Sugarbeeters, Coyotes pick up key wins to stay atop respective conferences

The Chinook Sugarbeeters and Chester Coyotes moved to the top of their respective districts with some critical conference wins this past weekend in local high school volleyball action.

The Beeters won three matches in three days, starting on Thursday with a 25-18, 25-13, 25-17 win over rival Malta. Whitney Lybeck banged out 10 kills and added 12 digs in the win. Morgan Obie and Andrea Eslick had three aces each in the match.

On Friday, Chinook dispatched with Cut Bank in three games by scores of 25-19, 25-23, 25-19. Lybeck had another monster game for the Beeters, racking up 16 of Chinook's 41 kills and adding four blocks. Crystal Roseberry and Eslick combined for 24 assists, while Monica Thackeray added 14 digs.

Chinook made it three in a row with a hardfought 25-21, 25-14, 14-25, 25-15 win over Fairfield on Saturday. Kassie Dugan had nine kills and two blocks to lead the Beeters. Roseberry dished out 10 assists, Thackeray picked up 10 digs and Eslick added five aces in the win.

On Saturday in Chester, the Coyotes took a major step towards a District 6C title with a 25-16, 28-26, 21-25, 25-12 win over rival Blue Sky/J-I. Shawnee Norick had 14 of Chester's 41 kills and added 14 digs. The Coyotes used some strong serving in the match, serving out 24 aces, led by Joanna LaSorte's 11. LaSorte added 20 assists and Brianne Wolfe had 10 of Chester's whopping 27 blocks in the match.

Blue Sky/J-I was led by Hannah Pimley, who had 11 kills. Jourdon Han added six blocks in the Eagles' first conference loss of the season.

Elsewhere in District 6C, the Rocky Boy Morning Stars knocked off rival Box Elder 25-17, 25-20, 20-25, 19-25, 15-4 in a thrilling five-game match in Rocky Boy.

Tori Belcourt had five kills and five blocks and Rainbow Stump had 18 assists to lead the Stars. Rocky Boy also served up a match-high 22 aces, led by Jackie Rock's 11.

Box Elder was led by Codi Raining Bird with eight kills, eight digs and five aces in the match.

On Saturday, the Big Sandy Pioneers maintained their grip on third place in District 6C with a 25-16, 25-14, 14-25, 25-18 win over KG in Gildford.

Shalayna Pearson had 12 kills and a block to pace the Pioneers. Big Sandy also got a nice match from Jessica Amsbaugh, who racked up 11 digs and six aces.

KG was led by Whitney Hanson's nine kills and eight assists. Shea Haugen and Britta Umbach combined for 21 digs in the match.

KG did pick up win on the weekend, defeating Winifred, 18-25, 25-17, 20-25, 25-12, 15-11, in a five-game thriller. Tasha Dyrland had a solid match racking up 12 kills, 16 digs, nine aces and three blocks in the win. Janine Jorgenson also had good all-around match, picking up eight kills, nine assists and 11 aces. As a team, KG served up 40 aces in the match.

In other District 1B action, the Harlem Wildcats suffered a tough 25-15, 25-6, 25-19 loss at the hands of the Plentywood Wildcats. Kristen Steiner had eight kills and 14 digs to pace Plentywood.

Harlem was led by transfer Marty Rae Stiffarm, who had seven kills, 14 digs and two aces. Melinda Cochran chipped in with 12 assists in the loss.

Thursday

Chinook def. Malta

25-18, 25-13, 25-17

Malta - Kills: 21 (Katie Lowny 7). Assists: 15 (Whitney Grant 9). Aces: 4 (Sarah King 2). Digs: 31 (Heather O'Neil 10). Blocks: 12 (Whitney Jones 9).

Chinook - Kills: 28 (Whitney Lybeck 10). Assists: 21 (Andrea Eslick 9). Aces: 10 (M. Obie 3 , Eslick 3). Digs: 41 (Lybeck 12). Blocks: 2 (Lybeck, Monica Thackeray).

