Hi-Line Volleyball: Tournaments highlight busy opening weekend of high school volleyball on the Hi-Line

August isn't over just yet, but the high school volleyball season wasted little time getting started along the Hi-Line.

A slew of regular season matches took place Thursday and Friday night, while Saturday was reserved for several local preseason tournaments.

Included in those Saturday was the Sunburst Volleyball Showcase where Box Elder, Chester-Joplin-Inverness and Fort Benton were all in action.

Box Elder, which is excited about this upcoming season, beat Sunburst, but was defeated by Fort Benton. The Bears also lost to Dutton-Brady and Augusta in the round-robin format.

CJI beat the Great Falls Central junior varsity team, but fell to Valier, Fort Benton and GFCC during the tourney.

The Longhorns, who should be strong in the 7C this season, lost to Augusta and Dutton-Brady, while also beating CJI. They dropped a match to Sunburst as well.

The Belt Showcase is another annual tournament that traditionally opens the season, and 6C East squads North Star and Big Sandy were on hand. Both the Knights and Pioneers were in Pool A, where North Star fell to Belt, and Roy-Winifred, split with Reedpoint-Rapelje and beat Big Sandy. The Pioneers lost to Belt, split with Reedpoint-Rapelje and lost to Roy-Winifred and the Knights.

In the bracket portion of the day, the Knights would up finishing in fourth place with a win over Cascade by scores of 25-13 and 25-23.

Finally, in Malta, the annual Malta Invitational included local stalwarts Chinook, Harlem and Rocky Boy. In bracket play, Rocky Boy beat Poplar, but was eliminated by Tri-Cities, while Harlem was eliminated by Winnett-Grass Range. Chinook won early on, but was eventually defeated by the host M-Ettes, who went on to win the tournament.

There are two big local tourneys this weekend on the Hi-Line. Chinook hosts the Chinook Invitational and North Stars host the North Star Showcase. Both events run Friday and Saturday.

In regular season action last Thursday, CJI opened the season with a sweep of Dutton-Brady. The Hawks won by scores of 25-17, 25-14 and 25-12. Kim Ghekiere and Khloe Kamerzell combined for 15 kills, while Ghekiere also had two blocks.

North Star also started its season off with a bang by battling Great Falls Central Friday night. In a five-set thriller, the Knights fell by scores of 25-12, 25-23, 14-25, 13-25 and 9-15. Shayla Borlaug and Olivia King combined for 14 kills, while Paij Peterson had 11 assists.

Sunburst Volleyball Showcase

Sunburst vs. Dutton/Brady - 14-25, 25-23 D/B wins points

Augusta vs. Ft. Benton – 14-25, 15-25

Dutton/Brady vs. Augusta – 20-25, 22-25

Ft. Benton vs. Box Elder 25-17, 25-20

Box Elder vs. Sunburst – 25-17, 25-19

Dutton/Brady vs. Ft. Benton – 12-25, 25-21

Augusta vs. Sunburst – 25-17, 25-21

Augusta vs. Box Elder – 19-25, 18-25

Sunburst vs. Ft. Benton – 10-25, 8-25

Dutton/Brady vs. Box Elder 12-25, 23-25

Valier vs. Ft. Benton JV – 25-22, 25-17

CJI vs. GFCC JV – 25-12, 25-8

Valier vs. CJI – 22-25, 18-25

GFCC JV vs. GFCC – 8-25, 4-25

Ft. Benton JV vs. CJI – 18-25, 17-25

GFCC vs. Valier – 25-17, 25-18

GFCC JV vs. Ft. Benton JV – 5-25, 20-25

GFCC vs. CJI 25-13, 25-20

Ft. Benton JV vs. GFCC – 11-25, 13-25

Valier vs. GFCC JV – 16-25, 25-15 Valier wins points

Red Lodge def. Park City 25-15, 25-11

Shepherd def. Columbus 26-24, 25-14

Shepherd def. Big Timber 21-25, 25-7, 15-11

Shepherd def. Red Lodge 25-19, 25-19

Huntley Project def. Joliet 25-15, 25-21

Joliet def. Roundup 25-13, 25-21

Bridger def. Forsyth 2-0

Bridger def. Colstrip 2-0

Huntley Project def. Bridger 25-22, 25-11

Malta Invitational

Rocky Boy def. Poplar 23-25, 25-23, 3-2

Malta def. Saco-Whitewater-Hinsdale 25-19, 25-9

Grass Range-Winnett def. Harlem 25-13, 25-15

Circle def. Plentywood 25-14, 19-25

Tri-Cities def. Rocky Boy 25-7, 25-12

Malta def. Chinook 25-11, 25-17

Malta def. Circle 25-16, 22-25

Tri-Cities def. Grass Range-Winnett 25-20, 25-24

Championship

Malta def. Tri-Cities 22-25, 25-22, 3-1

Belt Volleyball Showcase

Pool A

Belt def. Big Sandy 25-7, 25-8

Winifred-Roy def. Reed Point-Rapelje 25-10, 25-14

Belt def. North Star 25-14, 25-23

Big Sandy def. Reed Point-Rapelje 25-21; Reed Point-Rapelje def. Big Sandy 25-14

Winifred-Roy def. Big Sandy 25-14, 25-13

Winifred-Roy def. Belt 25-24, Belt def. Winifred-Roy 25-24

North Star def. Big Sandy 25-18, 25-13

Winifred-Roy def. North Star 25-24, North Star 25-15

North Star def. Reed Point-Rapelje 25-11, Reed Point-Rapelje def. North Star 25-24

Pool B

Cascade def. Centerville 25-17, Centerville def. Cascade 25-24

DGS def. Belt JV -20, 25-17

Harlowton def. Cascade 25-11, 25-15

DGS def. Centerville 25-13, 25-21

Harlowton def. Belt JV 25-18, 25-10

DGS def. Cascade 25-17, Cascade def. DGS 25-15

Harlowton def. DGS 25-16, 25-19

Cascade def. Belt JV 25-23, 25-24

Harlowton def. Centerville 25-11, 25-17

Belt JV def. Centerville 25-11, 25-23

Reed Point-Rapelje def. Belt JV 25-11, 23-25, 15-13

North Star def. Cascade 25-13, 25-15

Winifred-Roy def. DGS 18-25, 25-15, 15-8 (2nd)

Belt def. Harlowton 25-11, 25-8 (1st)