played clean,” head coach Jolandie Brooks said.
Setter Hannah Schweikert recorded all 26 assists for the Kats in the win and added a game-high six aces while Maddie Hoerner had 11 of the team’s 32 kills. Dillen Hoerner added nine kills, Angellica Street had 16 of the team’s 35 digs, Lauren Falkner added three blocks and Kiera Brown had two.
The Kats held Polson to just 17 kills.
Polson scored the first point of the opening set, but the Kats answered with nine straight points with strong serves from Falkner. The Kats continued to pull away and finished off the first set with a block by Brown.
Columbia Falls fell behind again in the early going of the second set as Polson built a 5-4 lead, but the Kats responded with a 21-5 run to win the set, 25-10.
It was much the same story in the third set as Polson went up 5-3 in the opening moments, but the Kats came back and pulled away to win 25-11.
The Kats finish up the regular season at home against Browning Saturday. The playoffs begin next weekend as the Kats travel to Dillon for the Western A Divisional Tournament Nov. 7-9.