Sandpoint bounces Bears, earns spot in district final

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that Gabby Hicks had 19 kills, not 27.

SANDPOINT — Sandpoint volleyball fought off a hungry Moscow team on Tuesday night in the 4A Region 1 loser-out game to advance to the district final at No. 1 Lakeland.

The Bulldogs prevailed in four sets, 25-22, 25-22, 19-25, 25-22.

Head coach Karen Alsager is glad her team will get a chance to knock off the Hawks, but she didn't feel the Bulldogs were at their best Tuesday.

"We've been playing really well," she said. "My anticipation tonight for our last match on our home court was we would take care of business confidently and strong ... It was nice to get it done, but that wasn't the way I wanted to get it done tonight."

In a pair of regular season matches against the Bears, Sandpoint sailed to straight-set victories. But on Tuesday, Moscow made the Bulldogs earn it.

In the first and second sets, the two teams traded points back and forth. However, Sandpoint used a 11-6 run in the first and a Gabby Hicks kill in the second to put Moscow in a 2-0 hole.

With their season on the line, the Bears battled back in the third set to stay alive and avoid being swept for a third time by the Bulldogs.

After Moscow won the third game 25-19, Alsager took her team into the locker room to let them know that Moscow could force a fifth set if they didn't step up their game.

"It was kind of a wake-up call," she said. "Sometimes when you're on the same side of the court like that — that's been really hard this year — there's no break between the games because you are always on the one side, so I just thought let's just get out, get into the locker room and let's understand what our situation is here. I didn't want to go to five."

The Bulldogs responded by taking an early lead in the fourth set, but Moscow hung around. With the game knotted at 13-13, Berklee Lane hit a kill to help Sandpoint regain the lead. Hicks then hit a kill and served an ace to force a Moscow timeout with the score at 17-13.

Following the timeout, the SHS student section rose to their feet to create an electric environment down the stretch.

The Bears cut the score to 21-20, but kills by Hicks and Bella Phillips allowed Sandpoint to avoid a fifth set and claim victory.

Alsager said the Bulldogs passed great against the Bears, but their hitting and setting was just a little off.

Hicks led the team with 19 kills, two aces and two blocks. Phillips tallied 12 kills and a team-high four blocks, Emma Brown had 18 digs and two aces and Kaylee Banks notched 23 assists. Kinzie Ward had 13 digs and Sam Koster tallied 12, Berklee Lane served two aces and Tori Pelkey added two blocks.

Sandpoint (5-10) heads to Lakeland at 6 p.m. Thursday for the 4A Region 1 final.

The last time the Bulldogs saw the Hawks, Sandpoint was able to take a set off the defending district champions.

Alsager said her team needs to play smarter defensively against Lakeland's key hitters if they want to earn a trip to state.

"Gabby [Hicks] and Katy [Ryan] can wash each other out again, but the rest of the team has to step it up," she said. "We have to play our best on Thursday."