Lady Pirates struggle in Anaconda
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Before heading to the Smelter Tournament in Anaconda over the weekend, Polson hosted Stevensville on Thursday and won 25-19, 25-21, 26-28, 25-21.
Heidi Rausch led the way for the Lady Pirates with 18 kills, two blocks and 17 digs.
“She put the ball down hard and played with a lot of intensity. She is a great leader on the court; you know when she is in the front row, she is going to make a lot happen on the court,” coach Jan Toth said.
Shalaina Duford also had a strong effort, leading the offense with 43 assists.
“(Duford’s) ability to make a bad pass into a beautiful set is a showcase of her athletic talents,” Toth said.
Coming off the bench for Polson was junior Jessica Hoel, who attacked the ball with force, tallying six kills.
“The tandem outside hitting of Tina Marquardt and cousin Chloie Huerta is as big and powerful as you get as hitters,” Toth said.
The two combined for 19 kills, Marquardt with 11 and Huerta eight.
Despite the win, the Lady Pirates need to step up their serving, Toth noted.
“We missed a combined total of 11 serves,” she said. “Giving up that many easy points can kill the momentum of any team.”
Momentum was again lacking at the Smelter Tourney, where Toth noted her team hit the court sluggishly after leaving at 5:30 a.m. to travel to Anaconda.
“We really struggled with our passing and offense against Corvallis,” Toth said. “They are an extremely quick and tall team that does not make many mistakes. They capitalized off all of our mistakes to get us down early into the game, and they never looked back.”
Despite a roster loaded with seniors, Toth said since many of them haven’t played at the varsity level before, they’re having to learn quickly that play is fast-paced. Getting the team to “gel” on the court will take time, but “I have no doubt we will get there,” Toth said. “I have the athleticism and physically tough girls that know how to win. We now have to put it all together with the newcomers.”
In Anaconda, Rausch tallied 44 kills, while Duford turned in 79 assists. Defensively, libero Mackenzie Banner had a great showing, Toth noted.
“(Banner) dug up some huge hits from great hitters,” she said. “She got us going as the day progressed defensively.”
The Lady Pirates hosted Columbia Falls Tuesday and will head to Frenchtown Thursday.
Smelter Tournament, Anaconda
Match 1 vs. Corvallis varsity: 12-25, 18-25
Match 2 vs. Anaconda varsity: split 22-25, 25-24
Match 3 vs. Corvallis JV: 25-15, 25-14
Match 3 vs. Anaconda JV: 25-17, 25-20
