Lady Loggers look to close regular season on strong note
<p>Pre-game huddle with Dayln Germany, left, Devon Gallagher, Hailley Moe, Hannah England, Mahalah Wedel, Staci Regh and Kelsey Klin vs. Whitefish 10-26-13.</p>
The Lady Loggers volleyball team is getting hot at the right time. With two remaining road contests, the Loggers have a shot at the third seed in the upcoming divisional tournament.
The Loggers (2-4, 7-10) won their last two conference matches against Eureka and Whitefish. Head Coach Cindy Ostrem-Johnston points to the preceding Missoula Tournament as a turning point in the season.
“We held our own against the AA teams in that tournament,” Ostrem-Johnston said. “I think the girls surprised themselves with how well they played. I had a referee at the tournament say how noticable the team’s improvement had been since he saw us earlier in the year.”
The Lady Loggers travel Friday to Polson for a 4:15 p.m. contest. If Libby wins, they will likely earn the third seed.
The girls play Frenchtown, who is 6-0 in conference, at 10 a.m. Saturday. To avoid onerous travel time, the team will stay at a hotel halfway between St. Ignatius and Ronan on Friday night.
The divisional tournament, which takes place from Nov. 8-9 in Polson, is a double elimination tournament between the top five seeds. The top two teams from the divisional tournament qualify for the state tournament.
“This has been a fun team to coach,” Ostrem-Johnston said. “We have struggled with consistency and confidence, but we are getting better. The girls play best when they are relaxed and playing the next ball.”