Libby spikers fall in CFalls, down Flathead JV

The Lady Loggers were looking to upset league leading Columbia Falls on Thursday, but the Wildkat front line shut down the Logger attack to pull out the four set win.

Libby opened up a lead in the first set, but Columbia Falls used three blocks by Winter Kemppainen - a harbinger of things to come - to go up 18-14. After a service error by the Wildkats, Hannah England stepped to the service line and Libby ran off 10 straight points to take the first set, 25-18. Hailey Craig and Hailley Moe each had two kills, and Cierra Stewart ended it with her second block of the game.

Things were looking good for the Lady Loggers in the second set as they fought to take a 20-16 lead. After a timeout, the lead quickly evaporated and the Wildkats’ Carla Nicosia ended Libby’s hopes of taking a two-set lead with a game-ending kill.

Kemppainen and her other six-foot front-line mates registered 13 blocks over the next two sets and powered the Wildkats to 25-14, 25-17 wins.

“We came out strong and played two great sets. We need to figure out how to get through, around, or hit off a big block,” said Coach Cindy Ostrem-Johnston.

Mahalah Wedel continued to shine defensively for the Loggers with 27 digs, and Moe led the limited Libby attack with 13 kills.

Libby finished off the week with a final nonconference win against a solid Flathead JV squad 22-25, 25-21, 25-11, 25-13. After dropping the opening set, the Loggers found themselves down 19-21. They rattled off the next six points behind England’s serving on kills from five different hitters.

That seemed to turn the momentum permanently in Libby’s favor. Led by Wedel’s dynamic digs and a couple of circus saves by Dayln Germany, the Logger defense dominated the final two games. Stewart was in on six of Libby’s eight blocks as well.

“We did a better job of blocking and running some quicker offense, and we stayed focused for a longer period of time,” Ostrem-Johnston said.

England assisted on 36 of the Loggers’ 45 kills. Moe finished with nine kills, while Staci Regh and Devon Gallagher added eight each.

The Lady Loggers go into the final conference portion of their schedule with a 7-3 record overall and 2-3 in the conference. They travel to Whitefish on Tuesday for an important league contest.

Kills - Libby 40 (Moe 13, Gallagher 8), C. Falls 42 (Cierra Finberg, Nicosia 10); Blocks - Libby 3 (Stewart 3), C. Falls 18 (Kemppainen 7); Assists - Libby 32 (England 30), C. Falls 37 (Cydney Finberg 29); Digs - Libby (Wedel 27), C. Falls (Shay Fishel 14); Aces - Libby 9 (England 6), C. Falls 3

Kills - Libby 45 (Moe 9), Flathead 25 (Alyssa Wisher 8); Blocks - Libby 8 (Stewart 6), Flathead 7 (Wisher 2); Assists - Libby 42 (England 36), Flathead 25 (Bailey Nunn 23); Digs - Libby 92 (Wedel 37), Flathead 53 (Greta Streich 14); Aces - Libby 13 (Wedel 4), Flathead 5 (Bailey Bladholm 3)