Lady Cats fall to Deary in state play-in

COEUR d’ALENE — A fifth straight state appearance eluded Clark Fork volleyball on Saturday.

The Lady Cats suffered a four-set defeat to District 2 runner-up Deary in a 1A Division II state play-in game at Lake City High, 25-22, 18-25, 25-18, 25-13.

Clark Fork, the District 1 champs, will not be going to state for the first time since 2016, when they fell to Kendrick in five sets in a state play-in.

Junior varsity coach Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey, a 2014 Clark Fork grad, filled in at head coach for Michelle Valliere, who was sick.

Kiebert said it was a bittersweet ending to a wonderful season.

“All these girls that play Clark Fork volleyball, they love this game and today you could just tell they love each other,” she said.

Valliere Facetimed the team throughout the match, Kiebert said.

“She definitely was there,” she said.

After dropping a back-and-forth opening set, Clark Fork cruised in the second game to knot the match up at 1-1.

In the third set, the Lady Cats fell behind 20-12 and never recovered, and in the final game the Mustangs pulled away to punch their ticket to state and end the Lady Cats’ season.

“Communication just broke down during the match and that was all it really was,” Kiebert said. “We were playing strong volleyball, our communication just wasn’t at its best … Credit to Deary, they have a solid team.”

Paige Valliere tallied 22 assists and 11 digs, Taylor Staley 24 digs, four aces and four kills, Caiya Yanik 22 digs, 10 kills, four aces and three blocks, Eloise Shelton 14 digs and five kills, and Katelyn Matteson 10 digs, four kills and three aces. Lilly Reuter added 11 digs and Taylor Payne four kills.

Clark Fork finishes 13-7.

Despite the loss, Kiebert said she loved the passion her team played with.

“Something that I knew to be true was that this team came into this match today with the best energy that I ever had from a team that I’ve coached,” she said. “We always say, ‘You set the tone in the gym,’ and they set the tone.”

Kiebert was sad to see the season come to an end for the team’s three seniors — Yanik, Matteson and Staley. They were a part of three district title winning teams during their careers and left a lasting mark on the program, Kiebert said.

“They have made our town so proud,” she said. “People know who they are because these girls have worked so hard in volleyball since they were in elementary school.”

Kiebert didn’t know she would be serving as the head coach until the day of the match. Prior to coaching her first varsity match, Kiebert thought about her former coach and mentor, Cindy Derr. The legendary Clark Fork volleyball coach passed away earlier this year.

“What came to my mind was what would Cindy say to me today,” she said, “and what would Cindy say to the girls and she would have said, ‘Leave it all on the court,’ and they did that.”