Viking volleyball winless in Butte

BUTTE — Charlo’s epic run from the loser’s bracket to the District 10C championship had undertones a Cinderella story, but the district-champion Vikings’ magic ran out at the Western C divisional tournament last weekend.

The Vikings season ended with losses to Harrison-Willow Creek, 3-1, and Philipsburg in straight sets at the tournament in Butte.

“As disappointing as it was, the girls played really hard,” Charlo coach Sheryl Kain said. “I was very happy with their effort.”

According to Kain, the Philipsburg game was especially frustrating.

“Whatever we did for coverage, they just found our spot and kept hitting at us,” she said. “We just got a little bit back on our heels and couldn’t come back.”

Even if they had gotten by the early opponents, though, defending state champion Gardiner and Manhattan Christian would have been tough obstacles to topple for a state tournament bid.

Kain said that District 8C is just a whole other level of competition that the Vikings aspire to reach.

With the loss, Charlo bids adieu to five seniors from the 2013 Vikings team: Alyssa Doty, Mackenzie Faust, Michaela Krahn, Aspen Runkel and Connor Smith.

Doty led the Vikings in digs (281) and was second on the team in kills (154). Runkel was second in digs (275) and third in kills (139). Smith led all Lake County volleyballers with 67 aces this season.

Kain will return her leading hitter, Sienna Brown, and both of her setters, Madison Faust and Shayna Nagy next season.

“I can’t complain,” Kain said. “The girls worked hard for me. They made up for a lot, not having the height and not having a lot of experience. They were fun and they never got down on each other.”

Charlo finishes the season with a 17-6 overall record, going 11-1 in 10C this year.