Balanced Bulldogs ready to make some noise at state
<p>The Sandpoint volleyball team celebrates after winning the 4A Region 1 volleyball tournament on Saturday. Pictured back row, from left to right: Laney Search, Darby Scrimsher, Anna Alsager, Emma Liband, Hannah Neumann, Mariah Kluver, Kennedy Search, Lexi Riley and Amy Shepard. Front row: Hailey Dunn, Trinity Young and Taylor Martin. The team tips off the state tournament on Friday morning at Lake City High School. (Photo by ERIC PLUMMER)</p>
SANDPOINT — For the 35th time in the past 37 years, the Sandpoint volleyball team will be competing in the state tournament, opening against Bishop Kelly on Friday morning at 8 a.m. at Lake City High School.
The Bulldogs (23-11) will be gunning for a state trophy, no easy task in a bracket loaded with state volleyball powers in Skyview (39-2), defending state champion Century (38-4) and perennial state power Bonneville (31-6). The Bulldogs are no strangers to high level competition, having played 5A state champion Lewiston (31-1) three times, and some other tough opponents at tournaments.
The Bulldogs have no real weaknesses, and for the first time in years, feature a strong blocking team, a necessity at state where every team features ample firepower. Middle blockers Anna Alsager (6-foot-3) and Emma Liband (6-1), as well as setter Hailey Dunn (6-1) will be able to match the height of opposing attacks.
Liband, a senior emotioinal leader who has been to state the past two years, is confident heading into her last state tournament.
“I feel that this is our best year, we’re a great, well-rounded team,” said senior middle blocker Emma Liband, who feels passing is the team’s biggest strength. “When we’re on, those are really perfect.”
Senior libero Mariah Kluver anchors the back row, digging balls up for setters Kennedy Search and Dunn, each of whom are capable of posting 20 plus set assists while directing the attack. Having two strong setters makes the Bulldogs tough to defend, especially when Dunn is also scoring on kills.
Senior Hannah Neumann and junior Taylor Martin bring the firepower to the attack as outside hitters. Each routinely posts double digit kills, and both are go-to hitters when the match is on the line, again making the Bulldogs hard to predict. Lexi Riley also sees swings in a diverse 6-2 offense.
Assistant coach Shaune Montgomery has added a “zero tempo” element to the attack this year, with low and quick sets to Alsager and Liband in the middle, allowing the Bulldogs to hit from anywhere on the net, usually against a single blocker. Alsager dominated the first set in the district championship, scoring with both spikes and blocks in the middle of the court.
Search had several long service runs in the district tournament, and along with the jump-serving Kluver and Liband, give the Bulldogs three potent servers, a necessity to score points at state.
Head coach Karen Alsager said the key will be her team’s ability to end points with six different hitters, a rare luxury that speaks to the Bulldogs’ depth of talent.
The Bulldogs haven’t contended for a title in a few years, failing to bring home a trophy the last three trips. They won their 14th state title in 2008, and were third the following year.
Century is the three-time defending champion, beating Skyview for the 2011 title and Bonneville last year. Skyview was third last year, but handed Lewiston its only loss this season and is the pre-tournament favorite.