EUREKA – They were hoping and playing for Bozeman but the Lady Hawks' mighty fine volleyball season ended in Eureka Saturday with a third place finish in the Western B divisional tournament.

Since only the top two teams – champion Florence and runner-up Anaconda – move on to the State B tournament, coach Sandra Kazmierczak and her talented Lady Hawks just missed out on making the big show but still brought home a third place Western B trophy.

That will sit alongside the 2019 District 7B championship trophy, which the Hawks won in Mission last week, nicely. The Lady Hawks complete play with a fine 17-5 season record.

"It was a great season, I am very proud of this group," Kazmierczak said. "We are a little bit bummed, I'm not going to lie, we really wanted to go to state, but this team was just so fun to be around.

"They really have nothing to feel bad about, they had incredible unity and were always upbeat and positive with each other," she added. "It was a wonderful year and the kids we have coming back were already talking about the next year after our last match."

Although top-flight players and team captains Belle Cooper and Brooke Bowlin graduate, the rest of the Lady Hawk lineup should return intact next season.

The Hawks started the tournament in the three-day event's first match Thursday morning and pounded out a 25-18, 25-21, 25-17 win to advance to the second round Thursday evening, where they defeated Anaconda 25-21, 25-23, 25-22 to gain a berth in the undefeated match with powerful Florence Friday evening.

The Hawks appeared ready to rock early on in that match with the heavily favored Falcons, playing some of their best volleyball of the season in moving to a convincing 25-14 win of the first set. Unfortunately for Thompson Falls fans, the Falcons came back strong, claiming the last three sets 25-13, 25-21 and 25-10 to send the Hawks into the loser-third match with Anaconda Saturday morning.

The Lady Hawks fell to Anaconda 25-10, 25-20, 25-19 in their final match of the season and settled for third place in the division.

"We were really playing well in that first set with Florence," coach Kaz said, "but we couldn't keep the momentum. And they are a very good team that you cannot let up against."

Perhaps down a little mentally after that match, the Lady Hawks then lost to the Lady Copperheads in the match they needed to win to advance on to the State B tourney this week in Bozeman. Kazmierczak is thinking her team very well could have been one of the chosen two moving into State B tourney play this week.

The Lady Copperheads seemed to find their volleyball groove after losing to the Lady Hawks, defeating and eliminating Loyola and Deer Lodge Friday to clinch no worse than fourth in the tourney. Meanwhile, the Lady Hawks sat around all day Friday waiting for their match with Florence.

The extra court time they got Friday appeared to give the Anaconda girls momentum heading into Saturday morning's match.

Although the Hawks never did seem to fully find their rhythm in Eureka, they still played well enough to win both matches Thursday.

Scarlette Schwindt led the way for the Hawks against Deer Lodge with 18 kills, Belle Cooper added 10 and Jody Detlaff and Brooke Bowlin eight apiece, Cooper and Elli Pardee blocked two shots each, Pardee posted a team-high nine digs and Riley Wilson directed the action with 27 set assists, besides hitting two aces.

Jordan Smith and Courtney Boese each hit five kills for Deer Lodge and Amy Fjell hit 18 assists.

Back on court Thursday evening versus Anaconda, the Hawks received 15 kills, two blocks and 10 digs from Schwindt, Bowlin added eight kills and five digs, Cooper four kills and two blocks, Detlaff three kills, three blocks and four digs and Pardee nine digs, an ace and four kills.

The match with Florence was encouraging and discouraging at the same time.

"The girls gave it their all for four tough sets," Kazmierczak said. "Everybody wants to compete with and beat Florence, but it's just pretty tough to do, they are a very good team."

The scintillating Schwindt, a sophomore, again led the Lady Hawks with 12 kills, a block, five aces and seven digs, Cooper cashed in on 11 kills, two blocks and an ace, Bowlin bombed in eight kills, blocked a shot and hit an ace, Detlaff detonated for four kills and two blocks, Pardde hit five assists, a kill and six digs, Wilson 31 assists, a kill, a block and seven digs, and freshman Cheyla Irvine four digs.

Sarah Hopcroft hit 16 kills and Emma Stensrud blocked four shots to lead Florence.

John Hamilton

SWEET EMOTION! The Lady Hawks celebrate after defeating Florence in the first set of their match in Eureka Friday. Florence came back to win the match in four sets.

In the season-ender with Anaconda, Schwindt hit seven kills and 12 digs, Detlaff added six Ks, Cooper two blocks and Wilson 15 set assists.