Arlee overcomes missing starters

DRUMMOND - Even with three starters missing, the Arlee volleyball team split with Charlo and defeated Alberton during the Drummond volleyball tournament last Saturday.

"I was very happy and it wasn't my full varsity team," Arlee head coach Brian BigSam said.

With three starters out, BigSam called up players from his junior varsity team and asked them to make an impact.

They did just that.

Arlee defeated Alberton twice, 15-10, 15-6, and then split with Charlo 6-15, 15-13 and lost to Granite 15-11, 18-15.

In the Alberton win, juniors Courtney Dix and Becca Nelson both had three aces.

In the loss to Granite, senior Maria Pablo registered 10 digs and the team had 19 in an impressive defensive performance.

"That was my JV stepping up," BigSam said. "The girls were going after everything and communicating. Communication is going to win the game. I really had to drill it in that they needed to be louder."

Dix had four aces in that game as well.

The 81 points scored by Arlee gave them first place heading into bracket play where they matched up against Charlo again. This time, the Vikings would come out on top for both games, 15-11, 15-8.

BigSam said the layover between the last game got his team out of sync.

"We had a long gap," he said. "My young girls didn't know how to handle that much playing time and time in between that."

BigSam expects his starters to be back and, while there are some minor things, the team is ready for the season.

"We need to work on coverage," he said "Other than that, we're pretty good."

Arlee will face Phillipsburg at 5:30 p.m. next Thursday at home.