Trotters go 1-2 at 7B divisional tourney

The Plains Trotters have had, by all accounts, a successful 2024 volleyball season.

In what was a second straight year of dramatic improvement, the Trotters compiled an 11-6 season mark and qualified for the Western Division playoff tournament in Anaconda with a 6-3 league mark. 

Considering they were 0-12 in 2022 and 9-8 in 2023, the upward march of the Trotters has clearly continued the past three years. 

While it may be not the ultimate outcome for which they were aiming, the Trotters showed a major improvement and took part in some of the most exciting volleyball matches of the year, their 3-2 set match victory over rival Thompson Falls and crowded gyms for each home match. 

This past week Plains, under the tutelage of head coach Kim Lakko, finished 1-2 in the Western division tournament after qualifying third from the 7B District meet. 

Plains opened the tournament this past Thursday with a matchup versus Missoula Loyola from District 6-B. The opening set was tied multiple times in the early going before Loyola broke away from a 10-10 tie and built a 16-11 lead. 

However, the Trotters, as they have done all season, fought back and pulled to within one point, 20-19, before the Breakers took a 24-21 lead on their way to a 25-22 first set win that gave them a 1-0 match lead. 

In the second set, Plains took an early advantage and built it into a 12-7 lead.  Loyola then scored five straight points to tie the score at 12-12, then pulled away from a 14-14 tie and outscored Plains 9-1 to take control of the set, eventually winning 25-15 to increase their match advantage to 2-0. 

The third set mirrored the results of set two, as Plains took an early lead, Loyola roared back and tied the score at 10 then pulled away to a 25-17 win on a set clinching kill shot that clinched a 3-0 opening round sweep. 

The loss dropped the Trotters into the consolation round for a match with Deer Lodge, which finished as a surprise four seed in the 6B district tourney but lost their opener to Thompson Falls.  T Falls beat Deer Lodge 3-0 to set up the Lady Wardens match with the Trotters. 

The first set was a tight, back and forth set with numerous ties up to the end, the last at 24-24. Deer Lodge scored the final two points to win the opening set 26-24 and take a 1-0 match lead. 

However, the Trotters once again showed they were full of fight as they took a 5-0 first set lead, only to watch as Deer Lodge tied the score at 6.  After a tie at 9-9, Plains pulled away to a12-10 lead, then held off two brief Lady Wardens rallies and slowly pulled away for a 25-17 victory that squared the match at 1-1. 

With the loser of the match facing elimination, both teams dug deep and fought hard.  Set three was tied eight times before Plains broke away from a 21-21 tie and reeled off four straight points on their way to a 25-21 win and a 2-1 match advantage. 

Set number four was almost identical to the opening set, but this time it was Plains who came out on top, 26-24 following a 24-24 tie.  Claire Lakko dropped a soft shot over the net to give the Trotters a one-point lead.  Plains then wrapped up a 26-24 win, giving them a 3-1 match win and keeping their tournament hopes alive. 

That win set up a match with host Anaconda Friday afternoon.  The Copperheads, who came into the match with a 10-14 record on the year, took the opening set with a relatively comfortable 25-12 victory.  They then increased their match lead to 2-0 with a 25-18 win in the second set. 

Plains was once again out to prove they were a team that never quits, and it showed in a set four that was tied six times before Anaconda took a 9-8 lead.  The score continued to go back and forth with multiple ties before Anaconda pulled away from a 25-25 tie and scored two straight points to put the set away 27-25 and give the host team a 3-0 match victory. 

The loss ended the Trotters season, while Anacona went on to beat Eureka, the two seed from the 7B, twice and knocked off 7B top seed Thompson Falls on their way to the championship finals versus Florence-Carlton.  Florence won the Divisional tourney with a 3-0 win over the upstart Copperheads.