Hi-Line Volleyball Roundup: Beeters finish second at Northern C

Heading into the 2015 Northern C Divisional volleyball tournament, the talk really centered around two teams — Belt and Chinook. And while other teams, including a pair of Hi-Line squads, put up a good fight, as expected, the tournament did come down to the Huskies and Sugarbeeters.

And though the Beeters couldn’t find a way to beat Belt, on two different occasions, it matters none now, as Chinook is heading back to the Class C state tournament, following a second-place finish this past weekend at the Northern C.

The Beeters reached the championship match Saturday afternoon, with just one loss, a Friday semifinal sweep at the hands of the undefeated Huskies. But, playing on Belt’s home floor, it was more of the same as the Huskies again swept the Beeters, this time by scores of 25-15, 25-16 and 25-20. In what was only Chinook’s second loss of the season, the Beeters got 10 kills from Abigail Ellison, as well as 10 assists and two aces from Kelsey Mathon. Ellison also had four blocks.

Chinook’s first loss of the season came just a day earlier when the Beeters and Huskies met in the semifinal match. And, when the top two teams in the Northern C squared off for the first time, it was Belt which proved to be the real powerhouse. The Huskies beat the Beeters by scores of 25-15, 25-16 and 25-20. The Beeters got eight of their 23 kills from Abigail Ellison, while Cortney Gunderson had 24 digs and Lauren Harshman had an astounding eight blocks.

The Beeters started their run to the state tournament with a pair of wild matches Thursday. Chinook opened the tourney with a hard-fought win over Geraldine-Highwood. Chinook beat the Rivals, who would recover to finish third, by scores of 28-26, 17-25, 25-22 and 25-19, in what was the most exciting match of the first round. Brooke Nicholson had 10 kills for Chinook, while Sierra Swank had 20 assists and an ace.

That win pushed the Beeters into a quarterfinal match with arch rival North Star. And though it was far from easy, the Beeters beat the Knights for the fourth time this season. North Star gave Chinook everything it had in what turned out to be a five-set marathon, but the Beeters prevailed by scores of 25-22, 17-25, 24-26, 25-20 and 15-6, as Chinook came from 2-1 down.

Abigail Ellison had 15 kills, while Taylor Neibauer had six blocks for the Beeters. The Knights got a massive 23 kills and eight blocks from Sheridan O’Neil, while Graysen Spicher had 47 assists and 18 digs.

Following Friday’s loss to the Huskies, Chinook’s chances of going to state were on the line, when the Beeters and rival faced off in a rematch Saturday morning. And while it was tough sledding again, Chinook pulled the match out and punched its ticket to Bozeman, winning by scores of 19-25, 25-21, 25-22 and 25-14. In the win or go home match, Abigail Ellison had nine kills, Lauren Harshman had six blocks, and Cortney Gunderson had 30 digs.

North Star got within one win of having a chance to reach the state tourney as well, but as well as the Knights played in Belt, it wasn’t to be.

The Knights opened the tournament with a sweep of arch rival Sunburst, by scores of 25-17, 25-21 and 27-25. In the impressive win, the Knights got 10 kills and three blocks from Sheridan O’Neil. North Star’s blocking in the match was strong, too, as Kiera Miller and Sheridan Spicher combined for four more stuffs.

Then, after the gut-wrenching loss to the Beeters Thursday night, the Knights fought back by beating Valier by scores of 26-24, 25-20, 20-25 and 25-17. Sheridan O’Neil had 18 kills and four blocks, while Lily Pedersen tallied four aces and 17 digs to help North Star stay alive Friday.

The win over the Panthers put the Knights in Saturday’s fourth-place match, and a win over Geraldine-Highwood would give them one more shot at Chinook. But, the Knights ran out of gas and were swept by the Rivals by scores of 25-22, 25-19 and 25-19. In what was North Star’s final match of another good season, Sheridan O’Neil had 11 kills, while Graysen Spicher finished with 17 assists.