Friday

Plentywood def. Harlem

25-15, 25-6, 25-19

Plentywood - Kills 28 (Kristen Steiner 8); Assists 17 (Kirsten Anderson 9); Aces 17 (Callie Howard 6); Digs 40 (Steiner 14); Blocks 3 (Jill Kanning 2).

Harlem - Kills 19 (Marty Rae Stiffarm 7); Assists 19 (Melinda Cochran 12); Aces 2 (Stiffarm 2); Digs 38 (Stiffarm 14); Blocks 2 (Stiffarm 1, Leandra Thomas 1).

KG def. Winifred

18-25, 25-17, 20-25, 25-12, 15-11

KG - Kills 41 (Tasha Dyrland 12, Janine Jorgenson 8); Assists 31 (Whitney Hanson 11, Jorgenson 9); Aces 40 (Jorgenson 11, Dyrland 9); Digs 64 (Britta Umbach 16, Dyrland 16); Blocks 7 (Dyrland 3, Hanson 3).

Winifred - Kills 20 (Tara Mikkelsen 6); Assists 9 (Erin Econom 8); Aces 3 (Mikkelson 2); Digs 33 (Kristen Kaagaared 5, Randi Thompson 5); Blocks 15 (Mikkelson 10).

Chinook def. Cut Bank

25-19, 25-23, 25-19

Cut Bank - Kills 20 (Jessica Jacobsen 8); Assists 19 (Brianne Stanchfield 18); Aces 3 (Jacobsen 2); Digs 41 (Janelle Gage 9); Blocks 7 (Sam Sheble).

Chinook - Kills 41 (Whitney Lybeck 16); Assists 25 (Crystal Roseberry 13, Andrea Eslick 11); Aces 4 (Gen Burkhartsmeyer 2); Digs 51 (Monica Thackeray 14); Blocks 8 (Lybeck 4).

Rocky Boy def. Box Elder

25-17, 25-20, 20-25, 19-25, 15-4

Box Elder - Kills 27 (Codi Raining Bird 8); Assists 25 (Ashley Parisian 14); Aces 17 (Raining Bird 5); Digs 30 (Raining Bird 8); Blocks 4 (Tasha Parisian 3).

Rocky Boy - Kills 20 (Tori Belcourt 5); Assists 19 (Rainbow Stump 18); Aces 22 (Jackie Rock 11); Digs 17 (Frances Eagleman 7); Blocks 9 (Belcourt 5).

Saturday

Chester def. Blue Sky

25-16, 28-26, 21-25, 25-12

Blue Sky - Kills 32 (Hannah Pimley 11); Assists 22 (Megan Warren 9); Aces 10 (Kaila Warren 3); Digs 24 (Maia Aageson 5); Blocks 15 (Jourdon Han 6).

Chester - Kills 41 (Shawnee Norick 14); Assists 41 (Joanna LaSorte 20); Aces 24 (LaSorte 11); Digs 55 (Norick 14); Blocks 27 (Brianne Wolfe 10).

Chinook def. Fairfield

25-21, 25-14, 14-25, 25-15

Fairfield - Kills 23 (A. Brown 13); Assists 19 (A. Lear 16); Aces 6 (A. Lear 2); Digs 29 (A. Brown 11); Blocks 9 (A. Brown 4).

Chinook - Kills 34 (Kassie Dugan 9); Assists 20 (Crystal Roseberry 10); Aces 10 (Andrea Eslick 5); Digs 45 (Monica Thackeray 10); Blocks 4 (Dugan 2).

Big Sandy def. KG

25-16, 25-14, 14-25, 25-18

Big Sandy - Kills 31 (Shalayna Pearson 12); Assists 20 (Mikki Hammons 14); Aces 19 (Jessica Amsbaugh 6); Digs 63 (Amsbaugh 11); Blocks 2 (Pearson 1, Naomi Williams 1).

KG - Kills 23 (Whitney Hanson 9, Tasha Dyrland 9); Assists 13 (Hanson 8); Aces 16 (Janine Jorgenson 5); Digs 51 (Shea Haugen 11, Britta Umbach 10); Blocks 3 (Dyrland 3).