Chinook, North Star ready to battle at the Northern C

While the Montana High School football playoffs head to their second week, another sport, volleyball, takes another step in its postseason as divisional tournaments will be held across the state starting this week.

One of those tournaments is the Northern C Divisional which is being held in Conrad and kicks off Thursday. That divisional will be of interest to fans along the Hi-Line, because not only will the Chinook Sugarbeeters be in attendance, so will the North Star Knights.

Chinook will play the opening game of the tournament against Centerville. That will take place Thursday at 9 a.m. North Star will also play Thursday, with the Knights' match against Simms scheduled for 12 p.m.

The Beeters, who qualified for divisionals after capturing their fourth consecutive District 6C East championship last weekend, will not only be looking for the second straight berth in the Class C State tournament but also to repeat as Northern C champs.

Thanks to the District 6C East title, the Beeters posted a perfect record against district opponents for the second straight year and with a veteran-laden roster, Chinook is poised to make another deep postseason run.

The Beeters, who possess a deep and talented roster, are led by a slew of standout players. Among them is Kourtney Hanson, who has turned into one of Chinook's best hitters and block defenders.

Hanson had a stellar district tournament, leading the team in kills in multiple games, while also notching six blocks in the championship game against North Star. Yet, Hanson is far from the only big gun on the roster.

Seniors Kelsey Mathon and Taylor Neibauer also play key roles. Mathon is Chinook's setter and leads the team in assists, but at times, she also has been very productive as a hitter, as evidenced by her team-high nine kills in the district title game. Mathon is also a standout on defense and is among the team leader in digs as well.

Neibauer, on the other hand, is a do-it-all player for Chinook. She contributes on the defensive block and is solid when it comes to serving. She is among a number of players such as Sierra Swank and Courtney Hofer that contribute in a multitude of ways.

The Beeters, who come in as one of the tournament favorites, will have to fight off an upset attempt from Centerville, the third-place team from the District 7C. If the Beeters win, they will take on either Great Falls Central, the No. 2 team from the 7C, or Power, the second-place team from the District 6C West.

On the other side of the bracket, North Star, the second-place squad from the 6C East, will meet Simms, the champion of the 6C West. The Knights will be led into action by Lily Pederson, Paij Peterson, Sheridan Spicher, Sheridan Pena, Katelyn Hanson, Mystic Farinas and Peytan King.

The Knights may not posses any true star players, but they are a deep team and one that is also hoping to make a run at a state tournament berth. If North Star can get past Simms, which will be no easy task, the Knights will face either Belt, the champion of the 7C or Sunburst, the third-place finisher from the 6C West.

The four winning teams from the first round will play at 6 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The semifinal on the winner's bracket will take place Friday at 7 p.m. and the championship match will get underway Saturday at 4 p.m. All matches will be played at Conrad High School.