Like North Star, Chester/J-I’s exciting season also ended this weekend in Belt.

The Hawks started strong, beating old 6C West rival Dutton-Brady in the first round Thursday. C/J-I swept the Diamondbacks by scores of 25-23, 25-22 and 25-23. Allix Goldhahn had 10 kills and three aces for the Hawks, while Korrin Harmon had a block.

The win pushed C/J-I into a quarterfinal match with Belt Thursday, and while the Hawks didn’t win, they were the only team to take a game from the Huskies all weekend. Still, Belt won the match by scores of 22-25, 25-13, 25-22 and 25-15. Allix Goldhahn had nine kills and 14 digs, while Kylee Vinson added six kills in the tough, four-set loss.

After pushing Belt Thursday, C/J-I’s Northern C run ended Friday morning, as the Hawks were eliminated by Gerladine-Highwood. In the loser-out match, the Rivals won by scores of 25-10, 25-14, 20-25 and 25-23, as C/J-I played well late but couldn’t overcome a slow start.

In the final match of a successful season, the Hawks were again led by Allix Goldhahn, who had 11 kills, 10 digs and 2.5 blocks. Jereca Tempel had seven assists and Erin Wolfe totaled 10 digs, four aces and two blocks.

Now, after a super competitive Northern C, Chinook, along with champion Belt, will turn their attention to the Class C state tournament, which starts Thursday in Bozeman. The Beeters open the tournament against Manhattan Christian at 2 p.m.

Northern C

At Belt

Thursday

Chester/J-I def. Dutton-Brady

25-23, 25-22, 25-23

C/J-I – Kills 27 (Allix Goldhahn 10, Erin Wolfe 7), Assists 23 (Madeline Woods 14), Aces 11 (Wolfe 5, Goldhahn 3), Blocks 1 (Korrin Harmon 1).

DB – Kills 24 (Taylor Reeve 11), Asssist 22 (Tasha Reeve 20), Aces 7 (Sierra Proff 5), Digs 42 (Taylor Reeve 13), Blocks 6 (Proff 4).

Chinook def. Geraldine-Highwood

28-26, 17-25, 25-22, 25-19

Chinook – Kills 37 (Brooke Nicholson 10), Assists 32 (Sierra Swank 20), Aces 3 (Nicholson 1, Abigail Ellison 1, Swank 1), Digs 87 (Cortney Gunderson 22, Kelsey Mathon 22), Blocks 8 (Lauren Harshman 1).

G/H – Kills 52 (Adrian Malek 15), Assists 34 (Katy Long 31), Aces 5 (Long 3), Digs 67 (Denis LaFontaine 16), Blocks 3 (Malek 2).

North Star def. Sunburst

25-17, 25-21, 27-25

North Star – Kills 30 (Sheridan O'Neil 10), Assists 26 (Graysen Spicher 25), Aces 15 (Sam Pester 5, Lily Pedersen 4), Digs 55 (Jewel Wicks 18), Blocks 8 (O'Neil 3, Kiera Miller 2, Sheridan Spicher 2).

Sunburst – Kills 10 (Justine Bye 5), Assists 5 (Katera Ryan 3), Aces 1 (Kirsta Hauschulz 1), Digs 20 (Hauschulz 15), Blocks 0.

Chinook def. North Star

25-22, 17-25, 24-26, 25-20, 15-6

North Star – Kills 51 (Sheridan O'Neil 23), Assists 47 (Graysen Spicher 47), Aces 1 (O'Neil 1), Digs 86 (Sheridan Spicher 18, Jewel Wicks 14), Blocks 14 (O'Neil 8).

Chinook – Kills 46 (Abigail Ellison 15), Assists 40 (Sierra Swank 27), Aces 10 (Swank 3, Lauren Harshman 3, Kelsey Mathon 3), Digs 103 (Brooke Nicholson 22, Cortney Gunderson 22), Blocks 12 (Taylor Neibauer 6).

