Lady Dogs smash into second at divisional
Daniel McKay photos / Whitefish Pilot Anissa Brown goes for a kill against Columbia Falls during the Western A divisional title match Saturday at Columbia Falls High School.
Cailyn Ross rises for a spike against Columbia Falls during the Western A divisional title match Saturday at Columbia Falls High School.
Senior Mirielle Kruger rises for a kill during the Western A divisional title match Saturday.
Anissa Brown celebrates with her teammates during a win against Dillon in the Western A divisional tournament.
Cailyn Ross spikes the ball against Columbia Falls during the Western A divisional title match Saturday.
Whitefish volleyball earned a spot in the state tournament with a second place finish in the Western A divisional tournament over the weekend in Columbia Falls.
The Lady Bulldogs opened tournament play with sweeps of Butte Central and Corvallis on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, Whitefish fell to Columbia Falls in the first and last matches of the day, losing 25-19, 25-21, 25-18 and 25-22, 25-19, 21-25, 25-14 to the eventual champions.
“I felt that the girls played really hard and they played together as a team,” head coach Jackie Fuller said. “We’re getting better and better every time we get on the court, and that’s what we want right now in the season.”
The championship was the third match of the day for Whitefish, just 20 minutes after defeating Dillon, but the team managed to fight back every time it looked like the set could turn into a blowout. It was the fourth time the Lady Dogs fell to the Wildkats, but Fuller said that didn’t factor into her team’s play Saturday.
“We can’t worry about anybody but ourselves,” she said. “Columbia Falls is good, but Whitefish has worked really hard all year to get better, and I’d take these girls any day.”
Cailyn Ross finished with a team-high 10 kills in the championship match, and Libby Nagler had 31 assists.
Dillon took third place and Corvallis fourth in the tournament, which sends the top four finishers to the state tournament, which begins Thursday in Bozeman.
Whitefish enters the state tournament as the number two seed from the Western division, behind Columbia Falls. The Lady Bulldogs play Fergus in the first round of the state tournament tomorrow at 2 p.m. in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse at Montana State University in Bozeman.
Fuller said while Fergus has some good players, the key to Whitefish’s success is simply playing the Bulldog brand of volleyball.
“They’ve got some girls that can block and a good setter. We’re going to focus on what Whitefish does best,” Fuller said. “We’re fine tuning everything these next couple days and then we’ll be ready to go.”
Whitefish def. Butte Central 25-23, 26-24, 25-14
Kills — Whitefish 33 (Kate Doorn 10, Cailyn Ross 10), Butte Central 25 (Taylor Wahl 10); Blocks — Whitefish 5 (Mirielle Kruger 2, Ross 2), Butte Central 9 (Corbyn Holm 3); Assists — Whitefish 30 (Libby Nagler 24), Butte Central 20 (Emily St. John 20); Digs — Whitefish 65 (Kylie Larsen 15), Butte Central 64 (Samantha Burton 15); Aces — Whitefish 10 (Doorn 5), Butte Central 5 (Kassidy Criscuolo 2).
Whitefish def. Corvallis 25-17, 25-22, 25-22
Kills—Corvallis 33 (Genesis Keith 10), Whitefish 34 (Cailyn Ross 9, Kate Doorn 9). Assists—Corvallis 29 (Kate Hurlburt 27), Whitefish 30 (Libby Nagler 28). Blocks—Corvallis 6 (Mareen Jessop 3), Whitefish 7 (Mirielle Kruger 3, Ross 3). Digs—Corvallis 64 (Jessop 16), Whitefish 48 (Serena Hemmingson 10, Doorn 10, Kylie Larson 10). Aces—Corvallis 5 (Emme Warnken 2), Whitefish 6 (Nagler 2).
Columbia Falls def. Whitefish 25-19, 25-21, 25-20
Kills—Whitefish 28 (Nina Thew 7, Kate Doorn 7), Columbia Falls 38 (Kaitlyn Casazza 10, Kiara Burlage 10). Assists—Whitefish 23 (Libby Nagler 19), Columbia Falls 29 (Cydney Finberg 28). Blocks—Whitefish 4 (Cailyn Ross 3), Columbia Falls 10 (Burlage 3, Morgan Stenger 3). Digs—Whitefish 43 (Serena Hemmingson 15), Columbia Falls 70 (Keavyn Baker 15). Aces—Whitefish 9 (Nagler 4), Columbia Falls 6 (Burlage 3).
Whitefish def. Dillon 25-16, 25-20, 22-25, 25-18
Kills—Dillon 35 (Brynley Fitzgerald 14), Whitefish 41 (Kate Doorn 13). Assists—Dillon 30 (Bailey Berriochoa 26), Whitefish 36 (Libby Nagler 36). Blocks—Dillon 4 (Paige Rouse 2), Whitefish 4 (Cailyn Ross 2). Digs—Dillon 41 (Kylie Christiansen 18), Whitefish 41 (Serena Hemmingson 18). Aces—Dillon 6 (Kyndall Petersen 3), Whitefish 6 (Nagler 2, Ross 2).
Columbia Falls def. Whitefish 25-22, 25-19, 21-25, 25-14
Kills—Whitefish 35 (Cailyn Ross 10), Columbia Falls 52 (Morgan Stenger 16). Assists—Whitefish 32 (Libby Nagler 31), Columbia Falls 42 (Cydney Finberg 42). Blocks—Whitefish 4 (Mirielle Kruger 3), Columbia Falls 6 (Stenger 2, Kaitlyn Casazza 2). Digs—Whitefish 42 (Serena Hemmingson 18), Columbia Falls 68 (Casazza 14). Aces—Whitefish 6 (Ross 2), Columbia Falls 8 (Finberg 3).