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Third in Anaconda means a little more in 2020 than in did in 2019, it means a well-deserved trip to the State B tournament this time around.

The Lady Hawks won third place in the Western B divisional volleyball tournament in Anaconda a second straight time last week, but that third place trophy means a little more this time as the top three teams from the division qualify for the State B tourney this year.

As the No. 3 team from the Western B, the Lady Hawks will open the State B in Shelby Thursday facing Choteau, the No. 1 team from the Northern B, at noon Thursday.

The Lady Hawks, given a bye through the first round when Deer Lodge was forced to drop out of the Western B due to a COVID-19 situation at that school, opened the tourney last Thursday night in Anaconda with Missoula Loyola and defeated the Breakers 25-16, 22-25, 19-25, 25-15, 15-8.

Back on court in the unbeaten match Friday, the Lady Hawks fell 25-17, 25-23, 25-22 to the host Anaconda Copperheads, and Anaconda went on to defeat Florence for the championship.

In the match for second and third played Saturday, the Lady Hawks lost 25-23, 25-21, 26-24 to Florence.

Anaconda will open the State B facing off against Colstrip at 2 p.m. Thursday while Florence will open the tourney squaring off against Huntley Project at 10 a.m.

Coach Sandra Kazmierczak says her Hawks are excited to see what they can do in Shelby this week. “We had our moments in Anaconda, the girls all played well,” she said. “Most of the games we played last week were really close, they could have went either way.

“We are really excited to see how we do this week,” she added. “It should be a lot of fun.”

One unfortunate incident went a long way in determining the Hawks’ fate in Anaconda as junior Elli Pardee injured her hand Friday in the match with Anaconda. She gutted it out and finished that match, but it turned out that her hand was actually broken and she did not play against Florence Saturday.

With their rotation altered, the Hawks adjusted but still missed Pardee’s fine play. Pardee will be sidelined for the State B as well.

The Hawks had their moments in Anaconda.

Against Loyola, Scarlette Schwindt hit 20 kills, 16 digs and 15 assists, Jody Detlaff powered down 14 kills and blocked five shots, Riley Wilson hit 21 assists and 15 digs, Pardee had four blocks and two service aces, Cheyla Irvine also hit two aces and Abbi Lane added four blocks.

Versus Anaconda, Schwindt hit 12 kills, 10 digs, 14 assists and two aces, Detlaff seven kills, three blocks and two aces, Wilson 14 assists and two blocks, and Pardee nine digs.

Finishing with Florence, Schwindt slammed 18 kills and hit nine assists, Detlaff hammered six kills, four blocks and two aces, Wilson had 16 assists, 15 digs and three blocks, Ariana Wood had 14 digs and Lane added two aces.

Not the most enjoyable season of volleyball ever due to the COVID-19 condition of things, Kazmierczak and her Lady Hawks are just glad to be making the trip to Shelby, and hope to make the most of it.

“We are ready for more volleyball and looking forward to seeing how we do,” she said. “This is a great group and they have earned this, we are going to go over there, play hard and have some fun.”