VOLLEYBALL: POLSON PICKS UP TWO TOUGH VICTORIES

Lady Pirates defeat Dillon and outlast tall Stevensville team in

five-game set

POLSON - The Polson Lady Pirates have won seven straight matches thanks to non-conference victories over Dillon and Stevensville last week. With two more regular season games to go, and those being conference games, Polson can get some serious momentum heading into the divisional tournament in Whitefish at the beginning of November.

A key to their success has been the Lady Pirates' mental toughness. Last Thursday, Polson came into a match they could have easily overlooked since Dillon had just one victory on the season.

However, the Lady Pirates took home a 3-1 victory over the Beavers thanks to 44 assists and 26 digs from junior Shalaina Duford. Polson won the first game 25-21 but dropped the second 21-25. While it may have spelled disaster for the evening if the Lady Pirates lost focus, they buckled down and won the next two games 25-13, 25-14 for the match win. Behind Duford's efforts and senior Ashley Johnson's 15 kills, there was little left to doubt.

Polson donned their special pink jerseys for senior night last Saturday. While celebrating the final home game of seniors Riley Kenney, Johnson, Macall Banner and Kenzie Clay, the Lady Pirates were also trying to raise breast cancer awareness and raise money for a Columbia Falls volleyball player who is fighting a rare form of mouth cancer. The night certainly had plenty of dramatics as Polson won a tight 3-2 victory over a strong nine-win Stevensville squad.

At first it appeared Polson might roll when they won the first game rather easily, 25-15. Both teams would battle strong in the second stanza with Stevensville winning in extra points 30-28.

Momentum would then swing toward the Lady Yellowjackets, and they would win the third game 25-23. The team could very easily pack it in with a tough uphill battle the rest of the way but the Lady Pirates locked down and crushed Stevensville in the fourth game 25-14.

In the fifth game, Polson took the match with a 15-9 victory.

It was a senior effort and Johnson had 17 kills while Kenney added 12. Duford was again the quarterback on the court with 48 assists. MacKenzie Banner was solid on defense with 23 digs while Kenzie Clay dominated the serving line with six aces. Johnson and Duford both had four service aces.

The win improved Polson's record to 9-2 on the season, and the Lady Pirates are in control of their destiny with a 5-1 conference record.