Flathead fends off Glacier
Glacier High School outside hitter Rachel Cutler tips the ball as Flathead defenders Mary Allen and Danika Johnson block at the net during the second set of the crosstown matchup at Glacier on Tuesday night.
Flathead High seniors Jaimee Zorn and Mary Allen go for the dig in Tuesday’s crosstown volleyball meeting at Glacier High.
For awhile Tuesday night at Glacier High School, it looked like Flathead's volleyball team was going to pull a quick 3-and-out number on Glacier.
The Bravettes streaked to wins in the first two sets and were rolling right along in the third, up 10-3.
"I thought so, too," Flathead middle blocker Danika Johnson said.
But Glacier rattled off four straight points, finally tied the set at 14 and eventually came out on top to win the third set and force a fourth.
In the end, however, Flathead came through, posting a 25-12, 25-10, 25-27, 25-22 Western AA victory as both teams were battling for much more than crosstown bragging rights. Flathead and Glacier both came in needing a win to keep their hopes alive of hosting a playoff match next week.
Flathead ended its regular season 6-6 in league play, 11-11 overall.
Glacier drops to 4-7 and 11-11 with one match remaining - at Missoula Big Sky.
"In the fourth game, we really wanted to win it," Johnson, who finished with 12 kills and a team high six blocks, said.
"We didn't want to waste away those first two games we won."
The fourth set featured an amazing 17 ties, the last at 21.
Flathead capitalized on a Glacier return that went out of bounds, a well-placed hit by Kwyn Johnson and a double block by Danika Johnson and Cassie Krueger to go on top 24-21.
After a timeout, Danika Johnson and Krueger put up another scoring block for the final point, and victory.
"They stepped it up a lot," Danika Johnson said of Glacier.
"We responded to it way better in the fourth game."
The victory gave Flathead a split in the crosstown series for 2009. Glacier won the earlier meeting at Flathead, 3-2.
The Bravettes still lead the overall series, 5-2.
"The kids were clicking the first two games," Flathead coach Leon Wilcox said.
"The kids stuck to the game plan."
Wilcox said Glacier made some adjustments, which helped the Wolfpack battle back.
"They changed their offense up a little bit, it threw us off our game plan," he said.
"Once they got some momentum going, they kept coming at us.
"Part of our game plan tonight was to have more fight in us than they did. They stepped up really well in the fourth game and took care of business."
Flathead held a big edge in the statistics.
The Bravettes had 48 kills to Glacier's 36.
Aces favored FHS 11-5.
And Flathead totaled 11 blocks to just one for the Wolfpack.
"We were bad," Glacier coach Christy Harkins said.
"We struggled in all areas the first two games. Passing was terrible, hesitant, dropped balls. I was definitely disappointed. You gotta block their hitters. They have a great offense."
But it wasn't all bad for Glacier.
"I was proud of the fight in them," she said.
Hannah Sackett had another monster game for Flathead at the net with 22 kills.
Lexy Boschee led Glacier with 10.
Kills - Flathead 48 (Hannah Sackett 22, Danika Johnson 12), Glacier 36 (Lexy Boschee 10); Blocks - Flathead 11 (Johnson 6, Sackett 3), Glacier 1 (Boschee, Baylee Quay); Assists - Flathead 40 (Allison Lunde 36), Glacier 33 (Paige Latimer 32); Digs - Flathead 91 (Mary Allen 31, Jaimee Zorn 17), Glacier 40 (Cami Mathison 16); Aces - Flathead 11 (Allen 3, Lunde 3), Glacier 5 (Rachel Cutler 2).