Lady Hawks run comes to an end in Florence

THOMPSON FALLS – The Lady Hawks fought long and hard at Florence for a chance to move on to the state championship tournament this weekend, however, the ladies were unable to advance despite a win.

For the first game, Thompson Falls faced off Loyola, losing in four (13 to 25, 23 to 25, 25 to 16, 23 to 25). Shasta Wilson had 10 kills and 10 digs, while Logan Beckman also brought in 10 kills with 15 digs. Shey Hannum had eight kills, seven solo blocks, and two aces. Her sister, Autrey Hannum brought in six kills and three solo blocks. In all, Madison Fitchett had two kills, one solo block and 15 digs, while Erica Sorlie brought in 32 set assists and 14 digs. Angela Padden made it onto the board with 14 digs.

In the second game against Troy, Thompson Falls conquered their opponents in three quick sets (25 to 15, 25 to 9, 25 to 9), allowing them to advance further into the competition.

S. Hannum had 10 kills with Wilson close behind with eight kills and one solo block. A. Hannum slammed down six kills and one solo block while Beckman had four kills, two aces and seven digs. Fitchett added three kills, one ace and eight digs to the team’s total, with Padden bringing in another ten digs. Sorlie succeeded in 25 set assists, seven aces, 11 digs and two kills.

The ladies then went on to face Bigfork. During the district tournament the week before, Bigfork was able to come back in five sets and take the first seed from the ladies.

Now, once again the two powerhouses met on the court. In a back and forth game, both teams were able to show their strengths as the score depicted how close the two teams were matched.

Despite their hard work put forth, the Lady Hawks lost in four (25 to 20, 13 to 25, 18 to 25, 28 to 30).

Wilson had 15 kills and nine digs while Beckman added 12 kills and 21 digs. Fitchett brought in five kills, two solo blocks and 19 digs, while S. Hannum had four kills, five solo blocks and five digs. A. Hannum matched her sister for four kills as well, with one solo block and five digs. Padden had one kill and five digs, while Sorlie brought in 30 solo assists, three aces, 27 digs and two kills.

With the end of the game, the Lady Hawk season also closed.

The ladies will be losing three seniors with Padden, Wilson and Sorlie leaving their ranks. However, if the two continue to play volleyball, the team should have at least two seniors with Fitchett and Beckman moving up a grade.

Throughout the season, the girls of Thompson Falls improved immensely and Head Coach Sandra Kazmierczak also applauded the girls for their progress. She was proud of how they played throughout the season and was happy to see the ladies grow together to become one strong team.

Kazmierczak could not be reached for comment.