Hi-Line Volleyball Roundup: Knights claim North Star Showcase title

The 2015 high school volleyball season is in its infancy right now. But last week, the second week of the season, was a chance for teams to get a lot of time on the court in.

Preseason tournaments were the highlight of the weekend, especially on the Hi-Line, where Chinook, North Star and Rocky Boy all played host to tournaments.

In Chinook, the two-day Chinook Invitational featured some great competition from the Class C and B ranks. In attendance were teams like Malta, Shelby, Glasgow and Cut Bank from the Class B area, as well as local stalwarts Chinook and Chester/J-I.

However, the tourney was dominated by Northern C power Highwood-Gerlaldine. The two schools are a recent co-op in volleyball, and the Mountaineers certainly looked strong as they defeated the Chester/J-I Hawks in the championship match Saturday night. Highwood-Geraldine won by scores of 25-11 and 25-14. Still, it was an outstanding showing by the Hawks, who went just 1-3 in pool play Friday, but rebounded by beating Simms, Glasgow and Malta to reach the championship match.

Chinook went a perfect 4-0 in pool play Friday, but the Sugarbeeters didn’t have the same kind of fortune Saturday. The Beeters beat Cut Bank to reach the semifinals, but then lost two straight. First, Highwood-Geraldine took down Chinook in the semifinals, then the Beeters lost to Glasgow in a loser-out match. Glasgow went on to lose to Shelby in the consolation match.

Just down the road in Rud-yard and Gildford, the North Star Knights had no such trouble winning their own tournament. Saturday, the Knights swept rival Sunburst in the championship match of the annual North Star Showcase.

The tournament was comprised of all Class C schools, including the Knights and Hi-Line teams like Fort Benton, Big Sandy and Hays-Lodge Pole.

After pool play was concluded Friday, the bracket tourney took place Saturday. North Star beat Fort Benton in three tough games in the quarterfinals, then won another three-game match against Roy-Winifred to reach the title bout, where they then took down the Refiners.

Big Sandy would end up finishing sixth in the tournament after losing to Fort Benton in the fifth-place match. Roy-Winifred was third after beating Centerville in the consolation match.

Three more local teams were in action Saturday at the first-ever Rocky Boy Volleyball Tournament. And while the host Morning Stars fared well, it was the Class C Box Elder Bears who came away with the tournament title.

The Bears went 2-1 in pool play, including a loss to Rocky Boy, while the Morning Stars went 3-0 and Harlem was 1-2. In bracket play, Box Elder knocked off Harlem in the semifinals, while Rocky Boy defeated Poplar.

That set up a rematch between the Bears and Morning Stars, and in two tight sets, Box Elder prevailed by scores of 25-22 and 25-22.

Now that the first two weeks of tournament play are in the books, teams will begin playing more and more conference matches.

Thursday

Choteau def. Rocky Boy

25-2, 25-13, 25-6

Rocky Boy – Kills 3 (J. LaForge 1, K. LaMere 1), Assists 2 (J. Gamble 2), Aces 1 (K. LaMere), Digs 13 (S. Henry 6), Blocks 0.

Choteau – Kills 23 (Savanah Stern 11), Assists 20 (Cassidy Krone 14), Aces 21 (Molly Salmond 11), Digs 19 (Sophie King 9), Blocks 8 (Hannah King 4)

Friday

Nashua def. Harlem

25-16, 25-20, 25-17

Harlem: Kills 14 (Emma Humphreys 5), Assists 12 (Jazzamyn Benson 6), Blocks 2 (Brooke Levaldo 1, Hailley LameBull 1), Digs 38 (Levaldo 8), Aces 6 (Kristyn Fox 3).

Nashua: Kills 10 (three players with 3), Assists 11 (Chloe Koessl 10), Blocks NA, Digs NA, Aces 15 15 (Faith Keys 5, Ziggy Chamberlain 5).

Saturday

Rocky Boy tournament

Box Elder def. Poplar 25-24

Rocky Boy def. Harlem 25-21

Rocky Boy def. Box Elder 25-18

Harlem def. Poplar 25-20

Box Elder def. Harlem 25-18

Rocky Boy def. Poplar 25-12

Semifinals

Rocky def. Poplar 24-25, 24-21

Box Elder def. Harlem 25-17, 25-16

Championship

Box Elder def. Rocky Boy 25-22, 25-22

Chinook Invitational

Round 1

Cut Bank def. Conrad 25-23, 25-17

CJI def. Simms 25-6, 25-18

Quarterfinals

Highwood-Geraldine def. Shelby 25-23, 25-8

Malta def. Valier 25-18, 17-25, 11-9

Chinook def. Cut Bank 25-12, 25-20

CJI def. Glasgow 25-18, 19-25, 15-5

Loser-Out

Cut Bank def. Simms 25-19, 25-20

Glasgow def. Conrad 25-13, 25-11

Shelby def. Cut Bank 25-15, 17-25, 13-11

Glasgow def. Valier 25-16, 25-22

Semifinals

Highwood-Geraldine def. Chinook 25-23, 25-22

CJI def. Malta 25-14, 25-13

Loser-Out

Shelby def. Malta 25-19, 25-23

Glasgow def. Chinook 25-22, 25-18

Championship

Highwood-Geraldine def. CJI 25-11, 25-14

Consolation Championship

Shelby def. Glasgow 25-13, 11-25, 15-14

North Star Knights Showcase

at Rudyard & Gildford

Championship Match

North Star def. Sunburst 25-14 25-22

Third place

Roy-Winifred def. Centerville 22-25 25-20 15-13

Fifth place

Fort Benton def. Big Sandy 25-18 25-9

Seventh place

Power def. Dutton-Brady 25-19 25-21

Ninth place

North Star JV def. Hays-Lodge Pole 25-12 25-14

Semifinals

North Star def. Roy-Winifred 25-22 15-25 15-10; Sunburst def. Centerville 26-24 29-27

Quarterfinals

North Star def. Fort Benton 22-25 25-19 15-10; Centerville def. Big Sandy 25-10 25-13

Other matches

Power def. North Star JV 25-19 25-17; Dutton-Brady def. North Star JV 25-15 19-25 15-11

Friday pool play

Rudyard Pool

North Star def. Big Sandy 25-20, 27-25; Dutton-Brady def. Hays-Lodgepole 25-5, 25-5; Sunburst def. Big Sandy 25-13, 25-18; North Star def. Hays-Lodgepole 25-5, 25-4; Sunburst def. Dutton Brady 25-14, 25-18; Big Sandy def. Hays-Lodgepole 25-13, 25-17; Sunburst def. North Star 25-23, 25-25; Big Sandy def. Dutton Brady 23-25, 26-24, 3-0; Sunburst def. Hays-Lodgepole 25-12, 25-15; North Star def. Dutton-Brady 25-18, 25-21.

Gildford Pool

Power def. North Star JV 25-9, 25-18; Roy-Winifred def. Fort Benton 25-21, 25-16; Centerville def. Power 25-13, 25-13; Fort Benton def. North Star JV 25-8, 25-16; Roy-Winifred def. Centerville 25-13, 25-19; Fort Benton def. Power 25-19, 25-13; Centerville def. North Star JV 25-9, 25-15; Roy-Winifred def. Power 25-18, 25-17; Centerville def. Fort Benton 25-18, 25-19; Roy-Winifred def. North Star 25-11, 25-7.