Huskies go undefeated in 4C tourney
The Absarokee Huskies came in as No. 1 team for the District 4C volleyball tournament, and they proved their mettle by winning all their matches. Park City took second place, Custer-Hysham took third and Bridger was fourth.
“We’re working hard to obtain a common goal we’ve had plastered in the back of our minds the whole season – state,” senior Emma Chandler said. “I think we’re all at the peak of our performance for this season and ready for competition at any level.”
Senior Colleen Culbertson agreed.
“We’ve been working hard toward our goal of Absarokee’s first volleyball state championship,” she said. “Our team finished District strong, and we have to continue to play that way for the next two weeks.”
The Huskies defeated the Plenty Coups Warriors in the first round with a barrage of 37 aces led by senior Maissey Sheppard’s 12, and 21 kills led by Chandler’s five.
Absarokee had a tougher time with Custer-Hysham in the second round, defeating the Rebels in three sets. The scrappy Rebel team had taken the Huskies to five sets when they played in Custer on Sept. 22.
The Huskies peppered the Rebels in the playoff match with 31 kills and 12 aces to Custer-Hysham’s 24 kills and two aces. But the Husky defense was busy, scrambling for 108 digs and five blocks.
Chandler had a strong game against the Rebels, posting 10 kills, two blocks and 13 assists. Senior Makayla Peterson had 25 digs, and senior Emma Lamoure had four aces.
Next up were two matches in a row with Park City, as the Panthers worked their way back to the championship match after losing to the Huskies in the third round, 25-21, 22-25, 25-22, 25-19.
In that hard-fought match, the Huskies pounded the Panthers with 50 kills to 24, led by Chandler’s 19 kills and two blocks. Sheppard had five of the Huskies’ 11 aces, and Culbertson had nine digs and 20 assists.
For the Panthers, junior Tehya Ray had 10 of the team’s 24 kills and three blocks. Senior Hailee Gregerson had four of the team’s 12 aces.
After knocking off Custer-Hysham in game 13 of the playoffs, the Panthers were back to face Absarokee in the championship match.
But the Huskies were on fire, defeating Park City in three sets, 25-17, 25-12, 25-16.
Sheppard had 10 of the Huskies’ 30 kills, and Chandler had nine kills and all eight of the team’s blocks. Culbertson and junior Erin Campbell each had three of Absarokee’s 10 aces.
Junior MacKinzie Verke led Park City in the losing effort with four kills and 29 digs. Ray had all three blocks, and senior Grace Jacquot had three of the team’s five aces.
Next up is the Southern C Divisional tournament at Laurel High School on Nov. 5-7. Absarokee will face the Grass Range-Winnett Rangers on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 10 a.m.
“At the District Tournament, we looked at winning the championship game as ‘starting strong,’” Sheppard said. “We’re looking forward to playing in the Divisional Tournament and classifying it as ‘staying strong.’ If we move on to State, our main goal is to ‘finish strong.’ We also need to show our community we can do it due to all their support.”
Absarokee def. Plenty Coups
25-11, 25-3, 25-5
Plenty Coups: Kills 12 (Jessie Guardipee 4, Kimmy Briggs 3, Chamique Not Afraid 3), Assists 32 (Josie Guardipee 14, Dana Spotted Bear 14), Aces 3 (Jessie Guardipee 1, Not Afraid 1, Katelyn Goes Ahead 1), Digs 42 (Spotted Bear 23, Amy Rides Horse 18), Blocks 6 ( Jessie Guardipee 3, Briggs 2, Not Afraid 1).
Absarokee: Kills 21 (Emma Chandler 5), Assists 19 (Colleen Culbertson 11), Aces 37 ( Maisey Sheppard 12), Digs 0, Blocks 0.
Absarokee def. Custer-Hysham
25-18, 25-20, 25-15
Custer-Hysham: Kills 24 (Tori Cybulski 10, Piper Robinson 7), Assists 24 (Emily Prokop 17, Ana Cybulski 3), Aces 2 (Julia Ragland 1, Brianna Perkins 1), Digs 35 (Tori Cybulski 10, Ragland 6), Blocks 0.
Absarokee: Kills 31 (Chandler 10), Assists 31 (Culbertson 13, Chandler 13), Aces 12 (Emma Lamoure 4), Digs 108 (Makayla Peterson 25), Blocks 5 (Chandler 2).
Absarokee def. Park City
25-21, 22-25, 25-22, 25-19
Park City: Kills 24 (Tehya Ray 10, Shelby Branstetter 6), Assists 22 (Grace Jaquot 22), Aces 12 (Hailee Gregerson 4), Digs 87 (Mackenzie Verke 18, Gregerson 16), Blocks 8 (Jacquot 3, Ray 3).
Absarokee: Kills 50 (Chandler 19), Assists 49 (Culbertson 20), Aces 11 (Sheppard 5), Digs 32 (Culbertson 9), Blocks 3 (Chandler 2).
Absarokee def. Park City
25-17, 25-12, 25-16
Absarokee: Aces 10 (Culbertson 3, Erin Campbell 3), Digs 18 (Sheppard 4, Campbell 18), Kills 30 (Sheppard 10), Blocks 8 (Chandler 8), Assists 31 (Chandler 16).
Park City: Aces 5 (Jacquot 3), Digs 70 (MacKinzie Verke 29), Kills 13 (Verke 4), Blocks 3 (Ray 3), Assists 12 ( Jacquot 11).