Hi-Line Volleyball Roundup: Knights, Beeters have strong showings in week two

It was a busy second week of high school volleyball on the Hi-Line, especially in Chinook where the two-day Chinook Invitational took place.

Friday's action was for pool play, in a tournament that featured Chinook, Glasgow, Valier, Conrad, Cut Bank, Malta, Shelby, Chester-Joplin-Inverness, Geraldine-Highwood and Simms.

Then, Saturday, bracket play was held, and, CJI escaped the first round with a win over Valier in three sets. However, the Hawks were eliminated from the bracket after losses to Simms and Conrad.

Meanwhile, host Chinook beat Class B rival Malta in the quarterfinals, before losing to Northern C rival Simms in the semifinals. However, the Beeters quickly rebounded, beating Shelby in a loser-out match, then taking down Cut Bank in the consolation final.

Simms bested the entire field. The Class C power knocked off Class B Glasgow in straight sets in the championship tilt.

Normally this weekend also marks the two-day North Star Showcase, but, the tournament wasn't held this season. Still, it was a big week for the Knights, who took down arch rival CJI on Thursday night. In the District 6C East win, North Star beat the Hawks by scores of 25-20, 25-17 and 25-14. North Star came right back and also defeated Sunburst in straight sets on Friday. In that non-conference win, the Knights beat the Refiners 25-11, 25-14 and 25-20. Olivia King had nine kills for the Knights, while Kenidee Wolery added 13 assists.

In other action last Thursday, Fort Benton beat Great Falls Central 25-23, 15-25, 25-18 and 25-18, while Harlem fell to Saco-Whitewater-Hinsdale by scores of 20-25, 25-16, 25-19, 22-25 and 15-8. In the wild match, the Wildcats twice staved off elimination.

While no other regular season scores were reported from this weekend, Saturday was an exciting day for volleyball in Rocky Boy as the first Native American Classic Volleyball Tournament was held. The tournament included the host Morning Stars, as well as Box Elder, Harlem and Hays-Lodge Pole among others. Box Elder and Harlem were the top teams in the tournament, which concluded Saturday night.

Chinook Volleyball Invitational

Saturday

Round 1

Geraldine-Highwood def. Conrad 19-25, 25-17, 15-9

CJI def. Valier 23-25, 25-10, 15-8

Quarter Finals

Cut Bank def. Shelby 25-22, 15-25, 10-7

Chinook def. Malta 25-21, 25-24

Glasgow def. Geraldine-Highwood 25-19, 25-13

Simms def. CJI 25-15, 25-20

Loser-Out

Geraldine-Highwood def. Valier 25-17, 25-12

Conrad def. CJI 25-19, 14-25, 15-12

Shelby def. Geraldine-Highwood 25-15, 25-9

Malta def. Conrad 25-16, 25-23

Semi-Final

Simms def. Chinook 25-20, 25-21

Glasgow def. Cut Bank 25-24, 25-20

Loser Out

Chinook def. Shelby 25-10, 13-25, 15-11

Cut Bank def. Malta 17-25, 25-14, 15-11

Championship

Simms def. Glasgow 25-24, 25-22

Consolation Championship

Chinook def. Cut Bank 25-12, 25-21

North Star def. CJI 25-20, 25-17, 25-14 

Fort Benton def. Great Falls Central 25-23, 15-25, 25-18, 25-18 

Saco-Whitewater-Hinsdale def. Harlem 20-25, 25-16, 25-19, 22-25, 15-8 

Friday

Chinook Volleyball Invitational

Pool A

Chinook def. Glasgow 30-24

Valier def. Conrad 30-21

Glasgow def. Cut Bank 30-26

Chinook def. Valier 30-22

Cut Bank def. Conrad 30-20

Glasgow def. Valier 30-17

Cut Bank def. Chinook 31-29

Glasgow def. Conrad 30-17

Cut Bank def. Valier 30-20

Chinook def. Conrad 30-19

Pool B

Malta def. CJI 30-27

Shelby def. Geraldine-Highwood 30-11

Simms def. Malta 30-20

Geraldine-Highwood def. CJI 30-21

Simms def. Shelby 30-25

Malta def. Geraldine-Highwood 30-15

Simms def. CJI 30-15

Shelby def. Malta 30-15

Simms def. Geraldine-Highwood

Shelby def. CJI 30-18