Libby plays hard in Missoula

Libby didn’t look pretty this weekend at the Missoula Invitational volleyball tournament, but it showed grit in playing tough schools while ultimately going 6-14.

The Missoula tournament was separated into two eight-team pools, the top teams of which go into a championship bracket. The bottom four head to a consolation bracket.

The Lady Loggers didn’t have an easy opener, facing AA Flathead and being bounced 11-25, 18-25. Flathead would finish second in the championship bracket.

“It was a good team bonding experience,” said head coach Cindy Ostrem-Johnston of the tournament. “They look improved. They got to work on their offense.”

Libby then split Anaconda 25-21, 24-25. The Lady Loggers would struggle, losing their next eight games, six of which were against AA opponents and the last two against a talented Polson team.

Finishing seventh in their pool, Libby could have let the results get to them. Instead, they took Great Falls CMR to three sets before falling by two points, then beat Whitefish twice.

The letdown came in the next match when Frenchtown swept Libby. The Broncs had lost twice to Libby already this season.

If Ostrem-Johnston had to pick a team-MVP of the two-day tournament, she could do worse than sophomore libero Mahalah Wedel, who finished with 90 of her team’s 217 digs.

“She’s got the battle scars to prove it,” Ostrem-Johnston said. “She passed real well and had a 2.26 passer rating.”

Hannah England and Dalyn Germany had 14 aces each during the tournament. Lauren Wepprecht led kills with 50. England had 139 set assists. Wepprecht and Taylor Quinn had five blocks each.

Libby will face Eureka at home Thursday.