Plains wins District 14C volleyball title
The St. Regis pep band traveled to Hot Springs for the Western Districts 14C Tournament last weekend. St. Regis Lady Tigers ended their season with losses to Hot Springs and Charlo. (Photo by Joe Sova/Mineral Independent)
Sometimes the strength of a conference in high school volleyball does not really show until you get into postseason play. That was exhibited in the District 14C Tournament last Thursday and Friday at Hot Springs High School.
Charlo went into the tournament undefeated, with the No. 1 seed, and Arlee was seeded second. Hot Springs was the third seed, and Plains and Noxon had the same conference record and tied for fourth. St. Regis was sixth.
The Plains Trotters and Hot Springs Lady Savage Heat both earned first-round wins Thursday, over Noxon and St. Regis, respectively. Plains then used that impetus to knock off Charlo in four sets. In the next match of the day, Hot Springs followed suit, sweeping Arlee in three very close games. Plains defeated Hot Springs 3-0 in the semifinals to earn a berth in the championship match.
Charlo had to get wins over St. Regis and then the Arlee Scarlets on the losers’ side of the bracket, and did just that. In their third match Friday, the Lady Vikings earned a berth in the title match, three sets to one over Hot Springs.
The Lady Vikings got off to a great start, winning the first set 25-17. But head coach Jessie Butcher’s Trotters team regrouped, winning the next two, 25-22 and 25-20. The deciding set was an epic battle, with Plains capturing the District 14C Tournament crown, 18-16. It was the fourth full match of the day for head coach Rhondell Volinkaty’s Charlo squad, including the last three in a row.
Plains will have a No. 1 seed going into the Western C Divisional Tournament this Thursday through Saturday at Manhattan Christian, and Charlo will have a No. 2 seed. Plains will face Twin Bridges, the runnerup in the District 12C Tournament, at 1 p.m. Thursday in the first round at divisionals.
DISTRICT 14C
(Results listed chronologically)
Plains over Noxon 3-2
Plains wins 20-25, 25-21, 25-18, 13-25, 15-10
Plains stats — Aces: 10 (Emma Morgan 4). Assists: 30 (Haley Josephson 17). Blocks: 14 (Rachel Huenink 7). Kills: 42 (Kylee Altmiller 18, Huenink 16). Digs: 56 (Audrey Brown 18).
Noxon stats not available.
Hot Springs over St. Regis 3-1
Hot Springs wins 25-11, 15-25, 25-9, 25-7
Hot Springs stats — Aces: 12 (Katelyn Christensen 4). Assists: 32 (Sydney Jackson 23). Blocks: 8 (2 with 3). Kills: 33 (McKennzie Cannon 12). Digs: 37 (Sydney Jackson 9).
Plains over Charlo 3-1
Plains wins 27-25, 20-25, 25-20, 25-23
Plains stats — Aces: 7 (Dakota Butcher 2, Altmiller 2, Josephson 2). Assists: 31 (Josephson 22). Blocks: 12 (Huenink 8). Kills: 38 (Huenink 16, Altmiller 15). Digs: 50 ( Brown 22).
Hot Springs over Arlee 3-0
Hot Springs wins 26-24, 29-27, 26-24
Hot Springs stats — Aces: 11 (Sage Jackson 3). Assists: 26 (Sydney Jackson 24). Blocks 14 (Liz Fisher 7). Kills: 30 (McKennzie Cannon 11). Digs: 99 (Sage Jackson 25).
Arlee over Noxon 3-1 (loser out)
Arlee wins 25-13, 20-25, 25-23, 25-17
No stats available
Charlo over St. Regis 3-0 (loser out)
Charlo wins 25-14, 25-12, 25-11
Charlo stats — Aces: 16 (Bella Hawk 6). Assists: 26 (Teaira Truman 25). Blocks: 3 (Kira McPhail 2). Kills: 27 (Kaitlyn Cox & Hawk 7). Digs: 39 (Allie Delaney 9).
Plains over Hot Springs 3-0
Plains wins 25-13, 25-15, 25-23.
Plains stats — Aces: 5 (Morgan 2). Assists: 19 (Josephson 12). Blocks: 9 (Altmiller 6). Kills: 29 (Altmiller 11). Digs: 31 (Brown 12).
Hot Springs stats — Aces: 6 (Sydney Jackson 3). Assists: 15 (Sydney Jackson 13). Blocks: 8 (Cannon 5). Kills: 17 (Cannon 5). Digs: 51 (Sydney Jackson 11).
Charlo over Arlee 3-1 (loser out)
Charlo wins 25-15, 17-25, 28-26, 25-23
No stats available
Charlo over Hot Springs 3-1 (loser out)
Charlo wins 12-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-18
Hot Springs stats — Aces 4 (Sydney Jackson 2). Assists: 39 (Sydney Jackson 35). Blocks 6 (Cannon 6). Kills: 46 (Cannon 19). Digs: 99 (Sage Jackson 30).
Championship Match
Plains over Charlo 3-2
Plains wins 17-25, 25-22, 25-20, 20-25, 18-16
Plains stats — Assists: 49 (Josephson 34). Blocks: 13 (Huenink 7). Kills: 57 (Altmiller 35). Digs: 69 (Brown 21).
Charlo stats — Assists: 32 (Truman 30). Blocks: 6. Kills: 40 (Cox 16). Digs: 40 (Cox 24).