Libby places fourth at State A Tournament

For their second year in a row, the Libby High School volleyball team came away from the State ‘A’ Tournament with fourth place.

In their final match of the tournament, they faced the Corvallis Blue Devils, a team that has been a thorn in their side throughout the postseason. Only the week before, Blue Devils took first place in the Western A Divisional over Libby.

Though the Blue Devils beat the Lady Loggers in three sets Friday, Libby Head Coach Cindy Ostrem-Johnston said she felt Libby competed better at state than they had at divisionals.

Ultimately, Libby just made more mistakes than Corvallis, she said.

Early in the first set, a series of unforced errors Allowed Corvallis to establish a cushion that they carried through to the end, never allowing Libby to catch back up.

Senior Alli Collins served up a 6-point run, and the Lady Loggers closed the gap down to a 23-21 Blue Devils lead.

“But we couldn’t quite get over the hump,” Ostrem-Johnston said.

The team had a .204 attack percentage for the Corvallis match — their best of the tournament — and senior McKenzie Proffitt lead at the net with a .600 and 6 kills.

But Libby was forced into defense by the Blue Devils, and their serve and receive and defense broke down, Ostrem-Johnston said.

With Corvallis up two sets, Collins again came out to continue serving flawlessly, serving through 10 points for the Lady Loggers. But after gaining a 14-6 lead, Libby allowed it to slip away.

The Lady Loggers held on to a narrow lead late into the match, with the Blue Devils finally tying the score 20-20 on a kill that was just inside.

“We let them take it right back from us. That was heartbreaking to watch,” Ostrem-Johnston noted by email.

Unforced errors plagued the Lady Loggers throughout the match, most of all in the first and third sets.

“That’s tough on a team when you’re committing that many unforced errors when you’re playing against a great team,” Ostrem-Johnston said.

Libby also had some breakdown in communication, and possibly even some in trusting teammates, with some near collisions early in the first set. But no matter how rough the teamwork became at moments, they kept shaking it off and coming back.

“They kept fighting,” Ostrem-Johnston said. “We got discombobbled a couple times, but they never gave up.”

Reflecting on the overall tournament effort from Libby, she said that though they fell short of their goal of a state championship title, it was not from lack of effort or wanting it.

“We just couldn’t fire on all cylinders when we needed to most,” she noted.

Yet, Ostrem-Johnston also noted by email that even as some members of the team had moments of struggle, others once again stepped up and stepped in.

“Every one of them stepped up at different times,” she said.

Supporting one another and being there to pick each other up goes beyond the court.

Though there were tears in the locker room after the loss to Corvallis, the players kept perspective, Ostrem-Johnston said.

“Some of them pointed out, they’ve spent a lot of time playing this game together, and have had a lot of joy from just competing and developing the relationships through athletics that may carry on for the rest their lives,” she said.

Reflections

Friday was Ostrem-Johnston’s final match of her final tournament with her final team. After 38 years in the sport of volleyball — between her time competing in high school and college as well as coaching — the feeling is bittersweet, she said.

“I have a big hole in my heart right now,” she said.

Ostrem-Johnston plans to retire from teaching after this year, and has said she would like to devote time to following her son, Libby senior Ryggs Johnston, as he furthers his golfing career.

She doesn’t plan to be involved with the volleyball program in the future.

“I think it’s time for me to step away,” she said. “I’m not thick skinned enough to handle the people that don’t buy into the program, but I appreciate all the support from those that have.”

Though Ostrem-Johnston said she does not know for certain the plans of her assistant coaches — both volunteer and paid — she expressed a lot of gratitude for the support that has come from them.

“I think we had the perfect blend of coaches,” she said. “I thought all of us worked well together.”

She also said she was appreciative of her managers, including her son.

“Ryggs, my son is a manager technically, but he’s like another assistant coach on the bench, because he’s grown up with the game,” she said.

In her emailed notes on the tournament, Ostrem-Johnston listed off the younger players who don’t show up as much in the team statistics, but who are there ready to commit as much as anyone.

