Mission bests TFalls to stay alive

Jenna Cederberg

PLAINS - Have no fear and don't hold back.

That's what Bulldog's head coach Kendal Baldwin has told her team all year.

The team needed everything they had as they faced Thompson Falls in its first match of the post season, and everything they had was more than good enough to take down the Bluehawks on Saturday, winning 3-2 in the first game of the District 7-B tournament.

In the end, Mission would fall in the championship game to Eureka, 3-1, to get the No. 2 seed going into Divisionals.

The Bulldogs were 0-2 against the Bluehawks in regular season play, but had a concrete plan to win when it counted. The Bulldogs will play Deerlodge at noon today at Valley Christian in Missoula for the divisional tournament.

"We're single blocking and we just need to really cover, cover like crazy. Just come out with a lot of enthusiasm, it's our last chance to get revenge," senior Kelsey Cable said.

Senior hitter Lisa Larsson also said they need to own the net, on blocks and kills, to get the win.

Larsson came through on that end of the match, finishing with 13 kills. Junior Rachel Jensen had 13 kills as well. The Bulldogs matched the Bluehawks in blocks, too, with five total. Jensen led Mission with two blocks.

It was on defense that the Bulldogs controlled the match. The team had 72 digs, outdoing Thompson Falls by 18. Junior libero Katie McDonald had 23 digs, Cable had 14.

Mission got the first game, 25-22 and fell in games two, 26-24 and three, 25-12, before rallying to win games four, 25-22, and five, 15-11.

The Bulldogs couldn't find the same momentum against Eureka. Winning only game three, 25-23, the Bulldogs couldn't get past the Lions' 14 blocks.

Individual game scores were close throughout the match. Eureka won game one, 25-16, game two, 32-30, and game four, 26-24. Baldwin was more than enthused by the team's play.

"We played the best I have ever seen us (play) against Eureka," Baldwin said. "If we can keep that same intensity focus and drive, then we have just as much of a chance at Divisionals as any one else."

Cable had three aces, 12 digs and nine kills for the Bulldogs. Larsson led the team with 10 kills and two blocks. Grant had two aces and 27 of the team's 28 assists. Jensen had nine kills and two blocks.

McDonald had a team-leading 19 digs.

The team has gained confidence and knowledge about each other throughout the season, Grant said. That was key for the team's performance last weekend and will come into play next weekend.

"We definitely improved a lot; the first match everyone was kind of all over the place and not really together. By the end of the season we got all the kinks worked out," Cable said. "I think we've been successful so far, but there's always hopes to go further. We are going to divisionals but we want to get a good seeding out of districts … state would obviously be the icing."

Kelsey Cable breakout-

Mission senior hitter Kelsey Cable was honored last month in Helena as one of 25 exceptional Montana teens at the 12th Annual Miss Outstanding Teenager of Montana Scholarship Program.

Cable took a weekend off from volleyball to travel to the event, where the 25 girls were judged on teen image, scholastic evaluation, citizenship, personal projection and an essay written during competition weekend.

"It's not a pageant, it's an academic scholarship," Cable said. "It was good experience, doing interviews and stuff."

Prejudging took place on Saturday, and on Sunday, the group was narrowed to nine. The top nine answered a question on stage and modeled an outfit they thought best represented teen image, Cable said.

Cable made one final cut, to the top four, and was named the second runner up.

The winner received a $8,000 prize, including scholarship money, cash, and a set of luggage, designer sport jacket and sash, as well as a trip to Hawaii.

Cable found out about the program through the mail and started her application process in August by sending her resume and grades to the judges.

After high school, Cable said she is considering several different options for college, both in and out of state. Recently, Montana Tech, in Butte, requested her volleyball highlight tape.