Lady Dogs nip Kats in five sets

With the celebration spilling out of the bleachers and onto the Whitefish High School gym floor, Lady Bulldog senior Allie Schulz struggled to describe her emotions in the chaotic moments following a wild five-set victory over Columbia Falls on Saturday.

Then, the words finally came to her as she beamed with a smile.

“Pure joy,” said Schulz about winning the last game she’ll play on her home court. “It’s a good one to end on — I’m just so happy.”

Whitefish rallied in the fifth frame to outlast a strong and athletic Columbia Falls team, 25-16, 27-25, 17-25, 15-25, 18-16 in Northwest A action.

“We were conditioned enough to fight until the end and we wanted it — we definitely wanted it tonight,” Schulz said.

Trailing 5-10 in the final set, Whitefish stormed back to take a 13-11 lead when Ellie Dewan made a spectacular diving dig that fell in the Wildkats’ court for a point.

It was that kind of hustle that kept the Lady Dogs in the match against the Kats’ tall trees guarding the net.

The teams were tied five times in the fifth set before Cailyn Ross tipped in the go-ahead point at 17-16. When the final point fell for Whitefish, the student section stormed the court in what was the last Northwestern A match for each team before the Western A divisional tournament this week in Hamilton.

Both teams finish with a 5-1 conference record, but Columbia Falls retains the No. 1 seeding because they beat Whitefish in four sets earlier in the season.

Still, Schulz said, the win was bigger than the final standings.

“It doesn’t give us a higher seed, but it definitely gives us a good reputation going into the tournament,” she said of the statement victory.

Ross had 13 kills to lead Whitefish and Schulz had three blocks. Serena Hemmingson had 14 digs, Dewan four aces and Libby Nagler 23 assists for the Bulldogs.

Lady Bulldog coach Jackie Fuller says gritty back row defense from Hemmingson, Dewan and Nagler kept Whitefish alive at the end.

“We play a lot of drills in practice that are true grit,” Fuller said. “The fight in Serena was unbelievable.”

Whitefish took a 2-0 lead before Columbia Falls rallied to win games 3 and 4.

“We started the match being able to hit, but then they adjusted and we had to change things up,” Fuller said. “Our setters did a phenomenal job of quarterbacking the team and it kept Columbia Falls guessing.”

Schulz said discipline played into the match at the end.

“We made smart shots and were getting the sets where we needed to get them and placing it well,” she said.

Fuller said both teams deserve credit for their effort in the marathon.

“Both teams fought hard and were throwing themselves out there for everything,” she said. “That was a great way to finish.”

Saturday’s victory capped a perfect record at home for Whitefish this season.

“I’m proud of the girls,” Fuller said. “This is our court and we need to protect our court.”

Still, Fuller won’t let her girls rest on Saturday’s win for too long.

“We still have work to do,” she said. “That’s the best part about these girls — we’ll enjoy the victory but we know there is more to do.”

As a No. 2 seed in the Western A tourney, Whitefish opens against host Hamilton on Thursday at noon. The top four finishers in the nine-team tournament move on to the State A tournament in Bozeman.

“Our first match is Hamilton at their home and we’ve got to be at our best,” Fuller said. “After that we’ll prepare match by match.”

The new divisional format featuring teams from the North and South conferences should make for an exciting tournament, she added.

“It’s a true double elimination so you can lose once and still fight back,” she said. “It’s a bigger tourney with more teams.”

Whitefish will continue to focus on defense as the key to success.

“We have to work on that blocking,” she said. “We’re firm believers that defense wins championships.”

Whitefish def. Columbia Falls 25-16, 27-25, 17-25, 15-25, 18-16

Kills—CF 84 (Morgan Stenger 27), Whitefish 45 (Cailyn Ross 13). Blocks—CF 8 (Stenger 4), Whitefish 3 (Allie Schulz 3). Assists—CF 37 (Cydney Finberg 35), Whitefish 46 (Libby Nagler 23). Digs—CF 86 (Kaitlyn Cassaza 19), Whitefish 55 (Serena Hemmingson 14). Aces—CF 10 (KJ Schweikert 3), Whitefish 9 (Ellie Dewan 4).