Volleyball team serves up home-court win

By FAITH MOLDAN — Bigfork Eagle

It's taken some time, but the Bigfork Valkyrie volleyball team seems to have playing as a team down pat after last week's Northwest A Division matches against Whitefish and Polson.

The Vals fell to the Lady Bulldogs in Whitefish 13-25, 21-25, 18-25 before wrapping up the Lady Pirates in a four-game match at home 19-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-6. Bigfork's win over the Lady Pirates moved their record to 3-3 in conference and 4-4 overall.

Bigfork led game one at home, but allowed the Lady Pirates to tie the game at 9-9 and then re-tied the game at 10-10 before Polson took the lead for the remainder of the game. Alyssa Fierro helped the Vals keep things close, recording two kills to keep the Vals within two points of Polson. A long serve from Fierro, though, gave the Lady Pirates the ball and Staci Benson took control. She served three aces to make the score 13-17.

Polson scored two more points before the Vals notched a few of their own. With Roxy Thurman at the service line, Avery Vogel and Emily Hardman did the hitting for Bigfork. Vogel attacked from the right side, angling her hit down the net for a Bigfork point, and Hardman attacked from the outside. Her kill made the score 16-19, but Polson's Christa Redcrow recorded a kill of her own to end the Vals' run.

The Vals scored three more points with help from setter Claire Wilken and Jill Hamilton. Bigfork couldn't hold onto the ball much longer and Polson won 19-25.

Bigfork's shakiness in game one may have been due to the Vals' new lineup. Playing without setters Ashlee Gordon and Rachel Luckow, the Vals relied on JV setter Wilken and last season's setter Vogel.

"They did a good job with throwing two new setters into the rotation," Bigfork coach Kelsey Jensen said. "We had a completely new lineup. They were playing next to people they haven't been playing next to before."

Wilken and Vogel split the setting duties equally, with Wilken recording 17 assists in the match and Vogel 16.

The Vals shook off game one and plowed through games two, three and four, winning each one more convincingly.

Fierro served Bigfork to a 7-0 lead, with two aces before serving the ball long. Polson came back from being down early and took the lead at 8-9. Hamilton put an end to Polson's scoring-run with a kill to make the score 9-11. The Vals remained within one or two points of the Lady Pirates, who tied the game at 14 apiece on another kill from Redcrow.

Two more Thurman kills and two Fierro aces gave the Vals a one point lead, before Wilken was called for a double hit and the game was tied 18-18. Fierro and Hamilton both tallied four aces in the match. Fierro also had nine kills for the Vals and eight blocks. She also had nine kills against the Lady Bulldogs and two blocks. She leads the Northwest A conference in blocks per game with 26 total blocks so far this season.

Thurman ended the game for the Vals. She got the Bigfork sideout with a kill and then went to the service line. There she was assisted by Hamilton and Vogel who blocked a Polson hit. Hamilton also recorded a kill after Polson was out of rotation. Her kill clinched the game-point for Bigfork.

Jensen applauded Thurman with being a leader on the floor during the match, and for hitting hard throughout the evening.

"They've all got it in them," she said of the Vals' hitting and leadership abilities.

Thurman finished the match with four aces, 11 kills and eight digs. She and Kelly Deaton both had six digs against the Lady Bulldogs, while Thurman also had four aces in Whitefish.

The Vals are third in the conference in team hitting percentage. Bigfork currently averages 8.58 kills per game.

"You have to be able to play any position on the court," Jensen said of a good volleyball player. "And keep the focus on your side of the net."

Not missing a beat, the Vals maintained the lead in all of game three except for when the Lady Pirates tied the game at 15 apiece. Bigfork led by as many as five points before Polson came back to stick within a point or two of the Vals, who won 25-23.

Polson didn't even come close to the Vals in game four. Bigfork again jumped out to an 8-0 lead, and went on long scoring runs after allowing only one or two Lady Pirate points.

"They finally played as a team," Jensen said of the Vals in their last game against Polson. She added that their defense and quickness were improved as well. "They're did a great job of being aware of where they are on the court and anticipating where the ball is going to be."

The Vals led by 17 and 18 points before winning the game by 19 points at 25-6.

The Vals host the Columbia Falls Wildkats tomorrow, Oct. 5, starting with the freshman match at 4:15 p.m. Bigfork beat the Kats 25-13-25-19, 25-14 earlier this season. Bigfork's other conference match this week is when the Vals travel to undefeated Libby Oct. 6 at 3 p.m. The Lady Loggers beat the Vals in Bigfork 11-25, 18-25, 22-25 in their first match.

Whitefish def. Bigfork 25-13, 25-21, 25-18

Kills — Bf. 30 (Alyssa Fierro 9), Wf. 29 (Brielle Menegazzi 10, Ashley Ferda 10). Blocks — Bf. 3 (Fierro 2), Wf. 13 (Menegazzi 6, Kate Klundt 5). Assists — Bf. 22 (Claire Wilken 12), Wf. 26 (Hailey Farmin 16). Digs — Bf. 31 (Kelly Deaton 6, Roxy Thurman 6), Wf. 45 (Menegazzi 15, Ferda 12). Aces — Bf. 5 (Thurman 4), Wf. 13 (McCara Collen 3, Farmin 3).

Bigfork def. Polson, 19-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-6.

Kills - Polson 23 (Nicole Davey 8), Bigfork 38 (Roxy Thurman 11). Blocks - Polson 2 (Christa Redcrow 1, Davey 1), Bigfork 10 (Alyssa Fierro 8). Digs - Polson 49 (Stacey Benson 17), Bigfork 29 (Thurman 8). Assists - Polson 13 (Kayla Duford 13), Bigfork 33 (Claire Wilken 17, Avery Vogel 16). Aces - Polson 5 (Benson 4), Bigfork 17 (Jill Hamilton, Thurman, Fierro 4).