Scobey Earns Second Place At District Tournament

The Scobey Spartans had their backs against the wall in their semi-final round match against North County during the District 3C volleyball tournament on Friday.

Scobey was down two sets to one and by a 15-9 margin in the fourth set. Things were not breaking the Spartans’ way, and a time-out was called to regroup.

“We told them it was kind of now or never,” Scobey Coach Melissa Holum said.

The Spartans responded with a thrilling 22-25, 2510, 23-25, 25-22, 15-9, comeback victory. “I’m very proud of them,” Holum said. The coach added she was pleased how the Spartans responded on the second day of the tournament after falling to North County in their first match on Thursday. “We came ready to go. You especially want to do something on your home court.”

In the fourth set against the Mavericks, the Spartans responded with six straight points including kills by Chloe Handran and Ava Stentoft for a 15-15 deadlock. After the Mavericks gained an 18-16 lead, powerful kills by Emery Rouse led the Spartans to a 20-19 advantage.

The Mavericks scored on kills by Emerson Downing and Gracie Wasson, but a kill by Handran was good for a 22-21 lead. With the score at 23-22, the Spartans struck for the last two points on a tip by Handran and a block by Halle Cromwell.

In the fifth and deciding set, the Spartans grabbed a quick 3-0 lead on two aces by Rouse and a tip by Handran.

Kills by Wasson, a 5-10 junior, pulled North Country to 6-5, but Scobey answered with a block by Ava Stentoft and a kill by Cromwell. A tip by Cromwell put the gap at 9-6.

Scobey gained an 11-6 advantage when a great point by both teams was ended with a kill by Rouse. Another kill by Rouse and an ace by Ainsley Berryhill put the score at 13-7.

After the Mavericks cut the gap to 13-9, Scobey closed out the match with a kill by Rouse and a point on Cromwell’s service.

In the divisional championship match, twotime defending state champion Circle downed Scobey by a 25-16, 25-10, 25-15 final.

Ahead by a 22-13 margin in the first set, the Wildcats finished the set with kills by Lily Beery and a tip by Charlie Moline.

Circle used the hitting of Kate Nasner and Allie Kountz to gain a 15-2 lead in the second set.

With the score at 21-9, the Wildcats accounted for four of the last five points on a tip and ace by Emma Murphy, a kill by Nasner and a kill by Alaina Gustafson.

The Wildcats took an 1812 lead in the third set, but a kill by Cromwell pulled Scobey a point closer.

Beery scored a pair of kills down the stretch for the 25-15 final.

The Eastern C divisional tournament begins Thursday, Nov. 5, in Sidney. The top two teams will advance to the state tournament.