Vals start season 2-0

By JORDAN DAWSON / Bigfork Eagle

The Vals took the long way, but they got the job done winning both of their games this week to start the season off 2-0.

They beat Libby in their home opener last Thursday night. They lost the first match, won the second, lost the third and came back to win the fourth and fifth matches.

Senior Roxy Thurman had 20 kills, four aces, 13 digs, one solo block and assisted in three blocks. Senior Jill Hamilton had 11 kills. Rachael Luckow, a senior, had 23 set assists, four kills and three aces. Junior Claire Wilken had 12 set assists, 13 digs, two kills and two aces. Mallery Knoll, a sophomore, had 22 digs and five kills.

"It has been an incredible difficult week of play, but an extremely rewarding week," said head volleyball coach Yvonne Peck.

Last Tuesday the Vals traveled to Whitefish and beat them in five matches, in their first game of the season. Bigfork won the first two matches, but lost their chance for a quick victory when they let the Bulldogs win the third match by just three points. Whitefish won the fourth game as well. Things got close in the fifth match, but Bigfork pulled through with a win, 17-15.

Thurman had 21 kills, 17 digs, five aces and three solo blocks and assisted in one block. Luckow had 20 set assists, 12 digs, 10 kills and two aces. Wilken had 17 set assists, 12 digs and three aces.

"Both Whitefish and Libby came to play," Peck said. "They are well coached and have traditions where they expect to win, which means they don't quit. In the opening tournaments I felt we didn't finish in some games and in these last two matches we bent but we didn't break.

"We finished at big times, we stepped up and did the hard things that it takes to win.," Peck said. "The girls, both nights, said 'that was so fun.' I truly believe what adds to the fun of winning is knowing you left everything on the court."

Bigfork vs. Whitefish

25-17, 25-13, 21-25, 17-25, 17-15

Bigfork vs. Libby

23-25, 25-22, 17-25, 25-21, 15-13