Badger Volleyball wins districts, returns to state

SPIRIT LAKE — The Badgers volleyball team swept the Timberlake Tigers at 3A Intermountain League district competition  best-of-three matches and are state-bound as the No. 7 seed. 

After going into extra sets in league play, the Badgers finished the Tigers in three sets at both district matches. 

Taren Bateman had 11 kills, Helene Rae had eight kills and Aspen Hill had two aces and three solo blocks for the Badgers in the win (25-16, 25-23, 25-17) over the Tigers. 

Helene Rae had eight kills, Rylie Kimball had two aces and two solo blocks, Avery Bayer had 22 digs and Ellie Falck had 13 digs and 21 assists. 

Hailey Armes had five kills and two aces, Linley Howard four kills and two blocks and Diana Nelson five blocks and two kills for Timberlake, which finished 4-13.

The second-seeded Badgers upended the top-seeded Tigers (25-16, 25-11, 25-19) in the first of a best-of-three series for the district title and the district’s lone berth to state on Monday, Oct. 16.

Helene Rae had eight kills, four aces, and one block for the Badgers. Taren Bateman had nine kills and two aces, Rylie Kimball had three ace and one block, Aspen Hill had four blocks, Ellie Falck had one block and 21 assists, Avery Bayer had the lone dig for the Badgers. 

Timberlake won the tiebreaker between the two teams (5-4 in sets won in the two head-to-head matches) and won the Intermountain League last week making them the host for the best-of-3 series between the two teams for the 3A District 1 championship.

Bonners Ferry (10-10, 1-1) will compete at state starting Friday at Coeur d'Alene High against no. 2 seed Snake River (4-0, 15-2) at 9 a.m. for match 3. 

The Panthers are on a 15-game winning streak and have won their past 11 games in three sets.