Lady Devils volleyball team battle to the end

It was a busy and no doubt tiring couple of days for the Noxon Lady Devils volleyball team this past week.

As one of eight teams trying to battle their way into the Western 13C district volleyball tournament in Pablo, Noxon took to the court at Salish Kootenai College events center and took on Victor in a loser-go-home play-in match. 

And after a spirited challenge put up by the Lady Pirates, Noxon made it to the main tournament with a 3-0 match win over Victor. 

The win lifted the Lady Devils into a first-round match with number two seed Drummond, who cooled off the Devils with a convincing three-set sweep.  From there the Lady Devils faced a round one game, Thursday, and fell to Lincoln 3-1. 

In the match versus Drummond, the Lady Prospectors broke out to a 6-1 lead in the first set, then built the lead to 24-15 before clinching the opening set on a net serve by Noxon.  The win boosted them to a 2-0 match lead. 

Set three was more of the same for Drummond, which built an early lead, then expanded it on their way to a 25-13 win that clinched the 3-0 match sweep.  From there Noxon moved a second Thursday match, this one with Lincoln. 

Lincoln took the opening set 25-20 despite a spirited fight by the Lady Devils.   In the second set, Lincoln pulled away from an early Noxon lead and held off a determined Noxon team for a 2-0 match edge. 

When it looked like Lincoln was heading for a sweep, Noxon regrouped and staged a late rally in the third set, eventually beating the Lynx 25-23.  The win trimmed Lincoln’s match advantage to 2-1. 

Noxon grabbed an early 5-2 lead in the fourth set against Lincoln, only to watch as Lincoln tied the score, then assumed a slim lead led at the set midway point.  The Lynx quickly increased the lead to 22-12 on their way to a match clinching 25-12 win. 

That win kept Lincoln, which lost to St. Regis earlier in the tournament, alive and heading for a match against Charlo, who eliminated the Lady Devils with a 3-0 victory.   The loss dropped Noxon to 3-8 on the year in what was their final game of the 2024 season.