Hi-Line Volleyball Roundup: Sugarbeeters start off the season strong

The high school volleyball season is officially underway. And while the Havre Blue Ponies won’t get started until this weekend, plenty of Class C and Class B action took place this past weekend.

On Friday, several area teams got their season underway with matches.

The Chester/J-I Hawks opened their season with a three-set win over Dutton-Brady by scores of 25-16, 25-22 and 25-22. Allix Goldhahn had 10 kills and Madeline Woods had four aces and 12 assists for the Hawks.

North Star was also a winner in its first match of the season. On Friday, the Knights beat Sunburst in a five-set thriller. The Knights won by scores of 18-25, 28-26, 24-26, 25-16 and 15-8. In the marathon match, the Knights got 20 kills from Sheridan O’Neil, while Graysen Spicher had 27 assists and seven aces.

Big Sandy began its season Friday with a loss to a tough team from Belt. The Huskies beat the Pioneers by scores of 25-13, 25-12 and 25-15.

Friday night also saw the defending 6C East champion Chinook Sugarbeeters open their season with a win over Fort Benton. Chinook beat the Longhorns by scores of 31-29, 25-11 and 25-21. The first set was a hard-fought battle that neither team would give in.

Abigail Ellison had seven kills and Taylor Neibauer tallied six kills and six blocks for Chinook. Cortney Gunderson had 30 digs, and she and Sierra Swank each had four aces. Serenity Judeman led Fort Benton with five kills and an ace.

The opening weekend of the season also saw many area teams play at showcases Saturday.

In Belt, the North Star Knights played tough, and wound up fifth in a tournament loaded with Northern C teams. In the fifth-place match, the Knights defeated Cascade 25-17 and 25-22. In pool play, North Star was 1-3. Big Sandy was also in the tournament and placed ninth, losing to Power 25-18 and 26-24 in its final match.

Sunburst was the sight of the Refiner Preseason Showcase Saturday, where C/J-I and Box Elder got plenty of time on the court, as did the Fort Benton Longhorns. Fort Benton would end up finishing fourth overall, after defeating Box Elder in the quarterfinals, while C/J-I also lost in the quarterfinals to Valier.

There was also the annual Malta Invitational this past weekend, but no results were sent to the HDN. Chinook, Rocky Boy and Harlem were all in attendance in Malta.

There are two big tournaments on the Hi-Line this upcoming weekend. Chinook will host its annual Chinook Invitational Friday and Saturday, while North Star will host the North Star Showcase Friday and Saturday in Rudyard and Gildford.

Friday

Belt def. Big Sandy

25-13, 25-12, 25-15

Belt: Kills: 29 (Emily Stoker 9). Blocks: 1 (Dani Urick). Aces: 16 (Addy Martin 4, Bailey Cooper 4, Urick 4). Digs: 28 (Alison Stoker 9). Assists: 25 (Martin 20).

Big Sandy: Not available.

Chester/J-I def. Dutton-Brady

25-16, 25-22, 25-22

CJI: Kills 26 (Allix Goldhahn 10), Aces 11 (Madeline Woods 4), Blocks 3 (three with 1), Assists 16 (Woods 12).

Dutton-Brady: No statistics provided.

North Star def. Sunburst

18-25, 28-26, 24-26, 25-16, 15-8

North Star: Kills 49 (Sheridan O'Neil 20), Assists 49 (Graysen Spicher 47), Blocks 2, Digs 76 (Chelsea Donaldson 17), Aces 7 (Spicher 7).

Sunburst: Kills 20 (Krista Hauschulz 8), Kills 20 (Carley Zell 8), Blocks 0, Digs 23 (Hauschulz 13), Aces 3 (Hauschulz 2).

Saturday

Belt Showcase

Pool Play

Belt def. Power 25-8, 25-16

Roy-Winifred def. Reed Point-Rapelje 25-12, 25-11

Belt def. North Star 25-8, 25-19

RPR def. Power 25-16, 25-15

Roy-Winifred def. North Star 25-10, 25-15

Belt def. RPR 25-15, 25-6

Roy-Winifred def. Power 25-13, 25-14

RPR def. North Star 15-25, 25-22

Belt def. Roy-Winifred 25-22, 25-9

Cascade def. Centerville 25-19, 22-17

DGS def. Big Sandy 25-22, 17-20

Harlowton def. Cascade 25-18, 25-16

Centerville def. DGS 25-16, 25-13

Harlowton def. Big Sandy 25-24, 18-8

Cascade def. DGS 21-25, 25-17

Centerville def. Big Sandy 25-16, 25-14

Harlowton def. DGS 25-20, 25-21

Cascade def. Big Sandy 25-16, 25-18

Tournament play

9th place - Power def. Big Sandy 25-18, 26-24

7th place - RPR def. DGS 25-10, 25-20

5th place - North Star def. Cascade 25-17, 25-22

3rd place - Roy-Winifred def. Harlowton 25-16, 25-13

1st place - Belt def. Centerville 25-13, 25-22

Refiner Preseason Showcase

At Sunburst

Pool No. 1

Great Falls Central def. Dutton-Brady 26-24, 25-14

Box Elder def. Chester-Joplin-Inverness JV 25-12, 25-17

Great Falls Central def. Dutton-Brady 25-20, 25-22

Dutton-Brady def. CJI JV 25-22, 25-19

Great Falls Central def. Box Elder 25-14, 25-14

Pool No. 2

CJI def. Sunburst 25-18, 20-24

Valier def. Fort Benton 25-17, 25-15

Sunburst def. Valier 25-20, 25-22

Fort Benton def. Sunburst 25-20

CJI def. Valier 27-25, 25-14

Quarterfinals

Great Falls Central def. CJI 28-26, 20-25, 15-11

Fort Benton def. Box Elder

Sunburst def. Dutton-Brady 21-25, 25-18, 15-13

Valier def. CJI JV 25-7, 25-10

Semifinals

Great Falls Central def. Valier 25-15, 25-12

Sunburst def. Fort Benton 17-25, 25-23, 25-22.