Beeters, Knights finish in the top four at Northern C volleyball tournament

The 2018 volleyball season was on the line for the three District 6C East teams that made it to the Northern C Divisional tournament. And two of those teams came extremely close to making it to the final weekend of the year in Bozeman.

The Northern C ran last Thursday through Saturday in Belt, where the Chinook Sugarbeeters finished third and the North Star Knights took fourth.

Chinook came the closest to reaching this week's state tournament in Bozeman, but the Beeters were stopped by Simms in the third-place Saturday. Chinook got the Northern C off to a great start with a five-set win over rival Fort Benton Thursday. The Beeters won by scores of 27-29, 15-25, 25-19-25-22 and 15-12. The stellar comeback was sparked by 13 kills from Hailey Bell, and 26 assists and two aces by Ginger Hauer.

The win pushed the Beeters into the quarterfinals where they defeated Simms in another five-set thriller Thursday night. Chinook won by scores of 25-10, 18-25, 25-23, 17-25 and 15-11. Kourtney Hanson had 15 kills, three aces and four blocks for the Beeters.

The 2-0 start to the tourney moved Chinook into Friday night's undefeated semifinal, but there, the Beeters ran into defending champion Belt, and the Huskies took Chinook down in four sets, by scores of 25-11, 23-25, 25-17 and 25-20. Hanson came up big once again with eight kills, three aces and six blocks.

The loss meant Chinook still needed to win one more match to reach the Class C state tournament, but in a rematch with Simms Saturday afternoon, the Beeters fell short. The Tigers beat Chinook by scores of 25-20, 25-16 and 25-22 in the third-place match. In the final game of the season, Hanson had 12 kills, one ace and three blocks, while Lincy Johnson added 13 digs.

Meanwhile, North Star also saw its season come to an end at the hands of Simms. The Knights reached the fourth-place match Saturday morning, but fell to the Tigers by scores of 25-19, 23-25, 25-23 and 25-19. Olivia King had 11 kills for the Knights in the loss.

North Star started strong. The Knights opened the tournament Thursday with a win over Power by scores of 19-25, 25-18, 25-16 and 25-15. Saige O'Neil had 11 kills and two aces for the Knights in the victory.

In the quarterfinals Thursday night, the Knights played tough but lost to Belt by scores of 32-30, 25-21 and 25-17. O'Neil tallied eight kills for the Knights, while Shayla Borlaug had four blocks.

The loss dropped the Knights into a loser-out match Friday, where they rebounded by ousting Fort Benton in a five-setter. North Star won by scores of 3-25, 25-18, 25-22, 18-25 and 15-11 to stay alive. O'Neil had 10 kills and an ace for the Knights, while Janae West had five blocks and 15 digs. That win pushed the Knights into the fourth-place match where they were stopped by the Tigers.

Box Elder also finished a great season with two matches in Belt. Thursday, the Bears were beaten by Simms by scores of 25-15, 25-21 and 25-18. Eve The Boy had seven kills for Box Elder. Friday morning, the Bears were eliminated by Fort Benton. The Longhorns stopped the Bears by scores of 26-24, 25-9 and 25-15. Lilly Gopher totaled seven kills and 16 assists, and Maddie Wolf Chief had two aces.

Belt went on to defend its Northern C title by beating Simms in the championship match Saturday night. Both Belt and Simms will play at this week's Class C State Tournament in Bozeman.

Northern C

At Belt

Thursday

North Star def. Power

19-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-15

North Star - Kills (Saige O'Neil 11), Aces (O'Neil 2), Blocks (Paij Peterson 2), Digs (Olivia King 20, Janae West 20), Assists (Paij Peterson 22).

Power - Kills (Hope Smelser 7), Aces (Smelser 4), Blocks (Smelser 4), Digs (Veroncia Schwarzbach 18), Assists (Scharzbach 16).

