Putting it all together

It's not just the fact that the Lady Hawks have All-State B and All-Western B players like Scarlette Schwindt, Jody Detlaff and Riley Wilson in their lineup.

And it's not also just the fact that the Hawks are also receiving incredible contributions from the likes of Elli Pardee, Cheyla Irvine, DanniJo VanHuss, Ariana Wood, Abbi Lane and Caity Alexander.

And it's not even the proven coaching of long-time Lady Hawk leader head coach Sandra Kazmierczak and her valuable assistant coaches Lisa Mickleson and Chrisi Robinson.

But, if you put it all together – the players, the coaching and everyone's collective desire to be the best that they can be – you now have an idea about what the 2020 Thompson Falls Lady Hawks are all about.

And that would be about playing fun, competitive volleyball, the kind of volleyball the Lady Hawks have been playing all season – and the kind that could get them to Bozeman, for the Montana All-Class tournament in November.

Continuing the theme of good times bringing with it good results, the Lady Hawks moved to another pair of impressive wins last week, mowing down Plains 25-11, 25-12, 25-8 in a non-conference match in Thompson Falls Sept. 15 before traveling to Eureka Saturday and taking down the dangerous Lady Lions 25-22, 25-17, 25-22 in a District 7B conference match.

The builder of many great teams during her coaching career at Thompson Falls, Kazmierczak has a special feeling about this particular group in 2020.

"There is just something about this team, they really seem to care about and look out for each other," she said. "Our more experienced girls are taking the time with the others, encouraging them, showing them how to do things better, doing some coaching even.

"I am very happy with them," she added, "and excited to see what we can do with the rest of the season."

The rest of the season was to have continued Tuesday night in Arlee (results of that match were not available at press time), the Lady Hawks will host Mission Thursday and will visit Troy next Tuesday.

Kazmierczak said the match in Eureka was the highlight of the week for her and the Hawks.

"It was senior night in Eureka and they have some great athletes on that team, I was a little worried going in," she said. "But the girls played very well, did a lot of great things and we beat a strong team in three tough games."

The toughest of the three was the third when the Lady Hawks fell way behind early but refused to buckle under. "We were down like 10-1 early but the girls just kept playing hard," Kazmierczak said. "We never lost our cool, kept our focus and made an incredible comeback."

As usual, Schwindt and Detlaff played starring roles in the Lady Hawks' comeback win, with Schwindt smacking 13 kills, blocking a shot, smoking three aces and hitting four digs, while Detlaff added an amazing six stuff blocks and floored nine kills.

VanHuss was good for three kills and two stuff blocks, Pardee added three kills, Irvine three kills and five digs and Wilson provided 14 set assists, two kills and three stuff blocks.

Rhianna Hawkins led Eureka with 13 kills and six blocks and Kamber Brown passed out 11 assists.

In the Hawks' win over Plains, Schwindt hammered down 11 kills and Detlaff nine, Pardee added three Ks and a block and Wilson was good for 10 set assists and five digs.

See other story for details on Plains.