Hot Springs spikers fall to Arlee and Charlo

Hot Springs suffered a pair of five-set losses to strong Arlee and Charlo teams last week, dropping the Lady Savage Heat to 3-2 in the Western Division of Class C volleyball.

The Lady Savage Heat are 3-2 in the division going into Thursday’s non-conference home match against Lincoln. Match times are 4:30 p.m. for JV and 6 p.m. for varsity.

Hot Springs competes in the Mineral County Shootout this Saturday. Matches are played in Superior, Alberton and St. Regis.

Arlee went on to get another five-set win, over Noxon on Saturday, after dropping the first two games. Scores were 20-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23 and 15-6.

Last Thursday, Arlee emerged with a five-set win over Hot Springs. Set scores were 26-24, 15-25, 25-11, 23-25 and 15-12.

“We had the lead the whole first set,” Hot Springs head coach Alisha Pablo said, and in other games “we like to dig holes. We allow them to get back and we rally.”

The Lady Savage Heat were hampered by illness in the Arlee match.

“I think we’re conditioned well, but we were hit with sickness,” Pablo said, with stamina limited by either the flu or a bad cold.

She indicated her team played very well overall.

“We should have had them. We definitely had the harder hitters and the height. Our net play has really come a long way, but our serving still wasn’t great,” the coach said.

Katelyn Christensen led Hot Springs with 18 kills. She had four aces, and Christensen and McKennzie Cannon each had four blocks. Sydney Jackson had 21 set assists, and Sage Jackson led in digs with 27.

HOT SPRINGS won the first set Saturday at Charlo, but the Lady Vikings won the next two. After the Lady Savage Heat took the fourth set, Charlo squeaked out a three-point win in the deciding set. Scores for Charlo were 22-25, 26-24, 25-12, 22-25 and 15-12.

“They played phenomenal, but when you’re not 100 percent (health-wise) it takes a toll on you,” Pablo said of her team.

Hot Spring missed only two serves in the five-set match.

Pablo said 5-foot-11 Cannon had a “stellar night,” turning in a “triple-double” in blocks, kills and digs. She had 16 big blocks to go along with a dozen kills.

“This proved it to her she can do it,” Pablo said of Cannon’s all-around play.

Syndey Jackson had 29 assists for Hot Springs and four aces. Savannah Roosma led in digs with 23.

“They seemed a lot better,” Pablo said of her team’s health. “They’re on the mend.”