County volleyball teams get set for season

Plains and Noxon tipped off their 2023 volleyball season at the Mission tournament on Saturday. Ten teams competed in a full day of volleyball action. First up was a round robin tournament in order to determine seeding for the afternoon, in which the teams were bracketed for the final rounds.

Senior Maygan Swanson is excited for her senior season with the Red Devils. “I’ve been ready for my senior season since fifth grade,” she expressed after Noxon won its first matchup of the season on Saturday. With the first competition out of the way, Swanson said she feels like the team needs to talk more and work to get more hits over the net.

“I want to be the most positive person on our team. I try to encourage the team by staying positive and encouraging them to shake it off when there’s a bad hit,” Swanson said. She added that her goals for the season are to get almost all her hits over the net.

As for her senior season, Swanson is looking forward to playing Charlo and St. Regis. “If we can beat them, we can get out of districts,” she said. “I am excited for us to have a good season.”

Noxon and Plains were looking sharp in the opening tournament. Plains came out strong and focused in the round robin competition and found their rhythm quickly. The Trotters will head to Loyola on Thursday.

The Thompson Falls Blue Hawks kicked off their season in Choteau last week, for a jam-packed two days of volleyball. The Hawks took on some of the toughest competition in the state, with the junior varsity playing 10 sets and the varsity 24 sets of volleyball. Thompson Falls hosted Loyola on Tuesday (results were not available at press time) and will travel to Florence Thursday.

Hot Springs opened their season at the Drummond Tournament last weekend and were set to take on St. Regis at home on Tuesday. Next week, the Savage Heat will again be home as they play host to Seeley Swan on September 5.