PREP VOLLEYBALL: North teams shut out in play-in round
North Idaho teams went 0 for 6 in state volleyball play-in matches Saturday.
In 6A, Lake City lost 3-1 at Owyhee of Meridian, and Coeur d'Alene lost 3-0 at Rigby.
In 5A, Lakeland fell 3-0 at Hillcrest of Ammon.
In 4A, Timberlake lost 3-1 at Snake River of Blackfoot.
In 3A, Priest River lost 3-2 to Melba at home.
In 1A, Coeur du Christ lost 3-0 at Council.
Post Falls will be the lone North Idaho team in the 6A bracket. The Trojans (22-3), who won the District 1 title, are seeded fourth at state and open vs. fifth-seeded Rocky Mountain (22-5) of Meridian on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Coeur d'Alene High.
Kellogg will be the lone North Idaho team in the 3A bracket. The Wildcats (18-1), who won the District 1-2 championship, are seeded second and open vs. No. 7 Melba (15-16) on Thursday at 1 p.m. at Lewiston High.
In the 2A bracket, Lakeside (9-11) is seeded eighth and opens vs. top-seeded Butte County on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Madison High in Rexburg.
6A
Owyhee d.
Lake City
MERIDIAN — The ninth-ranked Timberwolves fell to the eighth-ranked Storm 25-23, 25-10, 20-25, 25-23.
Senior Camryn Woodman had 17 kills, 16 digs and one block for Lake City (19-11), which was bidding for its first trip to state since 2022. Sophomore Alaina Freed had eight kills and three blocks, and junior Ella Jeanselme had seve kills, 14 digs and a block.
"A heartbreaker to end the season one win short of state but I couldn’t be prouder of our fight," seventh year Lake City coach Michelle Kleinberg said. "It was an incredibly special season."
Owyhee (20-11) was led by Reese Meier, a 6-foot-2 lefty right-side hitter who has committed to Ole Miss.
"She was really tough to contain," Kleinberg said. "We had a good game plan and stuck to our details pretty well. but ultimately couldn’t keep the ball away from her enough."
Owyhee, the eighth seed at state, will open vs. top-seeded Rigby (36-5) on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Coeur d'Alene High.
Rigby d.
Coeur d'Alene
RIGBY — The 10th-rankled Vikings, bidding for their fourth straight trip to state, lost to the top-ranked Trojans 25-12, 26-24, 25-18.
Junior Marly Sutich had 11 kills and three blocks for Coeur d'Alene (23-10). Senior Hannah Shafer had 18 assists and two aces, sophomore Eva Callari nine kills and 15 digs, senior Jovie Le nine kills and three blocks, junior Embree McKeown 22 digs and three aces, freshman Emily Hackett 15 assists, freshman Avery Wilson two blocks, freshman Lynora Morlock two aces.
“This was a tough loss, but I’m proud of how we competed," Coeur d'Alene coach Carly Curtis said. "Rigby was a tough team, and our girls left it all on the court.”
Top-seeded Rigby (36-5) will open state vs. eighth-seeded Owyhee (20-11) on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Coeur d'Alene High.
5A
Hillcrest d.
Lakeland
AMMON — The seventh-ranked Hawks fell short in their attempt for a fourth straight trip to state, losing to the fifth-ranked Knights 25-15, 25-14, 25-15.
Senior Jolie Warren had eight kills for Lakeland (15-15).
"Today was a tough way to end our season," ninth-year Lakeland coach Kelsie Badger said. "I felt good going into this game and truly believed the girls were prepared to compete. Traveling such a long distance is never easy, but I expected us to show up with more energy and fight. Unfortunately, we struggled to find our rhythm, and it felt like nothing was going our way. It was hard to watch because I know this team is capable of so much more than what we showed today.
Sophomore Jaeli Hoffman added 11 assists and two aces), senior Kindell Day nine assists, junior Anabel Bowie two blocks, junior Emma Beaty 20 digs for Lakeland, which fell to Lewiston in the Region 1 title match on Tuesday.
"As their coach, it’s difficult to see a season come to an end knowing what this team is capable of, and wishing we could have shown more on the court," Badger said. "While today didn’t reflect the team we’ve been throughout the season, it doesn’t erase the hard work, growth, and memories we’ve made along the way. I’m proud of these girls and everything they’ve put into this season. The ending may not be what we hoped for, but I hope they walk away knowing how much they’ve grown and how much they have to be proud of."
Hillcrest (22-16), seeded fifth, will open state vs. No. 4 Twin Falls (24-11) on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Post Falls High.
4A
Snake River d.
Timberlake
BLACKFOOT — The 12th-ranked Tigers, looking to return to state for the second straight year, fell to the sixth-ranked Panthers 25-18, 25-9, 20-25, 25-20.
Junior Addie Archer had 23 digs, nine kills and three aces for Timberlake (7-12). Senior Rhylee Yetter added 13 digs and two aces, junior Shae Jones six kills, six blocks and an ace, sophomore Layla Webb four kills and three blocks, senior Willow Mattson 13 assists and nine digs, sophomore Jordyn Parke 10 assists and three digs.
"If there was one word to define this season for Timberlake volleyball it would be resilience," third-year Timberlake coach Lisa Gardom said. "We were plagued with adversity time and time again all season and we really worked on navigating through it every week. Not going to lie, some weeks were rough but the team’s determination to adjust to whatever was thrown at us and keep fighting, led us to a district tournament win and a chance to go to state.
"We had nothing to lose coming in. We knew if we could put together some good volleyball this weekend, we could challenge even the sixth seed and we did. After letting old habits in during the second set, we came out strong in the third and took a set from Snake River. Although our season ends here, we were playing some of our best volleyball. Our team has grown exponentially this year, in every position and across the board with every player. As a coach, that to me is a successful season and I’m proud of the team and their hard work to get us here this year."
Snake River (21-14) is the sixth seed and opens state vs. No. 3 Cole Valley Christian (20-8) of Boise on Thursday at 3 p.m. at Lake City High.
3A
Melba d.
Priest River
PRIEST RIVER — The sixth-ranked Spartans, looking for a return trip to state, fell to the ninth-ranked Mustangs in five sets.
Priest River finished 15-5.
Melba (15-16) advances to state at Lewiston High beginning Thursday.
1A
Council d.
Coeur du Christ
COUNCIL — The 10th-ranked Saints, hoping for a second straight trip to state, lost to the third-ranked Lumberjacks 25-10, 25-7, 25-11.
Coeur du Christ finished 13-6.
Council (20-9), seeded third, will take on No. 6 Nezperce (18-3) in their state opener Thursday at 2 p.m. PDT at Thunder Ridge High in Ammon.