Badger volleyball: District champs and off to state
Badger volleyball is IML district champions and will compete in the state competition Oct. 28-29. (Top row) Sara Cummings, Emma Lucas, Neveah Elliston, Helene Rae, Riley Kimball, Ellie Falck, Kimberlay Lucas, Asha Abubakari. (Bottom row) Hailey Kelsey, Braylyn Bayer, Avery Bayer and Aspen Hill.
(Courtesy Photo)
BONNERS FERRY — Badger volleyball will return to the state competition for the first time since 2017 after winning the Intermountain league district championships against the Timberlake Tigers.
This win also made Bonners Ferry the District 1 3A Champions.
In two rounds at districts, the Badgers beat Tigers 3-0 in both matches.
Round one: 25-12, 25-8, 25-12.
Round two: 25-15, 25-22. 25-12
The Tigers have not beaten the Badgers in a set all season.
In set one of the second round of districts, the Badgers went on a six-point run and took the win 25-15.
In the second set, Timberlake took a five-point lead over the Badgers early on leading 16-11.
Hailey Kelsey came up to serve and got the Badgers out of a funk. Off an ace, she brought the Badgers within one of the Tigers at 15-16.
The dynamic duo of setter Emma Lucas and middle hitter Asha Abubakari tied the game 16-16 and again at 17-17.
Timberlake blocked a spike by Abubakari making it 22-21. The Badgers kept a level head and finished out the set 25-22.
In the third set, the Badgers made quick work of the Tigers finishing with a 13-point lead.
The Badgers are 12-5 overall and 2-0 in league. Coeur d’Alene Charter did not have a volleyball team this year.
Volleyball will compete in the state tournament Oct. 28-29 at HillCrest High School in Ammon. Badgers are the No. 6 seed and will play No. 3 seed Weiser on Friday at 11 a.m. (MT).
The last time the Badgers finished in the top four in state was in 1994.
Head Coach Cynthia Cummings told the Herald that all season the team has had their eyes on state.