Logan McKay, left, tips the ball over the outstretched arms of a Dillon defender as teammates Faith Stainer (3), Addie Olson (20) and Jorie Olson (8) follow the action during Anaconda’s home loss to Beaverhead County on Sept. 10. Anaconda Weekly Review photo by James S. Rosien.
By James S. Rosien
Anaconda Weekly Review publisher
It’s Homecoming week and that’s the perfect time for the Lady Copperheads to get back on track after a rough patch last week that saw them fall in all six sets they played, losing 3-0 in Twin Bridges on Tuesday, Sept. 8 and again 3-0 at home to Beaverhead County High School (Dillon) on Thursday, Sept. 10.
The Lady Copperheads kept it close against the Falcons in the first couple sets on Tuesday, with Twin Bridges eking out the win in the first, 25-23, and holding on for a 25-19 victory in the second before closing out the third set, 25-14, and the match, 3-0.
Then it was back home on Thursday to face Dillon, though their old Class A rival was in control the entire match.
Things started off well enough for Anaconda, with a big block up front by Addison Jovanovich and a few big saves at the back line by Addi Case saw the Lady Copperheads keeping the Lady Copperheads within a point or two, but then Dillon started going on a run that even an assist from the raucous student section at the Snake Pit couldn’t hold back as Beaverhead County went up 8-4. A power kill by Logan McKay that worked the scoreboard up to 9-5 would be one of the few Anaconda highlights the rest of the set, as Dillon went on an 8-2 run that was briefly stymied by a Jovanovich tip at the net to keep the Lady Copperheads within double digits at 17-8, a feat McKay repeated with a power stop of a Beaverhead County power spike that led to an Anaconda point, 19-10. Yet all but one of the remaining points were Dillon’s to be had as they finished off the first set on a 6-1 run to win it 25-11.
The Lady Copperheads were at their most impressive in the middle set, and briefly held the lead thanks to three straight aces by Case (and an assist from the net on one of them) to go up 5-3. But that would be that, as Dillon went on a 6-0 run as they, too, worked it up to 9-5. The two teams would trade points most of the rest of the way though, the home team keeping to within 3 to 5 points of the visitors, but after a monster kill by eighth grader Maizee Mitchell with AHS down 17-13, that’s the closest they would come as Dillon outscored Anaconda 8-5 the rest of the way to take the second set, 25-18.
And set three was not the place to be, Beaverhead County fans excepted, as the Lady Beavers led from the first point and did not let up, going up by as much as 14 points on more than one occasion that set. Still, the Lady Copperheads kept fighting, including a couple of big-time blocks by McKay to stave off match point at 23-10 and 23-11, followed up by an exceptional dig by Case at 23-12, but that would be their last stand as Dillon scored the final two points to win the set 25-12 and the match, 3-0.
But that was last week. This week is Homecoming week, and for the Lady Copperheads it’ll be rivalry week as well since they’ll host their Deer Lodge Valley neighbors, the Powell County Lady Wardens, on Thursday, Sept. 17 at the Memorial Gym. Froshmore starts at 4 p.m., JV at 5:30 p.m. and varsity at 7 p.m.
Thursday’s a big day for volleyball all around, as Anaconda Junior High School will host Granite Middle School at Fred Moodry that day, with seventh grade to play at 4 p.m. and eighth grade at 5 p.m.
And the Lady Copperheads will close out the week on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Thompson Falls, with game times set for noon (froshmore), 1:30 p.m. (JV) and 3 p.m. (varsity).
Anaconda 0, Twin Bridges 3
AHS 23 19 14 0
TBHS 25 25 25 3
No stats available.
Anaconda 0, Beaverhead County 3
AHS 11 18 12 0
BCHS 25 25 25 3
No stats available.
