The Lady Copperhead Volleyball Team is No. 1 after winning their Tip-Off Tournament at St. Ignatius on Aug. 28 – and then following that up with a sweep of the tourney’s host in their opener at home on Sept. 1. Photo courtesy of Anaconda Junior/Senior High School
By James S. Rosien
Anaconda Weekly Review publisher
Back to school means back to business for Lady Copperhead Volleyball, who after earning a trip to state under first-year head coach Logan Stetzner last year are looking to continue to build on their success.
And they’re already doing so to start the season, taking home the Tip-Off Tournament title on Aug. 28 (stats and scores not available) and then following that up with a sweep of the tourney’s host, Mission (St. Ignatius), taking down the Lady Bulldogs 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-15) in their opener at home on Sept. 1.
After trailing briefly, Anaconda came back to win the first set, holding off a late charge by the Bulldogs by winning four of the game’s final six points for a 7-point opening-set victory.
The middle set would prove to be the battleground for the match, with Mission once again getting the start on top with a 3-1 lead before Anaconda came back to tie it up with a hard-fought exchange.
Tied again at 4-4, the Lady Copperheads took the lead for the first time in the set with an ace by eighth-grader Maizee Mitchell, which was followed up by a power spike from her fellow middle blocker, senior Addison Jovanovich, to give Anaconda a 2-point lead.
Mission hung around though, keeping within a point or two before a big block by senior outside hitter Logan McKay made it 11-8 Anaconda.
But the Lady Bulldogs continued to hang around, to the point of tying the set up at 12 all until freshman outside hitter Ilaina Cline snuck one past the defenders at the net to reclaim the lead for the Lady Copperheads.
Yet St. Ignatius still hung around, tying the match back up at 15 apiece before taking back the lead for the first time since the set’s seventh point.
Stetzner and the Lady Copperheads called time, briefly slowing things down before coming back out of the break to tie things up again at 16 all – and for Anaconda to have to do the same again at 18 all.
Then with Addi Case up to serve, the junior libero bamboozled the Lady Bulldogs’ defenders, dealing them a pair of aces to take a 2-point lead.
And still the Lady Bulldogs hung around, battling back once more to tie the game at 20, then taking the lead on a long volley that went their way.
Once again AHS called time, and though Mission would net the next point out of the break it was all Anaconda from there on out as the Lady Copperheads scored five of the set’s final six points to take the win as McKay put the team on her back the rest of the way.
First it was with a big kill capping off another long volley, then after the teams traded points it was McKay again with another big kill to tie the set for the tenth and final time.
Now up to serve, the senior sent one over the net that the Lady Bulldogs returned into the stands to break the 23-23 tie, and facing set point and the prospect of going down 2-0 it was Mission’s turn to call time, but while the teams went into their respective huddles McKay stood at the back line, ball in hand, intent on ending it right then and there.
And she did. McKay’s serve went unreturned, and with the 25-23 win the Lady Copperheads were one set away from victory.
The second set may have been grueling, but third and what would prove to be final one was a breeze by comparison with the match’s only ties and lead changes occurring in the early going.
Mission took a quick 1-0 lead, but Mitchell cut that off with a big block up front and Anaconda never trailed from then on and only tied once more at 3-3.
The Lady Bulldogs made a few attempts at a rally, but Jovanovich staved off the first with a strong kill at the net to go up 5-3, which junior setter Addie Olson followed up with a spike of her own at 6-4 – and then extended Anaconda’s lead to 7-4 with a serve that St. Ignatius returned into the rafters.
Mission would then get back to within a point at 8-7, but McKay fired a laser beam of a spike off multiple defenders to hold off the visitors’ final attempt at a comeback as the next 10 points went to the home team.
It was a series that saw freshman setter Brigid Mehrens come up with a big block at the net before Case and McKay traded off between four aces for the former and a couple of kills for the latter – plus one more for McKay to make it 20-8 after Mission finally broke Anaconda’s scoring streak.
The Lady Bulldogs would actually go on to outscore the Lady Copperheads 8-5 the rest of the way, but it was too little too late as McKay sent a kill down the line for match point and then capped it off with another kill after a long volley as Anaconda won the set, 25-15, and the match, 3-0, to start the regular season off in the win column.
Next up for the Lady Copperheads is a road game at Twin Bridges High School on Tuesday, Sept. 8, with JV playing at 5 p.m. and varsity at 6:30 p.m.
Their next home game will be on Thursday, Sept. 10 as Anaconda will host Beaverhead County High School. Froshmore starts at 4 p.m., JV at 5:30 p.m. and varsity at 7 p.m. at the Snake Pit.
Also, the Anaconda Junior High School volleyball teams will start their season on Sept. 10 when Butte East Middle School comes to town.
Seventh grade will be at Lincoln Elementary School, with the B team playing at 4 p.m. and the A team at 5 p.m., while the eighth grade will be at Fred Moodry Intermediate school as the B team will also play at 4 p.m. and the A team at 5 p.m.
Anaconda 3, Mission 0
MHS 18 23 15 0
AHS 25 25 25 0