“Sheyla Gallagher and Kylee Quinn also contributed to the team’s effort. Ember Rode, Julia Martineau and Olivia Smith were ready to go in if needed and gave the team energy from the bench,” she noted.

Though she won’t be a direct participant in the program in years to come, Ostrem-Johnston said she hopes to catch some matches next season.

“I’m attached to those younger ones too that are going to still be around,” she said.

“There’s been adversities. There’s been disappointments. But I’m glad I’ve been a part of it, and for the most part have really enjoyed the journey and the ride,” she said.

Honors At the end of the season, the Lady Loggers varsity squad again came away with multiple honors for All State and All-Conference. Ostrem Johnston also was voted the 2018 Northwest A Coach of the Year.

But Ostrem-Johnston

All State/First Team All-Conference

Seniors Jayden Winslow (Three-time first team, two-time top vote getter, two-time All State), Emma Gruber (Also had a two-time Second Team) and Mehki Sykes (Four-time All State and First Team).

First Team All-Conference

Senior Alli Collins (Two-time First Team)

Second Team All-Conference

Senior Jessika Jones

Honorable Mentions

Senior McKenzie Proffitt

Senior Linsey Walker

2018 Northwest A Coach of the Year

Cindy Ostrem-Johnston

State A Championship Tournament

Montana State University Bozeman

Thursday, Nov. 8

Libby 3, Hardin 0

Sets: 26-24, 20-25, 25-18, 25-12

L: 8 ace, 57 kill, 51 assist, 7 block, 78 dig; Alli Collins 4 ace, 51 assist, 1 dig; Sheyla Gallagher 2 kill; Jayden Winslow 16 kill, 2 block, 18 dig; McKenzie Proffitt 5 kill, 1 block, 1 dig; Mehki Sykes 2 ace, 25 kill, 6 block, 4 dig; Ashlyn Monigold 8 dig; Linsey Walker 2 ace, 16 dig; Jessika Jones 9 kill, 1 block, 3 dig; Emma Gruber 27 dig

Belgrade 3, Libby 0

Sets: 25-17, 25-18, 25-13

L: 2 ace, 21 kill, 20 assist, 3 block, 52 dig; Alli Collins 19 assist, 9 dig; Sheyla Gallagher 1 block, 1 dig; Jayden Winslow 5 kill, 10 dig; McKenzie Proffitt 3 kill, 2 block; Mehki Sykes 11 kill, 1 block; Ashlyn Monigold 4 dig; Linsey Walker 14 dig; Jessika Jones 2 kill, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 dig; Emma Gruber 2 ace, 12 dig

Friday, Nov. 9

Libby 3, Columbia Falls 2

Sets: 24-26, 26-24, 15-25, 25-18, 15-9

L: 4 ace, 64 kill, 55 assist, 8 block, 87 dig; Alli Collins 2 ace, 53 assist, 9 dig; Sheyla Gallagher 1 kill, 2 block, 4 dig; Jayden Winslow 1 ace, 20 kill, 1 assist, 2 block, 24 dig; McKenzie Proffitt 5 kill, 4 block; Mehki Sykes 25 kill, 3 dig; Ashlyn Monigold 3 block, 5 dig; Kylee Quinn 1 dig; Linsey Walker 1 ace, 5 dig; Jessika Jones 13 kill, 3 dig; Emma Gruber 1 assist, 33 dig

Fourth Place Match

(Winner advances to Third Place Match)

Corvallis 3, Libby 0

Sets: 25-22, 25-18, 25-21

L: 5 ace, 35 kill, 34 assist, 4 block, 39 dig; Alli Collins 4 ace, 32 assist, 5 dig; Sheyla Gallagher 2 kill; Jayden Winslow 14 kill, 1 assist, 1 block, 8 dig; McKenzie Proffitt 6 kill, 2 block; Mehki Sykes 5 kill, 2 block; Ashlyn Monigold 7 dig; Kylee Quinn 1 ace; Linsey Walker 5 dig; Jessika Jones 8 kill, 1 dig; Emma Gruber 1 assist, 13 dig