Bigfork spikers fall in 5;
Sentinel stops Flathead
The Daily Inter Lake
MISSOULA - Bigfork won Games 1 and 3, but Missoula Loyola prevailed in 2, 4 and 5 to pull out a wild Class B nonconference volleyball victory on Tuesday, 25-22, 20-25, 25-17, 18-25, 15-6.
It was Bigfork's first loss after opening the season with three straight wins.
"It was a hard, fought game," Bigfork coach Tammi McDaniel said. "They scrapped for every point."
McDaniel said a small Bigfork team held up quite well against a taller Loyola crew.
"They just kept coming back," she said of her Valkyries.
"Loyola was a little surprised to see the ball keep coming back at them."
Emily Hardman and Mallery Knoll were a strong hitting combination for Bigfork at the net. Hardman finished with 18 kills and Knoll totaled nine.
Claire Wilken led Bigfork in assists, 12, and aces, seven.
The other stat leader for the Vals was Knoll with 23 digs.
Bigfork, 2-1 league play, returns to 7B action on Thursday, 7 p.m, hosting Eureka.
Bigfork stats only
Kills - 36, Emily Hardman 18, Mallery Knoll 9; Blocks - 9, Melissa Van Derveer 4; Assists - 23, Claire Wilken 12, Taylor Peck 8; Digs - 64, Knoll 23, Hardman 21; Aces - 11, Wilken 7, Knoll 3.
Sentinel 3,
Flathead 1
MISSOULA - Missoula Sentinel improved to 7-1 overall with a 25-17, 25-21, 23-25, 26-24 victory over Flathead in Western AA play.
"We started out kind out of slow the first 2 1/2 games," Flathead coach Leon Wilcox said.
"Then we finally picked up the intensity at a competitive level and closed Game 3. We had our chances in Game 4."
Flathead, 1-2 league and 4-5 overall, had 48 kills to Sentinel's 51. Hannah Sackett led the Bravettes with 17.
Kwyn Johnson had eight of Flathead's 12 blocks.
Natalie Jones had 22 kills and four blocks for Sentinel.
"They did a good job of battling back," Wilcox said.
"They fought really hard in Game 4. It was a fun match then, a side of them we need to bring out all the time."
It was Sentinel's league opener.
Jaimee Zorn led Flathead in aces with three, Alison Lundy had 40 assists, and Mary Allen was tops in digs with 13.
Flathead hosts Glacier in the first crosstown meeting of the season on Thursday, 7 p.m.
Glacier also plays at Helena Capital on Saturday, 2 p.m.
Kills - Flathead 48 (Hannah Sackett 17), Sentinel 51 (Natalie Jones 22, Morgan McCarthy 13). Blocks - Flathead 12 (Kwyn Johnson 8), Sentinel 11 (Jones 4, McCarthy 4). Digs - Flathead 51 (Mary Allen 13), Sentinel 54 (Tomi Ray Ahearn 16). Assists - Flathead 42 (Alison Lundy 40), Sentinel 45 (Kelsi Becker 43). Aces - Flathead 10 (Jaimee Zorn 3), Sentinel 9 (McCarthy 4).