Chinook def. Fort Benton

27-29, 15-25, 25-19, 25-22, 15-12

Chinook - Kills (Hailey Bell 13), Aces (Ginger Hauer 2), Blocks (Kourtney Hanson 5), Digs (Lincy Johnson 16), Assists (Ginger Hauer 26).

FB - Kills (Mackenzie Clark 12), Aces (Aspen Geise 2), Blocks (Clark 6), Digs (Leah Gannon 20), Assists (Geise 20).

Simms def. Box Elder

25-15, 25-21, 25-18

Simms - Kills (Lissy Willeles 12), Aces (Madie Bloom 4), Blocks (Willeles 2), Digs (Dealyn Sawyer 6), Assists (Bloom 23).

Box Elder - Kills (Eve The Boy 7), Aces (Tessa Big Knife 3), Blocks (Big Knife 1), Digs (Sarah Parisian 16), Assists (Lilly Gopher 14).

Belt def. North Star (QF)

32-30, 25-21, 25-17

North Star - Kills (Saige O'Neil 8), Aces (Paij Peterson 1), Blocks (Shayla Borlaug 4), Digs (Olivia King 16), Assists (Paij Peterson 17).

Belt - Kills (Kyelie Marquis 12), Aces (Marquis 2), Blocks (Abby Gliko 3), Digs (Adelle Meissner 31), Assists (Kolby Pimperton 29).

Chinook def. Simms (QF)

25-10, 18-25, 25-23, 17-25, 15-11

Simms - Kills (Lissy Willeles 16), Aces (Janessa Williles 4), Blocks (Lissy Willeles 3), Digs (Maddie Cicon 4), Assists (Maddie Bloom 25).

Chinook - Kills (Kourtney Hanson 15), Aces (Hanson 3, Hailey Bell 3), Digs (Ginger Hauer 14), Blocks (Hanson 4), Assists (Hauer 26).

Friday

Fort Benton def. Box Elder (lo)

26-24, 25-9, 25-15

FB - Kills (Mckenzie Clark 8), Aces (Clark 3), Blocks (Abby Clark 2), Digs (Leah Gannon 12), Assists (Aspen Geise 14).

Box Elder - Kills (Lilly Gopher 7), Aces (Maddie Wolf Chief 2), Blocks (Eve The Boy 1), Digs (Zayna Henderson 15), Assists (Gopher 16).

Belt def. Chinook (SF)

25-11, 23-25, 25-17, 25-20

Belt - Kills (Morgan Cooper 18), Aces (Abby Gliko 2), Blocks (4 with 2 each), Digs (Adelle Meissner 25), Assists (Kolby Pimperton 50).

Chinook - Kills (Kourtney Hanson 8), Aces (Kourtney Hanson 3), Digs (Lincy Johnson 16), Blocks (Kourtney Hanson 6), Assists (Ginger Hauer 19).

North Star def. Fort Benton (lo)

3-25, 25-18, 25-22, 18-25, 15-11

North Star - Kills (Saige O'Neil 10), Aces (Paij Peterson 1, O'Neil 1), Blocks (Janae West 6), Digs (West 15), Assists (Peterson 21).

Saturday

Simms def. North Star (4th)

25-19, 23-25, 25-23, 25-19

North Star - Kills (Olivia King 11), Aces (Paij Peterson 3), Blocks (Peterson 7), Digs (King 12), Assists (Peterson 25).

Simms - Kills (Lissy Willeles 18), Aces (Janessa Willeles 4), Blocks (Madison Weigand 2), Digs (J. Willeles 9), Assists (Maddie Bloom 35).

Simms def. Chinook (3rd)

25-20, 25-16, 25-22

Chinook - Kills (Kourtney Hanson 12), Aces (4 with one each), Blocks (Hanson 3, Delaney Kellam 3), Digs (Lincy Johnson 13), Assists (Ginger Hauer 17).

Simms - Kills (Lissy Willelas 15), Aces (Draylen Swayer 3), Blocks (Sawyer 3), Digs (Maddie Cicon 6), Assists (Maddie Bloom 30).