Hawks respond to Lady Lion challenge

For every volleyball action, there is an equal and opposite net reaction.

Well-versed in the back-and-forth required in this sport, Thompson Falls coach Sandra Kazmierczak took her intrepid Lady Hawks into battle twice last week, edging past Stillwater Christian 25-15, 25-27, 25-13, 25-9 in Kalispell Tuesday, Oct. 8, and falling 25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 25-20 to Eureka in Thompson Falls Saturday.

"Volleyball is a game of reaction," she said. "We played well last week, managed to defeat a very good Stillwater team but lost a very tough match with Eureka. And we will probably be seeing them again soon, it was a good match for both teams."

Perhaps a little wore out from a week full of homecoming activities, it seemed like the Lady Hawks' mental focus wavered ever so slightly against the Lady Lions, opening the door for the Lincoln County girls. It was Eureka's second win of the season over the Lady Hawks as the Lions also prevailed in a five-set match at Eureka back in September.

These two teams are likely headed for another showdown meeting at the District 7B tournament in Mission Nov. 2.

"We look forward to meeting them again, we seem to have some great matches against each other," Kazmierczak said. "It's matches like this that you learn to play better together, that make you a stronger team in the long run."

Lady Lion setter Avory Escobar directed Eureka's effective attack with 25 assists, two service aces and seven blocked shots, Jadlyn Pluid hit 26 digs, Maggie Graves had 12 kills and Reena Truman nine.

On the other side of the net, Thompson Falls super sophomore Scarlette Schwindt floored a match-high 18 kills, a block, two aces and hit 10 digs, Belle Cooper clobbered 12 more kills and added five digs, Jody Detlaff patrolled the front line for nine kills and four blocks, and Elli Pardee smacked five service aces and came up with 13 digs.

Riley Wilson orchestrated the Hawk attack with 37 assists in addition to hitting two kills and nine digs, and eventual homecoming queen-elect Brooke Bowlin added to the Hawks' stat line with two kills, two aces and four digs.

In the win over Stillwater Christian, Schwindt was her usual all-around self, pounding out another nine kills and five aces, and hitting six digs.

Bowlin added nine kills and a match-high 12 service aces, Detlaff nine more kills and a block, Cooper five kills and four digs, Pardee three Ks and three service aces and Wilson 20 set assists.

"Stillwater is a really scrappy team," Kazmierczak said. "They are not all that big, but they are very athletic, and are hard hitters. It was a good match for us."

Statistical information for Stillwater was not available.

After playing at Mission Tuesday (results of that match also were not available) the Hawks will host Charlo Thursday in a non-conference match in their only other action this week. Kazmierczak looks forward to the rest of the season.

"We are playing well, I am happy with where we are at right now," she said. "The girls are still mentally up. They want more and we have a lot more volleyball to play."