6C East title on the line in Gildford

Volleyball teams on the Hi-Line have been going strong since early August. Now though, it all comes down to two days and nights in Gildford.

Thursday and Friday, the District 6C East Tournament will be played in Gildford with three coveted spots in the Northern C Divisional on the line. And if the regular season is any indication, things should be awfully interesting this weekend.

After losing the 6C East title for the first time in four years last fall, Chinook has come back with a vengeance this season. Under head coach Paula Molyneaux, the Sugarbeeters went a perfect 10-0 in district play this season. Led by star Kourtney Hanson, Chinook, which has a bye in the first round, will be a heavy favorite in this weekend's tournament.

Chinook's toughest contenders for the 6C East title will be defending champion, and tournament host North Star, as well as Box Elder. The Knights went 8-2 in league play this season and have a tall, veteran team led by the likes of Paij Peterson and Olivia King. North Star also has the advantage of playing at home, and the Knights have the other first-round bye. Box Elder, meanwhile, is enjoying its best season in a long time. The Bears went 6-4 in the regular season, and are led by the talents of Lilly Gopher among others.

Box Elder will play Hays-Lodge Pole in the first round of the 6C East tournament, and the Bears are hopping to get to the Northern C for the first time in ages. On the other side of the bracket, Big Sandy and Chester-Joplin-Inverness will meet in the first round. The Pioneers went 3-7 in the conference to finish fourth and Jaylyn Cline has had an outstanding season for them. CJI has won three of its last four, to also go 3-7, and the Hawks are led by Kim Ghekiere and Khloe Kamerzell, and their first-round matchup with Big Sandy should be an exciting match.

And excitement is what the district tournament is all about. The tournament starts at 10 a.m. each day in Gildford, with the championship match slated for Friday night. The top three teams from the 6C East move on to next week's Northern C in Belt.