WHITEFISH — When the Polson Pirates dropped the opening set to the Whitefish Bulldogs Friday at the Northwestern A volleyball divisionals, coach Jan Toth had a simple, strong and direct message for her players.
“I just told them the game wasn’t over,” Toth said.
“I said if Whitefish is going to beat us, they’re going to have to do it the hard way. Because we don’t stop fighting. My girls know how to win.”
The Pirates put that knowledge on display in the final three sets, dropping a tenacious and relentless Whitefish team 25-19, 25-20, 25-22 to render the 15-25 loss in the opening set moot.
The win sends Polson to the NWA championship match today. Whitefish heads to the loser-out bracket where it will face the winner of a game between Columbia Falls and Frenchtown for a trip to the championship.
The Pirates (12-2 overall) earned their fourth consecutive All-Class State Volleyball tournament berth with the victory.
Toth thinks the loud and boisterous Whitefish crowd will help prepare Polson for the atmosphere that awaits them at the tournament in Bozeman.
It also might be one of the reasons the Pirates were slow out of the gate Friday.
“We just had to play our tempo of volleyball and just settle,” Toth said. “We were nervous ... This is a big crowd. To play in Whitefish and to play above the noise of the crowd is kind of like playing in the state tournament.”
The play of Whitefish (6-8) likely had just as much of an impact.
“Whitefish is tremendous,” Toth said. “They have huge hearts. They never let anything die.”
The Bulldogs stormed back midway through the first set after finding themselves down 14-10. They rattled off eight consecutive points behind the serving of Kelsey McFadden and outscored the Pirates 15-1 down the stretch to earn the win.
“Overall, I think we served very well,” Whitefish coach Sarah Scott said. “Kelsey McFadden definitely helped take Polson out of its comfort zone.”
It didn’t take long for the Pirates to get their groove back.
Polson built a 24-13 lead in the second set, but as would become a theme, Whitefish came charging back. The Bulldogs posted six consecutive points but ultimately fell 25-19.
The Pirates controlled the tempo for much of the third set and grinded out a 25-20 win before repeating the process again in the form of a 25-22 victory that came down to the wire.
One difference maker for Polson was the play of junior hitter Heidi Rausch. She totaled two aces, five blocks and 13 kills to lead the Pirates.
“She had the game of her life,” Toth said. “I think she was tremendous.”
Toth likewise lauded the play of MaCall Banner who, while not a statistical leader, provided a spark for the Pirates.
“She was a tremendous leader and that was the best game she has played,” Toth said. “She read the hitters and she took some huge, huge digs back there.”
The win means that the team that moves on to the championship — be it Whitefish, Frenchtown or Columbia Falls — will have to beat Polson twice to eliminate it from the tournament.
The first game is set for 4 p.m. with a second game, if necessary, set for 6 p.m.
The top two finishers at divisionals earn trips to the state tournament, which begins Thursday.
“It lets us have a little bit of comfort,” Toth said of her team’s undefeated tournament status. “But we’re never comfortable. Pirate volleyball is never satisfied. The girls went to the locker room and said ‘no way. It was sweet to win but tomorrow we’ve got to be ready.’”
Semifinal
Polson def. Whitefish 15-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-22
Aces — Polson 8 (Ashley Johnson 3, Heidi Rausch 2, Kenzie Clay 2), Whitefish 6 (Kelsey McFadden 2); Kills — Polson 37 (Rausch 12, Johnson 7, Tina Marquardt 7), Whitefish 35 (Emily Sullivan 15, Abby Strellnauer 9); Assists — Polson 35 (Shalaina Duford 30), Whitefish 34 (Taylor Havens 28); Blocks — Polson 6 (Heidi Rausch 5), Whitefish 14 (Baylee Tveidt 5, Marlow Schulz 4); Digs — Polson 86 (Duford 27, Riley Kenney 15), Whitefish 32 (Xerox 10, Ryan Chauner 7)
Second Round
Polson def. Columbia Falls 25-22, 25-16, 20-25, 25-15
Aces — Polson 11 (Heidi Rausch 4), Columbia Falls 5 (Erika Nelson); Kills — Polson 43 (Riley Kenney 12), Columbia Falls 29 (Haley Belgrade 8); Assists — Polson 31 (Shalaina Duford 33), Columbia Falls 21 (Burlage 14); Blocks — Polson 4 (Kenzie Clay 2), Columbia Falls 7 (NA); Digs — Polson 64 (Kenney 15), Columbia Falls 83 (NA).
Here are photos from the game... You can buy full prints of these photos from the Lake County Leader here.
Click on "Read More" to see the full galley and to buy full prints of photos.
You can buy full prints of these photos from the Lake County Leader here.
As usual, Brandon Hansen does a bang-up job with his sports photos. Thank you Brandon!!!
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