Belt def. Chester/J-I

22-25, 25-13, 25-22, 25-15

C/J-I – Kills 24 (Allix Goldhahn 9, Kylee Vinson 6), Assists 23 (Madeline Woods 12), Aces 5 (Kristina Dahinden 2), Digs 40 (Goldhahn 14), Blocks 4 (4 with one each).

Belt – Kills 48 (Dani Urick 18), Assists 46 (Addy Martin 45), Aces 12 (Bailey Cooper 3), Digs 89 (Allison Stoker 17), Blocks 6 (Urick 2).

Friday

North Star def. Valier

26-24, 25-20, 20-25, 25-17 (lo)

Valier – Kills 25 (Malia Curry 11, Mariah Stoltz 11), Assists 24 (Heather Suek 15), Aces 5 (Curry 2, Stoltz 2), Digs 16 (Cassidy Landheth 5), Blocks 7 (Stoltz 5).

North Star – Kills 39 (Sheridan O'Neil 18), Assists 34 (Graysen Spicher 33), Aces 10 (Lily Pedersen 4, O'Neil 3), Digs 51 (Pedersen 17, Jewel Wicks 13), Blocks 7 (O'Neil 4).

Geraldine-Highwood def. Chester/J-I

25-10, 25-14, 20-25, 25-23 (lo)

C/J-I – Kills 24 (Allix Goldhahn 11), Assists 15 (Jereca Tempel 7), Aces 5 (Erin Wolfe 4), Digs 56 (Wolfe 10, Goldhahn 10), Blocks 7 (Goldhahn 2.5, Wolfe 2, Madeline Woods 2).

G/H – Kills 49 (Makae Nack 15), Assists 34 (Katy Long 31), Aces 7 (Rosie O'Leary 3), Digs 55 (Nack 13), Blocks 7 (Nack 4).

Belt def. Chinook

25-15, 25-16, 25-20 (sf)

Belt – Kills 33 (Sara Anderson 10), Assists 31 (Addy Martin 30), Aces 6 (Emily Stoker 3), Dogs 89 (Alison Stoker 24), Blocks 6 (Dani Urick 3).

Chinook – Kills 23 (Abigail Ellison 8), Assists 19 (Sierra Swank 15), Aces 2 (Swank 2), Digs 65 (Cortney Gunderson 24), Blocks 19 (Lauren Harshman 8).

Saturday

Belt def. Chinook

25-17, 25-21, 25-20 (1st)

Belt: Kills 35 (Emily Stoker 11, Dani Urick 10), Assists 35 (Addy Martin 34), Aces 5 (E. Stoker 2), Digs 62 (E. Stoker 14, Bailey Cooper 10, Alison Stoker 10), Blocks 7 (Sarah Anderson 4).

Chinook: Kills 20 (Abby Ellison 10), Assists 19 (Kelsey Mathon 10), Aces 4 (Mathon 2), Digs 40 (Brooke Nicholson 12), Blocks 8 (Ellison 4).

Chinook def. Geraldine-Highwood (3rd)

19-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-14

Chinook: Kills 30 (Abby Ellison 9), Assists 26 (Sierra Swank 19), Aces 6 (Kelsey Mathon 2, Swank 2), Digs 118 (Cortney Gunderson 30), Blocks 8 (Lauren Harshman 6).

Geraldine-Highwood: Kills 46 (Makae Nack 13), Assists 31 (Katy Long 28), Aces 5 (Coya Nack 2, Adrian Malek 2), Digs 76 (Malek 15), Blocks 5 (Nack 3).

Geraldine-Highwood def. North Star (4th)

25-22, 25-19, 25-19

Geraldine-Highwood: Kills 43 (Makae Nack 15), Assists 31 (Katy Long 29), Aces 5 (Nack 3), Digs 40 (Rylee Adamson 10), Blocks 1 (Nack 1).

North Star: Kills 21 (Sheridan O'Neil 11), Assists 17 (Graysen Spicher 17), Aces 6 (Sheridan Spicher 3), Digs 37 (S. Spicher 6), Blocks 10 (NA).