Local teams fare well in Volleyball Tip-Off Tournament

PHILIPSBURG – The Class C Tip-Off Tournament at Granite High Saturday proved to be a great testing ground for local teams as they enter the 2019 season.

Both Granite and Drummond qualified for the tourney championship bracket in the No. 2 and 3 positions, respectively. However, when the championship game took place it was Charlo and Gardiner that played for the title. Gardiner eventually won the event.

The Lady Trojans got a good look at their team as it undergoes the transition to new leadership under first-year coach Brooks Phillips. “We made it into tournament play and faced Gardiner, which is a great team with a great coach and program and the girls played then well,” said Phillips. “That was probably our best game. It was definitely high level of fast paced play.

“We found things we need to work on and tried numerous lineups. For a young and inexperienced bunch, and with trying several different lineups, they played very well together.”

Jennifer Graham and her Lady Prospectors also had a good day as they made the final round.

“The girls steadily improved throughout the tournament,” said Graham. “It's always a good way to get a solid list of things to work on for practice.”

Both squads will be back in action Thursday to open their respective home schedules. Drummond will host Sheridan while Granite will face off against Twin Bridges in Philipsburg.