Bulldogs claim 4A Region 1 title
SANDPOINT — Sam Buratto and Alex Bucholtz hammered 15 kills apiece on the day to lead No. 1 seed Sandpoint to the 4A Region 1 volleyball championship Saturday at Les Rogers Court, earning the Bulldogs the region’s lone berth to state next week.
Senior libero Blake Plaster dug up 43 balls, Mackenzie Jones added 30 assists, Ariel Moe a team-high four aces and Bucholtz four blocks for the Bulldogs, who swept No. 2 Moscow 25-22, 27-25, 25-7 in the first meeting of the day, before dispatching the Bears 25-11, 25-19, 25-17 in the championship match.
The Bulldogs (15-6) didn’t drop one game to the Bears all season, the first time head coach Karen Alsager can remember that happening during her tenure. While Alsager was happy with the her team’s play, she expressed mixed emotions after finding out the Bulldogs will open the state tournament against Rigby (34-7). With the new state tournament format, the loser of the opening round can finish no higher than fourth, no longer able to come back through the consolation bracket.
“I’m miffed that the top seed from District 1 and District 6 are put head to head in the first round,” explained Alsager, noting those two districts produce the 4A state champion nearly every year. “I think we can do it (win state). It will be the battle of their careers to do it. We’re going to go into some games out-gunned, and it will take 100 percent heart.”
The Bulldogs have proven a scrappy team all season, and their hitting has been coming on late in the season, with Bucholtz, Buratto and Ashley Shepard bringing plenty of firepower from all parts of the net.
Alsager said she couldn’t be more proud of her senior captains, Plaster, Moe and Buratto. Moe and Buratto would guarantee nothing after the game, except all-out hustling play at state next week.
“This is our year to finally lead a team at state,” said Buratto. “Win or lose, we’re going to play our hearts out.”
In a moving tribute after the game, the Bulldog players each placed a rose on the empty chair normally occupied by David Jenkins, an avid Bulldog volleyball supporter who passed away earlier in the week. Written on the chair was “We love you Mr. Jenkins.”
“We miss him,” Moe said. “He was always in our corner back there.”
The Bulldogs face Rigby in a pivotal state opener on Friday in Kimberly.
n Lakeland nearly pulls upset in loser-out match
Maddi Ray had nine kills, Erin Ogden 22 digs, Sonora Wilkes 18 assists and Kaitlyn Whitesitt six blocks to lead No. 3 Lakeland, which fell 25-20, 19-25, 25-16, 20-25, 17-15 to Moscow in a loser-out match.
Whitesitt also posted eight blocks in the first match of the day, as the Hawks (2-28) were swept 25-17, 25-14, 25-13 by the Bears. Hawks coach Claudia Ebel thought her team improved dramatically from the first match to the second.
“I’m proud of them, they came out fighting and kept fighting,” said Ebel, noting her team brought a different energy level the second time around. “When they really focus, we do a number of things a lot better, including passing the ball.”
Ebel, who announced her retirement from coaching after 29 seasons as head coach earlier in the week, finishes with a career record of 389-347.