Wildkat spikers look to make mark

By JOE SOVA

Hungry Horse News

With most of their experienced players returning, the Columbia Falls High School varsity volleyball team has high expectations this season. The Wildkats open the season on Saturday (Aug. 25) at the Whitefish Tip-off Tourney.

Addy Hines returns for her second year as head coach. Last year, she said she had a lot of different expectations.

"It was a good learning year for me. I'll take a lot of that in with me (to this season)," Hines said.

The Wildkats finished fourth in the Northwest A Conference. They won their first match at divisionals, but dropped their next two and were eliminated.

Hines lost three seniors, including starters Callie Spencer and Monica Burns. There are five seniors this season — Sarah Marcille, Michelle Murphy, Sam Ladenburg, Staci Tence and Auttem Osborne.

Marcille was one of the top setters in the conference last year and she will again run Columbia Falls' 5-1 offense. Hines said Marcille will also be very important to the development of younger Wildkat setters.

"They will learn from what she is doing," Hines said of Marcille.

Juniors on the varsity include Cedar Smith, Alyssa Ladenburg and Amanda Millard. Hines said two sophomores have been brought up to the varsity — Brooke Cady and Shiloh Knudsen. They will be competing for a middle blocker position.

"Everybody but my two sophomores have had some varsity playing time," Hines said. "I'm amazed at where they are compared to last year."

Hines indicated that teamwork is a strength of this year's squad.

"We don't have any big hitters, but we're steady," the coach said. "They have high expectations."

There has been a lot of work on blocking and vertical jumps. The Wildkats have three players with 25-inch plus verticals.

Hines has two new coaches in the program — CFHS graduate Erin Senst with the junior varsity team and Heather Gilchrist with the freshman squad.

With Eureka dropping to Class B, there are six teams in the Northwest A Conference. Whitefish, the 2006 Class A state champion, is the defending conference champ.

The Wildkats will play Glacier, the new Class AA team in Kalispell, this season and travel to the Hamilton Tournament.

CFHS will hold its Blue and White scrimmage at 5 p.m. Friday (Aug. 24).

The Wildkats won't have their first home-court varsity match until Bigfork comes to town on Sept. 20.