District deadlock
Charlo sweeps Arlee to avenge only loss and even things up atop the District 10-C standings
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CHARLO — The Charlo Lady Vikings leveled the scales of District 10-C dominance with a three-set sweep of the Arlee Scarlets.
Celebrating homecoming and senior night, the Lady Vikings used a collective and determined effort to make sure there were no comebacks Thursday night, downing the Scarlets, 25-22, 25-17, 25-23 .
With the victory, the Lady Vikings avenged their only loss of the season and reinserted their supremacy right in time for the district tournament, which both teams will enter with an identical 9-1 conference record.
“I feel like I’m on the top of the world right now. We needed a big win like this all year,” said Lady Viking hitter Royelle Esterby, who was one of four seniors honored before the game and one of four Lady Vikings who finished with at least five kills.
Esterby said that the five-set loss to the Scarlets in Arlee Sept. 28, when the Scarlets rallied from a 2-0 deficit was fresh in everybody’s mind.
“We were seeking revenge,” Esterby said, adding that they needed to close out the Scarlets in three, especially with the district tournament just two weeks away.
“Now, we know we can beat them. We proved to ourselves, that we have it in us to beat them and if we play like a team we’re unstoppable,” said Esterby.
While the win was important for the Lady Vikings’ mindset before the district tournament, Arlee coach Brian Big Sam is hoping the loss will be good for his team’s psyche as well.
“It was a good loss. Now, they know they have to try hard all the time and their mistakes are just points for the other team and you can’t give points away to good teams,” Big Sam said.
He said that the Scarlets weren’t over confident, but maybe played too relaxed with their perfect conference record on the line.
“They knew it was going to be a tough match and I knew it. Whoever came out with their heads held high and played with confidence was going to win it and Charlo had the confidence today,” Big Sam said.
The two teams were evenly matched and it showed in the first game, which was tied eight times and had six lead changes. After Scarlet outside hitter Becca Nelson tied the game at 19 with her second kill of the match, the Lady Vikings responded by closing out the game by outscoring Arlee 6-3. Lady Viking sophomore Rachel Hoyt had two of her match-high nine kills during this span.
The Lady Viking used the serving of Kinley Pope for a 25-17 game-two victory. Pope took the ball with the Lady Vikings holding onto a slim 13-12 lead and served for six straight points, which included two of the junior’s match-high seven aces. She had no errors to go along with the aces.
The Lady Vikings took an early 5-0 lead in game three and had pushed it to 15-6, when the Scarlets woke up and showed the fans in the crowded gym, why they had a perfect conference record. During a 9-2 run Mahalia Hendren had two aces and Cortney Dix had another. Nelson, made it 17-15 on probably the hardest hit ball of the night, but Hoyt ended the rally with a perfectly placed tip.
Another ace by Hendren cut Charlo’s lead to 23-22, but Lady Viking Deondra Brown made sure there would be no late heroics for the Scarlets Thursday night. After a tip by Brown had given Charlo a two-point lead, She ended the match with a kill on her third attempt on the final rally.
Lady Viking coach Sheryl Kain said it was one of their best team efforts of the season.
“It was everybody tonight. Everybody stepped up tonight. It seemed like it was a different girl every point,” Kain said.
Six Lady Vikings combined for their 29 kills in the match.
After letting a 2-0 lead slip away from them in Arlee, Kain said they needed to make sure they finished.
“It was nice to see them determined and focused,” Kain said.
Though brilliant in flashes, Big Sam said they just made too many mistakes to beat a good team. The Scarlets had more than 60 errors in the match, with most of them coming on defense.
“We just made too many errors. We made too many errors tonight. We weren’t moving and we were standing around...Our digs weren’t getting to where they were suppose to be. We were way off tonight,” Big Sam said.
Lady Viking setter Dawn Blevins led the team with 21 assists, three blocks and 13 digs. Dix, the Scarlets’ setter, was equally as impressive. Dix led Arlee with 10 assists and finished tied with Nelson for the team lead in kills with both finishing with six. Nelson led the Scarlets with 30 digs and Cassandra Kline pitched in with 25.
The Scarlets will wrap up the regular season with an away game in Lincoln.
The Lady Vikings host Lincoln Wednesday for their regular season finale.
Summary
Charlo def. Arlee
25-22, 25-17, 25-23.
Kills - Arlee 22 (Courtney Dix 6 and Cassandra Kline 6), Charlo 29 (Rachel Hoyt 9). Blocks - Arlee 3 (Dix, Kline, Whitney Malatare), Charlo 5 (Dawn Blevins 3). Digs - Arlee 156 (Becca Nelson 30), Charlo 49 (Blevins 13, Kinley Pope 10, Jessica Foust 10). Assists - Arlee 10 (Dix 10), Charlo 21 (Blevins 21). Aces - Arlee 10 (Mahalia Hendren 4), Charlo 16 (Pope 7).
