Granite eeks out 5-set win over Drummond in opener

DRUMMOND – It’s a cross county rivalry that is typically set for later in the schedule, But Granite visited Drummond Tuesday night in the season-opening match for both clubs. The result was typical – a five-set nail biter that resulted in the Lady Prospectors earning a 3-2 over the Lady Trojans.

The first two sets were all played closely through the first six points before one team or the either would snap off a scoring run to take a lead. Drummond won the opener 25-17 and Granite the second 25-18.

The Lady Trojans used a seven point run on the service of Charlee Cline for an early lead, but the visiting Lady Prospectors rallied to knot the score at 16. Granite would then take control before edging Drummond 25-22 for a 2-1 match lead.

The fourth set saw the two squads play to a 5-5 tie before the home team went on an 8-0 run behind Cline for a second time. Drummond would lead by as much as before finally putting the visitors away with a 25-14 victory, tying the match 2-2.

“That fourth set was terrible,” said GHS Head Coach Kaley Hansen. “And going into the fifth set I just reminded them that, for a lot of them, this would be the last time playing volleyball on Drummond’s court. And that they just needed to focus and take it one point at a time.”

And that’s just what the Lady Prospectors did, play the Lady Trojans close before taking a 14-9 advantage. Drummond rallied to tie the score at 14-14, but a pair of points capped by a kill from senior Ramsey Smith sealed the deal on the match win.

“We haven’t beat Drummond since I was a freshman,” said Granite senior Ella Tallon. “We all just wanted it that bad. We just had to stick with it.”

“It’s pretty important,” continued Tallon, describing the win. “It’s the first game, so you gotta show up or show out. You gotta get your reputation runnin’ the first game.”

Drummond’s loss comes after winning the Tip-Off Tournament Saturday in Philipsburg. And while her team is now 0-1 in district play, DHS Head Coach Sam Thomas is looking at a larger picture.

“Granite’s our biggest competition and they have more experience,” said a reflective Thomas after the loss. “They start five seniors that have played together the whole time. So we knew they were gonna be tough. But I’m glad to have that kinda competition just down the road, because we get to play them again and we get to play them last. That will only make us better.”

Drummond and Granite are playing in a new super district that combines the teams of district’s 13C and 14C. They will hold a single district tournament at season’s end.

SCORING

Granite – 17/25/25/14/16 – 3

Drummond – 25/18/22/25/14 – 2

STATISTICS

DRUMMOND (Unofficial)

Kills – ASawfer 6, Parsons 18, RCline 9, CCline 2, Langton 1

Blocks – ASawfer 1, Parsons 3, CCline 1

Assists – ASawfer 14, CCline 14

Aces – ASawfer 5, Parsons 5, CCline 5, Langton 1

GRANITE (Unofficial)

Kills – Smith 3, Benson 1, Spehar 7, Tallon 2, Piar 10, Lilyquist 12

Blocks – Spehar 1, Tallon 1, Lilyquist 2