Lady Pirates eyeing another state run
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POLSON — The Lady Pirates have earned a berth in the state tournament the past two years, and their coach sees no reason why they shouldn’t be playing in Bozeman in early November again this year.
“No question about it,” Polson coach Jan Toth said when asked if the Lady Pirates should be playing at the state tournament this year. “It will definitely take a lot of hard work, but the girls have no other expectations. Especially with three four-year starters, it’s not even a question for them.”
There’s no getting around the fact that the Lady Pirates lost a lot of players from last year’s team that went undefeated in the Northwestern A and won the first match at the state tournament in Polson’s history to finish fourth in the state, but they also have a core group of seniors returning to the team.
Middle Sallie Sams, outside hitter Breanne Kelley and setter Kayla Duford all return to the Lady Pirates for one last go at the state championship. The three are the final holdovers from Toth’s first year coaching at Polson, when the Lady Pirates, with only sophomores and freshmen in the starting rotation, suffered through a losing season.
Duford, an all-conference setter, will start all four years for Polson and will ease the younger hitters’ transition to the starting rotation and varsity level.
“It’s enormous,” Toth said of having an experienced setter like Duford return to the team. “Especially after losing big hitters. To have a center, essentially a quarterback, will help a lot. She knows the offense. She knows the players.”
Most of Duford’s sets on the outside will be going to Kelley. The two-time all-stater has one of the most powerful hits in the state, and with her athletic ability can also play in the middle of the court.
Sams gives the Lady Pirates some height in the middle of the net.
“She brings a lot of aggression to the middle,” Toth said of Sams. “She has a really fast swing,” she added.
Junior Riley Kenney played a substantial role on the past year’s team and gives Toth some versatility on the court.
“She can play in the middle or the right side. She can do anything I ask of her. I can put her anywhere on the court,” Toth said.
After focusing on tennis last year, senior Kendyall Rochin is back on the court for the Lady Pirates. Toth said that Rochin is a back row specialist, which is essential with the graduation of libero Staci Benson.
Toth knows that a player like Benson, or for that matter Nicole Davey, Loni Havlovick and Christa Red Crow can’t be replaced.
“You can’t replace people like that. Each player brings a different dynamic to the court. Each team brings a different dynamic to the court,” Toth said.
Juniors Ashley Johnson and Mackenzie Clay are trying to bring their dynamic to the court. Both started on the Lady Pirates’ one-loss junior varsity team the past season. Johnson as an outside hitter and Clay as a middle. Toth said both are pushing hard to become starters on the varsity team this season. She said that she also has a strong group of sophomores pushing hard toward the varsity team.
The Lady Pirates will start the season at the Whitefish Starter tournament Aug. 28.
