The District 7C Volleyball Tournament was held October 28-30 in Chinook, featuring nine teams battling it out on the court. The Lady Pioneers entered the tourney in 6th seed, matching up against the 3rd seed Chinook Sugarbeeters on their home court. The Pioneers worked as a cohesive team to fight for each point, working up to a 17-22 score. The team had strong defensive plays but could not maintain their momentum to stop the Sugarbeeters from earning the last three points of the set to win 17-25.

The second set proved to be a bit more challenging as the Lady Pioneers struggled to find their rhythm against an experienced Chinook team. Final score was 9-25. The Lady Pioneers fired up in the third set to rally themselves and rattle the Sugarbeeters. With Angie Sant, Eva Yeadon, and Keira Galbavy’s stellar offense; Jaihven Baumann’s hustle to set the ball; Amiya Griffith, Eva Wagoner, and Lainey Terry’s defensive skills; as well as the team’s all-around scrappy plays, there were excellent volleys back and forth the entire set as the Lady Pioneers came back from a seven-point deficit to barely fall short, 22-25 and a Chinook victory. Team leaders included: Amiya and Angie each had 5 kills; Eva W. had the team’s solo ace; Amiya with 19 of the team’s 66 digs; Eva W. and Angie combined for the team’s solo block; and Jai racked up 11 assists.

Thursday’s loss placed Big Sandy in the Friday morning bracket against Centerville. During regular season play, the Pioneers defeated the Miners twice in conference games. The Lady Pioneers went into the game with confidence, playing their best from the starting serve and lead all the way to a Big Sandy victory in three sets. Consistent serving, effective communication, and controlling the ball at the net resulted in an impressive first set win 25-15.

The Lady Pioneers continued to dominate on both offense and defense in the second set against the Miners, taking it 25-14 due to excellent team defense with Lainey at labero; well-placed tips by Amiya; and consistent serving by Eva Y. Team chemistry continued as Angie’s serves and Amiya, Jai, and Keira’s teamwork at the net lead the team to a 24-9 score. A big block on a Miner hit by Keira sealed the Pioneer win with a final score of 25-10. The entire year came together for them as each player did their part, contributing to the win, moving them forward in the tourney later that day to play CJI for 4th place and advancement to Divisionals. Team leaders included: Amiya with 6 kills; Eva W. had 3 of the team’s 7 aces; Eva Y. with 13 digs; Keira had 2 of the 5 team blocks; and Jai with all 13 assists for the team.

After a short break, the Pioneers took to the court once again. The momentum from the earlier win catapulted the players into a battle against the CJI Lady Hawks. Big Sandy maintained the lead throughout the first set, reaching 15-9. Both teams worked hard striving for every point. A few missed hits by the Pioneers and good plays by CJI allowed the Hawks to inch their way to matching point for point. The Pioneers still continued to lead with the Hawks close on their tails and were even down 24-25 at one point. The nail-biting set ended with a Pioneer block at the net and a final score of 27-25. Pioneers won.

The second set featured the same play on both sides of the net with solid play by the entire Big Sandy team with consistent serving and smart ball placement. Amiya and Eva dominated with hard offensive hits, well-placed tips, and digging balls on defense. Angie and Keira provided solid hits and blocks at the net; and Eva W. and Lainey hustling after every ball. Freshman Tosha Allderdice joined the line-up several times, contributing well in front and back rows. While the Pioneers gave it everything they had, the second set resulted in a CJI win, 23-25. In sets three and four, the young ladies’ hustle and grit was apparent as they battled their way to score and push themselves. Unfortunately, they went the Hawk’s way with both sets’ final scores at 17-25. Team leaders included: Eva Y. with 15 kills; Angie earned the team’s lone ace; Eva Y. had 23 of the team’s 99 digs; Keira blocked 4 times; and Jai assisted in 31 plays.

The Big Sandy Lady Pioneers finished 5th place overall at the District 7C Tournament with a 7-9 conference record for the season. The Championship was Saturday night between Fort Benton and Geraldine/Highwood with the Rivals winning in 3-1 sets.

This year’s group of Lady Pioneers were an absolute joy to watch. They got together in between each point for high fives and hugs whether they scored or not. They were always encouraging and positive towards one another. They improved individually and as a team. They were young and are going to be so much fun to watch for years to come. When asked to recap the season, Coach Brittany McKenney stated, “Overall, I’m really proud of our growth. The girls improved tremendously throughout the season. Even though it didn’t end the way they had hoped, they left it all out on the court. They played hard all the way through and really showed they can battle. I couldn’t ask for anything more as a coach. We are a young team with a lot of future potential. I am already looking forward to next season!”