Lady Bulldogs fall short in Western A divisional

The Whitefish Volleyball team came up short at the Western A Divisional Tournament over the weekend.

The Lady Bulldogs won their first match against Dillon on Thursday but unfortunately dropped their next three matches to Polson, Ronan and Corvallis.

“We had so many tight games and quite a few we came out on top of however, we need to finish these tight games and take care of the ball throughout the whole game playing steady volleyball,” Whitefish Coach Addy Connelly said. “I am so proud of these ladies and their efforts on and off the court. Such a great group of talented young ladies.

To start the tournament, Whitefish came out strong against the Beavers, winning in four sets — 25-17, 16-25, 25-22, 26-24. In the match, Whitefish’s Brooke Zetooney had 11 kills and four aces to lead the Bulldogs. Senior Lauren Ramsey added 10 kills and Hailey Ells had five kills for Whitefish. Bulldog Ainsley Scott had 17 assists and two blocks. Myli Ridgeway led with 17 digs.

After the first win, that set up a match later in the day with Northwest A foe, Polson. The Lady Pirates defeated Whitefish in three sets, 25-18, 25-20, 25-11. Polson would go on to become Western A champions.

In the match, Zetooney led again with nine kills and three aces. Ramsey and Ridgeway each had two kills as well.

Next, the Dogs faced Ronan on Friday. Despite Whitefish grabbing the third set, the Maidens went on to win 25-14, 25-17, 21-25, 27-25.

To finish out the tournament Whitefish played Corvallis and again lost in four sets. The Blue Devils won 22-25, 25-22, 25-18, 25-21.

“Although we didn't end the way we had hoped, the girls this season improved tremendously. They were able to run a quicker offense by improving on their passing and running plays that we have not been able to attempt the last couple of years…” Connelly said. “This group of girls came into practice ready to work each day. They spent the time required to make positive gains. They have already been busy planning for next year with a focus on our mental game.”

Whitefish finished the season with a 7-7 overall record.